A few weeks ago, Ripples broke the story of a feud between member representing Oyo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Kamil Akinlabi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi. A new twist has been added to the unfolding scenario. Last week, Akinlabi’s supporters staged a protest against the plan to thwart his re-election. But the protest soon turned violent when his opponents, who were rooting for one of Alaafin’s sons, Akeem, the Atiba LG boss, organised a counter-protest, which degenerated into a fracas. Sources say Akinlabi has allegedly vowed to contest for another term with or without Alaafin’s support with speculations rife that he may move to the PDP.
Category: Politics
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Moment of redemption for Anambra
Hitherto, Anambra State has consistently represented a failed state. Created since 1991, the state’s development, socially, infrastructurally, and wholistically, has been completely stunted on account of poverty of leadership, poverty of ideas, entrenched anti-democratic practices and selfishness.
The main ills of Anambra State’s political life are money politics, godfatherism, naked bid for power, do-or-die politicking, political gangterism and vendetta, thuggery, ceaseless desecration of the ballot box through high wire rigging and gerrymandering, economic plunder, financial rascality, selfish and self-serving leaders and the premium placed on politics as an avenue for self-enrichment and personal aggrandizement.
All the leaders produced by Anambra State since the return of democratic republicanism in 1999 have been nothing short of abysmal failures and tragic disappointment. All of them failed in building social harmony in the state. They failed in providing infrastructural facilities. They failed in the physical development of the state. For a long time, the state was in a state of social, political and economic anomie and it became the butt of beer parlour jokes as a place where the people are enmeshed in a continual war for leadership and control of affairs of government because of the spoils of office.
The state was held and bugged down by a wicked, mindless, predatory and mischievous cabal who continued to suck and milk her dry. At a time, it was as if the state was going to die. In fact, metaphorically, the state was dead from the pillage and economic plundering of these predatory godfathers who saw it as no more than an extension of their business empires.
There was disorder, brigandage, looting, stealing, burglary, arson, murder, treasonable felony, destruction of government property and lawlessness in the state. This spate of gangterism came to a head when an erstwhile governor of the state was arrested and detained by the police in a hotel on the instruction of a godfather who had links with the Presidency then.
I have taken pains to recount, in a nutshell, the historical and political malaise in the state to enable us know from where we are coming and the positive way forward as the next round of elections, particularly the Gubernatorial election, beckons.
Now, enter Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Uba, the Nnewi, Anambra State-born business mogul. His entry into the gubernatorial race in the state is, in my view, the best thing to have happened to Anambra State politics.
The political platform under which Uba is seeking to serve Anambrarians is not important. What is of utmost importance is the man himself.
It is unfortunate and disgraceful that the same politicians who bled Anambra State to a state of nausea and coma, who inflicted grievous injuries on the state, who plundered her resources in the past, who ordered and supported destruction of public property as vendetta for not being allowed to milk the state dry, who sponsored brigandage, mayhem and anarchy, are the ones on the blocks again with intent to continue from where they stopped.
Given his precedence as a selfless philanthropist, the common people in Anambra State, especially the youths, see Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Uba’s entry into the race as important. This is because it is easy to agree that he is not in politics to make money like the known vultures parading themselves as gubernatorial aspirants who have nothing to show for their aspiration.
Apart from the fact that some of them are old, discredited politicians who compounded the problems in Anambra State, some of them have no pedigree. They do not have any vocation or profession. They cannot point at any philanthropic work they have done. They have not empowered any body from their families, let alone Anambrarians. Most of them are selfish and self-serving. They have not lifted anybody before and so we think they cannot lift Anambra State.
On the other hand, Dr. Uba, who, as a private citizen has chains of businesses that offered employment to Nigerian youths numbering more than 4,000, also has a scholarship scheme with which he assists indigent students.
These, added to his well known contribution in the oil distribution chain in Nigeria paint a picture of a man capable and willing to serve the people and just another opportunist looking forward to clean the state’s treasury.
Also, Uba has been able to show that he does not joke with the affairs of the youths. When Igbo Youths, especially Anambrarians, were displaced in Balogun Market in Lagos, none of these politicians struggling to run the affairs of Anambra State said a word. They all felt unconcerned because they were not involved. Only Dr. Uba had the courage and milk of human kindness to visit the market and address the traders most of whom hail from Anambra State. He comforted them, intervened in their plight and proceeded to hold discussion with Governor Fashola of Lagos State on the matter. Following Uba’s intervention, meaningful support and contributions, the issue was resolved.
Of all the aspirants to the seat of Governor of Anambra State, only Dr. Ifeanyi Uba has had the courage to showcase to Anambrarians his work and his means of livelihood. It is on record that he brought Anambra State stakeholders, including traditional rulers and Presidents-General of town unions to Lagos and took them to a facility tour of his vast business empire in Lagos. It became obvious that Dr. Uba’s Oil business is the most public-friendly in the whole of the country.
Though up there, Uba enjoys great support of common traders and petty traders. When he visited Alaba Market, Lagos the other day, he was welcomed by a tumultuous crowd of cheering supporters. Traffic came to a standstill. The same happened when he visited Coker Building Materials Market.
Already, some of his opponents are afraid that his acceptance by the youths and the common people is the current headache political godfathers do not know how to tackle.
The fear is because many have sworn that the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State is an opportunity for the state to start all over again on a clean slate. The people are tired of political profiteers and electoral fraudsters who rely on rigging or jaded technical legal principles to manipulate themselves to power. Anambrarians finest moment is now.
Dr. Ifeanyi Uba’s victory is a forgone conclusion. For everybody – young and old, men and women, the rich and the poor, the lettered and the unlettered, rural and urban dwellers are all rooting for his peculiar type of leadership and amazing style which transforms into excellence and success.
Governorship of Anambra State is the target. Transformation of Anambra is the goal and the man to deliver the goods is Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Uba, the man of the moment and modern day Moses.
