The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

‘Can Jonathan restore security?’

Afenifere chieftain Chief Rueben Fasoranti spoke with reporters in Lagos on the Jonathan Administration and the crisis of leadership in the country. Excerpts:

WHY have you considered it important to speak at this point? What exactly is your worry?

Most of us who knew when the first civilian government was in place are appalled with what we are seeing. Our dreams have been shattered and we must find solutions to some of these problems. We want to continue to sustain our stands, and that is why we feel we should address the nation.

There is the problem of unemployment of teeming millions of young university graduates. Then, we have the problem of Boko Haram, which is a strange phenomenon. We have never seen this before. The government is not doing anything positive to contain them.

The stand of the Federal Government is very dicey, speaking from both sides of the mouth, denouncing it and at the same time, relaxing. That’s why we feel we should meet you and make our views known so that the world will know where we stand.

What is Afenifere doing about the alleged marginalisation of the Southwest by the Federal Government?

We’ve made our stand known and we are all anxious, and we are worried that the whole of the Southwest is excluded from key appointments, for instance, the first 10 political appointments in the country, judiciary, permanent secretaries and so on.

We have made our stand known through the Yoruba Unity Forum; we listed and published it in details. That is where we still stand. That we are not getting our fair share of political appointments in this country. We’ve cried to the President and he promised to do something about it and we are still waiting.

Until recently, Afenifere had a grip on the politics of the Southwest. What is the relationship between the organisation and political leaders of the zone?

It is a very difficult question to answer because Afenifere is not a political party. We have our ideologies, and since we are not all in the same place, it is difficult to control those who are not with us.

It is evident that Afenifere is still factionalised. There is another faction led by Pa Fasanmi, which is not here. Any hope for reconciliation?

There is no faction in Afenifere. Fasanmi has never claimed to be the leader of Afenifere.

What you said (existence of factions) is true, but that was many years ago. How many meetings has Fasanmi held since then? He has reached out to us; that we should reconcile and the reconciliation has taken place de facto.

The ARG (Afenifere Renewal Group) that came out of that has coalesced into the main body. So, there are no factions and there are no two leaders of Afenifere, just one.

What role is this group going to play in the 2015 elections? Some people believe the President should not run and others believe he should run…

We have not taken a stand.

Do you have the option of talking to the PDP as well?

The question of backing PDP is out of it. We see the PDP as representing the conservative alternative. In politics, you don’t say never, but it is highly unlikely that we will back PDP. But there are individuals among them, in the PDP, who are stranded where they are now; we want to get them out to come to a national progressive platform

The UPN is back on stream. Are you part of the new body?

The man (Dr. Frederick Fasehun) making the move was never in the UPN. I think he is studying the mood of the people and trying to see if he can get the people’s support. We will wait until his party is registered. We read it in the papers. He has not contacted us.

May 14, 2013
APC: The great metamorphosis

The opposition in Nigeria is pregnant. Will it deliver safely? The sex of the baby is already known. A name has been proposed for it. The mother is not proposing an abortion to the midwife, which is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Will it provide an atmosphere for safe delivery?

Nigeria is on the threshold of history. Latter-day opposition leaders are achieving what the first generation of political leaders and their lieutenants could not achieve in the earlier dispensations. With the successful completion of the national conventions by the three political parties; the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the coast is clear. The All Progressive Congress (APC) is knocking at the electoral door. In two year’s time, it will challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the general elections. The prelude to that proposed battle will be the governorship contests in Anambra State this year and Osun and Ekiti states next year, where the formidable mega platform will test its strength.

APC will be a popular party from the onset. It will serve as the oak tree offering shades to the critical progressives, ahead of 2015. It will trade in robust ideas and articulate the alternative solutions to the national question. Being the product of a determined effort at forging unity and cohesion among the scattered leftist politicians canvassing an alternative route to federal power, it will also premise its intervention in national affairs on its unquestionable national outlook.

Reality had dawned on the arrowheads of the three parties, other groups and individuals in the alliance that the PDP, despite its poor record in power, can only be dislodged by combined forces. The prospect of an alternative platform has ultimately rekindled the hope that the opposition can overcome the weakness imposed by their slight differences. More importantly, it is a signal that there is a government in waiting, if the rot in government persists. It has the potential . Now that the opposition can bark and bite, the end result may be good governance.

However, the emergence of the APC has implications for the leaders of the ACN, ANPP and ANPP, who have to forfeit the platforms in the national interest. Despite the fact that they may not be able to accurately forecast what the future holds for the proposed APC, they have never been found wanting in self-sacrifice. Now that the three parties are winding up, the leaders and their followers have to frontally confront the challenge of collective migration to the new fold and adjustment to change.

Following the conventions, the onus is on the party leadership to formally inform the electoral commission, which had earlier sent its officials to witness the terminal conventions. This process will facilitate the proposed eclipse of the three parties. According to the law, the chairmen, secretaries and treasurers of the three parties are expected to forward letters of notification to the INEC, backed with the required funds for the change of name. If INEC is not operating in the bedroom of the power that be, APC’s registration should not a hurdle. But more obstacles can be erected by the ruling party leaders who are already jittery about the unofficial, but legitimate restoration of two party system. Remarkably, two political associations have hurriedly be formed in a way that resulted into a clash of anonyms. That the INEC had initially disowned them was a great service to democracy.

