The war of supremacy between Adamawa State Governor, Muritala Nyako, and the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, may have reached a boiling point. Recent feelers have it that having come to the conclusion that their future is threatened in PDP, many supporters of the governor have been joining ANPP in large numbers, while vowing to frustrate Tukur’s alleged plan to instal his eldest son, Awwal, as Nyako’s successor in 2015.
Category: Politics
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‘It’s wrong to base govt services on party affiliation’
Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, in this brief encounter with Adetutu Audu, called on politicians in the country to treat the people equally irrespective of their party affiliations. Excerpts:
Your second term as the governor of Katsina State is gradually winding up. Would you say the people, especially those that do not belong to your party, got some dividends of democracy from your administration?
Yes. You don’t have to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for your child to enjoy free education in Katsina State. You don’t have to lobby anybody for your child to be sent abroad to read Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing or Environmental Engineering, or indeed get free medicare for yourself and family in government hospitals.
This was part of my solemn declaration to the people of Katsina State at the outset of my second tenure. I made a pact with the people at the inception of my first tenure which I kept. That earned me the second tenure. Now, in my second tenure, I am building on the solid foundation that I laid during my first tenure. I am building bridges of understanding that there should not be discrimination on the basis of political affiliation. That is why I said during my second inauguration that government services shall not be dispensed on the basis of whether you belong to the ruling PDP in the state or the opposition. Indeed, government should serve all the people without discrimination. But this is a society where government services are sometimes dispensed according to party loyalty. This sets the politician apart from the statesman. The politician continues to play politics after election has been won and the government formed by taking care of only his loyalists. The statesman does not know the difference between his loyalists and the people once government is formed. He takes care of all the people without recourse to political affiliation. I am a statesman and I have demonstrated that I am one through my services to the generality of the people because I believe they are the very reason I am in government.
The north, it is said, has not competed favourably well with other parts of the country in terms of education. What significant difference has your administration brought to this sector in Katsina State?
I have always seen education as the instrument to transform Katsina. We believe that education is the key to social mobility and the general transformation of the lives of people in any society. This is our concept of fairness and justice to all political zones, justice to all strata of the society – the poor, women, children and rural dwellers. Indeed, all strata of the society are being educated in the state. All hands are on deck by my administration to, particularly, educate the girl-child. Societal culture inhibits the education of the girl-child.
To break this barrier, our administration gives allowance to parents who send the girl-child to school. Several girls’ schools have been built across the 34 local government areas of Katsina to make this a reality. The Almajiris – child – beggars – are also being educated and they get allowance to encourage them to stay in school. The Almajiris being sent to school is a process to make them useful to themselves and the state in future. Taking these children off the streets is a plus for social security in the state. Our massive investment in primary and secondary education has shot-up school enrollment at the primary school level from about one million in 2005 to close to 1.5million in 2011 – about 50 percent increase – and, at the secondary school level, from 142,729 in 2005 to 280,973 in 2011.
This was achieved through free education up to secondary school and payment of WAEC, NAPTEB, NECO and NCAIS (National Colleges of Arabic and Islamic Studies) fees which motivated children from humble backgrounds with an assurance that they will write their final examinations for free. The icing on the cake in our giant strides in the education sector in Katsina is the completion of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University project started by my predecessor and mentor, the late President Yar’Adua. Not only that, we gave out more than N1b (including land, school buildings and hostels) to the newly established federal university in Dusinma as part of the state government’s contribution to its successful take off.
And for the youth disposed to learning trades, we built the craft village. In this village, there is virtually all the trades that you can find under the sun for anybody to learn. From GSM and computer repairs to tie and dye, welding, carpentry, etc.This human development project has produced so many graduates that today contribute to the socio-economic development of the state. We help them to stay in business. Katsina has large deposits of kaolin, a major raw material for the production of paint and chalk. Graduates of the craft village involved in the production of paint are the sole producers of the paint used in the painting of government buildings in the state while those making chalk supply all the schools in the state. Mechanics produced by the village have been the ones taking care of my two official cars that I have been using since my first term.
That sounds ok, but would you say the heath and agriculture sectors have received equal attention?
I am a strong believer in the age long saying that health is wealth. All that has been done in the health sector since 2007 when I came into the office is geared towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the sector, including cutting the child and maternal mortality rates by 2015. The star projects of my administration in the health sector include a multi-million Naira, 250-bed orthopaedic hospital, the best in terms of infrastructure in the country presently, rehabilitation of general hospitals across the state and construction of six comprehensive health centres in addition to the renovation and upgrading of nine healthcare centres to comprehensive health centres. The state government procured 34 mobile ambulances – one for each local government area – while medical care is absolutely free for pregnant and nursing mothers as well as children under five years. Accident victims in Katsina are entitled to free treatment for the first 48 hours.
Agriculture is the major occupation of the Katsina State people and the sector has a pride of place under my administration. This is one state where farming goes on all-year-round because of the attention we pay to irrigation. So, whether it rains or not, farmers have no problem watering their plants. There are several irrigation dams across the state supporting large scale agriculture, one of which is Jibia Dam, which increased yield from 100 hectares of land in 2007 to 3,500 in 2011. We support the agro-allied industry to create jobs and add value to agricultural produce.
Many governors often leave heavy debt burden for their successors. How much debt have you incurred for the person that will succeed you?
My plan is to improve governance and service delivery using medium term fiscal and monetary stability approach without excessive short term tightening to achieve more sustainable and balanced approach. We have been prudent in the management of the state resources and it may shock you to know that this administration has not borrowed any money whether internally or externally to execute its projects.
Rather, we have generated interests on funds placed in banks to execute some projects. The new government house is one of the projects being built from the bank accrual.
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Jonathan, Tukur and the PDP house
To Karl Meier, the house has fallen. In his celebrated work, the German contended that Nigeria exists only in name, but, to all intent and purpose, it had long ceased to exist as a state. In other words, it is a failed state. This is contentious. I do not subscribe to Meier’s view. I believe Nigeria does not fall in the category of Somalia. A lot is wrong; very few Nigerians see themselves first as Nigerians before being Yoruba or Igbo. Many Northerners would readily associate more with Nigeriens and Chadians that they would their countrymen and women.
But, there is hope. I believe that Nigeria will survive the current turbulence. The state will not fail, despite the activities of vampires and dealers who have seized the edifice.