— Okoye, a political analyst, wrote from Lagos.
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Oboh’s stay as NDDC boss shaky
The crisis of confidence between the Presidency and the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, may soon consume certain government officials believed to be close to Amaechi. One of them is the MD of Niger Delta Development Comission (NDDC), Dr. Christian Oboh. The youthful NDDC boss was nominated for the position by Amaechi, who has since fallen out with the powers that be.
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Is Nigeria heading for two-party system?
In 2015, two main political parties-the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-will contest for federal power. Group Political EMMANUEL OLADESU and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examine the prospects of a two-party system, following the merger of opposition progressive parties.
Progressives have broken the jinx of botched alliances. Following the merger of like-minded opposition parties, the stage is set for a hot contest between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The two parties will test their strength in Anambra State on November 16 at the governorship election. Next year, they will also bid for power in the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) chieftains will fight on the platform of the APC, which is now perceived as the progressive mega party. Although other mushroom political parties, including the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Accord Party (AP) and Labour Party (LP), will present candidates for the elections, observers contend that Nigeria may be on the way to a two-party system.
In 2015, the country may mirror the clash of two dominant parties. This will be similar to the British and American practice of two party parliamentary and presidential democracy. In both the United Kingdom and Unites States, which pride themselves as two party states, there are also smaller political parties which fight for power and relevance at the local levels. However, only the Democratic Party and Republican Party have always won presidential elections in the US and won the majority seats in the Congress and Senate. Although other parties, including the Green Party and Tea party always contest, they are largely perceived as fringe parties. Also, in Britain, only the Conservative Party and Labour Party have always been wining the majority of seats in the House of Commons. The third party, the Liberal Party, is mustering efforts to be more relevant. Other smaller parties exist, but as defenders of special interests and identities in the country.
The advantage of the two party system is that it strategically narrows down political choice and gives opportunities for exploring better and credible alternative platforms during the periodic elections. Also, opposition usually wax stronger. The result, analysts point out, is good governance.
However, this experience has eluded Nigeria since independence, although its politics and transient alliance have always predisposed it to two party system. The alliances or accords are never concretised.
History has shown that many opposition leaders usually back their moves with hypocritical commitment. Thus, when concerted efforts were made by opposition leaders to forge an alliance, it was short-lived. Instead, it has been relatively easier for the opposition to team up temporarily with the ruling parties for pecuniary political gains. For example, many were surprised in 1960 when the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), led by Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe, forged an alliance with the Balewa’s Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), instead of the Action Group (AG), which was closer to its ideological leaning.
When the alliance broke down in 1964, prominent National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) ministers in the Balewa Government refused to leave the government. Later, the AG, NCNC and some smaller parties came together in an alliance for the purpose of the 1964 federal elections. But there was no strong leader to wield them together. The AG leader, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was in prison and many believed that the NCNC leader, Dr Michael Okpara, lacked the leadership capability to move the alliance forward. The onslaught by the NPC was unbearable. Former Western Regional Minister Chief Ehinafe Babatola, who reflected on the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) politics, recalled that there was division within the alliance over plans for the 1964 federal elections and 1965 regional. While a section called for the aggressive pursuit of victory, others who feared the NNA’s suppressive machinery, canvassed the boycott of the polls. Both camps went ahead with their antagonistic strategies.
Thirteen years after the first military rule in 1979, the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), which was an incarnate of the banned NCNC led by Zik, teamed up with the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in an uneasy accord, following the 12 two-third controversy. When the relationship broke down in 1981, the NPP ministers held on to their portfolios in the Federal Executive Council (FCE). Some even defected from NPP to NPN.
However, two party system was foisted on the country by former President Ibrahim Babangida, who established the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC), in line wirth the recommendation of the Political Bureau headed by Dr Sam Cookey. The military also imposed the manifestos on the two parties. Although the result was a two party system with ambiguity because the parties did not evolve from the people. In that aborted Third republic, there was no defection of politicians from either of the parties. There was streamlining, making it easier for the electorate to make a clear choice between the progressive and conservative platforms. Both SDP and NRC were proscribed by another military head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha.
In 1998, the military government actually proposed the two party system. The two parties were the PDP and APP. However, Chief Bola Ige, owing to irreconcilable differences, pulled his group out of the APP to form the Alliance for Democracy (AD). The Head of State, Gen. Abulsalami Abubakar objected to the birth of the third party after the closure of registration of parties. But he was advised by the Chief of General Staff, Admiral Mike Akhigbe, who had served as the governor of Ondo and Lagos States, to avoid a situation whereby the Southwest would boycott the transition programme, thereby discrediting the process. The pulling out of the AD out of the APP was later admitted as a mistake by the progressives. When reality dawned on them that they could not beat the PDP at the presidential poll, AD chieftains evolved an agreement with their counterparts in the APP to field a joint presidential candidate in 1999. Chief Olu Falae from the AD emerged as the candidate and the APP chieftain, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, was his running mate. Nevertheless, they lost their deposit at the poll.
After the election, APP and AD did not resolve to fuse together. Instead, the PDP and APP formed a controversial Government of National Unity (GNU). The chairman of the APP, Senator Mahmud Waziri, later abandoned his party when he was appointed as a Special Adviser by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2003, the National Chairman of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Alhaji Ahmed Abudulkadir, was rewarded by Obasanjo with the position of Special Adviser on Manufacturing, following the inexplicable cooperation between selected AD leaders and PDP federal government. In 2011, ANPP led by the late Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, isolated itself and teamed up with the PDP to form an inexplicable Government of National Unity. The terms baffled Nigerians. The party also became polarised.
Since 2007, when the country witnessed the worst elections, opposition groups have been holding discussions on the possibility of an alliance. But the Southwest, which was perceived as the main pilot in the venture, has been politically divided. Opposition figures outside the zone were in regular contacts with a faction of the displaced entrenched establishment, which had regrouped as the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), following the eclipse of the AD. But the old men lacked mobilisation prowess like their old colleagues, who were in the AC N, the widely accepted party in the zone.
