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Tag: 2015

  • 2015: APC seeks parties’ involvement in timetable implementation

    2015: APC seeks parties’ involvement in timetable implementation

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the weekend urged the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to involve all political parties in the implementation of the 2015 election timetable.

    APC said that with such involvement, Jega would absolve himself and the commission of blame, accusation and suspicion.

    Interim Chairman, FCT, APC, Sen. Sidi Ali, made the call at the inauguration of FCT, APC interim executive in Gwagwalada, Abuja.

    Sidi insisted that the problem with the country is lack of free and fair elections, adding that it is time for political parties and its members to contribute to a free and fair election.

    His words: “We have seen that INEC is making an attempt to improve on elections but political parties have a serious part to play in this.

    “INEC should allow all political parties to be part and parcel of all implementations from the setting up of timetables, delivery of sensitive and non-sensitive material, the parties should be present for the delivery of these items as it is being handled by INEC.

    “The problem of this country is free and fair election. It is time for political parties and we the members of political parties to give our own contribution to a free and fair election.

    “All political parties participating in an election should be fully aware of where these materials are kept, be it the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or INEC office wherever INEC decides to keep them.

    “If the materials are in the Central Bank, all parties should witness its movement, the material should only be moved again in the presence of representatives of all these political parties participating in that election whether it is being moved from the national to states, or even local councils.

    “And from the individual INEC offices, political parties should be there to witness its movement to polling centers.

    “There are things happening in the ICT departments of INEC that parties need to know, there are things happening at the voters registration unit, parties need to know, they should allow all the parties to be involved in all the necessary important information.

    “In the spirit of the freedom of information, I believe that if INEC will freely open its door to all political parties, I want to say that the accusations and suspicion on the INEC chairman will be reduced considerably or be resolved.”

  • 2015: Why I’m consulting,by Atiku

    2015: Why I’m consulting,by Atiku

    Associates of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the Southsouth were yesterday split between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), as preferred platforms in place of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The leadership and stalwarts of the APC, following a courtesy visit to Atiku on December 18 last year, invited him to join the opposition party.

    He assured them that he would consult with his associates before taking a decision.

    Atiku began extensive consultations at home and abroad and last week stepped up the tempo with consultative meetings in Kaduna, Abuja and Enugu.

    A vote at the end of his consultative meeting with his associates and political leaders in Benin City, Edo State, however, showed a near-tie by the attendees in their choice of a party to defect to.

    Forty-seven per cent of his associates supported his movement to the APC, as against 48 per cent for PDM. Only five per cent wanted his stay in the PDP.

    Atiku recalled that his political struggles, which began during the military regime, had always been about advancing democracy.

    He noted that the PDP, which he co-founded, is now a shadow of its past and has little regards for promoting democracy.

    “I do not have any problem remaining in the PDP, but it appears the party has a problem with me. I am not invited to BoT, NEC and caucus meetings, which I am qualified to attend,” Atiku told his associates.

    Noting that the decision to defect is one of the most difficult political decisions he has to make, the Turaki Adamawa said it is imperative that he consults his associates.

    He assured that the decision he would take would be predicated on the interest of Nigerians.

    “The most important thing is the future of the country and its people and not about me,” he said.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole extolled Atiku for his “enormous capacity to listen, engage and consult, but without any bitterness.”

    Atiku held meetings with Oshiomhole at the Government House and with the interim National Vice Chairman (Southsouth) of the APC, Chief Tom Ikimi at his home.

    The consultations continue today in Ibadan with a stakeholders’ meeting with the Southwest associates.

  • 2015: Bad omen all round

    2015: Bad omen all round

    “The president’s new ministerial list is not a reflection of the managerial competence of the appointees, or of the short time left in the president’s tenure; it is a reflection of the idiosyncratic belligerence of the president himself, his evasive and deceptive patriotism, his intolerable lack of fidelity to truth and lofty ideals.”

    Last week’s tit for tat between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is a reminder of the biblical story of the altercation between Israel’s King Ahab and the most prominent prophet of the day, Elijah. Responding to Ahab’s spectacular misrule, Elijah had decreed very harsh repercussions on the country, prompting the king to accuse the prophet of troubling Israel. But the prophet simply retorted that on the contrary, Israel was troubled by the king and his household. The outcome of the struggle between the king and the prophet is too well known to require any analysis. Ahab and his family later came to grief.

    Comparisons, the English say, are odious. But on Thursday, after the APC gave what amounted to a political ultimatum to President Goodluck Jonathan over his government’s increasing and rampant resort to undemocratic, if not entirely fascist, methods, and the PDP had retorted that the APC was attempting to truncate democracy, it was hard to resist comparing contemporary Nigeria under Jonathan with ancient Israel under Ahab. President Jonathan may not have taken anyone’s vineyard in the direct sense of the word, but he has done much worse by undermining democratic rule in Rivers State, involving himself in oil wells controversy, usurping state powers in favour of the police, and giving the general and depressing impression his sole idea of the presidency is to act and fight in favour of his party, supporters and people. It is difficult to explain why he is not unsettled and deeply nauseated by the brazenness of his methods in Rivers and the openness of the state police commissioner’s partisanship.

    The president’s wife, Dame Patience, ever so replete with testimonies of God’s goodness in her life, continually proclaims peace, love and national harmony. But she has been accused of being a puppeteer in the Rivers crisis, with direct links to the state’s commissioner of police, the recalcitrant and fawning Mbu Joseph Mbu. The first lady has done little to refute the allegations of undermining peace and good governance in Rivers State; instead, she has spoken cynically and condescendingly of contributing to the progress of her home state, and has undisguisedly nurtured a hostile attitude towards the elected leaders of that state. Indeed, she speaks peace, and has even christened herself the mother of peace. But she acts war and, in the background, fights it. It is likely that to the very end she will indulge in interminable battles, never retreating, never surrendering.

