The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Legislator urges Oyo ACN to unite

    House of Representatives member Hon. Abiodun Awoleye (Ibadan North) has called for unity among the members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State. He said a house divided against itself will fall, urging the chieftains to promote cohesion and harmony in the interest of democracy.

    Awoleye said that, if ACN could forge unity when it was outside power, the lessons of its long suffering outside power should instruct the chieftains to put their house in order as members of the ruling party in the state.

    The legislator emphasised that only a united party can serve as the pillar of support for the hardworking governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

    Awoleye urged the members of the party not to allow the opposition parties to disrupt the peace of the party. He said they should not create cracks on the wall of brotherhood.

    The politician asked the party to gird its loins as it prepares for the next general elections. He said the threat by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP to recolonise the state will fail.

    The lawmaker also commended the effort of the leaders of the four opposition parties who are working tirelessly to ensure that the masses are delivered from the PDP in 2015.

    Awoleye, who spoke with our correspondent on phone, said the merger will put an end to corruption and unemployment in the country.

    He added” Fourteen years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in government is a waste. They have nothing to show for it. They cannot deliver the dividends of democracy to the masses.

    “I want to appeal to all the members of the ACN in the state not to allow the opposition parties to interrupt the peace of the party in the state. Governor Ajimobi needs our collective support and that is how we can achieve the main objective of the party.

    “The opposition party was in charge of the government in the state for eight years and they have nothing to show for it.

    “I also want to use this medium to commend the effort of the leaders of the four opposition parties who are working to ensure that the people are liberated from the PDPgovernment”.

  • Akinola criticises EFCC, ICPC

    Former Anglican Church Prelate Most Rev. Peter Akinola has said that the establishment of the anti-graft agencies has not reduced corruption in the country.

    Delivering a lecture titled: Nigeria: A Call for Moral Cleansing, in Lagos, the cleric said corruption has not abated. despite the existence of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Special Fraud Unit, Code of Conduct Bureau, Financial Action Task Force, and other related agencies.

    Rev. Akinola explained that Nigeria is now synonymous with scandalous and disgraceful acts, adding that it is swimming in moral crisis.

    He said the country that enjoyed an optimistic outlook at independence has now become a moral desert. Akinola recalled: “Here was a country that was the envy of friends and foes alike, as the beacon of hope for the black race on attaining independence. Here was a country that began the journey to nationhood with modest tangible gains, roads, schools and hospital all functioning well.”

    Rev. Akinola was repatriating half a billion dollar looted by the late General Sani Abacha from the Swiss banks for five years. He said corruption has dented the image of the country.

    He stressed: “It is an established fact that the Nigerian leaders in their several generations have not led the country in a clean and transparent way. Almost all of them have had their hands soiled with the ‘mud’ of corruption. “Several military regimes from Aguiyi Ironsi to Abdulsalam Abubakar have tried, but none has failed to identify corruption as a major national malaise to be tackled”.

    The cleric remarked that the military class, which had often it displaced civilian regimes to purge the country of corruption, had not done anything significant about it. He said: ““It is clear that the military, as a class and as an institution, cannot be absolved from the endemic corruption in the country.

    “Definitely, the military has learned lessons from the political behaviour of the first generation of Nigerian politicians. But, they too added their own, which would point to the fact that their actions were not inspired by the national interest.”

    Rev. Akinola said that Nigerians expected the current leaders to tackle corruptio, with the introduction of ICPC, EFCC, which led to the large scale investigation of past public officials.

    He added: “The startling disclosure only confirmed what has been expressed earlier that one of the major reasons for the thriving of corruption in Nigeria is the absolute power invested on the person and office the Nigerian leader.”

  • ‘APC is a credible alternative’

    ‘APC is a credible alternative’

    House of Representatives member Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a credible party that will successfully wrest power with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next general elections.

    She urged Nigerians to brace up for change at the centre in 2015, assuring that the party will not disappoint them.

    Dabiri-Erewa, who represents Ikorodu Constituency, described the PDP’s years in the government as the most embarassing period in national history. She complained about the collapse of social infrastructure and non-implementation of the transformation agenda of the administration.

    Dabiri-Erewa noted that the birth of the APC has aroused enthusiasm among Nigerias who are eager for power shift to the progressives.