The alliance talks supported by the men of the old order later hit the rocks. From its ashes rose the two parties, MPPP, led by Shita-Bey, and another mega party sponsored by Prof Pat Utomi, Chiefs Olu Falae, Ayo Adebanjo and Olaniwun Ajayi. Although former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, also tried to bring some groups together for the purpose of rallying progressives for a better defense, the effort did not see the light of the day.
Shortly before the 2007 polls, progressive politicians in the PDP and AD came together to form the Action Congress of Nigeria. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ran for the presidential election on the platform. But after the election, which he lost to the late President Yar’Adua, he and his group returned to the PDP.
In 2011, ACN and CPC were involved in another alliance talks, which later collapsed. ACN blamed the CPC chieftains for not making up their minds. But last year, ACN, CPC, ANPP and a section of APGA discovered an opportunity in 2015. The options, to them, were also plausible; mergers, accord, alliances and fusion. Initially, sone CPC and ANPP objected, but reason later prevailed. Buhari faced personal hurdles within his former party, the ANPP, and his present camp. While the CPC chairman and former Information Minister, Prince Tony Momoh, and former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Mallam Nasir el-Rufai were enthusiastic, other compatriots were reluctant. Some ANPP leaders said that they could not work with Buhari. It is a carry-over of the deep-seated crisis in the ANPP, which led to the General’s exit from the party.
In 1964, 1979, 1999, 2007 and 2011, collaborations among oppositional parties failed. Proposed alliance, fusion and accord crumbled. But it has now succeeded. Will it bear the envisaged fruits?
Currently, the PDP controls 23 states, ACN governs six states, ANPP controls three states, CPC and APGA govern one state each. Though the PDP rules in 23 states, the party is troubled by internal squabbles, which fuel suspicion that many of its governors may defect to the opposition, ahead of 2015. If this happens, APC may be at par with the PDP, in terms of electoral strength.
APC chieftain Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said: “The confirmation of the registration of the party by INEC signal-led the commencement of a new phase in the struggle to bring true democratic change to Nigeria. This is not just a merger. This is the first ever merger in the history of Nigeria and represents a paradigm shift in the politics of our country. Together, we must own it. As Nigerians, we see history unfold before our eyes and we must rise up to answer the call of history to liberate our people.”
Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) described the two- party system as the best option for Nigeria. He said that there is nothing wrong with two-party system, particularly in Nigeria, where the ruling PDP considers power as its birth right because other parties are not strong to capture power at the centre.
He said the coming together of some opposition parties has changed political structure of the country. Nigerians can now boast of two formidable political parties and Nigerians can now make a choice, he added.
“There is nothing wrong with two party system. It guarantees stability in the polity and as well makes it easier for power to shift from one party to another and from one region to the other.
“With APC coming on board as a national party, the abuse of power and the excesses of PDP would be reduced since the party is aware that the electorate have alternative in the next poll.
“Two party system will liberate the country from political imprisonment that the PDP had subjected them to in the past 14 years. With a formidable opposition like the APC , there is the assurance that power can be wrestled from the ruling PDP, whose stock in trade are misrule and reckless display of power.
The envisaged two party system is not legislated, but it has evolved over time as it was the case in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Britain where two parties are dominant in their political system.
But Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) says no to two party system in Nigeria. Against the background that the country is a multiethnic and multi-cultural society, he argued that Nigeria must embrace multi-party system.
Akintola said that, given the fact that Nigeria is a country of many nationalities and, which is yet to get over the problem of ethnicity, it should not narrow the political space to two parties.
He said those that are dissatisfied with the leadership and programmes of both the PDP and APC can find a common ground in another party.
The lawyer suggested that Nigeria should have three or five political parties. He called on the electoral commission to do away with the mushroom parties. He said most of the mush room parties existing on paper are not serious adding that they collect grants from INEC and collect money from the winning party and share offices with them.
“Most of the opposition parties are regional based. They should merge and form a formidable party, as some did to form the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Examples of two party state
The United States of America: “The presidential power has always been alternated between the Democratic and Republican parties otherwise known as “current major parties. It is not a two-party system legislated by the Congress. Instead, the two parties evolved overtime, not over night, given that there are still in existence such parties as Constitution Party, Reform Party, Reform Party and Liberian Party.
In the United Kingdom, the last parliamentary elections threw up the Liberal Democrats as the coalition partner with the Conservative Party (the Tories), the first coalition government since 1945, decades after Labour and the Tories have shared political dominance in the country. Yet, there are others in existence such as the Plaid (Wales), SNP (Scotland), United Kingdom Independence Party, Green Party and British National Party.
In Spain, two major parties emerged which have strong influence and tend to elect most of the candidates, but a multitude of lesser parties exist with varying degrees of influence, and sometimes, these lesser parties are able to elect officials, who participate in the legislature. A report in the Christian Science Monitor, for example, suggested that Spain was moving towards a greater two party system, while acknowledging that the country has many small parties.
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‘APC leaders are men of strong character and integrity’
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) member Prince Benjamin Apugo spoke with Correspondent OKODILI NDIDI on the prospect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the threat it poses to the ruling party.
WHAT is your reaction to the registration of the APC?
Well, you people always ask me questions that are not difficult for me to answer. That is why I am answering this. You see, I have always loved the APC when it was not even registered. Now that it is registered, I love it more. Remember that I am one of the founders of the PDP and a member of the Board of Trustees. It has been very difficult for us to assess our party because there are is strong opposition. Now that the opposition is here, I am very happy. I am very happy that the APC is registered. I know the people there and I know their character. Most of them are of strong character like me. That is why I love the APC. People who can tell the country the truth without minding whose ox is gored.