The challenges that will tax the APC leaders are threefold. The first is the challenge of the first mega convention and the setting up of party leadership at the federal and state levels. At Abuja, where the convention will hold, the party will be formally presented to Nigerians. The three parties and groups are not equal in strength. If the leaders and members of the collapsed parties and groups retain their old identities in the new fold, APC may pale into a big party polarised by caucuses. Therefore, in setting up party leadership structures, not only are the arrowheads and their followers expected to make more sacrifices, they should also begin to build a party culture of equity, fairness and justice in matters relating to the choice of party officers.

The second challenge is the democratic choice of the APC presidential candidate and his running mate. The flag bearer will mirror the platform, its manifestoes, ethos, values and promise. Whoever will emerge is less important than how he will emerge. Therefore, the party faces the elementary test of internal democracy. The various positions and approaches germane to choice, selection and shadow election should be harmonised without internal bickering and bitterness. If the party puts its house in order at that level and there is no post-primary crisis, it will be fortified to forge ahead for the most critical battle.

The third challenge, therefore, is the task of mobilising for power shift in 2015. The next general elections would be issue-driven. The campaigns will be issue-oriented. Judging by the national mood ahead of the contest, personalities may not be elevated over and above the issues. But the APC leaders also have an unfinished business. They need to press vigorously for more electoral reforms and insist on the sanctity of the ballot box.

Between now and when the party is given the nod by the electoral agency, APC leaders should be vigilant. It is still a delicate moment. It is a critical stage of transition. The road to the promise land is laced with thorns. Without doubt, all the chieftains may not reach the political Canaan. The PDP, which is made up of the advocates of one-party system, retention of federal power for 60 years and “operation capture32 states”, will not be aloof to the threat. It will definitely bare its fangs. Observers contend that the ruling party may turn the heat on the APC through intimidation, harassment and blackmail. Pockets of dissention among the co-travelers should be envisaged and be properly managed within the parties in alliance to prevent the gravitation of party members to the party in power at the centre.

This substantial achievement should be well managed by the merger drivers. What will sustain the young platform is the commitment of the merger drivers. The strength of the APC lies in its powers of ideas, the antecedents and pedigrees of its arrowheads, the impressive performance of its governors, its fanatical and loyal followers, and the vision and goals underlying the alliance. But the political brand should always be sensitive to the machinations of its ardent enemies. To succeed, the APC family must work hard. As one of its leaders has often remarked, power is not served a la carte.

May 14, 2013
Okadigbo, Igbeke in protracted senatorial battle

Two years after her election as a Senator, Mrs. Margery Okadigbo is still being challenged by her party colleague, Senator Alphonsus Igbeke. EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the protracted post-election legal tussle.

In 2011, Former Senate President Chuba Okadigbo’s widow, Margery, was elected as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator representing Anambra North District. But two years after, the contest appears inconclusive as her opponent, Senator Alphonsus Igbeke, is still challenging her victory in the court. On May 31, the Supreme Court is expected to give the final verdict on the poll.

Senator Okadigbo, who enjoys sitting on the seat vacated by her colourful husband in the Upper Chamber, has maintained that she won the election without any foul play. Her supporters have described Igbeke as a clever politician fond of laying a legal ambush against winners only to be declared winner later. But Igbeke has fired back, saying that he has always relied on the law to fight his political battles.

The Supreme Court had earlier declared Okadigbo as the PDP candidate in a suit filed by Prince John Emeka. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who delivered the judgment said that she scored the highest number of votes at the PDP senatorial primaries held on January 8, 2011, adding that she was also duly elected senator. Based on the rulings, Mrs. Okadigbo was duly issued with the certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and subsequently sworn in as Senator on July 16, last.

However, Igbeke went back to the court, alleging forgery. Some observers said that step was curious, pointing out that the Supreme Court verdict was final. He alleged that Okadigbo forged documents with which she convinced the court to declare her as the senator-elect. Igbeke further stated that the senator was invited by the police and dragged to court by a coalition of human rights organizations. The PDP chieftain clarified that he was not a party to the suit leading to her declaration as the senator-elect, stressing that the case was between her and Emeka.

Okadigbo denied the allegation of forgery, recalling that she was dragged to the Supreme Court by Emeka, who was appealing an Appeal Court judgement that declared her the PDP candidate for the election. Also, she pointed out that Igbeke was a respondent in the Emeka case in the Supreme Court that gave birth to the judgment affirming her as the duly elected senator and winner of the PDP primaries.

The senator also denied being invited by the police. She said that she was never arrested by the police for forgery. Okadigbo maintained that there was no basis for forgery to convince the court, stressing that there was a clear and manifest documentation of the lists of the PDP senatorial candidates, which was forwarded to the electoral commission for the election.

To further buttress her point, Okadigbo also alluded to the there minutes of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of January 30

2011 held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, which upheld and ratified the names of the party’s candidates from the presidential candidate to the senatorial candidates, before they were forwarded to the INEC.

“The commission received and acknowledged the lists on January 31, 2013. Incidentally, that was the last date given for the submission of the lists”, she recalled.

In the list, Okadigbo’s name was very conspicuous as the candidate for the Anambra North. The list was signed by the former Acting National Chairman, Dr. Bello Mohammed and the National Secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje. Allthe members of the NWC were in attendance at the meeting.

However, Igbeke has insisted that he has a solid case. According to observers, that style of going to the court to obtain victory is typical of Igbeke. But he has always insisted that he could not have taken the law into his hands. He once fought his way into the House of Representatives after a hectic battle at the tribunal. Then, he ran on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), which was not popular in the state. When he was alive, he had fought Dr. Okadigbo to a standstill, until community leaders intervened in the political feud. After three years in the Senate, Igbeke, who contested on the platform of the All Nigeria peoples Party (ANPP), displaced Senator Joy Emordi of the PDP.