In the past few weeks, the actions and inactions of leaders of the ruling national party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has given the impression that the country is at a precipice. People expected to show the direction have abandoned the way and headed for the forest. It is bemusing that, a party concerned about internal crisis chose to employ the services of a partisan to reconcile warring factions. Seriake Dickson, imposed as governor of Bayelsa State by President Goodluck Jonathan, is made chairman of a panel to resolve a crisis threatening the peace of the party.
The arrowheads of the charge in the Niger Delta are Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio and Dickson. They are men who have apparently sworn to defend whatever they perceive to be the President’s interest. When Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is perceived an enemy, Dickson and Akpabio are instructed to provoke crisis in his territory. They are the men charged with ensuring that only loyalists of the President are in the Central Working Committee. How then could any strategist deem Dickson fit to pretending to mediate a crisis?
Another body, charged with the duty of organizing a convention meant to fill the yawning gaps in the party’s leadership is headed by Professor Jerry Gana. Gana who has been a constant factor in every regime and administration, sees nothing wrong with the powers that be. In recent times, he has led some Northerners on a tour to drum support for the President. On his committee is another Any Government in Power (AGIP), former Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu. Saddling these men with these all important tasks is like appointing Patience Jonathan to probe Amaechi. This is obvious to all and is an indication that Alhaji Bamanga Tukur lacks what it takes to play any major role in the country.
When he was ostensibly elected national chairman of the dominant political party in the country, the choice was criticized by the patriotic media on the ground that he was too old for the assignment. This was more so because, at 76, he was deemed too old to be swimming in troubled waters. His supporters dismissed the disparagement, arguing that an elder was needed at such a time. He was presented as a man of experience, one who had managed the Nigerian Ports Authority, was a governor in the Second Republic and had served as President of the Africa Roundtable for years.
However, the manner of his emergence gave cause for concern. He was rejected at the zonal level and lacks a base in his Adamawa home front. Yet, he was imposed on the party by the President who knew the use to which he could put the septuagenarian. Under Tukur’s watch, the PDP has continued to sink. It has no control of governors elected on its platform, its image has been soiled perhaps beyond redemption and every member is on its own.
If the possible consequence of this ineptitude were limited to a controlled implosion of the ruling party, there would be little cause for concern. But, as the largest party in the country today, one that controls 23 states and has support in at least two others, a conflagration of the PDP could consume the country, especially in the drive towards 2015.
On the one hand, an implosion of the PDP would serve the country well as it would weaken its vice grip on the country; on the other, an implosion when the country is in the hands of men desperate to retain power at all cost could bring to pass the Americans’ prediction that Nigeria could join the growing list of failed states very soon.
Meier contends that the house has fallen. He looked at the various sectors- social, economic, political- and concluded that the country lacks the factors needed to pull it back from the precipice. It behooves us all to prove Meier wrong by ensuring that only capable leaders run affairs of the country and the political parties.
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Parody of reconciliation
The appointment of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State to head the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 30-man member reconciliation committee has predictably opened the floodgate of protests within the party, including some of his fellow governors.
If the Bamanga Tukur-led national executive of the ruling party had consulted or thought over the implications of this latest reconciliation effort, it would probably have dropped the idea of appointing Dickson to head the committee. Many of the aggrieved elders and leaders of the party are not Dickson’s mate and, therefore, it is difficult to explain how they can relate with him comfortably.
In fact, this appointment has left many tongues wagging as to the seriousness of this latest peace initiative. Ordinarily, nobody should quarrel with the idea of reconciliation. What is, however, disturbing is the sincerity of these peace overtures by the PDP national leadership. The Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s and Gen. Ike Nwachukwu’s reconciliation committees that were previously set up had made wide-ranging practical and sensible recommendations, which would have restored the PDP to the path of sanity. Strangely, these recommendations have been discarded, thereby throwing away the baby with the bath water.
Dr. Ekwueme and Gen. Nwachukwu sacrificed their time and energies into what they thought was going to be sincere efforts by the ruling party to bring about reconciliation. Can you achieve reconciliation if certain people are defined as “permanent enemies” who should never be allowed to return to the party or be allowed to participate in any party activity or decision making? Should reconciliation initiative be destroyed for the sake of appeasing the ego of anybody or pandering to their ambitions? The PDP leadership didn’t tell the nation what was wrong with the recommendations of the Ekwueme and Nwachukwu reconciliation committees.
Nobody should blame Nigerians if they smell a rat over this curious situation. Why should the party waste people’s time with reconciliation efforts when the leaders don’t appear sincere about it? The party leadership seems to have been caught in a moral dilemma between doing the right thing and breaking the rules to gratify the ambition of the President to run at all cost in 2015. If members of the PDP national executive cannot follow their conscience or conviction to do the right thing, no reconciliation efforts would go anywhere.
It follows therefore, that the appointment of Gov. Dickson to head the latest reconciliation effort is another charade designed to fool Nigerians. The committee is a political smokescreen to divert attention from the determination of the President to force everybody into line, by hook or by crook. There is nothing wrong if the President aspires to run, but that ambition should not be used to destroy the very foundation of the party or to force out anyone who resists his unfair methods of seeking political advantages.
Dickson is from Niger Delta and one of the politicians rooting for President Jonathan’s second term ambition. This, by itself, morally disqualifies him heading any reconciliation committee. For example, if in the course of seeking opinions and the committee finds that Jonathan’s ambition is the core issue dividing the PDP, would the Dickson committee have the courage to advise the President to reconsider his ambition? With a committee headed by Dickson, this kind of reconciliation is highly unlikely.
Such is the implication of appointing Dickson to head the 30-member PDP reconciliation committee. Earlier, another advocate of Jonathan’s second term ambition, Governor Godswill Akpabio, who is also from the Niger Delta, was appointed the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum without the consent of fellow governors. All these are part of the silent problems complicating matters for the party. How would Dickson relate with the aggrieved elders of the party such as former President Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other embittered leaders of the party?
It is highly unlikely if these aggrieved elders would give audience to Dickson, a man who was too young when they formed the PDP. Bad faith would destroy any reconciliation effort. Seeking to mould the PDP in the image of Jonathan will take these reconciliation efforts nowhere.