There was a time the PDP said they were going to rule the country for the next 50 years. Now, with the emergence of the APC, do you think that position is still tenable?
You see, there is nothing wrong in the assumption. People even call themselves Jesus Christ. I am not saying the PDP is not going to rule but if it must rule let it be by the vote of the people. It is the party that respects the rule of law and the aspiration of the people and does the right thing that the people will want.
Do you think that the emergence of the APC will give Nigerians the alternative platform?
Now I don’t even know who to call the opposition because, as at today, three political parties have merged together. I cannot call them opposition. I will call them a political party, PDP is a political, they are a political party. And every party will fight to win. Fight is not physical fighting; they will fight by talking to the people, addressing the people, respecting the will of the people, respecting the rule of law. It is the party that does so that Nigerians will always follow; people like us will always belong to. It is not a group that will only want you to run around the villa and blackmail people to get one thing or the other which I cannot do. I contested for the National Chairmanship of the PDP. I am a member of Board of Trustees, one of the founders. I was the one that mounted the PDP flag in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state. I did not only mount the PDP flag in Bayelsa, I funded the party in Bayelsa State. I don’t know Bayelsa before, they came and begged me and I followed them to go and help, but today, we are nothing because we don’t run round the villa. Then, you are talking about Abia.I helped to make Theodore Orji, governor when he was in the PPA. I brought him into, PDP. I presented him to the party at the stadium in Umuahia. So, all these things are nothing for the PDP. It is only when you go round and start blackmailing people to look for one contract or the other. I can never do that. I have my integrity and I will continue to protect that.
Some members of your party have said that the APC is not a threat, but you seem to sing a different song. You are excited that the APC will give Nigerians the liberty to choose between two alternatives. Why is your view different from others?
I’ve said it earlier that I know the people who are there. Do I have to mention their names? I know the people who are there. And sincerely speaking, from what I know about some of them who are there, they are people of integrity. That is why my views are different from others. And the APC is indeed a threat. Let me be very blunt. Let’s not deceive ourselves. If it is for Nigerians to vote, the APC is a huge threat to PDP.
There has been this age-long agitation for Igbo Presidency and people are thinking that, with the coming of the APC, the zone will have a broader platform to actualise that ambition. Do you think that is possible?
You know, the issue there is that we don’t have to deceive ourselves. Look, before you sit down in a place that you have gone to, you have to look at the face of the person that you have gone to his house before you sit down. We, the Igbo, should do everything possible to keep ourselves together, to love ourselves before we start looking for a seat where we are. We are human beings quite alright. We are qualified to be all these things, more than qualified, but we should get back our friends; we should get back our allies. We should forget selfishness. A governor will get to office; it will become his kingdom. A governor who was a beggar before goes to office and he becomes the all and all, forgetting that he will come out of the office one day and he will go back to that position that God has created him, no matter the amount of money he has made. So, let’s forget about deceiving ourselves now. I always support the President coming from the North. I always say that this time, I said it earlier, even in PDP, where we were, I always say that the Presidency, as at that time, was for the North going by our zoning arrangement. But it was not done. We didn’t know that some of the Northerners went behind and signed an agreement with the President. So, we were betrayed. Yes, because all of us like me, I stood firm that it was the turn of the North. I did not know who the North was going to bring in PDP. So, when it was time for the primaries, I voted for the North. I voted completely for the North. So, today, from the look of things, if I am asked to vote again in the PDP primaries, which I am truly qualified, I will vote for a Northern President in the primaries. Then, after the North, the Igbos will come in. That is, if we continue to do zoning. But if there is no zoning let the best man win.
In the Southeast, it is only the Imo State governor that is in the APC. What does it portend for the zone?
Well, you don’t put much emphasis on the governors. You will look at the people. When the time comes, and it is voting, it is the people that will vote. Some governors, when they came out they tried to contest for the Senate, they lost. So, let us not be talking about governors, but the people. What are the people looking for? Are the people not looking for development? What we are talking about is development. Why I am particularly happy with APC is that I have seen where their governors performed. Their governors perform like some of the PDP governors. APC look after their people, they create jobs, which is my interest.
As one of the leaders of PDP, the party has been riddled with a lot of crises. Going by your experience, what advise do you have for the APC?
All the members of the APC are politicians. No, they cannot afford to have crisis because they know that crisis destroys a party. Crisis is part of the problems we have in PDP where you will bring in a governor who is a total stranger, you make him, a governor he becomes the leader of the party, then you who brought him will not even know your ward chairman because you don’t go to the governor, to look for one business or the other or blackmailing others. It can never be done in the APC. You have your respect. The governor can continue developing the place but your respect is there. You don’t need him to give you respect, before he develops the place, he develops the place and he gives you the respect, the development is first, the respect comes after.
What do you think the President can win election on 2015?
I wouldn’t answer that question because I am not in his cabinet, or in his team. It is only people that are with him that should be able to know whether he has a second chance or not. I am not there. Only those around him will know. I cannot tell you whether he has a second chance even though we are in the same party.
Recently, Senator Arthur Nzeribe said the Southeast has nothing to show for the support they gave to President Jonathan. Do you agree with that assertion?
I agree with him completely.
What and what do you think the President should have done for this zone to commensurate with the support given to him?
Look, I cannot blame Jonathan. I am blaming the so-called ministers that are from this zone. I cannot blame him; he is not from here. Let us not be calling somebody who has not done anything against you. The ministers are from here. We have the so-called Minister of Labour, doesn’t he know that there is no airport in Abia? We have the Finance Minister; doesn’t she know that there is no stadium in Abia? Or doesn’t she know that we don’t have airport in Abia? Why don’t they come down to Abia and drive round and see whether they won’t see for themselves that we need these things.? We need infrastructure. We need employment for our people. We need roads. We need water. We need light. So, why should we levy all these things on Jonathan? Bayelsa is being developed; it’s his home. I cannot hold Jonathan responsible for all that because he gave you equal ministerial positions that he gave to those who are developing their area. You have governors who are developing their areas. Look, let me tell you what you want me to say. The zone, you call it zone in quote, what is the project they have in common. Southeast zone, do they have a bank? Southeast zone, do they have any corporation like the O’odua Investment or the Arewa? The governors, do they have any single project that makes them one? Why are they deceiving themselves; they don’t have. So, they are only one when they go to Abuja to lobby for one thing or the other for themselves. The Yoruba have the O’odua Investment. They have their bank.