    She said the manifestos of the new party would reflect the peoples’ yearning for a better condition of life, security, industrial development and life more abundant.

    The legislator hailed the commitment of the statesmen driving the alliance, stressing that they have put the nation above personal interests.

    She said the performance of the 11 governors involved in the merger is a sign of good things to come in the future.

  • Ogun PDP: Has peace come at last?

    Ogun PDP: Has peace come at last?

    The national leadership of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has of late taken drastic steps to resolve the intricate crises bedevilling its Ogun State chapter. In this report, Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, examines the development and wonders if peace has returned to the party.

    The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is irked by a lack of generally accepted leadership that can unite its distraught followers and reposition the party as the strongest opposition party in the state that it ought to be.

    But following last week’s sweeping decisions by the national leadership of the party, which gave recognition to one of the warring factional state executives and sacked some National Working Committee members from the southwest in obeisance to a court order, analysts say it is possible that peace may have finally returned to the embattled party.

    The national leadership had withdrawn its recognition of the state executive led by Senator Dipo Odujinrin. In its stead, the Adebayo Dayo-led committee was pronounced the authentic leadership of the PDP in Ogun State. The action, according to some party chieftains, will help to douse the raging battle among the factions.

    Those sacked from office were the National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha, and the National Vice-Chairman (South-West) Mr. Segun Oni. While Mustapha was replaced with Fatai Adeyanju, the NWC set up a caretaker committee to replace Oni’s southwest executive committee.

    The decision to remove these officers were taken at the meeting held in Abuja on Thursday by members of the National Working Committee. The meeting was presided over by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

    Citing the outcome of a series of suits filed on the last nationwide congress of the party, amongst which include FHC/L/CS/1248/2011, FHC/L/CS/282/2012 and FHC/L/CS/347/2012, the PDP said:

    “That the Executive Committee constituted for the PDP in Ogun State at congresses, conducted by the Bashorun Dayo Soremi-led harmonised executive committee for the wards, local governments and in the state in March 2012, are valid executive council of the party at the various levels in Ogun State and are entitled to their four-year  tenure.

    ‘That the PDP is to organise a fresh South-West Zonal Congress at which access is to be given to delegates elected at congresses conducted by or under the supervision of the Soremi-led Ogun State Executive and accept the candidacy, for offices zoned to Ogun State, of only the persons nominated at the said congresses for the said offices.

    ‘That the South-West Zonal Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party, conducted in March 2012, is nullified.’

    The party said it took the decisions after much deliberation on the various crises rocking the party in the southwest.

    ‘The decision is a good move and we are hoping that it will be the beginning of a new era in Ogun PDP. With the recognition of the authentic leadership as directed by the law court, I am optimistic that members of the party will now have a sense of direction and those on the other side will have no choice than to embrace the new era.

    “Respect for the rule of law is one major ingredient of democracy and I am sure these developments will really help us in Ogun PDP to find the much needed path to peace. There cannot be a better time for this to happen. I just want all our people to take advantage of this opportunity to return our great party to greatness,’ Pegba Otemolu, a chieftain of the party, said.

    But some chieftains of the party do not share Otemolu’s optimism. In fact, some argue that the development is an affront on certain leaders of the party and is bound to create more problems within the troubled party.

    Tunde Oladunjoye, deputy gubernatorial aspirant of the party in the 2011 governorship election in the state, sees the removal of the Odujinrin-led executive as a direct attack on the person of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The former council boss, who made his opinion known in several posts he sent out through the social media immediately the announcement was made, posited that an end to the crisis rocking the party is nowhere in sight.

    Since the run up to the 2011 general election, the party has been struggling to enshrine some form of decorum and harmony amongst its many factions. Three major factions have been battling for the control of the party in the state. The fierce struggle among these contending forces has left the party worse off.

    While the Adebayo Dayo and Senator Dipo Odujinrin factional state executive committees have fought fiercely in and out of the courtrooms to determine which is the authentic leadership of the party in the state, another faction loyal to former governor Gbenga Daniel is daily adding to the confusion within the fold with its frantic effort to be allowed to return to the party it left way back in 2011.

