The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Mohammed, Ningi head race for Bauchi governorship

    Mohammed, Ningi head race for Bauchi governorship

    The scheming in the race to succeed Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State in 2015 is on with three candidates in the lead, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo

     

     

    Not even his closest aides can accurately read his mind on his plans for succession. For the Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, he has kept this agenda close to his chest and only waiting for an auspicious time to make his move.

    In the last few months, opinions have been divided in the North East state among major political stakeholders over who succeeds Yuguda, whose second term in office lapses in 2015.

    And from all indications, the next governorship race in the state would likely be a re-enactment of the election in 2007, which brought in Yuguda. Full of drama and intense political maneuverings, the climax of the election was the defeat of the governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Nadada Umar, by the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Yuguda.

    The then governor, Adamu Muazu Umar, had backed his Secretary to State Government, Umar, who defeated Yuguda in the PDP primaries. Not satisfied with this outcome, Yuguda defected to the ANPP and was handed the governorship ticket on a platter of gold.

    He further proved his political worth by defeating Umar in the 2007 general elections. It was a fatal blow to the Muazu’s assumed larger-than-life political image in the state.

    Though Yuguda has since returned to PDP, the question many stakeholders in the state are asking is, will the 2007 scenario repeat itself in 2015?

    At the last count, three prominent politicians, Abdul Ningi, the Senate Deputy Leader, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed and Nadada Umar, Chairman of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises of Nigeria (SMEDAN), are reportedly interested in taking over from Yuguda in 2015.

    The general consensus in the state is that the central zone should produce the next governor in 2015. If this unwritten policy is followed, the coast seems clear for Ningi and Mohammed, who both hail from the zone.

     

    Ningi leads the race

    He has been a major player in the politics of Bauchi State since 1999 when he was elected into the House of Representatives, culminating into his election as the Deputy Leader of the lower House in 2007.

    For Ningi, his election as governor will be a fitting climax to a political career that has seen him rising from relative obscurity to national prominence.

    In the last one year, sources revealed that the senator has been intimating important stakeholders in the state of his intention to succeed Yuguda. The positive responses he reportedly got, according to a source, prompted Ningi to set up an interim organisation to coordinate his governorship campaign.

    For now, there are strong indications that the lawmaker stands out among the other aspirants in the race to succeed Yuguda in 2015.

     

    It’s dicey for Mohammed

    The minister has not formally announced his interest in the race, but sources disclosed that he has embarked on a surreptitious campaign to win the support of those that matter in the state.

    An elected senator until he was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan to run the Federal Capital Territory in 2010, a cold war had reportedly ensued between Mohammed and Yuguda over sundry issues, ranging from the former’s alleged subtle moves to undermine the governor’s hold on the state chapter of the PDP.

    Mohammed was also accused by the governor’s associates of discreetly dispensing patronage to certain influential indigenes of the state, including traditional rulers and religious clerics, in order to curry their favour ahead of the 2015 elections.

    But reason soon prevailed following a reconciliation between the two political gladiators some months ago. Many of the minister’s supporters viewed the development as a signal that the governor may be favourably disposed to Mohammed’s governorship aspiration.

     

    Umar’s albatross

    His emergence as the PDP governorship candidate in 2007 left in its wake controversies and divisions in the party, which has remained unresolved till date.

    This albatross, it was learnt, continues to be a major handicap for Umar in his ambition to govern the North East state.

    The Nation gathered that many PDP members in the state, for fear of getting into the bad book of Yuguda, have not bought into Umar’s governorship project. What has further made Umar a hard sell is his close links with ex-governor Muazu, whose influence in the politics of the state has allegedly waned considerably in the last six years.

    Sources close to Umar, however, told The Nation, “He (Umar) knows the deep seated animosity against him by many PDP members in the state and is already mending fences with the aggrieved party members.”

     

    Yuguda and Muazu yet to reconcile

    Until they fell apart in 2007, Yuguda and Muazu, according to sources, were quite close. The incumbent governor had taken Muazu, then the governor, into confidence of his governorship ambition, but felt betrayed that Muazu, after assuring him of his support, decided to back Umar.

    Reports had it that Muazu threw his support behind his erstwhile SSG on the premise that Yuguda, who had served at the federal level as a two-time minister, should concede the governorship seat to another candidate.

    Till this moment, both Muazu and Yuguda have avoided each other like a plague.

    Attempts by influential elders in the state to reconcile the two men in the past have also come to naught.

    One of these efforts involved the late Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, who reportedly made several concerted efforts in this regard but failed. His successor and son, Ibrahim Adamu, has also tried and failed in this regard.

    So frosty is the relationship between the two men that since 2007, they have not seen eye-to-eye, according to sources in Bauchi.

     

    Yuguda holds the ace

    While the governor has reportedly told close aides interested in the 2015 governorship race to wait until next year before starting their campaign, aspirants already touted as frontrunners are said to be aware that the governor holds the ace on who succeeds him.

    Besides the fact that Yuguda is perceived to have performed, a factor that has put him in a good stead to have a huge say in who succeeds him, he is also in the good books of the Presidency and the leaders of the party at the national level.

    For now, the governor has not given any hint on his preference for succession, but there are strong indications that he may not back any of those already touted as front-runners in the race.

  • APC’s growing influence in South-East

    APC’s growing influence in South-East

    Since leading progressives political parties met in Lagos and resolved to merge into a mega party, All Progressives Congress, the politics of South-East zone has become more revitalised as the new party is spreading like harmattan fire there. In this report, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, takes a look at the political leaders behind the party ‘s growing influence in the zone.

     

     

    Before the emergence of the mega party, All Progressive Congress ( APC), the politics of the South-East geo-political zone had suffered greatly and it has become certain that a majority of the electorate and political leaders there were in search of change.

    The primary allegation for the quest for change has remained that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which has dominated the politics of the zone since 1999, has been unable to resolve, satisfactorily, the deep feeling of marginalisation amongst the people.

    Even the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which many of the people saw as their own, had been stalled by continuous internal crises and intrigues, thus leaving the zone largely naked, politically.

    Given this reality, a majority of South-Easterners, especially those dissatisfied with the status quo, see the emergence of APC as the long awaited opportunity for political deliverance.