Igbeke is said to be relying on the alleged remark of the chairman of the PDP NWC Electoral Panel, Senator Joseph Waku, that he won the shadow poll. But Okadigbo’s supporters objected have objected to the claim, alleging that, at the primaries, Igbeke came third with 23 votes, trailing behind Chief Denis Odife, who got 29 votes, and Okadigbo, who had 168 votes of the 260 accredited delegates.

The two rivals are locked in legal fireworks. As the judgment day draws near, their supporters are enveloped in anxiety. Who wins at the Supreme Court?

May 14, 2013
‘PDP’s years of locust will soon be over’

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande reiterates the commitment of the progressives to power shift as the baseline for repositioning the country.

‘The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision’ – Helen Keller

Once again, Nigeria is at the cusp of change. We stand at the threshold of history, willing and determined to keep the promise of building a new nation. I am thus happy to be with you today at this momentous occasion of your national convention. A similar momentous event is taking place in Gusau, Zamfara State about now. That the CPC and ANPP are holding their national conventions the same day, though in different ,to, among other things, endorse the ongoing merger process barely three weeks after the Action Congress of Nigeria had done its own in Lagos, underscores the unquestionable commitments of the progressive Nigerian leaders to re-direct and reposition politics and governance of this country.

Distinguished party leaders, ladies and gentlemen, we have embarked on this historic journey; the first of its kind in Nigeria’s political history, because we want to be recorded positively on the side of history. We are however, not unaware of the huge challenges we would face in this endeavor, and the series of minefields we are to cross in our common resolve to rescue this country from total collapse. It is against this backdrop, that we are gathered here as we did in Lagos to fulfill one of the requirements under the law to actualise our coming together under a single political platform-the All Progressives Congress (APC).

For over a decade, since the Peoples Democratic Party came to power, our economic has stagnated to the point of near collapse. Their institutionalised misrule has engendered a general sense of hopelessness and despondency among the citizenry.

This coalition of progressively minded leaders represents a major shift in Nigeria’s political landscape. As leaders and indeed, political parties, we are convinced beyond any shadow of doubt that Nigerians deserve a better country. Nigerians deserve better leadership going forward. We have heard the Macedonia call of our people and we have set sail on an irreversible course to contest and change governance at the center. For too long Nigerians have endured this punishment for too long whereby power is used for selfish and narrow interests.

We wave or hold no magic wand. But we signpost the fact that a new hope and leadership is needed. What we offer is our commitment to democratic norms and values. We believe that through a conscious progressive orientation we can change Nigeria for the better. For PDP’s years of the locust, we offer in exchange a new regime of prosperity, fiscal discipline, security and a more emancipated society.

Through sacrifice and renewed patriotic zeal, we hope to unseat the current incompetent and corrupt leadership. We urge Nigerians to side with us by voting right when elections come. Nigerians must reject the kind of results foisted upon us from 1999 to 2011.

The continued polarisation and division of Nigeria between the North and the South and between the Christians and the Muslims which has intensified bloodletting, sectarian violence and destruction of property flowed from a flawed and manipulated election. This time around, Nigerians must rally in support for ‘one man, one vote’ and ensure every vote counts. Biometric voting is a clear option for free and fair election and Nigeria must move in that inevitable direction.

With renewed commitment, we must make sure that our electoral system is anything but open, credible and transparent.

I am convinced that this bold and historical step by ACN, ANPP and CPC to merge into one formidable electoral machine against PDP would serve as a major antidote against the seeming total disintegration of Nigeria.

Nigeria is insecure today due to decades of leadership failure. We have suffered over a decade of systemic decay, institutionalized manipulation amnesia, increasing grinding poverty and unprecedented level of corruption, which have culminated into high-level insecurity.

The merger process therefore, affords us the singular strength of ensuring fraud free and credible voters register by biometric evaluation and thereby democratically dislodge the PDP from power with a view to bringing to an end frequent incidences of shedding blood and destruction of property which have become the defining nature of the Jonathan’s administration.

Our streets continue to flow with the blood of fellow citizens who are innocent of any crime. Perhaps, aside the civil war period, the unity of this country has never been as threatened as it is presently. All of our national fault lines are growing deeper and the continuous existence of the country as indivisible entity is increasingly in doubt.

The events we are witnessing today, just as we did in Lagos on April 18, beyond their partisan import, therefore, are but a demonstration of the courageous efforts of the people towards saving Nigeria from descending further into hopelessness, poverty and insecurity.

The need to rescue Nigeria from the hands of detractors, rent seekers and seeming irredentists is now more compelling.

On this note, I salute you all on this auspicious occasion and with a deep sense of duty announce that the greatest number of the Nigerian people have now invested their hopes in a future with APC.

I thank you for listening.

Chief Akande delivered this speech at the national convention of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) held in Abuja at the weekend.

May 13, 2013
‘Fayemi deserves second term’

Ekiti State House of Assembly member Hon. Segun Erinle (Ilejemeje Constituency) spoke with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE on the national insecurity, Fayemi Administration and the preparations for the next year’s governorship election by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

How can Nigeria overcome insecurity, especially the threat by the Boko Haram sect?

The Boko Haram threat is serious. There is the breakdown of law and order. May the good Lord grant us peace in this country. The insurgency of this faceless group is becoming embarrassing to the country.