    It is against this alarming background that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC met in Abuja on Thursday to review the state of the nation, particularly the condition in which the misrule of the Jonathan presidency has diluted the country’s democratic experience and weakened its foundational principles. It was no longer realistic, they said, to tamely endure the battering and buffeting of the ruling party, in Rivers as well as elsewhere. It had become clear, the opposition party said, that both the president whose proselytising tendencies on social and political issues have turned dull and vacuous, and the PDP whose implacable resolve to demolish the tenets of federalism has become all too obvious, merely paid lip service to peace, institution building, economic development and federal principles.

    Having made these observations, and having been convinced that the ruling party had no interest whatsoever in conducting peaceful and fair polls in 2015, the APC has decided on a more activist path in pursuing its political objectives. It would block passage of bills, particularly the budget bill, and oppose the confirmation of the president’s men, including the service chiefs. Though it is not exactly clear how it hopes to achieve these delicate and draconian aims, the opposition party is doubtless able to discomfit the PDP in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The PDP has begun to fight back dirtily, as this column guessed it would. And if it is taken into cognisance that the opposition APC is still battling with fractiousness in its ranks, not to talk of the inelegant structural and policy distractions promoted by some of its more obstreperous and domineering state leaders, it seems clear that the auguries are not good at all.

    As the APC put it: “Following the forgoing and in view of the joint resolutions of the National Assembly on Rivers State, and other constitutional breaches by the Presidency, the APC hereby directs its members in the National Assembly, to block all legislative proposals, including the 2014 Budget and confirmation of all nominees to military and civilian positions to public offices until the rule of law and constitutionalism are restored in Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria in general.

    The NEC of the APC has now resolved that if these acts of impunity and lawlessness continued unabated and the Police persist in being as an enforcement arm of the PDP to the detriment of our members, it will have no alternative but to ask our teeming members all over the country, and especially in Rivers State, to take whatever steps that are necessary to protect their lives and property.”

    Unmindful of their party’s unhealthy contributions to the country’s lifelessness, PDP spokesmen have suggested that the APC’s plans to respond forcefully to the ruling party’s misrule were deliberate attempts to truncate democracy, create chaos and cripple the economy. As its wilfully misleading tactics in the National Assembly show, the PDP is expected to embrace the worst forms of realpolitik as the 2015 general elections draw near. The party has ignored the law and the constitution so far in Rivers State, and in the National Assembly, judiciary and in many other states; it will continue to do so eagerly, unconscionably and remorselessly. The secret service and the police have become indistinguishable from Aso Villa general office staff; the president will continue to run the two law enforcement agencies as if they are nothing but appendages of the ruling party.

    Going by the ministerial list awaiting confirmation, and in view of the extreme conservatism and pro-Jonathan inclination of the Senate, the president seems to be reinforcing his ‘war cabinet.’ He has the legitimate right to appoint ministers who will be an asset to him, and who could swing votes in his direction, but the appalling reality is that most of the president’s appointees have the same malicious and malignant mindset as Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State-born Minister of State for Education. The president’s new ministerial list is not a reflection of the managerial competence of the appointees, or of the short time left in the president’s tenure; it is a reflection of the idiosyncratic belligerence of the president himself, his evasive and deceptive patriotism, his intolerable lack of fidelity to truth and lofty ideals.

    If the APC were to be reluctant to respond in kind to the PDP’s damnable tactics, it could be smothered by the continuing misuse of presidential powers and the mischievous interpretation of the law and the constitution. Nevertheless, the greater burden is on the APC. Unlike the PDP, which has a fairly long and stable tradition upon which to swivel, balance and launch ferocious and overarching attacks, the APC is just starting to accrete its partisan powers, define who it is, locate its strengths as well as recognise its weaknesses, and mould itself into a united and disciplined fighting force. The opposition party, it is clear, is a child born in wartime. It will require perceptive, brilliant and selfless leaders to help it reach adulthood quickly in one piece, not to talk of acquire the strategies and manoeuvres necessary to outfox such an indomitable and relentless foe as the PDP.

    In the coming months, the country will find itself trapped between the PDP’s fiery lack of moderation and distorted nationalism at one end, and the APC’s intrepid and fanatical desire to challenge the ruling party, pound for pound, shell for shell at the other end. It would be chimerical to expect the country to fare very well between the two powers, not when the PDP can count on unnumbered and soulless state officials eager to betray every noble cause, including the country, and the APC can count on its Young Turks frazzled by intraparty contentiousness and weaned on harakiri.

  • Pdp defections: A pointer to APC take over in 2015

    Pdp defections: A pointer to APC take over in 2015

    The gale of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress, APC has been received by many commentators with mixed feelings. While some brazenly wave the defectors aside with uncouth commentaries, others have seen it as the desired light at the end of the tunnel for Nigeria’s chequered history. The PDP has suffered very serious depletion lately and the gale has not ended. Many more are warming up to dump the party that has prided itself for too long as the largest political party in Africa. Some of its members had boasted to citizens that the party will rule Nigeria for sixty unbroken years.

    The nation’s political landscape is daily becoming interesting with increasing dumping of the Peoples Democratic Party by its erstwhile loyalists. In the PDP of today, there is apathy, distrust, hatred, oppression, favouritism, impunity, dog -eat -dog, and several other negative attributes.