    The Dayo faction, which all along is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is backed by bigwigs, including party financier Buruji Kashamu. The Odujirin-led faction, which before now enjoyed the support of the PDP headquarters, is alleged to be loyal to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Both factions, which suspended each other recently, have expended more energy on the raging supremacy tussle than repositioning the party, following its woeful performance in the 2011 election. The consequence is that much effort was concentrated on crisis resolution within the party.

    The Daniel faction, which defected to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), wants to return to the PDP. The party is clearly divided over the matter. A section believes that the return of Daniel’s men may reduce the influence of certain party chieftains. But the national leadership of the party and the presidency is believed to be favourably disposed to Daniel’s return.

    While Jonathan and Tukur see the former governor as an asset that should be courted back into the party, the two warring factions in the state have maintained that the former governor worked against the party in the 2011 election and as such does not deserve an easy return to PDP in Ogun State.

    Speaking on the recognition of his faction and the way forward for the PDP in Ogun State, Dayo said with the replacement of imposition with justice and democracy by the national leadership of the party, the PDP in Ogun State is back on the path to greatness.

    ‘The situation is that for a very long time, dictatorship has been reigning in many areas, not only in our party but all over Nigeria. But this time around, our party sat down, we had a lot of deliberations and they decided that the only way out is to have a very clean party by following the rule of law.

    “So, the rule of law has prevailed. Our party does not want any imposition. We want to have a very clean internal democracy. That is what is happening now. What I can assure you is that once again, our party is back in the road to greatness,” he said.

    But will the other factional leaders close ranks with Dayo to accelerate the obviously very long walk to Ogun PDP’s return to political reckoning? Time, and only time will tell.

     

  • Gbenga Daniel and his politicking

    Gbenga Daniel and his politicking

    Since he left office in 2011, former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has been somewhat quiet on the political scene.

    That may just be a façade, said a source. Reliable sources disclosed that Daniel has been a regular visitor to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he is said to enjoy unhindered access to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    We gathered that this may be Daniel’s strategy of remaining relevant in Ogun State politics where he seems to be at loggerheads with some powerful stakeholders in the PDP. On the other hand, the former helmsman of Ogun State is also alleged to have instructed his supporters to move to the Labour Party ahead the 2015 elections. Talk of not putting one’s eggs in a single basket.

  • ‘Leaders demand restructuring, national conference’

    ‘Leaders demand restructuring, national conference’

    Leaders from Igbo land and some others outside the zone, took another look at the socio- political and economic fortunes of Nigeria when they met at the 14th National Conference of Igbo Youth Movement in Enugu and contended that only restructuring, achieved through a National Conference, can save Nigeria. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, presents the highlights

    Eminent Nigerians, who gathered last week’s Saturday at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, at the 14th National Convention of the Igbo Youth Movement, (IYM), may not have expected the current verbal crossfire, especially from the presidency, when they alleged symptoms of a failing state and demanded that only restructuring would save Nigeria.

    They had also called for convocation of a national conference before 2015 general elections to save the perceived ‘collapsing nation.’

    But throughout the week, verbal arsenals from government officials and presidential aides are indications that the country’s seat of power is not taking kindly the suggestions from the political leaders and elders.

    The IYM convention, tagged; ‘National Conference before 2015 Elections, Only Roadmap to a Truly Greater Nigeria,’ had in attendance, elder statesmen and leaders of thought from Igbo land and featured speakers from the zone and some other parts of the country.

    Distinguished speakers at the well attended event included, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, General Alani Akinrinade, Col. Joe  Achuzie, Amb. Joseph Ayalogu, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Sen. Ben Obi, Col. Ben Gbulie, Chief Solomon Asemotah, Chief Dipo Famakinwa, Chief Michael Orabator, Chief Ayo Afolabi, Rev. Ukandu Ucheya, Chief Kunle Famoriyo, Prof. Mark Odu, Prince Emeka Onyesoh, Chief Toke Benson Awoyinka and Mazi Obinna Obi.

    In his remarks, the National President of IYM, Evangelist Eliot Ukoh, said the choice of the theme became necessary because, according to him, “the survival of Nigeria as one indivisible nation is blinking.” Elliot added that though the Igbo youths believe in one Nigeria, they know that “such would not be effective without a restructuring of the country.”