Insincerity is the core issue in all these so-called reconciliation efforts. You cannot sacrifice democratic principles on which the PDP is founded for the sake of gratifying the inordinate ambition of any leader. In party affairs, the President is primus inter pares (first among equals). And, therefore, every member of the party can legitimately aspire to compete with him. The Dickson committee lacks the credibility to lead the efforts to save the PDP from irrelevance in 2015. Governor Murtala Nyako’s threat to help bury the PDP is not idle talk. The party leadership should get serious and save itself from ruin.
— Ganiyu, who wrote in from 89, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Ilorin, Kwara State, is a former UNCP member and currently, a political commentator.
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Kalu, Orji renew battle for 2015
The 2015 governorship election in Abia State is likely to rekindle the battle for political supremacy between the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu and his successor, Theodore Orji, reports Remi Adelowo
For over four years following his exit from the government house in 2007, former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, practically withdrew from the political scene both in his home state and at the national level.
His short sabbatical from politics may have been as a result of his personality clash with his former ally and successor, Theodore Orji.
It was a battle that was fought with the entire arsenal at the disposal of the combatants and their supporters. While the true story to what led to the parting of ways between the two men is yet to be told, what was not in doubt is the fact that the incumbent governor secured a victory over his former boss, who, as governor from 1999 to 2007, dominated the political landscape of Abia like a colossus.
However, the body language and utterances of Kalu in the last few months seem to suggest that he is back on the scene. Notwithstanding the fierce opposition of some major stakeholders in Abia PDP, including the governor, to Kalu’s return to PDP from the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA), which he founded shortly after he left office as governor, Kalu, sources claim, is determined to, once again, put his assumed popularity to test.
As the 2015 general election draws nearer, The Nation gathered that the former governor has been quietly resuscitating his political structures in order to challenge the incumbent, who, according to sources, is interested in contesting for the senate after the end of his tenure in 2015.
There are speculations that Kalu is grooming an unnamed candidate to succeed Orji.
On his part, the incumbent governor has kept his plan on who succeeds him in 2015 close to his chest.
From all indications, it appears that three forces representing the Presidency, Kalu and Orji will largely determine how the governorship race is decided.
Until now, the thinking in many quarters is that people of the Ngwa extraction in the state should, for reasons of equity, be allowed to produce the next governor. However, there is another school of thought that are of the opinion that the race should be narrowed to only Ngwa people from the South Senatorial district.
As the argument goes, no Ngwa aspirant from the the incumbent governor’s area, Abia Central Senatorial district, should throw his hat into the ring.
While the permutations on which zone should produce the next governor rages on, sources say no fewer than 12 popular politicians are quietly working behind the scene to succeed Orji. They include:
Senator Nkechi Nwogu
The incumbent senator appears to be the only woman currently showing interest in the race.
Nwogu, who represents Abia Central in the red chamber of the National Assembly, is, unarguably, a major force in Abia politics. Before her election into the senate where she is serving her second term, Nwogu contested and won election into the House of Representatives in 2003.
There are unconfirmed speculations that the incumbent governor and Nwogu have allegedly reached a pact to swap their seats in 2015, even as there are fears that the gender issue, her place of origin and the new zoning formula being canvassed by some interests in the state may not work in her favour.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe
That this two-time senator has paid his dues in politics is like stating the obvious. He came into political limelight following his election as deputy governor under Orji Uzor Kalu in 1999.
But after he fell out with Kalu, Abaribe contested the governorship election against the former on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003 but lost.
Currently the spokesperson of the senate, Abaribe has not hidden his ambition to govern Abia State. In 2007, he wanted to contest for the PDP governorship ticket, but was asked to step down for the anointed candidate of the party leadership and the Presidency, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu.
Emeka Wogu
Just like most ministers who are reportedly warming up to contest for the governorship in their respective states, Wogu, the Minister for Labour and Productivity is also allegedly gearing up for the 2015 governorship race.
One of the most influential ministers in the Presidency, Wogu has been around the political scene since 1999, having represented Abia in the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) before he was appointed as minster by the late president, Umaru Yar’Adua.
Chris Akomas
From Nenu in Obingwa Local Government area of the state, Akomas served as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industries under Orji Kalu.
He later became the deputy governor of the state under Theodore Oji in 2007, after which he fell out with the governor and contested the 2011 governorship election on the platform of the PPA.
There are feelers that Akomas is working behind the scene to contest for the exalted position again, but it is not clear if he would be relying on the structures of his political mentor, Orji Kalu, to realise his ambition.
Prince Paul Ikonne
If pedigree is the only factor that determines who becomes governor, Paul Ikonne would have won the governorship contest without much fuss.
A prince of Ngwaland, Paul Ikonne is the son of Eze Isaac Ajuonu Ikonne of Osusu, Aba.
He served as a Special Assistant to ex-Governor Kalu before he was appointed as a commissioner in the early years of the first tenure of the incumbent governor.
Ikonne also contested the governorship election in 2011 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) but lost to Theodore Orji.
He has remained in the party, with sources claiming that the merger of opposition parties under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may boost Ikonne’s chances at the polls in 2015.
Reagan Ufomba
Like most big players on the political scene in Abia State today, Ufomba also served under Kalu as a Special Assistant.
Having failed to win the PDP governorship ticket in 2011, Ufomba left PDP for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) where he was offered the ticket, but still lost in the general elections.
Believed to be putting structures in place for the 2015 contest, Ufomba’s major handicap is the leadeship crisis in APGA, as he is said to belong to Governor Peter Obi/Maxi Okwu faction of APGA, while most of the party leadership in the state is loyal to the National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh.
Another factor that may work against him is the fact that he hails from Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government, which falls under Abia Central, the same as the incumbent governor.
Stanley Ohajuruka
A former political ally of Orji Uzor Kalu, Ohajuruka is a former Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly and also a former member of the House of Representatives.
The former speaker was an aspirant in PPA before he defected to the Labour Party (LP) as its governorship candidate in the 2011 elections.
Though allegedly interested in the 2015 race, it remains unclear which political platform he intends to use to prosecute his campaign.
Ikechi Emenike
He hails from Umuahia like the incumbent governor.
Emenike has contested the governorship election twice in 2003 and 2011 where he gave a good account of himself.
In 2003, he contested under the ANPP ticket but lost and in 2011, he gave Theodore Orji a scare in the PDP governorship primaries but allegedly lost due to high wire intrigues in the party.
The grassroots politician, according to sources, has not given up on his desire to rule Abia State and will stake his chances again in 2015.
With the array of heavyweight politicians in the governorship race, it remains to be seen where the pendulum of victory will swing in 2015.
