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Amaechi, Jang to renew NGF battle at NEC today

Who occupies the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman’s seat at today’s National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja?

Today’s meeting is the first since the disputed NGF election, which was won by Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who scored 19 votes to beat Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, who had 16.

It will be a challenge for Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who is the chairman of the NEC.

While majority of the governors were last night pushing for Amaechi as the rightful occupant of the seat, the 16 governors supporting Jang were lobbying the Presidency to concede the seat to the Plateau State helmsmen.

It was learnt that pro-Amaechi governors may walk out of the NEC meeting if Jang is recognised as the NGF chairman.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The governors have shifted the battle over NGF chairmanship to the NEC meeting.

“As the chairman of NEC, the VP will face a major test today on who to recognise as the chairman of the NGF, who plays a pivotal role at the council meeting.

“If Sambo recognises Jang, it could cause a split in NEC and if he does not, he will be working at cross-purpose with his principal.

“The alternative is for Sambo to rely on the ongoing case in court and assume full control of the NEC session but some forces in the Presidency will not like it.”

A governor, who spoke with our correspondent last night, said: “The real battle for the NGF chairmanship will be at the NEC meeting. Nigerians will now see the two camps in their true colours.

“Apart from the fact that Amaechi was validly elected as the chairman of NGF, it will be subjudice for the VP to recognise Jang. There is a subsisting suit against Jang for claiming to be the NGF chairman.”

Another source in the Presidency said: “The government is trying to address this issue; we envisage a smooth session at the NEC meeting.”

Amaechi, who left the Presidential “Mid-tern dinner for tansformation team” before it closed last night at the Villa, spoke with reporters.

He said it would be undemocratic if he was suspended by the PDP because he won the NGF election.

Amaechi said: “If the PDP is suspending me for that reason, too bad. We must learn to be democratic. I am not aware that the party has given any reason for suspending me; if that is the reason, too bad. The party is yet to give any reason for my suspension. I am not aware that the party suspended me for winning an election.”

The governor said he was not aware of any faction in the NGF as he is the forum’s authentic chairman.

“Was NGF sick? I don’t know about factions. We are holding NGF meeting and we agreed that those of us who were there should honour the President and attend the dinner. We have attended; you saw all of them; some have left and I am leaving too.”

On the way forward, Amaechi said: “That is the question to ask Jang and those who are supporting him. Those with me are in the majority.”

June 27, 2013
Army, Defence in budget control battle

A CRISIS of confidence has broken out between the Nigerian Army and its mother ministry – the Ministry of Defence – over the control of the former’s budgetary allocation for legal services.

The Army is contending that it should be allowed to decide how it expends its allocation for legal services, choose which lawyers should be briefed on cases involving it in courts, while the ministry seeks the involvement of government’s lawyers in the Ministry of Justice to conserve funds.

The Army has also said it lacked confidence in the quality of legal representation provided by officials of the Ministry of Justice and has distanced itself from some agreements entered into on its behalf by the ministries of Defence and Justice.

One of such agreements is on a suit over the land being occupied by one of its formations in Odogbo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The army, in its argument in a suit before the Federal High Court, Ibadan, marked: FHC/IB/CS/57/2012 said it would not abide by the terms of settlement the Ministry of Defence endorsed on its behalf in the suit, resulting from the dispute over the ownership of part of the land occupied by the Odogbo Barracks, Ibadan.

Copies of the court processes obtained by The Nation in Abuja revealed that one Alhaji G. O. Fagbohun had, on behalf of Olukola Oganla family, sued the Nigerian Army and three others in 2004 before the Federal High Court, Ibadan, claiming among others that part of the expanse of land occupied by the Odogbo Barracks belonged to his family.

Sued with the Nigerian Army in the 2004 suit marked: FHC/IB/CS/16/2004 include the Ministry of Defence, the Minister of Defence and the General Officer Commanding, Second Mechanised Division, Odogbo, Ibadan.

At a point, parties resorted to an out of court settlement, which crystallised into the terms of settlement between parties and which was endorsed by Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) for the plaintiff and Legal Adviser, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs G. E. O. Taiga for the defendants.

The terms of settlement was adopted on May 3, 2005 by Justice Benedicta Molokwu as the judgment of the court in the case.

At the instance of the Ministry of Defence, the defendants were represented, on the day of the judgment, by another senior personnel of the Ministry of Justice , Mobola Braimah.

In a fresh motion, filed by its lawyer, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, the Nigerian Army dissociated its self from the judgment, insisting that it was oblivious of the entire proceedings which resulted in the consent judgment.

It claimed not to have been served with processes in relation to the case and argued that having be sued as a separate party, it was entitled to personal service.

The Army admitted that the court granted the plaintiff the leave to serve all defendants by substituted means through the Ministry of Defence, Abuja, a permission the plaintiff complied with.