Do you think the recently inaugurated team by the President to negotiate with the sect would solve the problem?

l doubt it because you can only negotiate with people you know. The members of the sect are not known.

The opposition parties are forming an alliance. Do you think they can dislodge the PDP?

l believe that, in a free and fair elections, the opposition parties would not only defeat the PDP, but PDP as a party would become history in Nigeria.

How?

As soon as the PDP looses any election at the federal, they become history because they have done more havoc to Nigerians than good.

How would you rate the performance of Governor Kayode Fayemi?

There are yardsticks for rating the performance of a governor. One of the yardsticks is comparing the development that has accrued to the state during the tenure of office of the governor and his predecessors. If we are to rate our governor, you would agree with me that he has performed creditably well.

Is it true that the governor and Opeyemi Bamidele are fighting?

Both Opeyemi and the governor are good friends and leaders of our great party and l cannot see them fighting. But in politics, there can be disagreement, which does not constitute fighting.

Do you see the recent endorsement of Dr Fayemi forclosing avenues for other candidates to show interest in the governorship in your party?

No. People are free to exercise their fundamental human rights as party members. The endorsement by most of us is to show our support for the good work the governor has done and press for continuity.

Are you aware that Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele is interested in the governorship?

l have heard it as a rumour, but Hon. Opeyemi has never announced to the party of his interest to contest for the governorship.

Assuming he decides to contest, where would your vote go?

I have stated earlier that l want continuity in government. So, l would be supporting the incumbent, unless he decides not to contest again.

What are your achievements as a legislator?

My primary assignment is a legislator is to make law. l have been involved in passing nearly all the 41 bills in the House. These bills have assisted the executive in moving the state forward. So, l think this is a major achievement on my part and my colleagues in the House. Secondly, l did promise the electorate during my campaign that l would empower our youths. This l have also done during my empowerment programme, which is a continuous exercise. I have also assisted a large number of our people in their businesses and trade by empowering them to start small businesses. Our students are not left behind. l have distributed exercise books to all the secondary schools in the constituency. l have paid for the GCE and JAMB examinations for more than 500 students in the constituency.

How has been the relationship in the House in the last two years amongst the members?

There have been cordiality among the members, although we have had our ups and downs. But maturely we have been able to tackle our problems without out blowing it.

A year ahead to the governorship election, what are the chances of your party?

The governor’s eight-point agenda has been truly and genuinely perfected and implemented; so he deserve a second term in office and by the special grace of God, he will win a deserving second term in office.

How is the House managing its leadership crisis?

Let me assure you that the crisis in the house has been resolved and, as l speak to you, we are united family.

May 13, 2013
2015 and drumbeats of war

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, drumbeats of war are sounding as politicians are threatening fire and brimstone. AUGUSTINE AVWODE examines the implications of the heat for the polity.

The sounds are ominous. Suddenly, 2015, which is still 20 months away, is already dressed in the toga of ‘decisive’ year. In the last few weeks, the nation has been jolted by utterances of party chieftains, and regional and ethnic jingoists on the preparations for the forthcoming general elections.

Reminiscent of the 2007 elections, the 2015 elections are already being overshadowed by an incipient dangerous trend. In 2007 former President Olusegun Obasanjo was particular about winning the elections by all means, fair or foul. But the present ethnic agitation defiles party affiliation. It has assumed a campaign of sounding war drums threatening, not only peace in the Niger Delta, but also the corporate existence of Nigeria.

Inflammatory statements

Last month, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Kingsley Kuku, attributed the current relative peace and security in the oil rich Niger Delta region to the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan is still in the saddle. He was speaking at an interactive session with senior officials of United States Department led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (Bureau of African Affairs), Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum in Washington DC. He therefore sought his assistance of the US to persuade him to seek re-election in 2015.

“It is true that the Presidential Amnesty Programme has engendered peace, safety and security in the sensitive and strategic Niger Delta.

“Permit me to add that the peace that currently prevails in the zone is largely because Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who is from that same place, is the President of Nigeria. That is the truth.

“It is only a Jonathan presidency that can guarantee continued peace and energy security in the Niger Delta,” Kuku asserted.

The implication is that any day Jonathan ceases to be the President, violence and militancy would return to the region and the economy would lie prostrate again.

If Kuku was diplomatic about the fate that awaits the country, if Jonathan was not returned as President in 2015, the leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has no time for such niceties. Last week, he categorically declared that that there will be no peace, if Jonathan is not re-elected as the President in 2015. Dokubo-Asari spoke in Abuja when he addressed a press conference with a view to responding to criticisms which had trailed Kuku’s US statement.

“There will be no peace, not only in the Niger Delta, but everywhere, if Goodluck Jonathan is not the President by 2015, except God takes his life, which we don’t pray for.

“Jonathan has uninterrupted eight years of two terms to be president, according to the Nigeria constitution. We must have our uninterrupted eight years of two tenure, I am not in support of any amendment of the constitution that will reduce the eight years of two tenure that Goodluck Jonathan is expected to be president of Nigeria”, he said.

But while Kuku had found time to clarify his call for Jonathan’s re-election, Dokubo-Asari has remained defiant. Kuku explained that his submission was borne out of his firm believe that Jonathan Administration has stabilised the nation’s economy and can do more if given the time to implement certain pacts signed with ex-militants in the region which will help in stabilising the fragile peace currently in place.

“What I said in the U.S has been completely misrepresented. I spoke of the possibility of a degenerate Niger Delta if we do not value the fragile peace we have in the area today. I did not say that the Niger Delta will resort to violence if the President was not re-elected in 2015. I never said that and I couldn’t have said that”, he explained.