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Ajomale: APC has brighter future in Lagos
The All Progressives Congress (APC) was inaugurated yesterday in Lagos in 20 Local Government Areas (LGA) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA). EMMANUEL OLADESU, AUGUSTINE AVWODE and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE capture the excitement of the party faithful at the hoisting of the party’s flags by its grassroots leaders.
The All Progressives Party (APC) was inaugurated yesterday in Lagos across the 57 councils with carnivals. The members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and a section of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were in one accord as they held the first inaugural meetings.
A party chieftain, Otunba Oladele Ajomale, hailed the registration of the party, saying that it has the strength and support base to confront the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also said that the party has a brighter future in Lagos State, stressing that it is the heritage of the progressives in the country.
Ajomale urged Lagosians to embrace the party and actualise their political dreams under its platform in the future electoral contests.
He spoke in Isolo during the inauguration of the party by the grassroots leaders of the party. The highlights were the lowering of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) flags and hoisting of the APC flags by the chieftains. took place simultaneously across the 57 councils in the state.
The inauguration will be trailed by the setting up of the leadership structures at the ward, local government and state levels.
Ajomale, who had flagged off the party last week at the state level, recalled that the merger leaders made enormous sacrifices for the country. He said that Nigerians now have a credible alternative platform to endorse, following their disenchantment with the ruling peoples democratic Party (PDP).
“APC has a brighter future in Lagos State and it will continue to form the progressive governments in the state. The party has antecedent and its leaders have pedigree. They are politicians who will never disappoint the people”, he added.
In Kosofe Council, members converged at the former campaign office of the former federal legislator, Hon. Dotun Animasahun, chanting party songs and jubilating. The chairman of the council Hon. Afolabi Sofola, said that the registration of the APC by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a pointer to the fact that change is imminent in Nigeria. He told the cheering crowd that God has disappointed the saboteurs who attempted to frustrate its registration.
Sofola urged the faithful to ensure the survival of the party by supporting its leadership to achieve its goal of enthroning a credible government at the centre.
“We are not in ACN, CPC, ANPP and APGA now. We are in the APC. We should not relate with ourselves as members of the defunct parties”, he counseled.
Sofola added: “Change has come to Nigeria with the registration of the APC. And by the grace of God, APC will actualize it for our people. APC means salvation for Nigeria and Nigerians. God disappointed the saboteurs, who never wanted the INEC to register the APC. Now, there is no more ACN, no more ANPP or the CPC. We also have the APG-APGA with us. Go back from here and tell people to join the APC, mobilize people, preach to them and bring them on board”.
The chairman of the defunct ACN in the council, Mr. Samuel Oreoluwa, described the ceremony as a landmark. “It is good that APC is inaugurated in this council eight days after its registration by the INEC”, he said.
“Today is a memorable day. APC has come to stay. We are happy because the attempt to block its registration did not materialise. I call on all of you to spread the good news. We are going to ensure that the APC takes Nigerians to the promise land. I can tell you that God is happy with APC and the leadership of the party will not disappoint the country”, Oreoluwa added.
A member of the APC Joint
Inter-Party Merger Com-
mittee, Mrs Lucy Ajayi, lauded the support of the women for the party, charging them not to waiver in their spirit. Ajayi called for an aggressive membership drive in Lagos, enjoining the people to encourage mass defection from tne PDP to the APC. She said the 14 years of the PDP misrule has positioned the country very far from prosperity.
“Our women, our mothers have been fantastic. The support they have been given to the party has been fantastic and I want to urge all of you not to relent now. The APC has been registered and that calls for more dedication. I know our women will do more, especially in the market places. They will sell this party to their friends and may God crown our efforts with success”, she said.
In Ikosi-Osheri Council,former Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Rotimi Agunsoye urged the party supporters to proceed to the future with optimism.
Addressing party supporters during the hoisting of the party’s flag, he said the obituary of PDP had been announced.
He said the key to the liberation of the masses from poverty is the intelligent voting. “APC must form the next government. We give glory to God who gave our leaders across the nation the wisdom to achieve this. The leaders have made it possible to have a new party, I will say this is a new beginning in our country. In the past 53 years, our great country does not know how to crawl, let alone how to walk. We have been in this problem for so long and all you can only attribute to the country is always in negative. It is as if God is annoyed with this nation, but with this new party, there is a new beginning for the country.
“Now, the people must speak with a united voice, APC need your support to actualize the dream to liberate the people from poverty. They must speak with one voice to regain their freedom, show support to the party and get those who have enslaved us over the years out of governance”.
A huge crowd witnessed the flag of the party in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA. They converged on the party secretariat at Igbogbo, Ikorodu Division.
A party elder, Chief Olorunfunmi Basorun, described the APC as a medicine to cure the illness slowing down the nation’s progress. He said the PDP has ruined the country, urging Nigerians to take their destiny in their hand.
Basorun urged the party faithful to invite more people into the movement for change. “There is absence of good governance to take care of Nigerians. For now, we are in a trap of corruption, insecurity, epileptic power supply and so many bad things. The APC is the vehicle for change. We will drive away the PDP from power at the next election and we will implement our programmes that will have direct impact on the long-suffering masses.”
The party leader urged the would-be aspirants to push their agenda in civilised manner, saying anyone chosen as the party’s flag bearer would be supported by all.