    But events of the last six months have seen the PDP high and mighty already jittery as we approach 2015 general election where the APC hopes to take over the leadership of the nation.  From the letter of former President / PDP BoT Chairman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan and the reply of the letter by Mr. President, and all the letters that followed thereafter indicate a PDP House of Commotion with several cracks. To stave off the obvious catastrophe of the dipping party, President Jonathan plans to change his cabinet any moment from now.  Last week, he had to sack his entire service chiefs and the Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur whose tenure was largely characterised by unlimited crises of various shapes and sizes was also pushed away. All who had defected from the party had insisted on the ouster of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur but a defiant Jonathan had insisted on keeping him on as his core ally whom he believes will give him the much sort after second term. But the rest today is history.

    Before President Goodluck Jonathan could spell Jack Robinson, the party under his watchful eyes had broke into two factions- One led by Bamanga Tukur and a splinter group led by Alhaji Abubakar Baraje.  From one litigation to another and from one funny court verdict upon another, the new PDP moved en masse into the APC. Five Governors of Kwara, Rivers, Sokoto, Kano, and Adamawa and their loyalists soon after defected to the APC. This shook the PDP to its foundations. Two other Governors of Niger and Jigawa who were part of the G7 Governors offered to tarry awhile.

    Only recently, 49 members of the House of Representatives formally dumped the PDP and joined the All Progressive Congress which has altered the equation at the House. Today APC stands majority! A similar scenario is playing out at the Senate where more than 22 senators had gone to court to challenge the plot to declare their seats vacant should they defect to the APC. This move and fear of the APC has stalled the resumption of the Senate after the Christmas holidays.

    The consequence of bad leadership and greed in the PDP is now face-to-face with all card carrying members of the party, including those who have been boasting of being the alpha and omega of the nation.

    The reasons for what has killed the PDP are not farfetched.  Leaders of a party in power ought to have listening ears from the generality of its members, this seems to be lacking in the crisis-ridden party.

    Those who left the PDP had told Nigerians that “In gross violation of the PDP constitution, which stipulates that the NEC meeting must hold at least once in a quarter, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and a few people have been running the party like a personal fiefdom without recourse to that important decision-making organ of the party.” Another issue is that the PDP leaders have no regards for the party’s constitution. Several incidences abound where national officers are removed by a state chapters with the backing of the National secretariat and the presidency.

    Again, the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike has been accused by the defectors of hiding on the back of the President to unleash mayhem in Rivers State. The Presidency have continued to deny having hand in the madness in Rivers State where, even the Nigeria Police, Force, Rivers State Command appear to be the official head office of the PDP! What a shame!

    But assuredly, the APC is set to take over the affairs of this country as it is gaining popularity by the day. More and more Nigerians are pouring into the party as its nationwide membership registration gets under way.  The APC is already showing to Nigerians that it has the x-factor to take over the governance of the country from the decadent PDP. More importantly, the APC will throw up candidates with experience in governance, candidates with energy, candour and spirit to surmount the nation’s myriad socio-economic and political problems.

    Unarguably, the APC is already providing the right alternatives in the states it is currently controlling. In Edo, ably led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole there are ample evidence of good governance and accountable leadership. Lagos is being properly transformed by Babatunde Fasola, Imo is being remodeled by Chief Rochas Okorocha and so on.  Clearly, APC’s emergence is for all Nigerians to get away from unfulfilled promises of the PDP, clean break away from abject poverty, disease and squalor and return of confidence to citizens.  The APC is committed to putting the nation back on the track of development to catch up with the rest of the world in infrastructure, science and technology, democracy and governance as well as social order in a globalized world.

    · Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

  • 2015: Time runs out for game changers

    2015: Time runs out for game changers

    Certain key office holders will be making way for their successors in 2014. Sunday Oguntola considers how the vacancies and successors may well determine the outcomes of the 2015 polls

    They could determine the next President of Nigeria. For political analysts and observers, they are the game changers. With them, the pendulum could swing in any direction. These game changers are the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Inspector of General of Police (IGP). No president can emerge without their active inputs and cooperation, some experts have said.

    A test of Jega’s resolve

    Of the lots, only the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, is guaranteed of remaining in office when the 2015 elections hold. Jega, who was appointed on June 8, 2010 as the nation’s electoral umpire, is entitled to renewable five-year tenure. This means he won’t be considered for replacement until June 2015.

    But even Jega’s ability to conduct credible elections has been dealt a serious blow with the fiasco in the just-concluded Anambra governorship poll. The poll was characterised by all manner of irregularities, starting from name omissions in voters’ list to alleged ballot-stuffing, violence, logistical challenges, inconclusive voting and cancelled votes.

    All of these forced the commission to declare the poll inconclusive, leading to a supplementary election in 16 local government areas. The 16 councils were Aguata, Awka North, Awka South, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Anaocha, Ekwusigo, Idemili North and Idemili South. Others were Ihiala, Nnewi South, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Orumba North and Oyi.

    At the end of the disputed supplementary election, widely boycotted by voters, INEC declared as winner, Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) amid serious protestations by opposition parties.

    Several interest groups, including students and women also held protest marches against the charade. Jega admitted the elections were fraught with serious challenges, blaming it on some compromised staff of the commission.

    That outing has fuelled fears that the country might be heading to electoral nightmares in 2015.

    Jega did not inspire much hope himself. Last week, he told Nigerians not to expect a perfect poll in 2015. Speaking during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja by the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, Jega said: “We are not promising perfect elections in 2015 but we are confident that we will do better than we did in 2011”.

    To Nigerians, that was an admittance of failure before the litmus test. So even though Jega is sure to conduct the general elections, barring unforeseen natural exigencies, many are already insinuating the Anambra debacle will be replicated across the nation.