    Chairman of the occasion and renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze, also said the “convocation of a national conference is overdue.” The elder statesman added that there are so many variables indicating that Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a failed state, pointing out, therefore that only a national conference can bring Nigeria back. He also warned that if proactive steps are not taken to checkmate the impending danger, like convocation of a national conference before 2015, “the country might head to the rock.”

    ‘This country is on the verge of becoming a failed state. There are so many failed states in Africa and Nigeria is on the verge of getting to that status of a failed state.

    More than any other contribution, Nwabueze’s assertion that Nigeria is exhibiting signs of a failed state has been a subject of debate since then. The presidency in particular is not amused by the assertion. So, soon after the meeting in Enugu, presidential spokesmen did not hesitate to reject the assertion that symptoms of a failed state are manifesting in the Nigerian state.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, in his reaction, was decisively combative when he described Nwabueze’s comments as “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic.”

    He contended that “available facts and figures do not suggest anything near a failed state in the country.”

    In his words: “A failed state is where there is erosion of legitimate authority, where there is instability and the country cannot afford to provide public services like the provision of light, good roads, water supply and security services.

    “In Nigeria, there is a serving national and state Assemblies providing quality legislative services and issuing out good and quality legislations for the good governance of the country and the states.

    But the former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade and Col. Joe Achuzie (rtd), who also spoke at the Enugu event, said the situation in the country had gone so bad that the present leaders must go beyond rhetoric and seek solution to “what has obviously become a complex problem for the country.”

    Akinrinade, who attributed the problem of the country to the constitution which was handed over to us by the military, insisted that a democratic nation state like Nigeria cannot be ruled by military fiat. He was of the view that efforts should be made to prepare acceptable and workable constitution for the nation by Nigerians themselves.

    Achuzie pointed out that the existence of many nations within the country was becoming a major threat to its continued existence as one nation, explaining that the national conference would help in addressing the challenge.

    “Unless we go back and convene a national conference where all the ethnic nationalities will say how they will co-exist, there will be no movement forward. Something must be done to rescue the situation,” he said.

    Former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, said the IYM’s call for national conference was faultless. “I agree with IYM that Nigeria must have a national dialogue, “if not for anything else, after 100 years of our existence, we should be able to talk about ourselves, we will remain together but we have to understand ourselves.”

    Mr. Solomon Asemota, SAN, in his contribution, said “the constitution we are operating now is very defective. Even the National Assembly has agreed to that and that’s why 60 areas have been short-listed for amendment.

    But the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, in his speech said President Goodluck Jonathan and indeed the federal government was not against the convocation of a National Conference, but that the agitators of such conference should organise themselves and meet with both the president and the leaders of the National Assembly.

    “We’ve all agreed to a national conference but at this time, we should be able to go beyond calling for national conference and initiate action towards realising same. Even the president himself has never said he is opposed to the conference but we need the right calibre of men and women to go to Abuja and demand from both the president, who is heading the executive and Senator David Mark, who is heading the legislature, on the need to convoke a national conference.

    Prof. Mark Odu, in a paper presented at the occasion, titled: ‘Ndigbo: Identity crisis has ended,” said “only people who are relevant to a people will lead them from here on, just as the era of cash and carry politics is at an end and our identity, born of our history, should dictate our trajectory.

    ‘Ndigbo should have no other identity crisis to move on in Nigeria. They should just make up their minds about what is right, proper and in the general good of Nigeria and use their population to move Nigeria there,” he said.

    Other eminent Nigerians in attendance, included Chief Guy Ikoku and Prof. Felix Oragwu.

     

     

  • Ajimobi, Ladoja’s pact collapses

    Ajimobi, Ladoja’s pact collapses

    Signs of a major crack in the political alliance between the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and a former governor of the state, Rashidi Ladoja, may likely alter the political dynamics in the pacesetter state ahead the 2015 general elections, reports Remi Adelowo

     

    It was ex-governor Rashidi Ladoja that fired the first salvo. In an interview with a national newspaper some weeks ago, he had accused incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi, of alleged poor performance in his close to two years in office.

    Amongst other issues he raised in the interview, Ladoja was unsparing in his criticism of the Ajimobi-led administration’s urban renewal programme, infrastructural development policy, construction of a new five-star hotel in Ibadan, to mention but a few.