Another chieftain, Chief Dele Olowu, said the PDP is in trouble. He praised the former governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for championing the cause for change. He noted that, when the idea of the new party was conceived, there were insinuations that Tinubu would use the structure for personal ambition.
“When the APC structure was unveiled and the names of the national officers were announced, no portfolio was assigned against Asiwaju’s name. This shows that he is more concerned about change and not any ambition,” Olowu said.
The council chairman, Hon. Gbenga Basanya, said the slogan of the new party indicated that APC is not for a particular group of people or section of the country. “We are seeking change in all aspect of our national for good and we have the conviction that APC will form the Federal Government in 2015 without losing state and parliamentary elections,” he said.
Hoisting the APC’s flag, Basorun urged the people to drive out the agents of retrogression from power. “APC has come to promote your wishes and aspiration for progressive country”, he told the crowd.
Other party leaders at the event included Pastor Ola Aiyetoba, Elder Olatunji Daodu, Mr. Hamid Oduborisa and Hon. Rotimi Olowonisaiye”
In Mushin Council, the chairman, Babatunde Adepitan, saod that the days of the PDP are numbered in Aso Rock. he said APC will fight poverty and entrench transparency and accountability in public life.
Adepitan said, if Nigerians can give the new party a chance, the myriad of problems confronting the nation will be solved.
“We shall sweep poverty, corruption, sickness, ineptitude, and inefficiency away from this country. The logo of our party remains the broom, which must be tied together before it can function properly,” the chairman said.
Adepitan described APC as a formidable progressive platform, urging the people to have confidence and trust in the organisation.
He said the party will be a credible alternative for the oppressed to express themselves, urging the members to remain united.
“We must be ready like never before to preach peace, oneness, love, internal cohesion and loyalty. We must avoid grouping, faction or association within the new party. Once again we must avoid anything that can cause division in our party. Like a new baby, we must be ready and willing to enthusiastically welcome this new party into our midst.
“Let me use this opportunity to assure you that APC does not discriminate against color, creed, sex, tribe, race, profession or educational background, it is a party for all Nigerians.We need leaders that are dedicated, forthright, diligent, focused, knowledgeable and result oriented, purpose driven and bold. Each one should tell the other that APC has arrived; hence all unserious, unpopular, incapable parties should leave the way.”
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PDP ‘s elusive search for peace
Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the failure of the previous reconciliation committees set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and why the Governor Seriake Dickson Committee may not make the difference.
From its inception, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been grappling with crises. The crises are largely due to its size, lack of internal democracy and poor management by the party’s leadership. The party has lost some of its foundation members because of the intractable crisis, often fuelled by the selfish ambition of the party leaders, who consider themselves as tin gods whose decisions must not be challenged.
The leaders set up reconciliation committees to save the party from total disintegration. The party had in last 14 years set up various panels to resolve crises among members. Rather than achieve genuine reconciliation and cohesion, the crises have often escalated.
The panels have failed to achieve enduring peace in the party.
Failed reconciliation attempts
On assumption of office in 2007, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua constituted an 11-member National Reconciliation Committee headed by the Second Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, to bring back the aggrieved members, who dumped the party over the imposition of party’s presidential candidate for the general elections.
The panel was made up of the neutral and respected elders. The aggrieved members had no cause to doubt their integrity. The members of the panel include Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Professor Jerry Gana, Ambassador Aminu Wali, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Dr Bello Mohammed, Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, Chief Bode George, Lady Ime Udom and Dr Stephen Oru, who served as secretary.
The panel reached out to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who left the party on the ground that the emergence of Yar ‘Adua as the presidential candidate was an imposition by the party leadership. Chief Audu Ogbe and Chief Solomon Lar, who were former national chairmen and the late Chief Stephen Awoniyi. The panel which submitted its report to the Dr Ahmadu Ali-led PDP National Working Committee recommended that the 2006 membership revalidation should be revisited, if genuine reconciliation was to be achieved.
However, the Prince Vincent Ogbulafor-led executive set up an 18-man committee in 2008 to review the report of the Ekwueme Committee, in line with its resolve to reorganise and enhance internal democracy in the party.
The party said the decision to set up the committee was in line with the philosophy and policy thrust of the new executive committee, and in fulfilment of the promise by the National Chairman, Prince Ogbulafor, to move the party forward.
The committee headed by the former National Deputy Chairman, Dr Bello Muhammed, was mandated to study the report critically, work out the aspects of the report that can be immediately implemented and the modalities for the implementation, and recommend a feasible implementation time frame. The partial implementation of the review panel report led to the return of Atiku and few others. But Ogbeh and Akume refused to return to the party.
The PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on assumption of office in March 2012, also promised to bring back the aggrieved members. To actualise his mission, he inaugurated an eight-member committee headed by Chief Graham Douglas to reconcile, the feuding members in Kano State. The committee was asked to identify the causes of the crises, with a view to resolving them and bringing the warring factions together. In spite of the committee’s effort the PDP is still a divided party in Kano state.
Similarly, Tukur appointed a committee-led by the former PDP National Vice Chairman, South-West Zone, Alhaji Oyedokun, to settle the rift among the members in Benue state. The Oyedokun Committee has submitted its report, but the crisis in Benue still persists.
Tukur embarked on a reconciliation tour early this year to appease the governors who shunned the zonal reconciliation meetings.
The failure of the zonal reconciliation tours by Tukur led to another tour of the by the chairman Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih. The tour took him to Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Rivers, Kogi states. Anenih’s tour failed tos restore peace.
Other peace panels were the Sule Lamido Committee set up to reconcile Governor Murtala Nyako group and Tukur faction in Adamawa State and the Ishola Filani panel to reconcile the aggrieved members in the Southwest. Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State panel was set up by the PDP Governors Forum, after the sudden exit of the loyalists of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the National Executive Committee (NEC). In April, the Southwest Zonal Caretaker Committee also inaugurated a six-member committee for each state in the zone, with the mandate to investigate the cause of the internal wrangling.