    The Nation’s investigation reveals that such electorate and political stalwarts have enthusiastically embraced the new party even before the conclusion of the registration process.

    Besides the people’s dissatisfaction with the status quo and the need for a more viable change, our investigation shows that the growing influence of APC in the geo- political zone is also attributable to the influence and acceptability of most of the politicians that are leading the new party in the zone.

    In most of the South-East states, APC seems to have a lot of political figures, who are comparatively adjudged, by the electorates, as both progressives and radical and therefore more welfarist in ideology.

    This, according to Chief Iheanacho Ukandu, a community leader and politician in Abia State, “has helped the mega party to enjoy instant popularity and acceptability here,” he said.

     

    Imo State:

    Leading the APC in Imo State and other parts of the South-East zone today is Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    Not encumbered by the disagreement over his party’s participation in the merger, Okorocha has remained steadfast in the new political process.

    Apart from Okorocha, there are also other political heavyweights in the state, whose association with APC has served as a major boost for the party in the state. They include former CPC governorship candidate, Chief Mike Ahamba, who recently decamped to ACN in a grand style and with many supporters, put by some report, as numbering over 3000.

    Even before the emergence of APC, ACN, led in the state by Chief Charles Ubah, has attracted powerful politicians.

    It would be recalled that in 2011, some of the major politicians from the state, who were associated with ACN, included Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa and Chief Cosmas Iwu.

     

    Anambra State

    In Anambra State, former state governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, the leader of ACN, is the leading force of the mega party in the state.

    Since his brazen kidnap as a serving state governor, his popularity has continued to soar. To concretise his reputation, Ngige, within the short period he survived in office as governor, gave a good account of himself as a people’s leader and a firm believer in provision of dividends of democracy.

    As various political parties commence preparation for this year’s governorship election, our finding is that the image has continued to pay off for Ngige, as many of his admirers, including some still within the PDP, are daily signifying interest to join him in the APC.

    Also the recent killing of former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Chudi Nwike, who served between 1991 and 1993, under former Governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife, though not declared political, is another factor that may favour the new party in his zone during this year’s elections. The Nation learnt that Dr. Chudi Nwike, a chieftain of ACN, was until his kidnap and brutal killing, an important force in Anambra State APC.

     

    Ebonyi State

    In Ebonyi State, the National Chairman of All Nigeria People’s Party ( ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who is one of the principal founders of APC, will most likely lead the campaign for APC in the state henceforth. A former governor of old Abia State, Onu will be walking with other leaders of his party in the state, the leaders of ACN in the state and that of other opposition parties, who are participating in the merger to battle the ruling People’s Democratic Party.

    With the merger, it is believed that the progressives will work as one to effectively challenge PDP in the state.

    Even before the merger, opposition political parties in the state have share common ambition of uprooting PDP in the state.

     

    Abia State

    In Abia State, APC is also poised to uproot the PDP government. The Nation learnt that the new party will be led mainly by young but radical politicians. Asides the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate in the 2011 gubernatorial election in the state, Prince Paul Ikonne, ANPP member of Board of Trustees, Dr. Francis Egu, had, according to some sources, been pencilled down to play leading roles in the APC 2015 campaigns in the state.

     

    Enugu State

    In Enugu State, where it was once reported that the incumbent governor, Sullivan Chime, a PDP member, may soon join APC, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Maj.-Gen. Josef Okoloagu (retd.), has been involved in the original coordination of the activities of the progressives ahead of 2015.

    As far back as February 25, 2013, when about 1,000 Peoples Democratic Party members reportedly defected to the ACN in the state, Okoloagu had said the defection would further embolden the ACN to wrest power from the PDP in the 2015 general elections in the state.

    Since then, so much has happened in the state as more political heavyweights have indicated interest to join the mega party.

    With these coordinated moves to ensure victory for APC in the South-East zone, starting from this year’s Anambra State govenorship election, it remains to be seen how far the new party can go. Considering the way the party has been received so far, it may not be a difficult task to claim the zone for the progressives. It all depends on how the PDP and others will respond to the challenge.

  • Bamidele and the Akintola option

    Bamidele and the Akintola option

    Prior to the indication of his interest to contest a Senate seat in the 2011 general elections, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele was considered an activist, one who would at any point put the society and general interest before the personal. He had graduated from the Ife School of Radical Politics and was considered well groomed for the task at hand. He had been an aide of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the nineties and later served under him in the Lagos State executive council. Bamidele had all needed to represent Ekiti Central in the Senate.

    However, different conditions have ways of testing men to separate opportunists from genuine servants of the people. Opeyemi had to run in a packed race. His opponents included the irrepressible Dele Alake and another seasoned journalist and activist, Babafemi Ojudu. It was a clash of titans. All the men were senior members of the same political tendency and some had thought that leaders of the group would have no problem wading in and deciding on what to do.

    Though controversially, the leaders acted as expected of them; they decided on Ojudu as the fit and proper candidate for the seat. But, Bamidele would hear nothing of it. He was offered a seat in the House of Representatives, but thought it infra dig. He was willing to risk all his ostensibly altruistic contributions to the resistance movement by storming out and starting afresh.

    Eventually, reason prevailed, or so it seemed at the time. Opeyemi agreed to take the House option, contested on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria and won. Many did not have the opportunity; they lost the ticket and crashed out. Opeyemi who had been a major beneficiary of the Tinubu tendency in the progressive circle, however continued to nurse a a grudge against the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was accused of sabotaging MOB’s interest, the party in the state and the entire movement.

    MOB is today a privileged member of the party by virtue of his membership of the House, but he has indicated interest in treading the same path that the late Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola trod in the First Republic. Akintola was the stormy petrol of Action Group politics. He was well regarded in and by the party as a great mobiliser. He had a word or anecdote for every constituency and could do anything to remain relevant in national politics.

    Akintola had served as a member of the Federal Parliament, Minister of Labour and succeeded Chief Bode Thomas, a successful and brilliant advocate, as Deputy Leader of the group. He was well placed. However, the character of a man comes out only the sail turns rough. Until party leader Obafemi Awolowo decided to bid for the Prime Ministership, all was well in the party. And, following Awo’s decision, Akintola thought it his right to logically step into the big shoes as Western Region premier. On account of administrative acumen, Awo had reservations about his deputy’s ambition. But, other party leaders prevailed on the leader who acquiesced in the interest of peace.