Condemnation of war threats

Expectedly, condemnation of the ‘no Jonathan, no peace in 2015’ has been massive. Speaking to The Nation, the Convener of Coalition of Northern Leaders, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, said it was a “dangerous trend”. He challenged those behind what he called “threat and blackmail” to come forward. He claimed that Dokubo-Asari was pushed to the front to do what his sponsors wanted done but too afraid to do it themselves.

Junaid challenged Nigerians to deal with those who are not only threatening democracy in Nigeria, but also the country as a whole now.

He said the lack of “normal” democracy in Nigeria will make it difficult to deal democratically with those beating the drums of war in respect of 2015.

“Clearly, this is a dangerous trend. When it has come to the extent of threatening and blackmailing people from other sections of the country to win election, then you know that the situation is bad. What those beating the drums of war are doing is to coerce and blackmail Nigerians to continue to vote for incompetent and corrupt people in government. The problem is the lack of normal democracy in Nigeria.

“What I mean is that, if the electorate know that their votes will count, there is no amount of blackmail or intimidation that can stop the will of the people. But in Nigeria, they always subvert the will of the people. The electoral umpire is not helping the situation. In fact, one of them is a card carrying member of the party. Clearly we have to stand and fight for democracy by making sure that our votes count. What you have here is the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau. Those using them are behind. The people that are talking are working for those who cannot do what they have in mind by themselves. But we must deal with this dangerous trend now, and decisively so”, he said.

Fear of opposition

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Mr Joe Igbokwe simply urged Nigerians to ignore Dokubo-Asari. He said blackmail and threats cannot win elections.

“Please let Nigerians ignore Dokubo-Asari over his comment on the 2015 election. Blackmail and threats can never win a debate for war mongers and history is my witness. In 2015, Nigerians will chase away the PDP from Abuja and all state capital notwithstanding the threats. We have passed this road before. Some years back, a close aide of the Pope then asked Josef Stalin to do something that will please the Pope. But Stalin was quoted as asking: The Pope who is asking to be pacified, how many battalions has he got? Now, how many battalions have those who are beating the drums of war?”

Lagos lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, described the development as very embarrassing and a different kind of ethnic war lordism”.

Speaking to The Nation, Aturu said the type of hegemony we are experiencing now is a backward type. “We are experiencing a different type of hegemony in Nigeria now that is most backward. It is a different brand of ethnic war lordism in the sense that, it must be embarrassing to the President because it has no merit, and no reason, but relies only on violence and it is destructive. It is unfortunate because some of the finest people of my generation are from this particular ethnic group.

“It is unfortunate because a small segment has given it a colouration that is very damaging. And I believe that this is not a reflection of the thinking of the average Ijaw man. But this group seems bent on imposing their own ideology on the rest of the country and they are working towards the goal of ensuring that Nigeria doesn’t come out of it, if Jonathan is not returned as President. I think this is very absurd and unfortunate,” Aturu said.

As a response to Dokubo-Asari’s threat, a former member of the House of Representatives and a chieftain of the Congress for Progressive Change in Jigawa State, Farouk Adamu Aliyu, equally declared that there will be no more Nigeria if a Northerner is not elected as President in 2015. Analysts say it was a reaction that was borne out of anger.

Veteran unionist, Chief Frank Kokori, while condemning the statement, urged people from the Niger Delta to talk less about Jonathan’s 2015 ambition, if any. He said he was sure that the President must have been so embarrassed by the comments credited to Dokubo-Asari.

“I think the President must have been so embarrassed by the comment of Dokubo-Asari. It is an unguarded statement. People should learn to talk less about Jonathan and 2015. Everybody knows where Dokubo-Asari is coming from. It is only natural that he will always support the Jonathan Administratioin because from all indications, he has interests which he thinks would be better protected by a Jonathan Administration.”

National concern

The threat to peace and order has elicited national concern among federal lawmakers. Last week, the House of Representatives mandated its Committees on Police Affairs and National Security to liaise with the Inspector-General of Police on the comments made by Asari Dokubo-Asari and Kuku on 2015.

The House urged the IGP, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to invite both men for thorough questioning while condemning the statements credited to them. The decision followed a motion by Hon. Ali Madaki, a PDP lawmaker from Kano State which was unanimously adopted.

According to him, if left unchecked the utterances credited to Dokubo was capable of creating disunity and disaffection among Nigerians. He said that while Nigerians were praying for peace, some were already out sowing seed of discord.

On March 22, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Bamanga Tukur declared that his party had a pending war to fight. The party leader, who was on reconciliation tour of the Northwest zone, vowed that the PDP would not allow the carpet be swept off its feet. He emphasised the need for the party stakeholders to be united because, in his words, “there is a heavy war ahead in 2015”.

He added that “a group has come up and wants to sweep the mat off our feet. We cannot allow that to happen. Because the PDP is the only party that is not religious, not sectional or tribal. We are one big party, and we intend, and we must remain so”.

Analysts say the Adamawa-born politician should have been more circumspect in his choice of words. While conceding that Tukur could go to any length to emphasise his party’s readiness to triumph at the polls, they maintained that the choice of the image of war diminished whatever democratic credential the party claims to have.

Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe later explained that it was nothing serious. He told senior journalists during a recent visit to The Nation’s headquarters that as the national chairman of the ruling party, he was not expected to fold his hands and watch other parties mobilize to overthrow his own party.