    Anambra, they said, was a testing ground for what might happen in 2015. This is more so because President Goodluck Jonathan will be seeking reelection.

    Though the President is yet to formally declare, many believe he is already poised to win every critical agency to his side to achieve his ambition. With INEC’s independence a constant source of suspicion due to the President’s exclusive power to appoint its Chairman, some political observers believe Jega will be easily swayed to spin the results in Jonathan’s favour, should the needs arise.

    But supporters of Jega say he is an uncompromising, incorruptible umpire whose pedigree as an ex-ASUU President has remained constant.

    But Jega will be faced with a massive moral burden should the opposition present a Northern presidential candidate.

    The Kebbi-born former Vice Chancellor of the Bayero University, Kano (BUK) might be torn between favouring a president, who appointed himself as INEC chairman, or acting against one of his own. Going against one of his kinsmen will mean acting against Northern interest, a price not many are willing to pay. It is a dilemma that will stretch the moral fabric of Jega and test his conscience in no small measure.

    Will Jega allow the ruling party’s rigging machinery to run unhindered during and after the elections, simply looking away? Will he move against any such move and write his name in gold? One will have to wait till 2015 to know where the chief electoral umpire will pitch his tent.

    Crucial, game-changing vacancies

    The other office occupiers, Justice Aloma Muktar (CJN); Lamido Sanusi (CBN governor) and Mohammed Abubakar (IGP) will be leaving in 2014. Muktar, the first female CJN, was sworn in on July 16, 2012. She was 68. Born 20 November 1944, the nation’s judicial head will be due for retirement in 2014 upon attainment of the mandatory 70 years for service. This means in the event of an electoral dispute arising from the 2015 elections, Muktar will no longer be around to head the Supreme Court.

    Who replaces Muktar?

    The face of a modern, unbiased judge, Muktar demonstrated courage when, alongside Justices George Oguntade and Walter Onnoghen, she almost voided the outcome of the 2007 election that brought the late President Musa Yar’Adua and now President Jonathan to power.

    While Justices Kutigi, Katsina-Alu, Niki Tobi and Dahiru Musdapher dismissed the appeal by then presidential candidate of the All Nigerian Peoples’ Party (ANPP), Muhammadu Buhari, Justices Mukhtar, George Oguntade and Onnoghen believed the election should be voided.

    They maintained that the allegation of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2006 was proved by the petitioner. She also rejected an offer for an appointment as the Chief Judge of The Gambia, a ploy many believe was to ease her out of the system and prevent her emergence as CJN.

    That she won’t be around to head the Supreme Court’s hearing of the anticipated electoral dispute in 2015 is already seen as a big minus by many political observers. With her, they claim it would have been possible to grind the rigging prowess of the ruling party and secure judicial redress.

    With Jonathan vested with the powers to nominate the new CJN, there are fears that he could opt for someone who can watch his back, should electoral disputes become inevitable. The new CJN will emerge in December, few weeks to commencement of elections, a development that many say will further raise the stakes for the position.

    The website of the Supreme Court lists Justices Mahmud Mohammed, Nkanu Onnoghen and Ibrahim Muhammad as the three leading in the apex court. Though seniority remains a major consideration for the CJN post, it is unknown if Jonathan will break away from the expected tradition or pick someone down the ladder, who is considered amenable.

    Already, the appointment of Maj-Gen. Kenneth Tobiah Minimah as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) also indicates seniority might not always be a consideration for Jonathan. The Rivers-born artillery soldier was picked ahead of 31 senior officers. Minimah is a Course 25 member of the Nigeria Defence Academy while his seniors in Course 22, 23 and 24 were overlooked.

    Though the COAS is a political appointment with the President holding the ace, Minimah’s promotion is already generating ripples in the Army. Those ahead of him are said to be preparing for voluntary retirement to avoid reporting to someone under them.

    A military source claimed his appointment was to consolidate the President’s grip on soldiers during and after elections. At a recent Delta-Central Senatorial bye-election, electoral monitors alleged the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used soldiers to intimidate voters in Ughelli North, Udu and Uvwie local government areas.

    They claimed three Hilux vehicles brought soldiers to Okpe Local Government and snatched ballot boxes in favour of the PDP candidate. With Minimah, an Ijaw man, as the Army chief, observes say Jonathan has secured the backing of the military ahead of 2015.

    Whether or not, he might shun the seniority clause in the nomination of the next CJN remains to be seen. But what is without doubt is that the President will keep a serious interest in who becomes the CJN, knowing it might determine whether or not his election is ratified by the apex court in 2015.

    Fishing for Sanusi’s successor

    If it were just down to Jonathan, CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido, should have left office this January. The President was left fuming by the former’s allegation that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had not remitted $49.8 billion of crude oil proceeds to the Federation Account. Sources in the Presidency believe Sanusi’s claim, which he later admitted as an error, was to discredit the administration and score cheap political points.

    When Jonathan requested for the resignation of the bank chief, the Kano-born prince reportedly bluffed his call, saying only two-third of the senate can remove him. The tough-talking CBN boss has always insisted he won’t be available for a second term once his tenure expires on June 2. For the Jonathan’s camp, June 2 is a long time. It is a day they wished would come in few hours. Investigations revealed Sanusi is treated as a repellent. He is believed to be working to undermine the government.

    Last week, he was queried again for some questionable donations to opposition states. Presidential aides said the donations must have been to fund the activities of anti-Jonathan camps in the state. The donations include N4billion to Bayero University, Kano; N10 billion to Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; N500 million to the University of Benin and N100 million to the Kano State government. The donations considered ultra-vires were said to be outside the powers and functions of the CBN. All of these, as well as Sanusi’s outspokenness, have continued to ruffle feathers at the presidency.