    Response from the state government was swift. About two weeks ago, the State Executive Council, at the end of its weekly meeting, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return some properties belonging to the state that were allegedly seized from Ladoja in the wake of his arraignment in court sometime in 2009 for allegedly selling some shares belonging to the state government running into hundreds of millions of naira to private cronies.

    For keen watchers of the state politics, Ladoja’s outbursts were not unexpected. Sources revealed that after initial procrastination, the former governor, following pressures from his supporters, may have made up his mind to challenge Ajimobi for the governorship seat in 2015.

    In the last one year, Ladoja, who is the leader of Accord Party in the state, according to sources, has been busy strengthening his party’s structures across the 33 Local Government Areas in the state.

    Apart from this, his actions and utterances of his party’s spokesman, Chief Dotun Oyelade, against almost every policy of the state government, has turned Ladoja into the main opposition figure in the state.

     

    How the 2011 alliance was struck

    It was one election that was keenly contested. But in the end, Ajimobi, the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was declared the winner, beating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Adebayo Alao-Akala and Accord Party’s Ladoja to second and third places, respectively.

    The State Assembly election was no different. The ACN won 13 seats, PDP got 11, while Accord clinched 10. According to sources, this scenario presented Ajimobi with no other choice but to reach an accord with Ladoja, who, according to his close associates, was approached by PDP leaders to work with the party in the election to produce the leadership of the state assembly.

    For Ajimobi and his party, allowing PDP to produce the speaker would be akin to committing political suicide. To ensure the stability of his government, the governor allegedly exploited his blood relationship with Ladoja (both are said to be cousins) to cut a deal.

    Compromises were made by both sides. In the end, ACN produced the speaker in the person of Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu, an indigene of Oyo town, while Accord got the deputy speakership slot. In addition, Accord nominated two of its members as commissioners and also got some local government chairmanship seats.

    However, the governor’s deal with Ladoja allegedly did not go down well with some chieftains of his party, who were of the opinion that given a reversal of circumstances, Ladoja would have breached such an agreement. The Nation gathered that those opposed to the alliance were also said to have impressed it on the governor that alliance or no alliance, Ladoja’s ambition to return to the government house overrides any other consideration.

    But the governor refused to bow to this pressure. According to sources close to him, he was never tired of telling critics of his action that his word to include members of the opposition in his government remains sacrosanct.

    In a newspaper interview sometime last year, the governor said,  ‘Agreed that these people (opposition party members) in my administration belong to opposition parties, they are not indigenes of opposing states. So, they are entitled to contribute their quota in our quest to reposition the state.’

     

    How things fell apart

    Sources in the governor’s camp said ambition, rather than any other consideration, is the motivating factor behind Ladoja’s recent criticisms of the Ajimobi-led administration. ‘The man (Ladoja) is obsessed about his desire of staging a comeback to the government house,’ said a source.

    Until Ladoja finally decided to take another shot at the governorship election, opinions were divided among his close associates on whether the former governor should contest again, given his age (he is in his mid-60’s). At some point, said a source, Mr. Bisi Ilaka, Accord Party’s senatorial candidate for Oyo Central in the 2011 elections, was penciled down as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2015 election.

    But majority of the party members allegedly argued that Ladoja remains the best bet for the next election due to his perceived popularity in the state. They won. From this point, AP leaders allegedly resolved to begin a massive propaganda against the incumbent governor.

     

    Ajimobi fights back

    While the governor has tactically refrained from openly exchanging words with Ladoja, he is said not to be taking the challenge from the former governor with kid gloves. According to a source, this latest stance may have informed the state government’ call on the EFCC to speed up the prosecution of Ladoja and Ajimobi’s immediate predecessor, Akala, over corruption charges. While Ladoja’s case has been in court since 2008, Akala’s case began early last year.

     

    His other strategies

    Though the governor has not formally declared his interest in seeking for a second term in office, there are strong indications that he may do so later in the year.

    The governor, it was gathered, has been busy reorganising his party, a responsibility that he assumed, following the death of the ACN leader in the state, Alhaji Lam Adesina. Just last week, the governor met with elders of the party from the three senatorial zones in the state. The parley was preceded by the governor’s meeting with members of the party across the state, including local government chairmen, who, at another meeting, endorsed the governor for a second term.