    But, that was a grave mistake. Akintola had already crossed the Rubicon. He had seen an opening to move off tangent and do in his leader. He started fraternizing with enemies of the party and would gladly play Pontius Pilate. Inordinate ambition and love for power or material things could only blind a man to realities. Akintola entered into an elaborate plan to destroy Awo and his political enterprise. In the process, he prepared himself as an ally of the Northern People’s Congress in the South West. Between 1962 and 1966, Akintola played whatever role was assigned him by Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa. In the process, there was conflagration in the West. Awo was herded to jail, his followers restricted to furlong places in the region and the AG decimated.

    But, at last, truth prevailed; Awo was vindicated and the house built on sand crashed. Akintola, his cohorts and the new political tendency died in the giddy days of January 1966, while the God of restoration looked in Awo’s direction. He was released from jail and installed Vice Chairman of the Federal Executive Council.

    In Ekiti, Bamidele seems to have decided to leave the ACN or whatever new platform the tendency may decide to erect towards contesting the 2015 elections. It is his inalienable right to make plans and do whatever suits him. However, he appears not to have read the situation well. A number of men are being prepared to do the dirty job of forcing a political party on the South West. As was done with Akintola’s NNDP in the First Republic, the Labour Party (probably an ally of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party) has secured Ondo State. Would the PDP be willing to use Accord in Oyo, empower LP in Ekiti to weaken the ACN and move cash and logistics support heavily to subvert the Aregbesola bold moves in Osun?

    Other men like Fasehun and Falae are playing well choreographed roles in the coming tragedy. Now, the jigsaw puzzle is falling in place as Opeyemi prepares to join the orchestra. My advice, as a student of Nigeria’s political history, to both the old and young hands hired for the task is that they should commission a good study of their terrain. There is no room for a second chance for those considered betrayers of the Yoruba cause.

     

  • ‘APC will alter face of politics’

    ‘APC will alter face of politics’

    Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande recently led 4,761 delegates to the party’s national convention in Lagos where a resolution for the approval of its merger with other opposition parties to form the All Progressives Congres (APC) was passed. He also explained the prospects of the merger and its implications for progressive politics in his address to the party faithful.

    “It is with great joy that I salute each and every one of you for coming to this very historic convention of our great party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). We are particularly delighted to have in our midst, leaders of other opposition parties who have come all the way to witness this occasion. This convention is a special one, because it sets in motion one of the requisite steps that will lead to the coming together of leading opposition parties and groups for the purpose of creating an alternative political platform that will fundamentally alter for good the face of politics and governance in this country.

    There is no gainsaying the fact that the merger of the leading opposition parties, which has reached an advanced stage, is already a fait accompli. The urgent need for change and the crushing desire to rescue our country from decay compel us to act quickly to provide an alternative leadership for Nigeria. This endeavour has become necessary given the efforts of the ruling party to stifle democracy and destroy its institutions.

    We must not entertain any weariness or surrender to sentiments or blackmail in this enterprise, mindful that merger is strange, new and unique in Nigeria and that the law did not envisage the ambush presently being placed on our ways. But we shall overcome. This merger has come to stay!

    The question I have had to answer from many of our party members is, why must we merge? Our experience of a miniature merger of the truncated Alliance for Democracy with the splinter of the PDP called ACD in 2006 which resulted in the AC, and later ACN, promoted our control from one state (Lagos) in 2007 to six states (Lagos, Edo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo and Ogun) in 2011; and, increased our representation in the National Assembly from (32 in the House of Representatives and 6 in the Senate) in 2007 to (69 in the House of Representatives to 19 in the Senate) in 2011. It is our hope therefore that a merger of big parties like ACN, CPC and ANPP with DPP and a major portion of APGA, would yield a much bumper harvest.

    The leadership of our great party after deep deliberations and consultations and in view of the current political reality is convinced that a merger is the way to go. We have threaded this path before. We are wiser, smarter and more prepared to make the sacrifices that this process requires for the sake of our country.

    Why have we succeeded so much in ACN, many may want to ask? We have selfless caucus of leaders who provided the backbones for the raising of funds; and, who exercised the tremendous influence that promoted the confidence of our party organs like the NWC and the National Executive Committee (NEC) under my leadership. We encouraged selfless officers in the party and patriotic directors in the headquarters at Abuja to serve tirelessly without any emoluments, salaries and allowances; and, we enjoyed the example of an experienced, devoted and self disciplined chairmanship that drove the party secretariat to perform so honestly such that the INEC auditors had to single out ACN as having provided a most enviable and credible records of financial statements among all the political parties in Nigeria.

    This is the kind of tradition I would urge us to re-establish in the new family, All Progressives Congress (APC). The next few changes of the merger are the final bold steps that will position us politically for greater gains and deliver one of the most formidable political platforms in post independent Nigeria.

    As democrats, we must strive to put a stop to the present lamentable state of affairs in Nigeria by constructively engaging the political process with a view to overcoming the challenges that arrest our development as a nation. We must strive to build a strong, disciplined and internally democratic political platform that guarantees greater citizen’s participation at all levels. It, therefore, behoves us as leaders to always lead by example, and insist on discipline from our party members while remaining vigilant and constantly watching out for mercenaries who are wont to throw spanners in our good works.

    In over 13 years that the PDP has been in power, not only has it failed to deliver on its promises, it has infected all institutions of state with its moral infirmity, aversion to the rule of law and entrenched monumental corruption never seen in the history of this country. Today, our country has become a society where the safety of life and property is at its lowest ebb and poverty level at its highest. Nigerians are waiting patiently but with bated breath, to see the successful outcome of the merger talks. We must never let them down. We must rise above pettiness and personal ambitions and put the greater interest of this nation over any other thing else, for this is the only guarantee, to salvaging Nigeria from the precipice.

    Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this may be the last convention we are holding as ACN. However, it marks yet the beginning of another journey towards the attainment of higher objectives. At this juncture, let me publicly acknowledge the contributions of those I have been privileged to work within our party in the past seven years. I seize this opportunity to express deep appreciation to our party leaders across the country for their support. Your inputs, and respective wealth of experience in caucus and other informal meetings have enriched in no small measure the way we run our party.