“What do you expect him to do, fold his hands and watch others overthrow his party from office? No, he wouldn’t do that. It is in the context of the elections that will hold in 2015 otherwise, he doesn’t mean any harm”, he said.

Can PDP lay good example?

Critics have faulted Tukur because of the experience of 2007. Former President Obasanjo had made a similar ,but much clearer threat, during the build-up to the 2007 elections. In February 2007, during a meeting of PDP stakeholders in Abeokuta, Obasanjo said that the elections were a do-or-die affair for his party.

“This election is a do-or-die affair for me and the PDP. This coming election is a matter of life and death for PDP and Nigeria.” The results went down as the worst in the history of electoral contests in Nigeria. It took the intervention of the courts to retrieve some of the states ‘captured’ by the party in that election. Many have begun to express reservations about the possibility of free and fair elections come 2015 given the sordid experience of 2007 and the threat to win 32 states by the PDP.

It is not difficult to see why many Nigerians are worried. The country has going through trying times in the past two years, particularly, the activities of Boko Haram sect in the North. Apart from the trying period of the civil war, at no other time has Nigeria faced a problem which directly threatens its corporate existence like now. To steer the ship of state from the brink, where it is teetering dangerously now, words and acts that are divisive in nature must be avoided altogether. Importantly, with the report few years back that Nigeria may not survive the year 2015 as a single entity, many people are apprehensive that unless internal centripetal forces are properly managed, the worst could happen and authors of the report given opportunity to laugh. This, certainly, is the last thing Nigerians are praying for.

May 13, 2013
Between Clark and Orubebe

The recent declaration by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, that he will contest Delta State governorship seat in 2015 may have stirred the hornet’s nest within the state’s political circles.

A few days ago, opposition to Orubebe came from the most unexpected quarters. Elder statesman and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, voiced his displeasure with Orubebe’s ambition. Warning that the minister cannot impose himself on the people, he also lampooned the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ochei, over his alleged governorship ambition. Currently, not a few stakeholders in the state are asking who Clark will throw his weight behind to succeed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2015.

May 12, 2013
Revisiting the APC saga

TWO books that I read in the eighties remain reference points in my attempt to understand developments in Nigeria. The first, Anatomy of Corruption, written by the late Onigegeara of Ibadan, Mr. Labanji Bolaji, remains a classic on corrupt practices in Nigeria. The second, How to be a Nigerian, by Peter Enahoro, is a witty commentary on living in Nigeria. I’m yet to read his The Complete Nigerian which I understand is a sequel. All good books written to throw light on the dark affairs in the country point in the direction that there are peculiar Nigerian ways of doing things, even when there are supposed to be universal standards.

Registration of political parties is principally governed by provisions of sections 222-224 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010. The prerequisites are so general, and as applied and interpreted by the Supreme Court in the National Conscience Party, NCP, no one or body could add to those conditions spelt out in the supreme law of the land.

The hurdles deliberately erected on the path of the All Progressives Congress (APC), could not have been altogether unexpected. It must have been an ambush expected by all analysts and even the leadership of the mega party. In the peculiar Nigerian manner, it was obvious to me that the ruling party at the federal level would attempt to throw spanner in the works. So, when two other parties made claims to the acronym APC, I was not surprised. The amazement was that leaders of the original APC appeared not to have anticipated the development.

Last week, the other APC, the African Peoples Congress that rushed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to get registered as the original APC was making its way to satisfy guidelines from INEC, made for the courts to reverse the decision of the electoral body to deny registration to an association that apparently ignored legal procedure in a bid to stop the All Progressives Congress in its track.

There are parallels in history. In the Second Republic, when four political parties that had a relationship in a coalition made a bid to combine efforts in confronting the National Party of Nigeria at the polls in 1983. The plan was scuttled mainly by employing the services of enemies within the proposed new party. The ruling party cleverly employed age-long suspicion between the Unity Party of Nigeria’s leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Nigerian Peoples Party’s Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. The resultant Progressive Party’s Alliance, PPA, a coalition, could not work as effectively as a merger would have. History must not be allowed to repeat itself 30 years after that episode.

The challenge is for the original APC leaders to remain focused, anticipate that there would be genuine hurdles to scale and obstacles planted by the enemy. It is needless making an enemy of INEC. So far, I see nothing wrong with the steps taken by the national electoral body. A body known as APC sent it a letter of intent to get registered. The commission received the correspondence and kept it in view pending the time the full commission would meet to review the documents attached. Meanwhile, the AfPC made public its letter and sparked a row. What did anyone expect the commission to do? Take notice of a press conference by another body by the same acronym even when it was yet to approach the body? At the appropriate time, the commission rejected the African Peoples Congress.

It is not yet over. The rival APC has approached the courts for intervention, arguing that INEC lacks the power to turn down its bid. It is clear that the bid is targeted at the authentic APC. The massive show of putting 30 lawyers on display last week is for effect. I am yet to see anyone on the AfPC roll with the financial or political clout that could attract 30 lawyers. But, the game plan, it seems, is make the real APC stumble, stutter and scatter. The next step is apply for an injunction to restrain INEC from registering any other body by the acronym while the case is pending. If that is obtained, INEC would be bound to obey.

If AfPC is able to obtain the order, it could then instruct its counsel to stall judgment for as long as it could, thus frustrate the bid by the progressives to achieve early registration ahead of 2015. It is obvious the direction from which the stones are being thrown, but a shouting match would achieve nothing. It is time leaders of the APC engage their strategists to pre-empt these moves.