    Besides redoubling his efforts in the urban renewal programme of his administration, intensification of the infrastructural development across the state, the governor, in a very quiet manner, is also maintaining his cordial relationship with different power blocs in the state and individuals.

    These power blocs, it was gathered, include civil servants and pensioners, traditional rulers and opinion leaders, while in spite of rumours of a friction, the governor’s relationship with powerful individuals like Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, seems to be waxing stronger every passing day.

     

  • Rumble in Imo over Ihedioha’s governorship ambition

    Rumble in Imo over Ihedioha’s governorship ambition

    The speculated ambition of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, to contest the Imo State governorship seat in 2015 is expectedly generating ripples within the political landscape of the Southeast state, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo

     

    For 14 uninterrupted years, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Chukwuemeka Nkem Ihedioha, has remained a constant figure in the corridors of power.

    Starting out in 1999 as one of the media aides of the then Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Ihedioha, in 2003, contested and won election to represent Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency in the Lower House of the National Assembly. And since then, there has been no looking back for Ihedioha, who is a Knight of the Anglican Church.

    From being a floor member of the House, the lawmaker, described by sources as ‘a deft politician’, was later elected as the chief whip of the Green Chamber in 2005, a position he held before his election, by his colleagues, as Deputy Speaker in 2011.

    Now serving his third term as a legislator, Ihedioha like all ambitious politicians, is allegedly dreaming for post-2015 dispensation, with unconfirmed speculations indicating that he is set to challenge Governor Rochas Okoracha for the Imo State governorship seat.

    Findings by The Nation, however, revealed that not all major political stakeholders in Imo State are favourably disposed to Ihedioha’s ambition. His critics are accusing the Deputy Speaker of sundry allegations, bordering largely on his alleged ruthless style of politicking.

     

    The zoning controversy

    Many politicians, particularly in Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala, are up in arms against Ihedioha for allegedly jettisoning the zoning accord between Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala. As the story goes, the two local government areas in 1998, resolved to rotate the seat of the constituency in the Lower House every four years.

    Sources disclosed that it was on the basis of this gentleman’s agreement that the lawmaker from Ngor-Okpala, who was elected in 1999, served for only one term before stepping down in 2003 for another candidate from Aboh Mbaise, who happen to be Ihedioha.

    But to the surprise of everyone, Ihedioha has refused to step down, allegedly using his close relationship with the powers-that-be in Abuja to hold on to his seat. For this, according to a source, many politicians in his constituency have not forgiven him.

     

    His battle with Bethel Amadi, other stakeholders

    Ihedioha and Hon. Bethel Amadi have a few things in common. Both are members of the House of Representatives, the lawmakers also hail from Imo State. But that is where the similarities seem to end. The two young politicians, in spite of public posturing that a cordial relationship exists between them, are not the best of friends, The Nation reliably gathered.

    The crux of their frosty relationship, according to reliable sources, may not be unconnected to how Ihedioha allegedly schemed out Amadi from the seat of Chief Whip, in a move that was described as a ‘palace coup’ against Amadi, who is currently the President of the African Parliament.

    Another politician alleged to have an axe to grind with the Deputy Speaker is Independence Ogunnewe, a former member of the House of Representatives. Ogunnewe, from Imo State, was one of the ‘rebel’ lawmakers, who include Dino Melaye, that were suspended for several months by the Dimeji Bankole-led House in 2010, sequel to a botched attempt to effect a change in leadership of the House.

    Ogunnewe, it was gathered, was alleged to have put his travails squarely at the doorsteps of Ihedioha, an allegation that a political associate of the deputy speaker stoutly refuted. “The decision to suspend Ogunnewe and others was taken by a unanimous decision of the House. The deputy speaker had no hand in it,” the associate told The Nation.

    Critics of Ihedioha are also accusing him of being the brain behind the removal of Dr. Ada Okwonu as the running mate of former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, in the 2011 general elections. Ihedioha, it was alleged, had prevailed on Ohakim to drop Okwonu, said to be his in-law, in favour of Professor Violet Onwuliri.

    Mention was also made of the omission of Okwonu’s name from the ministerial list, with Onwuliri again the lucky beneficiary.