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PDP in battle to avoid rancorous convention
The special national convention of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will take place next month in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN writes on the controversy surrounding the convention.
Will the special national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) achieve the desired objective? Will the convention committee abide by the guidelines? Is it possible to resolve the internal crises before the convention? To observers, these questions must be addressed, if the PDP plans to conduct a credible convention.
Analysts contend that the proposed convention is a formality because virtually all the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) who resigned their positions last month are likely to return.
This is evident by the statement of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is the the convention committee Secretary. He said the zones and the states where the previous members that resigned came from would fill the slots.
“We are going to keep all the positions within the zones. If there is any strong reason for us to change a particular candidate, that will happen. But for now, we are going to keep all the positions in the zones that keep them presently. We are not changing the zoning formula; we are reopening nominations. This is a new convention. They will pay; it is not the old convention.”
The implication of Ekweremadu’s explanation is that the office of the National Publicity Secretary is retained in Anambra State. Imo State will produce the National Woman Leader. The office of the National Legal Adviser is retained in Plateau state; the National Treasurer will come from Kebbi State, Rivers state will still produce Deputy National Chairman. The National Organising Secretary is retained in Kaduna state while Ebonyi state will still produce the Deputy National Secretary.
Why special convention?
The election of some national officers, which was held in March, last year, was faulted by INEC a year after. INEC clearly stated that the mode of election of some of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) was not acceptable. INEC, in its report signed by Col M. K. Hammanga (rtd), the team leader to the PDP national convention held on March 24, 2012, at Eagle Square, Abuja, said the the election was faulty.
“The mode of election adopted for single candidates was not in accordance with that stipulated in paragraph 6.5 (i) of the guidelines for the conduct of the 2012 congresses and national convention and therefore, not acceptable to the Commission, the report stated.
Consequently, the elections of the following officers were voided: The Deputy National Chaairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; National Youth Leader, Alhaji Garba Chiza; Deputy National Youth Leader, Dennis Alonge Niyi; National Auditor, Senator Umar Ibrahim; Deputy National Woman Leader, Hanatu Ulam; National Woman Leader. Kema Chikwe; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Okechukwu Nnadozie; Deputy National Treasurer Claudius Inengas; National Legal Adviser , Victor Kwom; National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Methu and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Binta Goje.
INEC declared their elections improper despite the fact that these single candidates were duly nominated and their candidature ratified by a majority voice vote at the convention.
The commission also noted that the open secret ballot system was adopted for the election into the offices of the national Chairman , Auditor, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer, in accordance with paragraph 6.5 (I) of the guidelines. It stated that all other positions had single candidates and were affirmed by motions, except for National Chairman, which was put to vote by open secret ballot, despite the fact that only one candidate was in contention.
INEC also pointed out that the elections to the PDP congresses were not properly conducted in some states. A letter signed by INEC Secretary Abdullahi Kaugama, listed the affected states as Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Lagos, Anambra and Katisna.
Special convention guidelines
To avoid INEC sledge hammer, the Chairman of the Special Convention Planning Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, said the election is open to all the qualified members of the party.
According to the new convention guidelines released by the committee, all the delegates that took part in the March 24, 2012 national convention are expected to attend the special convention. The process shall be by secret ballot where the candidate is unopposed by voice vote. In the event of tie, a run- off election shall be immediately conducted between the candidates with the highest equal number of votes.
The guidelines further stated: “Election of zonal officers shall recognise the principles of zoning and spread of the party and public offices. Each candidate seeking election must be nominated by 20 registered members from the two-thirds of the states in the zone. Election shall be by simple majority to produce the officers of the zone.
“Election of national officers shall recognise the principle of zoning and be conducted on the basis of existing zoning formula as amended by the National Executive Committee of the party. Each candidate shall be nominated by at least 20 registered members, five of whom must come from the aspirant’s zone.”
The guideline emphasised that all the members seeking elections into the various offices must be registered members for, at least, two years.
Tukur/Gana feud
From all indications, the party is going for the convention as a divided fold. The acrimony that majority of the stakeholders may carry to the convention portends danger. The special convention was heading for the rock last week when the National Working Committee announced the suspension of the convention. Tukur and other members of the NWC directed the Convention Committee headed by Prof. Jerry Gana to suspend all the actions on the convention, which was earlier fixed for August 31.
However, the suspension did not go down well with the committee as its members including the Secretary, Senator Ekweremadu, were said to have reported the matter to President Goodluck Jonathan . The President invited Tukur for a meeting where convention was discussed. The President’s intervention has led to a ceasefire in the battle of wits between the Tukur-led NWC and the Convention committee. Already, the President has directed that the convention date as announced by the convention committee be retained.
A presidential source, who was at the meeting, said the deal the President had with both Tukur and Gana was that the Special National Convention will still hold on August 31 and the Southwest congress will also take place on August 24. To appease the angry NWC members, the President, according to the source, directed that the Gana committee should allow the members of the NWC to chair some of the sub-committees in the convention committee.
The source said the NWC members were not happy that the headship of the sub-committees, including the Publicity, which was supposed be reserved for the National Publicity Secretary, was given to another person by the Gana committee. The NWC also complained that the National Organising Secretary was not even mentioned as the chairman of any committee, while the Woman Leader, who is the traditional person in charge of welfare, was merely made a member of the welfare committee.
Whether the peace brokered between Tukur and Gana by the Presidency will endure or not, time will tell.
Crises tearing PDP apart
There is no geo-political zone where the PDP is crisis-free. The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) crisis that has polarised the governors into pro-Amaechi and Jang supporters, an attempt by the Presidency to destabilise Northern Governors Forum and the lingering Rivers crisis that has pitched Governor Rotimi Amaechi against President Jonathan and his wife.
The party is bitterly factionalised in the Southwest. In Ogun State, PDP is divided alongside many factions. There is a faction loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Buruji Kashamu group is in control of party machinery in the state. The recommendation of the reconciliation committee set up by the national secretariat of the party that the state executive be shared between the two groups was rejected by the Kashamu group. The Obasajo group has lost out completely in the struggle for the soul of the party. The battle of supremacy consumed Chief Bode Mustapha as the National Auditor of the party. He was replaced by Adeyanju Olawale from Kashamu group.