    This ACN convention is not designed to relegate the position of its leaders and members. It is to make you a trail blazer, it is to make you the innovator, it is to make you the pioneer, it is to make you the ground breaker in a noble venture. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this is the convention of a great party, which is at the threshold of making history. I am pleased to declare this Convention open.”

  • Ajimobi, Ladoja: Old friends, now foes

    Ajimobi, Ladoja: Old friends, now foes

    The crisis between Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the Accord Party (AP) leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has deepened, following the sack of the latters’ followers from the State Executive Council. BISI OLADELE traces the genesis of the frosty relationship and its implications for the next general elections.

     

    There is no permanent friend or enemy in politics.

    Political alliances emerge and collapse as the situation dictates. Ego war, flexing of muscles and mudsliging often shape political relations among waring politicians. In a minute, they collaborate. In another twinkle of an eye, they quarrel and part ways.

    In Oyo State, many saw the acrimony between Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Senator Rashidi Ladoja coming. The two of them are cousins. They belong to different parties. But necessity made a pact between the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), led by Ajimobi, and Ladoja’s Accord Party (AP) more compelling in 2011, when they were threatened by a common foe, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    For almost two years, it has been an a turbulent marriage. Last week, the accord finally collapsed. The sack of Ladoja’s followers in the Ajimobi Administration was the last straw that broke the carmel’s back. The move has also altered the political calculations in the state, ahead of the 2015 polls.

    In a letter written by Ajimobi to Ladoja, he said he felt “constrained to take this painful, but inevitable decision”, in view of their personal relationship.Two commissioners, two special advisers, some chairmen and members of boards of parastatals and agencies, caretaker chairmen of a local government and others who were nominees of the former governor lost their jobs in the Ajimobi government.

    Observers contend that, mutual trust, the platform upon which they built their alliance in June 2011, had broken down. Ladoja has been critical of the administratin in recent times. Also, the AP has been firing salvos at the ACN. The agreement between the duo has come under serious strains. Some people have observed that the AP’s participation in the ACN administration has exposed the governor as a political neophyte. However, the sack also generated more heat.

    Ladoja and his party have not spared Ajomobi, particularly on his urban renewal project aimed at giving Ibadan, the state capital, a lift. He has chided the governor for the demolition of illegal structures, stressing that a government that means well for the people should not destroy their means of livelihood by not providing an alternative before the demolition.

    Ajomobi had exoplained that he embarked on the city project to return Ibadan to its original urban plan and prepare for future rains. In the metropolis, many buildings are erected on water channels and refuse often pose environmental challenges to the residential areas. Therefore, the governor issued a quit notice to many traders whose shops either obstruct water flow or disturb the urban planning. The government also had to relocate many street traders to new locations where neighbourhood markets are being constructed with modern facilities.

    But Ladoja and his party disagreed with the policy, saying that it inflicts pains on the traders who had their shops demolished without an alternative market. They rejected the neighbourhood market, arguing that they should have been provided before the demolition took place.

    Government officials have said that the urban renewal project was non-negotiable, stressing that it would make the city to attract investors. But the former governor maintained that that fruit sellers are found at train stations and other public places in the United Kingdom, wondering why Ajimobi was bent on turning Ibadan to a truly urban centre. He pointed out that Ibadan cannot be turned to London in a day.

    Frowning at these criticisms, Ajimobi said that Ladoja was distracting him. He deliberately doubled his effort on the urban renewal agenda with impressive gusto.

    But is the urban renewal project the main bone of contention between the governor and former governor? Sources disclosed that the preparations for the 2015 elections have pitched the two politicians against one another.

    Analysts point out that the alliance had broken down much earlier, but that the criticisms and propaganda by Ladoja and AP have only confirmed the parting of ways.

    By this development, the battle line is clearly drawn between the ACN and AP. It is expected that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may see the new crack as an opportunity to sharpen its teeth to bite in 2015.

    The PDP governorship aspirants; Jumoke Akinjide, Teslim Folarin, Seyi Makinde and Soji Adejumo; may renew their hope of regaining many party supporters that have joined either of the two parties. Thus, the 2015 election may still go in the way of the 2011 where the three parties had a good showing, but in which the most popular party produced the governor.

    At a critical hour of need, AP had come to the aid of the ACN. The collaboration produced the numerical strength that reduced PDP to a minority party in the House of Assembly. With the breakdown of the accord, can ACN Administration survive in the state?

    According to analysts, Ajimobi Administration now needs a united ACN to survive and forge ahead. The administrtion has recorded some landmark achievements. These include the peace and tranquility that have replaced criminality, the road and bridge construction, beautification and environmental sanitation, unparalleled welfare package for the civil servants, rebuilding of education through infrastructural facilities, training and retraining of teachers, free transport for state government workers, provision of loans, provision of hospitals and free health. These may make it difficult for another party dislodge the ACN from power in the next election.

    The result of the last election showed thatLadoja was more popular in some local governments in Ibadan. He also commanded a large following among the civil servants. But the loyalty of the civil servants may be divided by the memory of how the former governor paid their salaries promptly when he was in the saddle from 2003 to 2007.

    Many Ibadan indigenes have applauded the beautification of Ibadan and the restoration of sanity to the intra-city roads. Thus, Ajimobi’s support base is expanding among the ordinary people who are the fans of Ladoja.

    However, Ladoja has started mobilisation for the 2015 electoral contest. On daily basis, many peoople are defecting to the AP from the PDP.

    Ajimobi is not relenting too. He is mobilising by working for the people. In Oyo State, what will determine the fate of the governorship candidates is their track record of performance.

    Since he was endorsed for a second term by his party, he has been firing salvos at the opposition. A witty Ajimobi had jokingly told Akinjide at a social function last month there will be no vacancy in the State House. “My dear sister, if I am four years older than you, it means you can succeed me after my first four years. But if I am eight years older than you, it means you will wait till I spend eight years”, he said.

    The governor cracked the joke to achieve two purposes. He used it to douse the tension between his supporters and Akinjide’s. The governor told his supporters to stop whatever could bring back the politics of brickbats. He also used it to wittingly tell Akinjide that the ACN would not allow another party to defeat it in the 2015 election.

    If AP and PDP resolve to come together to battle the ACN, there may be tension in the state. But Ladoja appears to have ignoring that option, owing to the inability of the PDP leaders to assure him that they would not betray him again.