    Thankfully, from their perspective, Sanusi will finally bow out on June 2. For an incumbent president seeking reelection, the CBN top seat is too important to leave for someone who will not play according to dictates. The President’s re-election machinery requires heavy war chests to woo the mounting oppositions and win over crucial figures. In a political environment where money remains a big decider, the President will be interested in cashing in on every opportunity to oil his electioneering machinery.

    With a sympathetic CBN governor, the coast will be clear to have unfettered access to state funds for electioneering purposes. This consideration, it is believed, will influence the emergence of the next CBN governor, another appointment at the exclusive prerogative of the President.

    IGP: To go or stay?

    Mohammed Abubakar was made the Inspector General of Police on January 25, 2012 in acting capacity. His appointment was confirmed last year. He enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on July 30, 1979, meaning he would have been in service for 35 years in 2014. Going by the statutory requirement, Abubakar should bow out of office this July. But this is hard to imagine.

    Political analysts said he enjoys the support and confidence of the President. His handling of the Rivers crisis, where police have repeatedly smashed opposition rallies, they say, is a pointer to what he could do in the run-off to the 2015 polls.

    The Force remains a critical component in elections. It provides security for voting materials, electoral officials and booths. Many believe the persistent allegations of rigging would have been no-issue had the Nigeria Police Force been up and doing.

    The re-election bid of Jonathan means he would need a Police chief he can trust to provide covering and possibly look away should rigging become the only way out. Abubakar seems to have warmed his way to the President’s heart so far, going by how opposition figures have been hunted and shut out. Yet, the records suggest he should retire this July.

    Will Jonathan allow him to go and enjoy a deserved rest, or will he accord him a tenure extension, much like former President Olusegun Obasanjo did to ex-police chief, Sunday Ehindero, to enable him watch over the contentious 2007 polls? The IGP remains in office at the pleasure of the President, just like other Service Chiefs. But what about attainment of mandatory 35 years in service? Or will Abubakar enjoy the favour Jonathan granted ex-Army Chief, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, who stayed two, long years after he clocked 35 years in service?

    How President Jonathan handles these vacancies will confirm how far he is bent on getting reelected come 2015.

    To go before election

    • Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN)

    • Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) governor

    • Inspector General of Police

  • 2015: Ogun Labour Party battles multiple crises

    2015: Ogun Labour Party battles multiple crises

    As opposition political parties perfect plans for 2015 elections in Ogun State, Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports on the multiple crises in state chapter of the Labour Party

    These are not good times for the Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP). The party, which a few months back was touted as the only opposition party ready to confront the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2015 general election, has fallen into troubled waters.

    According to close observers of the politics of the ‘Gateway State,’ trouble started for the budding political party following the decision of the ex-governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, to dump his erstwhile party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and move into the LP with his supporters.

    Daniel’s entrance into the party, some analysts claimed, altered some political calculations and consequently pitched the new entrants against some established interests within the party. As a result of the many frictions that followed, several efforts were made by the leadership of the LP in the state to dislodge the former governor and his men from the party.

    Since the beginning of the face-off between Daniel and the Simeon Olabode-led State Executive Committee of the party, the LP in Ogun State has lost its appeal, especially among politicians seeking a veritable political platform to challenge the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led APC in 2015.

    Besides, many of the known leaders of the party have either dumped the party in disappointment or are being ousted from their prime positions as a result of the intra-party wrangling that has turned the erstwhile beautiful bride of Ogun politics into a troubled platform.

    In a move that many pundits described as a lethal blow to the very soul of the troubled party, its leading chieftain and known financier for many years, Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye, a former deputy governor in the state, during the week, moved out of the party.

    Ogunleye, according to close allies, is on his way to the PDP. His decision to leave the LP, sources claim, is not unconnected with the decision of the national leadership of the LP to endorse Daniel as the leader of the party in Ogun State.

    ‘There is no way Ogunleye will stay within the party with OGD as the leader. He is out for good. This is a party Ogunleye nurtured in the state until it became attractive to politically displaced persons like Daniel. For the national leadership to say Daniel is now the leader, it means they are unappreciative of our effort in the LP. So, we are on our way to the PDP,’ an aide of the former deputy governor told The Nation.

    The Nation also learnt that most members of a group of state legislators, led by former Deputy Speaker, Remmy Hazzan, which defected into the LP late last year, are now contemplating dumping the labour camp. One of the lawmakers, who spoke to our correspondent, said they are no longer comfortable within the party with Daniel as the leader.

    ‘You will recall the unhealthy relationship between our leaders and OGD during the last political dispensation in the state. You will agree with me that there is no way our camp can be positively considered by an OGD-led party structure. Even prior to his confirmation as party leader, we have fought him all the way to the national secretariat of the party.

    We even reported him to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who called him and advised him to respect the people he met in the party. Also, he has been accusing us as the brains behind his recent suspension from the party. He knew we were loyal to the Ogunleye arm of the party here in Ogun State.

    “With Ogunleye out now, what will become of us if we stay behind? This is why many of us are seeking alternative platform now. Soon, you will begin to see the exit of most of the people that made LP look like a force to reckon with in Ogun State politics,’ the lawmaker said.

    Days before Ogunleye’s exit from the party was announced, the national leadership of Labour Party suspended the state chairman of the party, Simeon Olabode, and his secretary, Sunday Oginni.

    The duo were accused of allegedly adopting two governorship candidates ahead of the 2015 general elections. They were dragged before a disciplinary committee of the party in Ogun State, which would sit on January 15, 2014.