The Southwest zone held a special congress recently in Ibadan to nominate a replacement for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the erstwhile national secretary, whose appointment was nullified by the court on the ground that the congress that produced him was illegal. According to a release issued after the meeting, the delegates unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Wale Oladipo as the Acting National Secretary. The position was zoned to Osun state and Oladipo hails from Osun.
Forty eight hours after the announcement, a group, the Osun PDP Concerned forum kicked against Oladipo’s nomination. In an advertorial signed by the representatives from the 30 local governments in the state, the forum stated that the said selection and the mode of the selection did not conform with the constitution of the PDP and does not enjoy the support and goodwill of the majority. Rather than deepen peace and unity the announcement has stirred disunity disenchantment and mutual suspicion, the statement added.
But the Chairman of Ogun State chapter, Chief Bayo Dayo, who attended the zonal congress, told The Nation that the selection of Prof. Oladipo was open and transparent. According to him, there were two candidates. The other candidate stepped down for Oladipo to emerge as the unanimous candidate.
Stalled reconciliation
Ekiti State PDP was embroiled in a fresh crisis last week, following the suspension of the party chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, by a faction loyal to former Governor Ayo Fayose. There was commotion at the party secretariat in Ado-Ekiti when some aggrieved members met and announced the suspension of the chairman. Ogundipe was accused of misappropriation of funds, corruption, and failure to carry along members of the Central Working Committee. He was also accused of constituting unilaterally the screening committee to pick the governorship candidate for the next year governorship election. The Ogundipe group has also suspended Fayose and some officers. Already, the party is balkanised into splinter groups loyal to various chieftains, including the former governor, Mr Segun Oni, Fayose, and the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd). All efforts to reconcile the factions by the national leadership have failed.
A chieftain of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, admitted that there was crisis in the chapter which according to him, is not peculiar to PDP. He told our correspondent that, in a big party like PDP, the likelihood of disagreement on issues is possible. Adeyeye said Ogundipe, is still the chairman. An individual cannot on his volition suspend the chairman. There is a procedure to follow, he added.
Lagos is also not insulated from the crisis as some chieftains of the party have approached the Federal High Court seeking an order to disqualify the former chairman of the party in the Southwest, Chief Bode George, as a member of the Board of Trustees. The plaintiffs, Alhaji Badmus Agboola and Dauda Atomoh, contend that George, having been convicted in 2009, is not qualified to hold office. The suit was filed on the heels of purported reconciliation between George and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, a PDP chieftain and a challenger to George’s leadership.
Ondo State chapter is also not at peace with itself. The elders of the party are not in good terms with the governorship, candidate in last governorship election, Chief Olusola Oke, who is also the former National Legal Adviser of the party. The elders were alleged to have shifted allegiance to the Labour party, thereby ensuring Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s re-election.
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‘DAWN designed to quicken development’
Mr Dipo Famakinwa is the Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission. In this interview with BISI OLADELE and TAYO JOHNSON, the development expert speaks on the evolution, structure priorities and prospects of the commission.
WHAT is the objective of the DAWN Commission?
The DAWN refers to the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission. I had been in the private sector for 20 years before I started getting involved in development issues. And, primarily, I am concerned about the development of Western Nigeria. my development work led me to believe that Western part of Nigeria has very limitless capability for development. I think it is in the process of getting engaged in proving that reality that I got involved with the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) which is the Yoruba group that comprises individuals, professionals, politicians, technocrats from all walks of life with the primary concern for the development of the Yoruba race. That concern led us to start looking for a frame work whereby the Yoruba people who are more than 50 million worldwide can develop at their own pace. While more than 40 million are living in Nigeria, the rest in other parts of the world, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America. We feel that we need to start harnessing the limitless capability, talents of these people for development. ARG pushed me forward to begin to work along the line of finding the methodology for integrating the states in region, especially integrating their development plans, development programs and finding the mechanism for them to work together, and it is that activity that led us to the preparation of the document that is now called DAWN which we presented to the people of the region at the City Hall in 2012, and since then it has now become a strategic document that everybody has begun to look forward to for development of western Nigeria. All what we have done as a group or individuals, all the governors in southwest feel that the strategic plan put together in that framework will work for the progress of the region.
ARG seems to be the brain behind DAWN. ARG on its own looks like a group with political affiliation. Is there a way DAWN intends to create a platform for all Yorubas, irrespective of their political lineage, to participate in this group’s effort to develop the region?
ARG played a role in putting this document together. It is actually a document that consolidates what we can describe as the aspiration of the whole Yoruba people. It is not colored in any political or ethnic shade. It is just to fix the language of development, it is just talking about the development of the Yoruba people. It will interest you to know that in 2010, the ARG along with some self determination groups in Yoruba land and the Diaspora, organised what we call the Yoruba Development Summit. at that time the current governors of Osun and Ekiti states were not yet in power, and it was from that summit that the idea of regional integration came in. The aspiration was that whoever came into saddle of governance in the region would have a strategy road map that will speak to the integration of the region, especially integration of our economy and development of infrastructures. So, it was not meant for a political party. It is part of the Yoruba desire to develop their region.
How do you intend to collate ideas across the region to form the basis for accomplishing your agenda?
Let me start by giving you the trajectory of this project. When the desire became very strong, the realization that we need to begin to do thing differently dawned on everybody. The Afenifere Renewal Group then gave the Yoruba Academy Group a remit to do a study of the feasibility of what we are talking about. Is it possible for us to integrate our economy? Is it possible for us to integrate our development plan and our development programs? Is it possible for us to integrate our aspirations as a region? And the Academy did a study of the feasibility of that process and it was proven the group, but we need to put another a dimension into things that can be done and not things that are hanging in the air. A group of Yoruba technocrats and professionals from all walks of life, most of them not politicians but those who have worked in the development sectors, then had a retreat in University of Ibadan and it was from that retreat we came up with DAWN strategic document, and in putting together that strategic document, all views from everywhere, from the street level, policy level, political level, all views were put together to form the basis for preparing the strategic document.
What structure are you developing to achieve your aim?