    Ladoja is now perceived as a veteran governorship candidate. There are forces in his party urging him to allow the younger elementss to fly the party ticket. His fear is that the masses may turn their eyes from the AP, if he abdicates. But, if he runs again in 2015, how far can he go?

  • 2015: PDP woos Afenifere

    2015: PDP woos Afenifere

    Prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Peoples Party (PDP) in the Southwest are teaming up with the polarised pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, to fight for power in the zone. Currently, the region is the stronghold of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    There are two groups struggling for the soul of the organisation. The first group is led by the former Commissioner for Finance in Ondo State, Chief Rueben Fasoranti. The second is led by the deputy leader, Senator Ayo Fasanmi. Reconciliation broke down between the two camps, almost four years ago. Although the representatives of the factions were brought to the reconciliation table at Ibadan, Oyo State capital, by the younger elements who have formed the Afenifere Renewal group (ARG), they could not achieve a truce. Also, efforts to reconcile them by the wife of the late sage, Mrs. HID Awolowo, failed.

    At the recent meeting of the faction led by Fasoranti in Lagos, many PDP chieftains were in attendance, although the key leaders; Chiefs Fasoranti, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Olu Falae, Oladipo Olaitan, and Supo Sonibare, are progressives and critics of the PDP-led Federal Government.

    At the Lagos meeting were Senator Iyiola Omisore, Alhaji Rahman Owokoniran, Hon. Segun Ojo, Mr. Kayode Alufa, Chief Ladosu Ladapo, Akogun Tunde Odanye and Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who is being wooed by the Lagos PDP to contest the next governorship on its platform. A source said that the Fasoranti’s group enjoys the backing of the Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who has secured a second term. Between 1999 and 2003, Afenifere did not open its door to the chieftains of the PDP, which they perceived as a conservative party.

    However, the members of the Fasanmi’s group belong to the ACN, which is in the merger process with the All Nigeria Peoples Party (PDP), the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) and a section of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Prominent members of the faction include Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Chief Bisi Akande, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Alhaji Olatunji Hamzat, Senator Olabiyi Durojaye, Otunba Busura Alebiosu, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, and Hon. Odunsi. In fact, all the ACN chieftains in the Southwest identify with the Fasanmi’s group. Currently, the members of Fasanmi camp are in the government in the region.

    In 2007, the Afenifere leaders in Fasoranti’s group supported the PDP governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. In 2011, they also supported Daniel’s candidate for the governorship, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka. It was a wide departure from 2003, when the former secretary of the group, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, was criticised for fraternity with former ANPP Governor Mohammed Lawal of Kwara State. Last year, they also supported Governor Mimiko’s re-election bid.

    Southwest PDP members are courting Afenifere at a time the party is becoming increasingly unpopular in the zone. But the source said that the party is ready to pump money into the mobilisation against the ACN. “The fund for the election is not going to be a problem. The PDP Federal Government is showing a special interest in the zone. PDP wants to adopt two strategies. The first is to get aggrieved, credible and popular candidates to run for the governorship elections in the region and get Afenifere to back them on the platform of the PDP. That is why both Chief Bode George and Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe are now on the neck of Agbaje. At every election, Afenifere usually supports candidates and political parties.

    “The second strategy is to encourage other parties outside ACN to compete with the ACN in the zone. It is worthy of note that, after securing the pipeline monitoring contract from the Federal Government, some Southwest leaders started talking about the resuscitation of the UPN. They are not happy with the soaring profile of Tinubu and they want to get their pound of fresh from Osoba”, added the source.

    The group’s posturing has affected its image among the people of the Southwest. Unlike the pre-2003 period, Afenifere is perceived as a toothless bulldog, which can only bark but not bite. In fact, in 2003, the group supported the four AD governors; the late Adebayo Adefarati (Ondo), the late Lam Adesina (Oyo), Akande (Osun), and Osoba (Ogun). They lost to their PDP challengers; Dr. Olusegun Agaggu, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Otunba Daniel. The lone survivor, Tinubu, was deserted by the Afenifere chieftains, following the rejection of the 60:40 formula for the distribution of the appointive and elective offices in Lagos State. He handed over to Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2007. Also, in 2007, Tinubu spearheaded the struggle for the liberation of the Southwest from the PDP. Today, five out of the six states are governed by the ACN governors.

    Recently, ARG leader Hon. Olawale Oshun had alerted the region to the antics of certain forces bent on encouraging the emergence of new parties to create confusion in the zone. He said those behind the idea were working assiduously with the PDP, which has the intention of re-capturing the Southwest in 2015. A sources said that the PDP chieftains are exploiting the division in the Afenifere to penetrate into the fold and swing the support of the Fasoranti camp to the PDP candidates in the next elections.

    Falae ruled out any alliance with the PDP, although he agreed that PDP members can now take their seats in the group. This admission flexibility contrasted sharply with the picture of Afenifere between 1999 and 2002. For example, members of the group rationalised that the presence of Omisore at the Afenifere meeting was not strange. “He has been a member, but dormant for some time. He only left AD, not Afenifere”, said a chieftain.

  • What next after ACN convention?

    What next after ACN convention?

    History was made at the terminal national convention of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Lagos where delegates voted in favour of the merger of the party with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a section of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). EMMANUEL OLADESU, AUGUSTINE AVWODE and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE examine the challenges ahead for the new party.

     

    Nature was kind to the 4,761 delegates who converged on the Onikan Stadium, Lagos for the historic convention of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The weather was benevolent. It was a carnival of a sort. Drums, trumpets, colourful banners, a huge crowd of party supporters jubilating and chanting the slogan of change. For the party, it was the end of an era and begining of a new journey to progress.

     

    Battle for change

     

    The convention showed that the commitment to the merger was beyond rhetorics. The national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, explained to the party faithful that ACN was shifting its gear.

    “We are convinced that merger is the way to go, if we must rescue our country from decay”, he said, urging them to gird their loins for the 2015 electoral challenge.

    The national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, spoke in the same vein. “Things must change or we sink”, he said. “For the good of Nigeria, this must be the last and final convention of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)… When history writes its tale of the past decade, it will say the ACN preserved Nigerian democracy when it came under great threat,” he added.