    But analysts say the allegation against the two is a smokescreen. They claim the two party leaders are being vilified for refusing to endorse the appointment of Daniel as party leader by the national leadership.

    And as if confirming the above view, the party headquarters, in the letter of suspension sent to Olabode and Oginni, also asked them to explain to the disciplinary committee, their reasons for expelling Daniel from the party.

    ‘The headquarters claimed the person of Otunba Gbenga Daniel was vilified, abused and called unprintable names by those who masterminded his expulsion from the party without recourse to party hierarchy. It is largely because of this that the National Working Committee, in exercise of its power under the constitution of the party, decided to suspend the chairman and the secretary from office pending the outcome of the sitting of the disciplinary committee of the party,” a party official said.

    To land into its current travail, the Olabode-led state exco had in December 2013 expelled Daniel from the party. The development was made known in a statement jointly signed by Olabode, and Oginni. Explaining the reason behind the decision, the official said “Our position was not a fight against those who have chosen to join our progressive mindset, but against the tyranny called Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD).

    “OGD as an institution he claimed to be has lost all traits of democratic ethos and pursues personal agenda rather than our collective aspiration. He is known to destroy political foundations of individuals and groups as evidenced by his destruction and destabilisation of PDP in 2011.

    Whatever he is today was made by PDP who gave him the lifeline in 2003 to become governor, but he later chopped off all fingers that fed him, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s.”

    “LP put Gbenga Daniel on probation for one year, starting from December 2012 to December 2013, but because of the trait of the mischief and callousness he had demonstrated so far and at certain times during his probation period, we told him to formerly resign his membership of PDP,’ the party had said.

    But in a swift disagreement, days later, the national leadership of the party not only upturned his expulsion but also saddled Daniel with the responsibility of repositioning Labour Party in the state. The National Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, stated this when he received the former governor of the state and some leaders of the party at its national secretariat in Abuja last week.

    The chairman said those that orchestrated the purported suspension of the former governor from the party in the state did not have the support of the party at the national level, adding that there were so many people claiming to be officers of the party at various levels that were not known to the national leadership of the party.

    ‘When we have people like you (Daniel), the devil will want to cause trouble and I must say that the party has come to some reasons and we have arrived at some decisions concerning the party in the state. We cannot say someone, who has served for eight years as a governor, should just go like that.

    “His alleged suspension is as a result of people who are afraid of his presence in the party. Daniel is the leader of the party in Ogun State and we have asked him to use all what he has to ensure we have victory in the state in 2015,” he said.

    Nwanyawu later handed over the party’s identity card to the former governor, asking him to use his wealth of experience to build the party in the state.

    But if Nwayanwu was of the opinion that putting Daniel in charge of the party would douse the tension within, he should by now be rueing his decision. Aside from the shocking exit of Ogunleye, The Nation also learnt that the party has been informed of plans by another leading light of the LP in Ogun State, Hon Abiodun Akinlade, to dump the party.

    Akinlade, who was recently endorsed as the party’s gubernatorial candidate by the embattled Olabode-led state leadership, according to sources, is worried that the coming of Daniel as party leader will truncate his governorship bid.

    ‘Except you want him to deceive himself, there is no way Daniel will give Akinlade the LP ticket for the 2015 governorship election. He is known to be an unrepentant supporter of Gboyega Isiaka’s ambition to rule Ogun State. So there is no lie in the report that Akinlade is thinking of dumping the LP in pursuant of his gubernatorial ambition,’ an aide of the federal legislator said.

  • 2015: Northern leaders plot new strategies to stop Jonathan

    2015: Northern leaders plot new strategies to stop Jonathan

    Northern leaders against President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election in 2015 are evolving new strategies to stop him following the gale of endorsements of the president, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    Following last week’s gale of endorsements of President Goodluck Jonathan as presidential flag bearer of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by some states and zone chapters of the party, leaders and elites of the northern geo-political zones are now plotting new ways of truncating his second term bid.

    The North-East zone of the party and some state chapters, including Bayelsa, Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa, Rivers and Ogun, had last week formally endorsed the aspiration of Jonathan to seek a new four-year term in 2015.

    The party leaderships in the affected zones and states also vowed to ensure the emergence of the president as the candidate of the party in 2015.

    Coming just around the time the president called for an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, many observers were quick to describe the endorsements as “predecessors” of many more to follow.

    “This is politics. It is a game of numbers and influences. What we are witnessing is usual in politics. Jonathan is the leader of the ruling party by virtue of being the president. How would you expect him to lose the party ticket? To whom will that be? These endorsements are the beginning of many more to come.

    “ When that happens, the party primary in 2015 will remain nothing but a formality.

    In fact, all other party chieftains hoping to drag the ticket with him will be discouraged from doing so by the widespread endorsement that is to come. It is politics and it is okay,” a chieftain of the party told The Nation.

    Determined not to be outplayed by Jonathan and his men in the battle for the presidency in 2015, northern leaders, according to reliable sources, have been meeting with a view to device means of countering the latest moves by the president and his political handlers to put his re-election bid on sound footing by securing the presidential ticket of the ruling party without any opposition.

    The Nation gathered that some northern leaders and organisations have embarked on a number of plots aimed at stopping Jonathan at all costs following what many of them described as the “shamelessly fraudulent endorsements of the president by some northern politicians, especially within the ruling PDP.”

    The Nation gathered that a group of northern politicians, including about six serving governors, recently met with former President Shehu Shagari to seek his opinion on recent development concerning the region’s quest for the presidency in 2015.