There could be no better time to have a mega party to confront the behemoth at the centre. But, it takes discipline, hard work, fidelity and single-minded pursuit of the goal.

The struggle continues.

May 12, 2013
Progressives dance of victory in South-East

As Imo State, under the leadership of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, formally endorses the merger of opposition political parties to form All Progressives Congress (APC), Okodili Ndidi in Owerri reports that the success of the progressives dance of victory, tagged Imo Rally, has redefined South-East politics.

The journey to takeover the South-East geo-political zone by the emerging All Progressives Congress (APC), took off on thunderous note in Owerri, the Imo State capital, when eight serving governors and their host, Governor Rochas Okorocha, formarly introduced the party to the people of Imo in a grand style.

The battle-ready APC warriors tested their feet in the waters of Southeast politics with the sensitisation and awareness at the political carnival, simply tagged Imo Rally.

The event which held at the Heroes’ Square, in Owerri, may have been outwardly named Imo State Rally, but the attendance and the behind-the-scene intrigues confirmed that it was the take-off of a seemingly well conceived political revolution aimed at changing the political leadership and political temperature of the entire South-East zone.

According to the eight APC governors present at the glamorous carnival, what happened that day was a mere starter of what is to come in the next few months as the party takes its message of change across the five states of the zone.

How far can APC go in the South-East?

The tumultuous crowd that greeted the unveilling of the APC in Owerri suggests strongly that the party may have an easy ride in the zone. One thing that seemed most obvious at the event was the fact that the people had long become tired of the old way of doing things in politics and governance and are anxious for a change, which the new party is offering in a rather convincing manner.

As early as 7.30 in the morning of that Tuesaday, May 7, 2013, the old and young, women and children, have thronged into the Square to listen to the much anticipated words of hope that have been preached in other parts of the country. They defied the scorching heat and dared the security agents who fought tirelessly to keep them under check.

In attendance were governors Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Adams Oshiomole of Edo State, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Ibrahim Shetima of Bornu State and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State.

Speaking at the rally, which was also part of activities to mark the Imo Freedom Day celebration, Okorocha noted that his party, (APGA),” is not joining any political party nor is it in any alliance but in a merger to form a new party called APC.”

He said it was a matter of time for the APC to take over every level of governance in the country, adding that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed the people of the South-East for the twelve years of democracy, stressing that the entire Ndigbo are for APC.

Okorocha told his teeming supporters that the selling point of the new party is the visible achievements of its proponents, “these my brothers (APC Governors) have transformed their states and are doing more, that is what the new party stands for, it means freedom to the people, the poor masses and the indigent widows, who have been victims of PDP’s misrule.”

The visiting governors, who were visibly impressed by the massive turnout at the rally, took turns to deride the PDP style of leadership assuring that the APC is committed to give Nigeria better leadership.

Fashola who drew a resounding ovation from the ecstatic crowd, described APC as a great train of change, “we have set about a course that is irrevocably committed to giving power back to the people. We believe that Nigeria needs a change and APC will bring about that change.”

Also speaking, Ajimobi, noted that the PDP has gone from bad to worse, noting that the only option left to salvage the nation is APC.

In his speech, Shetima said the exceptional performances of the APC Governors are testimonies of how great the country would be if APC emerged the ruling party and urged the people to support the party for their good.

He said the party was not for self but out to redefine the concept of governance, stating that the party is on a rescue mission for the nation.

Amosun, in his speech, said they were pleased to see that the performance of the Imo State Governor was real and concrete and not a newspaper achievement.

“This is what we want and this is what APC represents. The battle has just begun; APC must succeed for the benefit of Nigerians because there is no better platform.”

Nasarawa State Governor, Al-Makura, said Okorocha’s performance was just the beginning of what the people of the state will witness in terms of development, noting that it was worth celebrating. He urged the people to support the governor, especially now that the right party has emerged.

“You cannot salvage the country with people who are fake, people who are pseudo-democrats,” he said.

Kayode, was emphatic when he said: “a time like this calls for visionary leaders as seen in all the states where the APC are holding sway. No amount of intimidation will deter us from working together to salvage the country.”

According to him, “no one is happy with what is going on, that is why we have embarked on this rescue mission; that is why we have embarked on the freedom journey.”

Aregbesola who held the surging crowd spell bound with his songs and dancing steps, described APC as a bulldozer that will crush everything on its way including the PDP.

He called on the people to say no to unemployment, poverty, hunger, which he said PDP has given Nigerians as a political legacy.

Comrade Oshiomole noted that when he led a protest of workers to Imo State as a labour leader, he met a state with filthy streets dilapidated infrastructure, “but now everything in Imo state has changed.”

He said that was an example of how Nigeria will look like in every area of national life when APC becomes the ruling party. He called on the people to continue to support the governor for more of the good works.

Another thing that was obvious during the Imo rally is that what had remained of the resistance by the PDP in the state caved in after the invasion of the progressives.

Also with the public declaration made by many APGA members, it is likely the party leadership at the national level will have no choice but to fully endorse the merger.

May 12, 2013
Beyond even Mr Fix-it

Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, takes a look at the near-zero progress so far made by the Chairman of People’s Democratic Party’s Board of Trustee, Chief Tony Anenih, in his ongoing attempt at reconciling warring PDP factions and wonders if his present assignment is a mission impossible

When it became obvious earlier in the year that Alhaji Bamanga Tukur- led National Executive Committee of People’s Democratic Party had failed in its bid to reconcile warring factions within the party, especially the aggrieved state governors who demanded Tukur’s removal as National Chairman, the Presidency decided to go for Chief Tony Anenih, declaring him as the man that will do the work.