The governors of the region are very committed in the development of this region and they have expressed this commitment in many areas and dimensions. The first meeting they had regarding the regional integration agenda was held in Ekiti State. All the governors were present except Osun State governor who was represented by his deputy and they expressed a very strong desire and intent to work together as a region to achieve their development plans and program. It was at that meeting they made their desire to do that. Also follow-up meeting held at Abeokuta, Ogun State. It was at that meeting they agreed that they would put together a technical committee, that each state would send members into a technical committee that would then midwife the process of ensuring that we have an institutional structure and foundation for advancing the development agenda. In May 2012, the technical committee was inaugurated by the Ekiti State governor in Ado-Ekiti. The technical committee comprise a representative of each state in the region and it was also at that meeting in Abeokuta that they said that there must be a commission to ensure that this is not just an express desire but to move it from the level of desire to actualization. So when the technical committee met, they highlighted the areas that are needed to be focused on to be able to give life to this agenda. They went round all the states of the region, met all the governors and had different technical strategy sessions, and came out with the final implementation document. It is like a light plan for guiding the activities of the commission. All the governors also expressed their desire to have an institutional framework to ensure that this document doesn’t just go off, they decided to put in place a commission which is now called DAWN. If you recall at the presentation of the DAWN strategic documents at the City Hall in Lagos, the governors announced that they have secured a space at 10th floor Cocoa House for the office of the commission and it is very historical for us as a people, that we can even use Cocoa House for our office is very commendable, and we the Yoruba race should be proud that Cocoa House is still standing and it can still continue to function for a dedicated centre for Yoruba development.
Let’s look at the main focus of DAWN. What areas of development are you focusing on; economic, cultural, political?
In putting together our framework of action, we anchored them on what we call some strategic pillars, and part of what informed the construction of those pillars was the realization that we needed to be very focused. We, therefore, sensed that if we get things right in some areas, we can move development forward in Yoruba land. We have five critical pillars. One of them is economic competitiveness. We want to compete with the rest of the world. We believe that an economy where you have more than 40 million people , bigger than most countries in Africa and Europe, very vibrant, dedicated people who are forward looking to development, we must build a pillar for economic competitiveness that would enable us to continue to compete with the rest of the world. We must go back to agriculture, which is very crucial, not agriculture in the way that it has been done before. We need to look at the critical value chains in agriculture, look at agriculture as business. How do we find the link to do agriculture business like the rest of the world? How do we find the funding? How do we find the finance? How do we build the institutional and infrastructural support for agriculture? We are looking at Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. The idea is that we must build an economy that employs our people. We must build an economy where our young ones can explore their talents. For instance, youths all over the world are doing fantastic things in ICT, we need to look at ways we can leverage ICT, develop our economy and employ our people. We need to look for means to reform our commerce and trading system and critically attain revenue dignity, because we believe as a people it is an insult for us to continue to go to Abuja every month to go and be asking for allocation. How do we generate our own revenue?
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‘Crisis ‘ll ruin PDP’
Hon. Bimbo Daramola is the Vice Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) has described Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a man in a wrong bus. Precious Igbonwelundu reports.
WHAT is your assessment of the Jonathan Administration?
The economy is going bad. As a member of the opposition, I am not just in opposition party because it is inherent in the opposition to criticise. I remember that President Goodluck Jonathan believes in his two year score card that perhaps, he has done well and he asked Nigerians to judge him, that his period in office has been eventful and impactful. But, if you ask me, I see a man struggling to win the trust and confidence of the people again. He met issues on ground and he assured Nigerians that he would address and deal with the issues and now, he is returning back to Nigerians like saying ‘’go and judge the marking scheme to mark the exam that you set for me’’. The teacher cannot tell the students to come and mark the exams he set. That, to me is a role reversal. He made those promises that he would deliver, but an average Nigerian knows that his life has not been positively affected with what the government is professing or brandishing as its achievement. There is also the politics of the majority party. Take, for instance, party saying that, because a governor did not take a phone call from the national chairman of the party, so, he got suspended. Another governor ran into problem for holding different views with its leadership. So they had to employ the instrumentality of the state to frustrate him. They have alluded so much to growth in terms of figures; they will show you beautiful graphs, the nation’s GDP is growing above our population but you don’t find a corollary to buttress their claim when you look at the people and the majority is still living in abject poverty. Look, if your car does not have fuel and you say it is still a beautiful car, that beautiful car cannot take you to your destination.
They will give themselves high mark, but the masses are still wallowing in poverty. I am surprised that an Okonjo Iweala, our Finance and Co-ordinating Minister who would have been the head of the world bank is saying that there is no relationship between the figures being bandied about and job creation. In the two years of Jonathan’s government, we should by now take a stock on how many companies or industries have come back to the system. The industries, sadly enough, are re-locating even to African countries that we should be far ahead of. We are cruising at a very high speed and I hope somebody calls them to caution. What we are having or getting is disappointing, given the our resources that abound.
Can the opposition make the difference?
2015 provides for us the opportunity to critically take stock and say enough is enough. It is a time to say we have played party loyalty for too long, we have played active politics for too long and it’s about time to now ask ourselves as individuals and as Nigerians whether we are better off than we were in 2011. Is the country better off as it was in 2011? Do we have better roads now than what we had in 2011? Do we have more infrastructures now? Is life better now than what we had in 2011? These are the questions that must bother us. When you vote a government and put that government in power, we expect real impact, real changes. It is amazing that, as individual we do stock taking but as a nation, we refuse to take stock. So, 2015 provides an opportunity for a turn around to be able to ask ourselves, if are better now. No matter how long you have gone on a wrong direction, you will never get to your destination until you make a turn around. The destination, we are talking about is improved society, improved security, improved social infrastructure, improved life etc, these are the indices that you must look at to begin to assess whether a government is working or not.
Are you saying that the PDP is the problem?
Well, I am not going to sound puritanical and say everybody in PDP is bad. There are pockets of them that are good. For instance Governor Rotimi Amaechi is good.
But he is almost an opposition member
If you say so. It’s a truism in life. Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. You cannot be found in the company of armed robbers and you will be leading praise and worship in the church on Sunday. When you lie with dogs, you wake up with flies. If you get into a car going to another place, what do you do? You simply tell the driver you have entered the wrong bus and you come down. People who have chosen to identify with the politics of the opposition must have seen something diametrically different. Don’t forget that there is the politics of service and of the people and the politics of the stomach. Some politicians can masquerade politics of stomach and you may think that they are for the people. Even in the Bible, the holy book, Jesus said at the last day when the Son of Man shall come, he will condemn some people and those people will come to him and ask Him if He is making a mistake because they will tell him they cast out demons and healed in His name. But he will ask them to go away because they were workers of iniquity.