In spite of all these panels, the party is yet to know peace. Internal squabbles fuelled by personal ambition towards 2015 and the insincerity of the party leadership appear to be compounding problem of the party.
Dickson neutrality of committee
The PDP has constituted a 30-member committee saddled with the onerous task of harmonising all the interests and achieving genuine reconciliation. The appointment of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State had drawn the flaks from some party big wigs, including the governors. Analysts say the reconciliation seems doomed from the start was because it would be impossible for Dickson to discharge his responsibilities without bias. He is a supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan whose second term ambition is believed to be fuelling the crises in the PDP. Beside, Dickson, like Jonathan, is from Bayelsa.
The President of Civil Rights Commission, Shehu Sani, said the appointment of Dickson showed that the panel cannot be neutral.
Sani told The Nation that Dickson is not neutral in PDP crises. The fact that he has taken sides will make it impossible for the estranged governors to embrace his overtures.
He said: “Reconciliation demands an impartial, and neutral arbiter that would provide confidence and truce to the two contending sides. That will make it possible for both sides to sit down on the table and address their differences. The reconciliation will not work, until the morality issue of the arbiter is addressed. Dickson is a wrong person to be a member of that committee, let alone being the chairman”.
Former Special Assistant to ex-Governor Timpriye Sylva, and Mr Tonye Okio, said Dickson is an interested party, a hatchet man of the President, who cannot lead a serious effort to calm the frayed nerves in PDP.
Okio said: “The reconciliation committee headed by Seriake Dickson will lead the party nowhere. It will rather nail the corpse of the PDP. His appointment as chairman of the committee is the worst decision taken by the party leadership.
“Dickson is one of the problems of PDP. He was imposed by Jonathan. How can he operate with free mind? The committee headed by Dickson has a script to act out. If truly the PDP wants to make peace, it should try as much as possible to isolate interested parties. Seriake Dickson is one of the hatchet men of the President”.
Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) noted that the appointment of Dickson is a party matter but the question is what kind of reconciliation does the party want to make: true reconciliation or paper reconciliation?
Ngige said that the party is interested in paper reconciliation. If not what qualifies Dickson to head the reconciliation panel? He has personal issues with Sylva and Amaehi. Do you expect these people to appear before the panel being presided over by Dickson?” he asked.
Dickson is a principal element in the presidential offensive against Amaechi, whose relationship with Jonathan is raptured.
President of Arewa Youth Forum, Shettima Yerima, Dickson was purposely planted in the committee to protect Jonathan’s interest. “I don’t see how the committee will find the President guilty of fuelling the crisis or ask Jonathan to forget his second term ambition in the interest of the party and the nation at large if it becomes necessary to make suh recommendation,” he said.
Hypocritical commitment
Yerima asked the PDP leadership to stop creating the impression that it was committed to peace.
Social critic Prof. Tam David-West said that nothing will come out of Dickson Committee. Given its composition, the panel has lost public confidence, he said.
“It is unbelievable that the party that pride itself as the largest in Africa can’t find any other person to head a committee that is crucial to the party’s existence other than Dickson seen by many as Jonathan errand boy”, David-West added.
A PDP governorship aspirant in Adamawa State at the last general elections, Umaru Ardo, also disapproved of Dickson’s headship of the reconciliation.
Ardo said Dickson is unqualified to handle the assignment. According to him, Dickson lacks the national exposure and experience that such a task requires.
He said that Dickson is a subject of conflict in the party. He recalled the how he was brought in as the governor and controversy it generated. These have reduced his moral standing to undertake a reconciliatory mission, Ardo said.
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Suitai will return soon, says Senator
Taraba State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Senator Emmanuel Bwacha is sure that Governor Dambaba Suntai will return to the country soon.
The senator, who represents the South District, said that those calling for the swearing in of the acting governor as the substantive governor are oblivious of the provision of the 1999 Constitution.
Bwacha, who claimed to have visited the ailing governor in New York, United States, said that he is on the fast lane to recovery. He said the rumour that his health has worsened was unfounded, adding that there is no cause for alarm.
The legislator, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, urged those calling for the swearing in of the acting governor to study the constitution before intensifying their agitation. Bwacha said: “The constitution does not specify the time frame for an acting governor. He can be there as the acting governor till the end of the tenure. But the governor will soon return to the state to continue his work. He is on the way to recovery”.
The senator also defended President Goodluck Jonathan against the critics of his administration, saying that he is performing. He said: “People point to what he has not done. They do not point to what he is doing, especially in the areas of light rail in Abuja, agricultural revolution and road construction. He is qualified to re-contest in 2015 and those of us in the north will support him”
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‘George is Lagos PDP headache’
Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Dr Abayomi Finnih spoke with Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN on the protracted crisis in the troubled chapter.
What are the PDP leaders in Lagos State doing to reconcile the factions in the state chapter?
Well, the party leadership is doing everything possible to ensure the unity of the party is in the state. We have issues, which the former reconciliatory committee has not been able to solve. We are trying to bring every member on board to work together and guarantee electoral successes. We don’t have statutory meeting time, but we have all come to realise that dialogue is the way to move the party forward and to avoid any form of acrimony within the party. We believe that, if the party must remain solid, peace has to prevail and we have to ensure equity and fair play.
Is it true that the party has succeeded in reconciling Chief Bode George and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe?
I am not in a position to confirm or deny their reconciliation. If they have, it’s good for the party. We all have to come together to make a success story. We have invested our time, energy and resources towards building a virile party in the state, but the personal ego of few individuals is pulling us back. I think this time around, we should put the party interest above personal interest, so that the party can win elections in the state.
Some members of the party have gone to court to seek the removal of Chief Bode George from the PDP Board of Trustee because he is an ex-convict. Is it a collective decision?