    Sources said the governors intend to visit other prominent leaders and politicians of northern Nigeria extraction in the coming week as part of renewed efforts to ensure the region is not caught unawares ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

    Some governors had last year paid similar visits to Shagari, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo; a former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; and a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

    While acknowledging the fact that Shagari is no longer an active politician, our source, who was part of the delegation that visited the former president said the visit was largely to keep the aged politician informed of developments within the country and seek his advice and guidance.

    “The visit is actually to inform and get advices. Alhaji Shagari, in spite of his age, remains one of the most respected politicians in northern Nigerian today. So it is not a big issue that we went to him to discuss politics.

    “The issues discussed were largely about the state of the nation and how to proffer solutions to some of the problems currently threatening the unity of this country today. We told him what is happening and he gave us meaningful advices accordingly.

    Of course the issue of 2015 presidential election was discussed. We went there to seek his opinion on a number of issues and like the leader and astute politician he is, he spoke with us appropriately.

    “He is not the only person we intend to meet. We are going round the region meeting with prominent northern leaders with a view to fostering unity, understanding and cohesion in the north with a view to ensuring that we speak with one voice always,” our source said.

    A reliable source also told our correspondent that series of meetings had commenced among anti-Jonathan camps in the region to determine how best to thwart the plan of pro-Jonathan camps to get the party to nominate him as its flag bearer unopposed.

    It was gathered that the anti-Jonathan camps in the region are now closing ranks across party divides while also reaching out to more prominent northerners and other interest groups within and outside the region in a bid to form a formidable front against the president ahead of the 2015 election.

    A reliable source said one of such meetings was held in the Kano home of a prominent second republic politician last Thursday. One of the major decisions taken at the meeting, which had about three scores elites and politicians in attendance, was that a five–man committee put in place at the meeting should reach out to all former leaders of the country of northern extraction.

    “The decision to contact all former leaders of the country was taken, following an observation by some people that it is important for us to know the mindset of our leaders before going all out against the current president. The committee is to meet them, discuss with them, seek their opinions and invite them to our next meeting,” our source explained.

    The Nation also learnt that the committee already met with two former military Heads of State. While our source would not say what the responses from the duo are, it was gathered that the committee, which is due to report back to the house at its next meeting scheduled for this week, will be meeting another ex-military ruler today in Abuja.

    The committee is also expected to meet the likes of former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar; the Niger State governor and Chairman, Northern States Governors Forum, (NSGF), Babangida Aliyu, Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, among other prominent northerners, on what should be the next step of the region towards the 2015 presidential contest.

    “We may not all be political associates. We may even differ on most issues, but one thing that is generally accepted by most northerners is that the presidency must return to us in 2015. This is why there is need for wide consultation on the recent stage managed endorsements of a non-northerner by some of our misguided political leaders,” Samaila Fari, Secretary-General of the Arewa Youth Forum (AYF), said.

    Shedding more light on the new plans by the north to stop Jonathan in 2015, Fari said one option being seriously considered is to shop for an alternative platform to the PDP.

    “While we are determined to stop Jonathan from hijacking the PDP for his unpopular re-election project, we are not losing sight of the fact that he may somehow get his will done by the party. This is why the issue of looking for an alternative platform is quite popular amongst us.

    “The good thing about what is happening now is that a lot of groups and individuals are jettisoning political and all other forms of differences to co-operate on this mission. Stopping Jonathan from taking the north for granted in 2015 is a project we all believe in. And this is why we are all coming together to devise means of doing just that,” he added.

    Another source told The Nation that the region may also return to the Courts in its bid to stop Jonathan in spite of an earlier declaration by the Appeal Court that the President is eligible to contest the 2015 election.

    According to our source, it is likely that some people will approach the Supreme Court for an interpretation of the judgement.

    “That way, we may be able to re-open the case and hopefully get a favourable judgement thereafter. We strongly believe justice was not done to the case by the Appeal Court in its ruling.

    You will recall that the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, had earlier said the battle against President Jonathan’s ambition in 2015 had just begun even with the court victory. Mr. Anthony Sani, the spokes person of the forum, once said the case against Jonathan would be taken to the Supreme Court for interpretation. This, we believe, is the time to do that,” our source revealed.

    Sources at another multiparty meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja, at the instance of a former president, which had representatives of the ACF, Unity Forum (UF), Northern Union (NU) and scores of other northern groups in attendance, claimed that the meeting concluded on the need for the north to drag the control of the PDP with Jonathan’s camp ahead of the 2015 elections.

    The meeting was said to have resolved to do everything possible to ensure the election of a northern president in 2015, while also checkmating Jonathan’s re-election project.

    “The meeting took place in the late hours of Wednesday in Maitama District of Abuja. Participants were generally displeased with the political and socio-economic fate of the north in the last couple of years. Participants deliberated on the imperative for consolidation and strategies towards ensuring the emergence of a northern president in 2015.”

    “Those at the meeting included officials of the ACF, NU, UF, MBF, governors, former ministers, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senators, a former Inspector General of Police, federal and state legislators, party chieftains and numerous other northern leaders.

    “The meeting resolved that the only opportunity we have is a democratic change of the situation and that can only be achieved through a joint effort by all northerners to reject the ongoing degradation of our region by the president and a few people amongst us. Everybody at the meeting emphasised the need for change, irrespective of which platform would be used to bring about that change,” our source said.

  • 2015: Group wants Olejeme to succeed Uduaghan

    Delta Leaders Forum has described Dr. Ngozi Olejeme as the best person to replace Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan at Delta State Government House in 2015.

    Chairman, Delta Leaders Forum, Chief Julius Akpomughe, in a statement issued in Asaba said Olejeme has all the necessary qualities to replace Governor Uduaghan as the governor of Delta State based on her track records in Nigeria and her political savvy which has made her the bride of all political groups in Delta State.