There are some people in opposition that have no business there. Are there people in opposition who are doing the right thing, yes. Are there people in opposition who are doing the wrong thing, yes. But Nigerians will now come up to a point where we will identify the weed and the chaff. We must identify our destination. We have invested our fortune in the life of somebody for four years.
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How to resolve Rivers crisis, by Yoruba elders
Crisis in any part of the country is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good. Yoruba political leaders are in a vantage position to clearly appreciate this. Major crises, which erupted in the geo-political zone in the First and Second Republics, led to the derailment of democracy. The long interregnum between 1966 and 1979 and 1983 and 1999 attested to the suffering of the people under the military rule.
Former Military Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), who has reflected on the fate of democracy, which is being threatened by the protracted crisis in the Rivers State, urged the various parties to the dispute to reach a truce. He warned that popular rule is in danger, if the key actors refuse to learn from the lessons of history.
Second Republic House of Representatives member Prince Tajudeen Olusi observed that the retired General’s advice was timely. “I want to direct the attention of our leaders to the warning being given by the former military rulers that democracy is being threatened and that we should learn lessons from the events in Egypt. It is still topical”, he said.
Olusi, a former commissioner in Lagos State, chided the President for allowing the crisis to escalate. “The crisis is a manifestation of the incompetence of our President to handle important national issues and to address the turbulent issue at its infancy before it escalates”, he fumed. Decrying the role of the police, he lamented that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police has consistently detested the office of the governor, which he said was established by the constitution.
“The tradition and the law is that the civil service and police must give loyalty to the constituted authority. It is a danger to democracy and an assault on democracy. Therefore, the answer, the solution lies squarely with the President of our country. He should call the police to order to ensure that the police performs its roles according to the constitution. The President and the PDP should stop misusing the police”, he added.
Senator James Kolawole from Ekiti State shared the same opinion. He pointed out that, though the beginning of any crisis can be known, the end cannot be predicted. “If we are not careful, it will derail democracy. Both sides should be careful. If it is not properly managed, it can lead to unpalatable incident we do not bargain for”, he warned.
The onus, said Kolawole, is on President Goodluck Jonathan to act as a statesman. Noting that the Rivers crisis is unfortunate, he warned that its elongation may produce negative implications for democracy. “If a solution is not found to the crisis, the consequence may be far-reaching for everybody”, he stressed.
To Afenifere chieftain Chief Rueben Fasoranti, the President is facing a novel test of leadership. If he fails in this turbulent period, the nation may suffer due to any wrong step taken by him. The elder statesman urged dialogue, saying that delay could be dangerous. “The President should call a round table conference. The governor should also make peace now. The crisis must end. Both the President and governor are from the same area. Nigeria is bigger than the two of them. They must make peace quickly”, he advised.
Second Republic Senator Ayo Fasanmi warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders were busy laying a foundation for anarchy, adding that the prospects of stable democracy is narrow. He warned against localising the Rivers crisis, pointing out that it has implications for the country. Describing the behaviour of the five legislators who attempted to impeach the Speaker as a tragedy, he chided the Presidency for taking sides.
Fasanmi, who is the Deputy Leader of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, observed that, though there are new dimensions to the crises, the genesis should not be forgotten. He pointed out that the governor has been exposed to ridicule by the police and other federal officials, who may have been acting the scripts of the President. He also blamed Dr. Jonathan for taking sides in a divisive issue, saying that it is wrong.
“The crisis is a national tragedy. It is a mockery of the democratic principle. Somebody won an NGF election with a margin of three; you say no. If 36 governors cannot conduct a free and fair election among themselves, how can the PDP conduct a peaceful election in 2013? They are laying the foundation for anarchy. That is why I always appeal to the progressives not to sleep”, he said.
Urging the President to rise to the occasion, Fasanmi said that he should not support a faction, to the detriment of the other faction. “This crisis is a sign of what to expect in 2014 and 2015. Progressives should be prepared for a rescue mission. The crisis and tragedy in Rivers should not be localised. It is a national crisis. Amaechi needs moral and political support, This is a bad omen for the nation”, he added.
Another Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, hinged the crisis on the neglect of the constitution, rule of law, equity and fair play. He said that, if there is justice, there will be peace in Rivers State. “There will always be problem, if the constitution is not followed”, he remarked. But Adebanjo also warned about the consequence of direct interference of the federal government in the state affairs. He said that this is inconsistent with the principle of federalism.
The Yoruba elder also pointed out that the politicians in Rivers State were swimming in moral crisis. “How can five legislators remove the Speaker? That was what Obasanjo was doing in Bayelsa, Oyo and Ekiti where the governors were removed. The problem in Rivers arose because powerful people were behind them. Amaechi has the majority on his side. You cannot remove him unconstitutionally”, he said.
Former military governor of the defunct Western State, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd) said the crisis is worrisome. But he declined to comment further, merely saying: “It is politics. I am not a politician. If they come to me, I will advise them on what to do. I won’t speak to them on the pages of newspapers”.
PDP chieftain and former Lagos State Deputy Governor Rafiu Jafojo submitted that the crisis has manifested the rot in the party. “There is no discipline in the PDP”, he said, advising the leaders to put their house in order. “They should instill discipline in the party. The Rivers problem can be resolved. You cannot solve it by removing the governor or fighting in the House of Assembly. It is undemocratic. This did not happen in our time”, he added.
Jafojo urged the two divides in Rivers State to thread the path of law. Noting that the crisis is mainly between the President and the governor, he appealed to them to embrace truce in the interest of democracy.
For Senator Olabiyi Durojaye, it is lamentable to those who fought for democracy that those who sat on the sidelines were now trying to truncate it. “The tail is waxing at the dog. There is no parliamentary precedent for the minority to impeach the Speaker. They should not kill democracy. We don’t want democracy to fall in Nigeria”, he said.
Durojaye called for restraint and decorum on the part of the leaders to save Nigeria’s image. He recalled the United States President, Barack Obama, recently snubbed Nigeria during his visit to Africa because democracy was on the slide. “Obama excluded Nigeria from his visit because of the way we handle democracy in Nigeris. Everything we do is reported in other countries. I appeal for restraint by both leaders. The constitution makes provisions for impeachment, It can only be done by two-third majority”, he said.
Oke-Ogun, Oyo State leader Chief Michael Koleoso described the persistent crisis as a malady, warning that both the President and governor were playing with fire. “The earlier they resolve it, the better. It is very painful. The President should use his position to douse the tension. The way things are going now, we are nit safe in this country”, he stressed.