Better known as ‘Mr Fix it,’ within the top leadership of PDP, Anenih was considered capable of appeasing aggrieved members of the party, both the high and the lowly and so, by early April 2013, after his dramatic return as the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, he had commenced work.

At the onset, the task seemed easy, given his experience and unorthodox style whenever he set out to handle difficult political problems.

However, over a month after he took over this special task, observers said he seems to have made no spectacular breakthrough in the reconciliation assignment, a fact that has been described by Presidency sources as worrisome.

Aware of the feelings of stakeholders, Anenih has remained on his toes, approaching all the political godfathers and institutions that he believes could help him resolve the PDP riddle. Unfortunately, the result of his efforts are yet to manifest as the party’s crisis continues to deepen, ahead of the coming Nigeria Governors Forum election and the 2015 General Election.

Earlier this week, Anenih was at the National Assembly, where he met separately with the leadership of the upper and lower chambers, as part of the ongoing reconciliation moves. Asides meeting with the lawmakers on the need to smoothen executive and legislative relationship, Anenih, accompanied by former Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana, former governor of Nasasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun, Senator Barnabas Gemade and Senator Hope Uzodinma, had special meetings with Senate President David Mark and Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, primarily on the lingering crisis in PDP.

Offering what he considered as part of the solutions to the party’s problem, Mark had urged the PDP leadership to include federal lawmakers in the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC). He also pleaded with the warring groups within the party to sheath their swords, pledging the loyalty of the National Assembly, even as he promised to continue to work for the peace, unity and progress of the nation.

Tambuwal on his part had told the Anenih-led group: “We have been working closely with the party and the executive arm of government to do exactly what we have campaigned for on the platform of our party.

“We will continue to give Nigeria the best as an arm of government, and as representatives of the people.”

These official statements notwithstanding, The Nation learnt that the majority of the PDP federal lawmakers, especially members of House of Representatives, whose loyalty to their governors has remained unshaken, were not impressed by the latest visit or the previous meetings. One of them, a lawmaker from the South-South, said off records that “any viable reconciliation will only begin from genuine reconciliation with the aggrieved governors.”

According to the lawmaker, a member of the House of Representatives, “you cannot achieve long lasting peace as long as you continue to cover up basic injustice. The politics of Nigerian Governors Forum has further worsened the situation because it has further exposed institutionalised injustice in our polity,” he said.

The genesis of the crisis

The current crisis in the ruling party, especially the face- off between some governors and the National Working Committee on one hand and the governors and the Presidency on the other, could be partly traced to the disagreement between the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and his state governor, Alhaji Murtala Nyako, over the control of the state chapter of the party. In a nutshell, the disagreement is because both Tukur and Nyako have openly expressed desire to instal their sons as the next governor of Adamawa State.

When it became obvious that Nyako would not cave in to Tukur’s demands, Tukur- led National Working Committee reacted by dissolving the state party executive in a bid to hijack power from the grips of the governor.

Nyako has resisted this move effectively, mainly because of the support given to him by some other PDP governors, who are afraid that if Tukur is allowed to carry out the political coup in his Adamawa State, he may repeat the feat in any other state, using the same formula. Such governors, led by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, have since been labelled ‘rebel governors.’

The matter came to a head, earlier in the year, when the so-called rebel governors called for Tukur’s removal as the National Chairman of the party as the major condition for peace in PDP.

Since then, the battle line has been drawn and the presidency, aware of the fact that the opposition political parties could take advantage of the crisis to further discredit the ruling party, has been desperate to reconcile warring factions and save the party.

First, Tukur was empowered to make a national tour in order to address the aggrieved members properly. When it became obvious that his efforts were not yielding the required results, Anenih, a former BoT Chairman, who had been recalled, was given the task.

But the problem in the party predates the Tukur-Nyako face-off. The party has, over the years, been threatened by crisis within several state chapters mainly arising from “flawed congresses, marginalisation, godfatherism and imposition of candidates, politics of exclusion, zero patronage and high handedness.” So, the Adamawa disagreement, which almost led to an implosion was only a continuation of an unfortunate trend.

The problem was further complicated by a palace coup against Bamanga Tukur, allegedly carried out by some National Working Committee members led by the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, who was singlehandedly nominated into the NWC by Governor Rotimi Amechi.

Insiders had claimed then that the governors, who hatched the ‘coup’, also threatened to sack the entire NWC over the Adamawa saga. When this crisis was added to the insistence of northern political leaders within the PDP to produce the presidential candidate in 2015 against Jonathan’s reelection bid, the Presidency accepted that it must do something fast.

With the coming of All Progressives Congress and plans by many aggrieved PDP governors and their supporters to join the mega party, the PDP crisis became even more complicated.

It was in the light of these obvious threats to the survival of PDP before and ahead of 2015 elections that Anenih was drafted by President Goodluck Jonathan to ‘fix’ the political riddle.

How far can he go?

His intimidating records notwithstanding, many insiders and close observers are afraid ‘Mr Fix It’ may not go far in this present assignment.

Explaining the lull, a legal practitioner and former PDP House of Representatives aspirant in Abia State, Mark Okorie, said; “The development is understandable because Chief Anenih belongs to the old order and most of the people concerned today are young. Besides, it appears the umbrella has torn to shreds already, making it difficult even for ‘Mr Fix It,’ to do a fast job.”

May 12, 2013