     

    Ihedioha vs. Okorocha

    With speculations rife that Okorocha is allegedly interested in a second term in office come 2015, stakeholders in Imo politics are already predicting a big battle between him and Ihedioha, who though has not formally indicated his interest in the race, but is allegedly putting necessary structures in place to enable him actualise his ambition in 2015.

    The battle between the two political office holders is currently being fought through proxies, with indications suggesting the feud may assume a more frightening dimension in the months ahead.

    In the last one year, Okorocha has been having a running battle with the ousted local government chairmen in the state over their tenure of office, which the state government insists has long come to an end, while the former LG bosses think otherwise.

    The thinking in the governor’s camp is that the long-drawn battle between the former local government chairmen and Okorocha could not have been possible without the backing of some influential indigenes of Imo State, including Ihedioha, who is alleged to be bankrolling the prosecution of the several court cases instituted by the chairmen against the Imo State Government.

     

    Countdown to 2015

    The Nation investigations revealed that Ihedioha, conscious of the opposition his perceived ambition may face in certain quarters, is not leaving any stone unturned to plug all  loopholes.

    According to a source, some powerful Presidency officials are yet to forgive the deputy speaker for aligning with certain forces within the House and beyond for breaching the zoning arrangement in the election of principal officers of the Lower House in 2011.

    Ihedioha, according to a source, has been making spirited efforts to warm his way back into the good books of the powers-that-be, but a few Presidency officials, it was gathered, are still adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude on whether or not to throw their weight behind Ihedioha’s ambition.

     

  • Prospects for Igbo president of Nigeria in 2015

    Prospects for Igbo president of Nigeria in 2015

    It was not by mere conjecture or political gamble that the United Progressive Party (UPP) resolved to zone the presidential ticket of the party for the 2015 presidential election to the Igbo people of the South East geo-political zone of Nigeria. The decision to hand over the presidential flag of UPP for the 2015 election to a credible and qualified Igbo person was borne out of a deep research and highly intellectual analysis of the potential but latent political movement of Nigerian masses which only the Igbo have the natural force to galvanise and lead.

    Ndigbo: A minority with a unique majority political force (a) It is a fact of Nigeria’s man-made geo-political structure that the core Igbo people of Nigeria have been confined to five (5) out of Nigeria’s 36 states structure. Ndigbo have for several decades lamented over this lopsided structure designed and executed by the military junta that ruled Nigeria after the Biafra – Nigeria war which ended in 1970 or 43 years ago. This has left Nigerians, including some unwary Igbo people, with the erroneous impression that Ndigbo are the least populated ethnic group in Nigeria and therefore least likely to ever win any presidential election in Nigeria in a democratic contest.(b) It is also axiomatic and beyond any debate that Ndigbo constitute the second largest ethnic group in the remaining 31 states of Nigeria.

    Put differently, Ndigbo are the largest minority group in all of the remaining 31 states of Nigeria. Implicit in this unrivalled geographical spread in Nigeria is an intimidating political force which can surmount any political obstacle in a democratic encounter for the presidency of Nigeria if effectively mobilised, deployed and managed. (c) It is unarguable that minority groups whether religious or ethnic share common experience and face the same kind of problems in the states of Nigeria where they are domiciled. Even where such groups are indigenous in those states, they remain victims of oppression for as long as they are in the minority.

    Expectedly, these more vulnerable groups have always looked up to the larger minority group which is Igbo to lead them in a concerted effort for political protection from their majority over-lords and oppressor

    It is only on the platform of a truly progressive political party that is insulated from the control and ownership of cabals that can be trusted to mobilise over-whelming majority of Nigerians for an enduring political revolution in Nigeria

     

    UPP as the solution

    The United Progressive Party (UPP), with the tiger head as its symbol, is a mass movement, pure, and unencumbered. There are no money bags, cabals, political god-fathers laying claim to its ownership and control. Our party’s progressive credential is unassailable.

    Our candidates in all forth- coming elections shall emerge democratically, without the usual imposition of candidates that characterise other parties. UPP is the miracle of 2015. We are here to challenge the status quo and nothing shall be the same any more. The people shall from the next general election take their destiny in their hand through the instrumentality of the United Progressive Party (UPP).

    In UPP, what we need and that is what we are working for, is a coalition of progressive forces on the undiluted and untainted platform of the United Progressive Party to overthrow the forces of oppression and retrogression.