However, a Second Republic federal legislator, Hon. George Sadiku, said that the current development has confirmed the logic of politics and politicking. “What is happening now is one of the requirements of democracy. Conflicts and counter-conflicts will lead to the stability of democracy”, he pointed out. But he warned against allowing the crisis to impact negatively on the people’s welfare. “Crisis should lead to growth. That is the logic of politics”, he maintained.
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‘Ogun PDP ready for 2015’
Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party Chairman Chief Bayo Dayo says the reconciliation efforts of the leaders have strengthened the party to win the 2015 elections in the state. He spoke with LEKE SALAUDEEN.
Your executive came into being through a court judgment that nullified the congress held by the Obasanjo group. How has it been so far?
Let me correct the general impression that our executive emerged through a court judgment. The former executive led by Chief Dayo Soremi in March 2012 conducted the congresses at ward, local government and state levels in accordance with the constitution of our party -Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines. The congresses were supervised by the INEC observers and the representatives of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).
But some powerful individuals who are in minority didn’t want the congresses to hold. They converged in a place other than the party secretariat and compiled the list of officers, which we objected to and we insisted on the congress proper. The power brokers in Abuja said the congress should not be upheld. The former national secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was busy writing secret letters to the other group led by Chief Odujurin that didn’t hold congress. At the end of the day, we were vindicated. INEC wrote that the Soremi-led executive was recognised.
At a stage, the NWC said they didn’t believe in the congress held by our group. That was why the Dayo Soremi-led executive approached the court to determine whether or not the congresses were in order. The court ruled that it was valid, having abide with the party’s constitution and INEC guidelines. We also prayed the court to declare the congress that presented Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola invalid. The court granted our prayer and declared his nomination improper.
Have you been reaching out to the Odujurin faction backed by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for reconciliation?
Once beaten twice shy. We have a kind of situation in 2011 where the party went into the election with different factions. We don’t want such experience to repeat itself. Hence, we have been going round to talk with the aggrieved members so that the party can remain as one and solid. We beg them where necessary to bury the hatchet and join hands to move the party forward. There must be differences, but once the aggrieved parties made their grievances known, we should settle them amicably since all of us belong to the same family under one umbrella. Those that have held elective or party positions should have a rethink and forget about the differences so that the party can regain its position in the state.
Have you reconciled with the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in particular?
Baba doesn’t belong to any faction or group. He’s the father to us (PDP members) in Ogun State and the nation at large. A father doesn’t take side amongst his children. It is only those who are looking for favour or seeking relevance that formulate false stories in order to cause disaffection within the party. As children, we have been trying to book appointment to visit him and seek his words of advice. Baba Obasanjo is the overall boss of the party in Ogun state and at the national level.
The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has suspended the special convention of the Southwest scheduled for August 24. What informed this suspension?
I wouldn’t know the reason for the suspension. It is a decision taken at the national level. Later, we will be informed. Certainly, there must be reasons for that. Remember that the national convention was originally planned for July 20 before it was shifted to August 31. The reason for this change was that July 20 falls within Ramadan and that it will not be convenient for our Muslim brothers to attend the convention while fasting.
Ogun PDP has announced the suspension of ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel from PDP. What was his offence?
Otunba Gbenga Daniel was suspended by his ward. Then, the party chairman in his local government informed the senatorial chairman. It was the senatorial chairman that announced his suspension. The state working Committee made a lot of consultations with the elders on his case. Gbenga Daniel is not honest with the PDP; his loyalty to the party is questionable. He made us lose 2011 general elections in Ogun state. Remember, that he floated Progressive Party of Nigeria (PPN) and asked his supporters to vote for the party. We would have won if the party (PDP) was intact.
As we are planning to reposition the party in the state, Gbenga Daniel’s loyalty cannot be ascertained. For him, it is one leg in PDP and another leg in PPN. Despite this, he has been negotiating with the Labour Party. He sent his wife to represent him at the Labour Party’ fund raising programme. We have told him to publicly renounce his membership of PPN and to tell the whole world that he has gone back to the PDP with his supporters before we can reinstate him but he has failed to do that. Once he complies with the party’s directive, he will regain his position as a party leader. We have no alternative than to suspend him. He remains suspended, until he renounces his membership of PPN and his romance with Labour Party. I am sure the National Executive Committee (NEC) would not condone indiscipline as we have done in the case of Gbenga Daniel.
It was announced that the Southwest PDP has unanimously endorsed Professor Wale Oladipupo as the National Secretary. But a faction has kicked against his nomination. What is happening?
The zonal congress that produced Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the PDP National Secretary was nullified by the court. With the court ruling, the position of the National Secretary became vacant and we have to make a replacement. So, an extra ordinary zonal congress was held last week in Osogbo for this purpose. The position was zoned to Osun State chapter. Two candidates emerged, but the other candidate stepped down for Oladipupo. All the delegates unanimously voted for Prof. Oladipo as a replacement for Oyinlola.
How prepared is PDP for 2015 general elections in Ogun State?
We are fully prepared. We are battle ready to wrestle power from Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) .If the elections were to hold today our victory is sure. In Ogun East Senatorial District where there are nine local governments, ACN will not win one. In Ogun Central, ACN may win two out of the six local governments because Governor Ibikunle Amosun is from there. But in Ogun West, he won’t get a vote. It is then that Amosun would know whether PDP or ACN is dead. It is unexpected of Amosun to say PDP is dead in Ogun state. It was the PDP that brought him into political limelight. He won the senatorial election in 2003 on the platform of the PDP. Why should he be talking ill of the party that he benefitted from?
How would you assess the performance of the ACN administration in the state?
The ACN government is yet to make positive impact on the life of common people. Go and ask the students, teachers, market men and women , farmers and Okada riders; all of them are complaining. Amosun’s government is interested in white elephant projects. Instead of expanding the roads to six lanes that have led to demolition of houses and shops, why not concentrate on access roads development. The township roads are bad. For instance, the roads in Ijebu-Ode are bad. From Ijebu-ode to Okunowa, the roads are in a state of disrepair. There is no development in the rural areas.
What is the zoning arrangement of PDP in picking its governorship candidate for 2015?
The party stakeholders will always come together and decide what is good for the people. I can’t tell you where our governorship candidate will come from. At the appropriate time, the party leaders and elders would meet and take a decision. Meanwhile, the members are free to signify their interest for the office.