    The defining moment was when the motion for the endorsement of the party leadership’s decision to merge the ACN into APC was moved by the National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Kari from Gombe State. It was seconded by Tonia Anwam, a lawyer from Ebonyi State. Without any dissenting voice, the delegates approved the motion. With that resolution, ACN made a great sacrifice in the national interest.

     

    An unprecedented partnership

     

    Opposition figures were locked in sober reflection. United by the common threat by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), they reiterated their commitment to the liberation struggle. Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, who hailed ACN, urged Nigerians to brace up for change.

    “APC is my party in which I am well pleased. Let me assure you that the lack of power, the deep seated corruption in the land and manifested cases of inequality before the law shall be banished by APC”, he said. To prove that APC will not disappoint the nation, he made references to the performance of the APC governors across the geo-political zones.

    “Our governors have done well. They have given their people quality standard of living. they have carried the people along in the discharge of their duties and render ed account all the time to the people.”

    The National Chairman of Congress of Progressive Change (CPC), Prince Tony Momoh said the collaboration will work. “The journey that we start today is toward 2015. We merged because we wanted a change. They have said they want to capture 32 states. I believe they were misquoted. Let me tell you, they will lose 32 states by 2015. We must all work hard because we have chosen to make sacrifice.

    “I will have to leave my office two years before my tenure expires; this is part of the sacrifice we have to make. So, anybody who thinks they can take APC from us is joking”, he added.

    His All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) counterpart, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu said that Nigeria will no remain the same again. “Those who say they will be in government for 60 years should be prepared to be in the opposition as from 2015. The misrule of PDP has caused problems for the country which the APC is poised to address. Nobody will be above the law; this is the reason why APC is born.”

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun said the convention would be a prelude to the APC national convention in Abuja.

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola said the convention had stamped the emergence of APC. He said the battle to reclaim the country would start in Anambra State next year. “We are here to celebrate the end of darkness and APC will take over Anambra State by 2014. Nigeria belongs to all of us. We must all mobilise to take over Anambra. I must say with what has happened today, a change has come to Nigeria.”

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola berated the ruling party for threatening to capture 32 states, through its unconventional methods. “We have heard from them that they will do what they know how to do best. But let me notify them that the people are now wiser and watchful and would defend their votes.”

    Aremo Segun Osoba remarked that the convention attracted followers of the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo, late Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, and the late Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, which he said, was an indication that the people had to save Nigeria.

    ACN chieftain, Chief Audu Ogbe said APC will offer a better alternative to the country. He advised the masses to join the party. “The party shall provide the platform for the youth to participate and make their contribution in the policies and implementation of the party’s programme.

    “Nigeria has been turned into a grave yard of unemployment and hopelessness. You must register and make your impact in the country. APC is the place where we can achieve the hope, I urge you to wake up from your sleep and support the party.”

    The Senate Minority Leader, George Akume, said: “Today Nigerians can go to bed to sleep. We are here for the purpose of restoring hope to Nigerians. Through this merger we will remove despair from the lives of the people and they will be happy.

    “Let me say that the infraction and contradictions of the PDP will destroy PDP, this is because they have not been sincere and that is why they can’t get their act together, “ Akume stressed.

    Former Imo State Achike Undenwa said that the convention was a milestone. He assured that APC will fulfil its promise to salvage the country.

    Former Governor of Edo State Chief John Oyegun said: “Hope has finally returned to the people. The prayers of the people have been heapresidential candidate, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarua, urged Nigerians to embrace the opportunity for change, progress and posterity.

     

    The great metamorphosis

     

    From now till the time the new party is registered, the opposition leaders will face challenges. The CPC leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has disclosed that the party and the ANPP will hold their national conventions simultaneously on May 11. The CPC delegates will converge on Abuja. The ANPP forces will hold their convention in Zamfara State.

    The ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, itemised the stages in the next battle for the APC registration. He said that, following the conventions, which was witnessed by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the chairman and secretary of the ACN will now apply to the electoral commission for a merger into the APC. He said the conventions are critical conditions which were being fulfilled by the parties.

    “The relevant provision for merger is stated in the Section 84 of the Electoral Act as amended. It says that, if any two political parties want to merge, they shall give the commission 90 days notice of their intention to do so before the general election. What it means is that, if you give the notice of your intention to merge less than 90 days before the general election, such a merger cannot be accepted.

    “ However, the defining provision in the Section 84 (3), says that “a written request of the merger shall be sent to the chairman of the commission, jointly signed by the national chairmen, secretaries, and the treasurers of the different political parties proposing a merger and shall be accompanied by a special resolution passed at the national conventions of the political parties proposing to merge and approving the merger. “The proposed full name and the acronym, logo or symbol, constitution, manifestoes and the address of the national body of the party and evidence of payment of the party must also be forwarded to INEC. We will meet all these conditions,” he said.

     

  • ‘Why crisis persists in Governors’ Forum’

    ‘Why crisis persists in Governors’ Forum’

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson spoke with reporters on the activities of his administration, the crises rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and how to tackle insecurity in the country. EMMANUEL OLADESU reports the exerpts.

     

     

    What are the challenges confronting you as the governor of Bayelsa State?

    The challenges are enormous. We knew in this state that things were not right. There was the absence of governmental structures and core values. We have a mindset to build. Don’t forget that this area, Bayelsa, was the least developed part of Rivers State when it was created. The governors of the old Rivers State were mainly from Bayelsa, but they were not parochial people. Ijaw man is not parochial. So, they concentrated critical development in the old Rivers State. So, when Bayelsa was created, the challenges were many. You now have limited resources that cannot match the cost of developing this very difficult terrain. Yes, we earn more than other states. That is what a lot of people look at. But they don’t look at the challenges and match it. Because when God gave this place oil resources, God also knew that our problems-the cost of developing this area-is more than some other parts of this country. So, because of that dislocation, we have issues of funding, which we are addressing. That is why people call me ‘tight hand governor’ because we have to manage the available resources prudently and be very clear on our priority that is what we are doing.

    What is your position on the proposed amnesty for the Boko Haram sect?