    Nigerians must come to terms with the hard fact that the missing third leg in Nigeria’s political tripodal sub-structure is fully resurrected through the United Progressive Party (UPP).

    We are fortified and geared towards an epic democratic battle with reactionary forces.

    Chief Okorie (Oje Ozi Ndigbo) is the National Chairman of United Progressive Party (UPP)

  • Merger: Redefining the territory

    Merger: Redefining the territory

    THE merger of parties standing in opposition to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, while still awaiting consummation, is already creating ripples in the right places. The PDP that has consistently boasted that it would rule the country for a minimum of 60 years is gradually accepting that there could be an earthquake that could cause an unprecedented change on the political scene.

    Our political history bears eloquent testimony to the fact that alliances, mergers and coalitions have not worked, despite a demonstration that it is the way to go and clear indication that it is the wish of the people that there should be two broad political tendencies to allow for choice, previous attempts at combination of forces have always ended in grief. The closest to success was at the inception of the current dispensation when the All Peoples Party and the Alliance for Democracy, having watched the electoral trend, decided strategically to combine efforts by producing a joint presidential ticket.

    The parties decided to field Chief Olu Falae of AD on the platform of the APP. His running mate was a powerful voice in the caliphate and security circles, the Marafan Sokoto, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi of the APP. They ran a good race but missed the mark mainly because the leaders had to adopt an emergency approach. They sought to change the rules while the game had commenced. The PDP had already been seen by the electorate as the only party capable of winning the election. It is not even clear if victory for the APP would have served the purpose of stability and development.

    The All Progressives Congress initiative is certainly welcome. The leaders appear to have taken some lessons from previous experiments. First, it is gratifying that the moves are being made very early, at a time that the next general elections are still about two years away. Second, they have opted for a merger, rather than a quick-fix coalition that more often than not confuses the people. A merger appears organic. It reassures the electorate that the promoters are ready to do business and take risks.

    Besides, the estranged elements in the ruling party are duly served notice about an alternative route to power. It is obvious that the only glue holding the PDP together today is the patronage power. The slogan “Share the Loot” is fitting for the conduct of its leaders. In almost 14 years, the party has provided rudderless leadership and beneficiaries of the pernicious arrangement foisted on the country by the military are held together by the greed for largesse of office. The other route has remained unattractive as the outcomes of the presidential election, year after year, were known before the votes were cast.

    The APC, from what I have seen so far in these early days, could break the jinx. The leaders have to watch out especially for spooks that have been planted, at a price, by a ruling party that realises that a change is about being forced. Leaders of the {DP are not so dumb as to miss the frustration in the system. The youths are particularly restive and could go to any length to secure their future. They have realised that poverty and squalor speak a universal language.

    The name APC brought vividly to my memory years of childhood when the APC tablet, along with Phensic, codeine and iodine were always in the family first aid box. Any child who gave indication of body pains would get a dose of codeine; phensic was the first choice to attack an early hint at fever. When phensic proved inadequate in tackling the crisis, the APC is called to action. Would this APC be as effective as the APC tablet of those days?

    There is also the military hardware, Armoured Personnel Carrier. Until the National Party of Nigeria bought a number of those ferocious machines for the Police in the Second Republic, I had no knowledge they existed. To protect the rogue party in power, the APC were ordered to confront the opposition. But, the resolve of the people could not be so effectively checkmated. The voters who know the quality of governance they had got from the NPN over four years rose against the attempt to subvert their common will. The APCs could not save the Shagari regime.

    In recent years, the APC has been called to action by state governors to combat the menace of armed robbery, especially in the South West. It has been largely successful

    So, to what action is the new APC being called: to work for or against the people? There are, indeed, many obstacles to scale. The legal, as we had pointed out in the earlier piece on this subject, is easier to surmount. The political hurdle requires much more tact, perseverance, partnership with the people and adept tackling of the ruling party. The bottom line is how the APC leaders go about coupling the party together. Do they have a story to tell? Can they manage to convince the people that they mean well and have a programme to sell? Have they done their homework in terms of what to do to jump start the economy? Can they manage to win the support of the youths all over the country? These are daunting tasks. The next six months would give us opportunity to see what this modern version of APC is? Would it be as ubiquitous and effective as the tablet? We can only keep vigil at our posts?