I read the court action on the pages of newspapers. I was upset by the action of the members. I found it uncomfortable that the members are taking themselves to court on party matters. This is an issue that could have been dealt with at the party level. In any case, we are in democracy and people have freedom of decision making on any issue. The court is there as an arbiter.
Lagos PDP has disowned the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Dr Olusegun Aganga, as state representative in the Federal Executive Council. When are you getting a replacement?
Yes, the clamour for a true Lagosian as a member of the federal cabinet has been on for a while. It is a legitimate demand we are making. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says that each state should have a minister. Dr Olusegun Aganga is not from Lagos State. I have not been able to discuss with him to find out where he comes from. We have discussed the matter at the party hierarchy, we have made representation to the Presidency, we have written letters calling on the President to give Lagos State its slot by appointing a true indigene of Lagos State into the Federal Executive Council. I am not sure, if Dr Aganga himself is claiming to be an indigene, but all we know is that he is not from Lagos State.
Before the present cabinet was reconstituted, we made efforts to get Mr President to correct this anomaly. But what we heard was that, because Aganga is doing very well in his position, the President prefers to retain him. It is not clear to us how that should be a justification for Lagos that is being short changed, in view of the constitutional provision. What the President should have done is to appoint another minister from Lagos State. Anyway, we are still hoping that an indigene of Lagos State will be given a ministerial appointment, in fulfilment of the constitutional requirement.
Is Aganga a registered PDP member in Lagos State or does he attend party meetings?
When we were planning for the election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, he attended some of the strategic meetings. He is not a politician. He is a technocrat. He is not expected to perform like a politician appointed as a minister.
Your group is critical of the congress that produced the current state executive of the party. What went wrong?
That is the bone of contention. Few people hijacked the process. The court halted the congress from holding, but the Olabode George faction called “the Establishment” defied the court order and went ahead with the congress. So, a faction is in control of the party executive. The other two factions namely: the Union, which I lead, and the Non- Align group are left in the cold. This action has further brought the party down. A serious party should open its doors for every member to be part of decision making.
There were several reconciliatory moves made from outside, such as Southwest zone, the Presidency and PDP Governors Forum, all to no avail. The panels recommended a harmo-nised executive that would embrace all the factions, but the George Group is adamant. Even, the INEC wrote the party’s national chairman that the Lagos congress contravened the party guidelines and the constitution and that the commission does not recognise the congress. That was over a year now. Nothing has changed.
Some of us have bent backward by reaching out to George and his group to find solutions, but their incalcitrant attitude does not allow to reason with us. Politicians don’t behave that way. There must be compromise. My concern is that the situation on ground will jeopardise our chances in 2015.
The Southwest Zone met in Ibadan recently and picked Professor Ladipo as a replacement for Oyinlola, the erstwhile national secretary. Is Lagos a party to that decision?
There is no issue on this because there is a subsisting order on choosing a replacement for Oyinlola. I was at the congress that produced Oyinlola. Everything was fairly and transparently done. The party’s constitution does not allow anyone to hold position in acting capacity. We (my group) stand with what the law stipulates. The appeal on the removal of Oyinlola is still pending in court.
Will the party use the zoning formula or adopt consensus in picking its governorship candidate for 2015?
Consensus should be the right thing because going to the primaries has always led to disenchantment and acrimony. At the end of the day, the party is broken into different factions such that you spent most of the time settling crises and having little or no time for field work. I hope, this time, we should look for a consensus candidate that would boost our chances at the poll.
Is it true that the PDP is wooing Mr Jimi Agbaje to be its governorship candidate in 2015?
Jimi Agbaje hasn’t joined the party. He has to join first before any other thing. Once he joins and shows interest he will be given equal opportunity like other members who have shown interest for the office.
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PDP should pack and go, says APC chief
Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Otunba Oladele Ajomale has declared that the days of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in power are numbered.
He said that the party will find it difficult in 2015 to win the votes of Nigerians because of its poor performance in the last 14 years. “PDP should pack and go,” he added.
Ajomale spoke in Lagos at the ceremony marking the lowering of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) flag and the hoisting of the APC flag by Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN). He also directed that the party should be inaugurated in the 57 councils in the state this week.
He said: “I thank the merger committee and the governors who backed them. They were the driving force behind the merger. Immediately we announced the APC, it was like an electric shock to the PDP, but it was joy to Nigerians.”
The new party held its first meeting, which was presided over by Ajomale, the chairman of the defunct ACN. At the meeting, which took off shortly after the hoisting of the APC’s flag, were party elders, the ACN chairmen from the 57 local councils and 20 local government chairmen.
Fashola described the party as “an alternative vehicle of expression of an aspiration for a better life”, urging the members to gird their loins for the future electoral battle.
The governor said: “This is more than a merger. It is history.”
Fashola, who reflected on the merger struggles, thanked the APC leaders and members of the merger committee for their commitment and sacrifice. Noting that they jettisoned personal interest, he said the merger drivers showed that “they were masters of their ego and not slaves of their ego”.
Looking into the future, the governor said APC leaders were still expected to make more sacrifices. He added: “People sacrificed their positions. I salute their sense of sacrifice and there are still more sacrifices to make. I urge the people to learn from the sacrifices made. I hope that we are ready. It is not about individuals. it is about the nation. Individuals will go, but the nation will remain”.
Fashola praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for standing up for the rule of law, constitutionalism and history.
At the ceremony were the deputy governor, Hon. Joke Orelope-Adefulire, the former deputy governor, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, Chief Olorunfunmi Basorun, Pa Abiodun Adeseye, former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Kemi Nelson, Comrade Joe Igbokwe, Ademola Sodiq, Rev. Tunji Adebiyi, Comrade Ayo Adewale, Hon. Adekunle Israel, Hon. Shamusedeen Olaleye, Chief Funso Ologunde, Hon. Hakeen Oris, and Mrs. Toun Adediran.