    I want to commend the President for his large heartedness in proposing amnesty, even for Boko Haram members. Of course, what is driving Boko Haram is different from what was driving the Niger Delta militants. Whereas the insurgency in the Niger Delta was premised on economic isues, rights and deprivation of rights; the one in Boko Haram is religious fundamentalism. I think we should give amnesty a chance. Those who say amnesty should not be extended to Boko Haram members also have a very strong point on account of the mindless, criminal, despicable and wanton destruction of property and lives. And even now, from what we are reading, they seem to say they have not done anything wrong and they are rejecting amnesty. But the President has done well by proposing amnesty. Let that not be the excuse for not getting all hands on deck to address that issue. Let us not politicise anything and everything in this country, particularly something as critical as national security. We are going through very serious trying moment in this country and I get bothered when senior political leaders and opinion leaders in this country, because they want to get an advantage, they want to play politics, even with amnesty, Boko Haram and national security.

    What is the implication of the intra-party crisis in the PDP, especially in the face of the on-going merger of opposition parties and the birth of the APC?

    Crises and conflicts are inevitable in politics and in a big party like the PDP. In politics, you are managing, not just a clash of ideas and vision, but there will also be clash of ego. So, democratic politics promotes diversity and diversity sometimes generates conflict and tension. But the democratic system must be managed in such a way that democracy and the rule of law will prevail. . On the APC, I want use this opportunity to urge the leaders of the opposition to work hard to bring about a virile, effective and viable opposition; an opposition that will play by the rule, an opposition that will be in a position to confront the ruling party in a market place of ideas and vision. We are looking forward to virile debates on various issues; on the economy, on national security. If they are viable as a party, we want to engage then and let us see the alternative viewpoints that are contending for the minds and hearts of our people beyond issues of religion, ethnicity and zoning. The whole political engagement is all about grandstanding, manipulation, positioning and it sickens me, really. I’m not speaking for my party. But I will be very happy to see a very virile, effective and well organised opposition because a democracy without an opposition is dictatorship. There must be a viable opposition in democracy. Instead of rumours, blackmail and propaganda, I look forward to an engagement; an organised opposition that can confront us and then present an alternative vision. We have to develop that tradition in this country. I’m not a spokesman for the PDP. I don’t see any reason why anybody in the PDP is supposed to be scared of the APC. We just need to focus on what we are doing and, at the end of the day, if the electoral process is free and fair, and Mr. President has always promised Nigerians that, Nigerians will decide who wins power.

    Why did the PDP come up with the PDP Governors’ Forum?

    The governors’ forum is primarily a mechanism for peer review of governors who are equal. You do not have to be a member of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to be a governor. It is just like your association, the NUJ. Whether you are there or not, you are functioning. So, the Governors’ Forum is a platform for peer review mechanism. It is a platform for collaborating with the federal government on the critical issues of development, national security and other challenges that come up. The Governors’ Forum is not and should not be a platform for the control of national politics because we are not elected to run the country. We, as governors, are elected to manage our states. So, the Governors’ Forum cannot be allowed to go on as a trade union. Of course, that is wrong. What has happened is that people are taking advantage of the development and discontent in our system to manipulate it to suit their individual whims and caprices. But what is wrong is wrong. Look at the United States Governors’ Forum where we even copied it from, you don’t see Governors’ Forum there coming to tell President Barack Obama what he should and what he should not do. We are provincial players, governors because our mandates is to lead our states, not to run the federation. Those who have a mandate to run the Federation are the President, Vice President, the elected members of our National assembly and the political leadership of the parties. Those are the people who have a platform. And, if as a governor I have any strong view on the things that go on at the federal level, we have avenues; informal, formal. We have the National Economic Council. Over the years, I think what has happened, particularly in the PDP, and it is very unfortunate. It is unfortunate that it is rubbing off on the governors from the opposition parties. What has happened over the years is that governors of the PDP who became chairmen of the Governors’ Forum attempted to use it as a platform for playing national politics; a platform for occupying the national political space. It is wrong. It shouldn’t be allowed. That’s why the idea of the PDP Governors’ Forum became necessary. You see things being manipulated as if anybody is disturbing anybody, instead of saying no, this thing you guys are doing is wrong. People are saying as if there is a crisis and somebody does not want somebody. No. The Governors’ Forum is simply a peer review mechanism; no more, no less. PDP governors have the right to have their own group because the associative right is a first thing in a democracy. ACN governors and others, even councilors, have associations. There is so much focus on what goes on in the PDP. If you are in the PDP, you will meet at the structure of the PDP to resolve problems, if you are not in the PDP, you concentrate on your party and work hard to defeat the PDP. You don’t operate outside the PDP and control the PDP or want the PDP to do things according to your own wish. But people want to stay in PDP and still play the role of a political opponent. That is indiscipline. If you cannot be a good PDP member, you will not be useful, even to any opposition party and these opposition party leaders are very experienced politicians. I had the honour of playing politics with most of them. I have a lot of regard for them. They know what they are doing. They are serious Nigerians. They mean well for this country and they also know the charlatans.

    What effort is being made to reconcile President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi?

    You press people should not equate a provincial player with the elected President of the Federal Republic. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria cannot have misunderstanding with a provincial player as a governor of Rivers State or any other governor for that matter. As governors, we are elected to run our states, no more, no less. If you want the mandate to run Nigeria, you contest an election for it. Don’t do it through the back door. If you want to be a leader of opposition, you go to the opposition. What is happening is that people are taking advantage of our weak institutions and our fledgling democracy such that sometimes, you don’t even know who belongs to where. I’m not aware of any misunderstanding between the President of Nigeria and a provincial player like myself who is a governor of a state. You are demeaning the Presidency and you shouldn’t do that in this country. He brings in the President as if he is at the same level or at par with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Whether that is right or not, Nigerians will talk. But what we know is that, for you to be a good leader, you must be a good follower first.

    Rivers State and Bayelsa states have not resolved the dispute over oil wells. What is the situation now?

    People are playing politics with critical issues that can explode. They play politics with anything and everything. This thing you talked about has been in existence for long, even before the creation of Bayelsa State. Even when these two local governments were in the old Rivers State, commissions of enquiries were set up. As a governor, your responsibility is to use the existing institutions to solve problems. What I have been doing is to call for peace and I’m using our existing channels, both within the Ijaw system, because these people are all Ijaw people in case you don’t know; the Kalabari are Ijaw people, the Nembe people in Bayelsa are Ijaw people. Just because of the way the country came into being and states were created and today, we now find ourselves, some in Rivers and some in Bayelsa, they are not enemies.