    “Anybody following her activities in the country, particularly Delta State will agree that she is the right candidate for the coveted post. She has the antidote to make the people happy and to carry all along”.

    Continuing, the leaders said “Even the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not unmindful of the unique leadership qualities inherent in her, so the party might eventually pick her as governorship flag bearer”.

    They also pointed out that the fear expressed by some politicians over transparency and accountability could be handled appropriately by Olejeme who will also continue with the three point agenda being carried out by the current administration.

  • 2015 as a defining moment

    Every nation faces challenges. The task of overcoming them and converting weaknesses to strengths are left to men who choose to rise to the occasion and are remembered in history as nation builders. In our clime, we are wont to look in the direction of the United States of America as an el dorado. It is usually presented as a country that had the table laid and the people invited to partake of a sumptuous meal at dinner. It is certainly not so. Heroes rose and fought with sweat and blood to free their country. It had to overcome challenges and roll away hurdles, obstacles and barriers.

    There have been many defining moments in the history of the country. Since independence in 1776, itself a major landmark, the people have risen up to confront restrictions to freedom that threatened to hold down sections of the country that would have held down the country. In the past century, such moments of achievements include the Women’s Suffrage of 1920; the Marshal Plan of 1947; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Armstrong’s walking on the moon in 1969 and the election of Obama as the first black President in 2008.

    After the racial barrier was removed through the Civil Rights Act by the heroic deeds of Martin Luther King and others, the President said, “No person in the United States shall on grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

    And, when Obama succeeded in overcoming obstacles in 2008, he acknowledged the contribution of heroes past in arriving at that juncture. As he was sworn in, he told his compatriots: ““If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. “The road ahead will be long, our climb will be steep… I promise you that we as a people will get there.”

    In Nigeria’s chequered history, there have been many important moments, too. The political turbulence of 1962-1964 was a stage in the political history of the country. The crises rolled over and culminated in the 1966 coups that threatened to reverse the gains of independence to pains. The civil war of 1967-1970 was another phase. Leaders were thrown up by the critical event. But, as did the first set of leaders after independence, the military rulers could not rise to the occasion. They were not statesmen and had no knowledge of history. They failed the military; they failed the people and failed the nation.

    The emergence of Murtala Muhammed as Head of State in 1975 up till the handover to civilian leaders in 1979 was another opportunity for transformation. It was another chance to reset the foundation of the country. The long-drawn transition programme was meant to effect a fundamental change in the fortunes of the country and polity. But, as usual, greed and selfishness took hold of the operators. Rather than be change agents, they were task masters who merely fended for themselves. The result was the termination of the life of the civilian government in four years.

    June 12, 1993 was another turning point in the history of the country. It was a day that Nigerians decided to break ethnic, social and political traditional barriers to national unity. Nigerians were resolved to have a President acceptable to all parts of the country. In Kano, where Alhaji Bashir Tofa, the NRC Presidential candidate came from, the electorate expressed preference for MKO Abiola of the SDP. Abiola triumphed at the poll, but the agents of darkness that had always held the country captive annulled the result. It was another missed opportunity. Each time Nigeria tried to break the mould, it was pushed down. The trend continued in 1999. The country was unfortunate to have Chief Obasanjo as the first President of the Fourth Republic. A tyrant could not rise up to raise the democratic bar.

    2015 is approaching. It is another opportunity. It is a turning point; a defining moment. But, as in other previous occasions, we are about to miss the point again. The wrong people are thrown up and are being used to drive the vehicle. No one plants oranges and realistically thinks he could harvest apples. We still have the chance of salvaging the situation. The time to act, work is now. 2015 could still be our defining moment.

  • 2015: PDP to offer automatic tickets to Senators, Reps

    2015: PDP to offer automatic tickets to Senators, Reps

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved automatic tickets for its members in the two chambers of the National Assembly for the 2015 elections.

    This was part of the peace deal reached between the leadership of the party and the lawmakers after a marathon meeting which lasted into the wee hours of yesterday.

    Apparently rattled by Wednesday’s defection of 37 PDP members in the House of Representatives to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the move was aimed at preventing more of the lawmakers from defection to the opposition APC.

    The national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, also got a reprieve, as the governors were said to have passed a vote of confidence in his leadership of the party.

    Sources close to the meeting informed our correspondent yesterday that wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, was able to prevail on the governors to allow Tukur continue in office.

    Although chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, would not confirm or deny the deal, sources close to the forum said the governors gave in to Mrs. Jonathan’s plea for Tukur to stay on.

    Those close to the President’s wife said Mrs. Jonathan was of the conviction that only Tukur could facilitate the 2015 presidential ticket of the party for her husband.

    Tukur, his deputy, Uche Secondus, and other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) first met with the governors Thursday night at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja for several hours.

    The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, had in attendance Governors Akpabio; Liyel Imoke (Cross River); Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe); and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa).

    Others were Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi); Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Ibrahim Shema (Katsina); and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim.

    After the meeting, the party chiefs had proceeded to the Transcorp Hilton Hotel where they joined the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha; and House Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola for another round of meeting.

    A good number of members of the House of Representatives also attended the meeting which was also held behind closed doors.

    Governors Akpabio, Yuguda, Shema and Imoke came to join the meeting at the the hotel at 10.42pm.

    In a brief chat with journalists after the meeting that ended after midnight, a visibly elated Tukur said: “I feel great because we spoke as one family. We resolved to work together as one family. The atmosphere of peace is already pervading our party”.

    Asked to confirm the automatic tickets granted the lawmakers, Mrs. Akande-Adeola simply said the meeting was called to strengthen synergy between the Representatives and the leadership of the party.