     

     

  • Ndoma-Egba: Amnesty is a better option

    Ndoma-Egba: Amnesty is a better option

    Senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has advised Nigerians to support the proposed amnesty to the members of the Boko Haram sect.

    He said the move will herald dialogue and usher in peace in the troubled northern eregion.

    Ndoma-Egba, who represents the Cross River Central District, spoke with reporters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the setting up of a presidential committee on Boko Haram to develop a framework for the amnesty.

    He described the proposal as a viable initiative that should be embraced by Nigerians, maintaining that it will bring a lasting solution. Lamenting the killings and destruction of property, Udoma-Egba said efforts must be made to avert further blood-letting.

    He added: “The government must be supported in this current effort to restore peace in the north and resolve the crisis of insecurity in the country.

    “We cannot allow this incessant killing of innocent Nigerians to continue. Whatever we need to do must be done to stop this dastardly act. That is why I think it is very much important that we give this option of amnesty a chance and see whether it will succeed or not.

    “We hope that it succeeds because we cannot continue to watch our countrymen and women being sent to their early grave, due to the activities of the Boko Haram sect. It is an unusual situation that every Nigerian will like to see an end to.

    “So, our approach will also be unconventional. But while trying to bring the situation under control and the phenomenon to an end, we should also know that there are victims of the acts of this group. So, the victims must also be in the picture of whatever strategy the government is putting in place.”

    Ndoma-Egba said that the purported rejection of the amnesty was not beyond expectation. He stressed: “That was the reaction I expected. You won’t expect them to just jump at it. At this point, it is always like that. They will say we don’t want to talk. Everywhere you have had this kind of situation, that is the initial reaction. So, it is not an unusual reaction. But I think it will be good for them to accept the offer in the interest of peace and unity of the country.”

     

  • ‘Power ‘ll shift in Anambra’

    ‘Power ‘ll shift in Anambra’

    Anambra State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship aspirant Mr. Godwin Ezeemo spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU on the party’s preparation for the next election.

     

     

    Why do you want to be the governor of Anambra State?

    I am coming out to contest because I want to assist in bringing to Anambra State the much desired good governance they are yearning for. And this will bring succour to the people who have missed good governance for a long time.

    What are your chances of getting your party’s ticket?

    I have a big chance of clinching the ticket. Having registered, financed and supported the party at the grassroots and the state level, and sponsored many aspirants within the party in the last five years, I am known and I believe these will earn me the ticket

    Can ACN beat APGA at the poll?

    ACN has a very good chance of winning Anambra, if it fields a good candidate. You know Anambrarians are after the personality and not the party. The party leaning has dwindled, owing to disappointments we have had since the Second Republic. I want to draw your attention to the fact that ACN is the only political party in the state, which does not have crisis. This already tells you the stuff the party is made of, unlike other parties that have factions.

    What is your agenda for Anambra people?

    I will restore the lost Igbo values. You remember that I organised a programme in Awka last year tagged ‘Re-discovering the Lost Igbo Values’. Prominent Anambrarians and Igbos, including Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Dame Virgy Etiaba , academics, legislators, religious leaders, judicial officers, traditional rulers, women leaders, labour leaders, transporters, traders, keke and okada operators, students and other leaders from all walks of life in Igbo land attended. It was a five-day event, and at the end of the programme, our people were satisfied and felt strongly that there was the need to restore and rediscover our values. Secondly, there should be a functional and qualitative education in the state. Moreover, I will bring the Water Corporation back to life. I will prioritise building functional, basic utilities and infrastructure for industrial growth and development. As an industrialist, I know that when you have industrial growth, jobs will be created for our youths. And when our youths are engaged in gainful employment, our streets will be safer. Then, many social vices will be curbed. The basic healthcare services will be available for all Anambrarians as it is done in other parts of the world where I have lived. I am often surprised when I see how much the state government pays to our civil servants. The truth is that, if you want to get the best out of them and reduce corruption, you should be ready to pay them well.

    What is your assessment of the Obi Administration?

    Governor Peter Obi has done his part, based on his abilities and that probably, is his best. That is okay. One can only give what one has. No one can give what he does not have. However, the reality on ground is that Anambra still yearns for transformation in all areas.

    What is your reaction to the insecurity in the country, especially the Boko Haram insurgency, oil pipeline vandalisation, and kidnapping?

     You cannot divorce criminality from deprivation. In a society where there are limited opportunities, people, especially youths, are bound to take to crime. However, people have to understand that there is no justification for crime. The problem, basically, is that there is social injustice such that the gap between the haves and the have-nots keeps widening. The solution to this is for the government to close this gap through gainful and unselective job creation, emphasis on skills acquisition through technical knowledge acquisition and encouraging local and foreign investors to exploit opportunities here. When people build industries, unemployed people have jobs. When they are gainfully employed, they will have no time to think of crime. Those who are busy in their places of work or business have no time to think of crimes.

    What is responsible for the kidnapping in the Southeast and what is the way out?

    Well, as I pointed out earlier, many of the crimes here can be attributed to lack of opportunities. The way out of this is to have a conducive environment in the Southeast for investment. This is a collective responsibility. The government and individuals who have been blessed by God should help in creating jobs in this region, just as it is done in the Southwest and other places.

    How would you assess Jonathan Administration?

    The leaders of the PDP have done their best. But the truth is that their best has not been enough. There was high expectation in 1999 that, by 2013, power would have been stable; millions of jobs would have been created and the economy in general would have been among the best in the world, given our vast human and material resources. But you know, this dream is yet to be realised.

    Can APC defeat PDP in 2015?

    Yes, the alliance will defeat PDP in 2015. The alliance enjoys the support of the Southwest, the Northeast and Northwest. Do not exclude the Northcentral. Even in the Southeast, many of our people just want a change in leadership, since they feel the PDP has not given them what they have expected.

    What is your reaction to the agitation for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC)?

    Well, every successful country had challenges in the past. The challenges we are having in this country, though enormous, do not defy solution. I am of the opinion that we can fashion out a way of coming together in a round table to discuss the issues affecting us. I do not think it will balkanize the country. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to do it, although it was not successful. Yes, I think it is necessary and I do not think it will affect our existence, once all groups are represented.