The Army also admitted that the General Officer Commanding, Second Mechanised Division, Odogbo was duly served, but argued that the service on the Odogbo Commanding Officer did not translate to personal service on it.

The Army denied authorising the Ministry of Defence to hold its brief; that it has a private lawyer, Yemi Akinseye-George of the firm of Messrs Yemi Akinseye-George & Co, who had represented it in past cases and whose services it still retain till date.

It also queried the sense of judgment and motive of the Ministry of Defence as regard the way it handled the case. The Army argued that the case was not only statute barred, the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to have presided over the case which related to dispute over land.

It therefore prayed the court to among others, annul the 2005 consent judgment and set it aside on the ground that it was allegedly obtained unlawfully.

The Ministry of Defence has denied any wrong doing, claiming that being the mother ministry to all arms of the Nigerian Armed Forces and by virtue of sections 217 and 218 of the Constitution, it was in a position to act on their behalf.

The ministry stated that the Army is just an arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces over which it has legitimate control and could act in its stead.

June 11, 2013
Guber race: New entrants battle old guard in Anambra

In Anambra State, new entrants into the governorship race are set to battle the old guard for party tickets. Dare Odufowokan , Assistant Editor, takes a look at the unfolding political drama

Ahead of next year’s gubernatorial election in the state, Anambra State is witnessing the coming of some new entrants into the governorship race, setting the stage for what analysts say may be an interesting political showdown between political newcomers and the old guards.

The politics of the south eastern state before now was believed to be in the firm control of certain old guards. Expectedly, since the advent of the current democratic dispensation, the same crops of politicians have been vying for the governorship of the state.

But in recent years, a new trend has emerged: new rivals entered the fray, challenging the usual aspirants for a chance to lead the state. During the last election, the incumbent, Governor Peter Obi, Senator Andy Uba, Annie Okonkwo and others in the old brigade met stern competition in the likes of Uche Ekunife, Kenneth Obidika, Victor Ezenwa, Kate Egwu and Emeka Nwandu, amongst others.

Across all the political parties, the new entrants battled the old guards relentlessly. So fierce was the battle that a number of the political parties had to set up several committees to look into the candidacy of some of the aspirants when it appeared that the competitions may harm the chances of the parties at the poll.

It took the Senator Ike Ekweremadu-led committee’s intervention in the confusion that followed the disqualification of some new entrants into the race for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship ticket to douse what nearly became a serious intra party crisis.

Other parties, including the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Action Congress f Nigeria (ACN) also had their fair shares of crises occasioned by the entrance of new comers into the race for their governorship tickets.

Though the incumbent Peter Obi went on to win the election, the politics of the state will never be the same again. That prediction appears to be very apt as emerging indications ahead of the 2014 governorship election are suggesting another political bout between the old and the new players in the politics of the state.

Notable politicians who have declared their intentions to vie for the governorship ticket of their various political parties are daily being told by party leaders and members that they will have to sweat it out with a growing number of first timers also showing interest in governing the state come 2014.

Checks by The Nation across the state revealed that more and more new entrants are lining up to contest the election. While analysts are quick to say not all of them should be taken seriously, they are also fast in adding that a few of them should be seen as serious contenders.

A cursory look at the personalities and financial muscles of some of the contending forces suggests that the battle to succeed Governor Peter Obi will indeed be a fierce one.

The old guards

Prominent among the old guards of politicians struggling to lead Anambra S tate post 2014 is Emma Anosike. A regular face among governorship aspirants in the state, he has featured in nearly all gubernatorial elections in Anambra. A former member of the House of Representatives and an ex-senator, he is a member of the PDP.

Anosike is once again oiling his structures to contest the governorship. Hailing from Anambra north, he is banking on the zone’s agitation to boost his aspiration this time around. He was the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in the last governorship election in the state.

Alex Obiogbolu, a medical doctor from Onitsha in Anambra North Senatorial Zone, is another returnee in the race to the Government House. A chieftain of the PDP, he has aspired to the seat once or twice before now.

A respected grassroots mobilise, the physician turned politician is currently going round the state mobilising youths and artisans ahead of the general election. His handlers say he is very optimistic of clinching the PDP governorship ticket this time around.

Chijioke Ndubuisi, a legal practitioner, is gunning for the governorship on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Party, (DPP). He is another old guard taking another shot at the governorship.

The Obosi, Anambra North-born politician contested the 2010 elections on the platform of the National Democratic Party, NDP. Though observers of the politics of the state are skeptical about his seriousness, Ndubuisi is busy moving all over the state in search of endorsement and supports.

Former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju is one surprise inclusion in the list of aspirants for the 2014 gubernatorial election in Anambra State. He was stopped from running for a second term under the banner of the PDP in 2003.

Following his recent return to the PDP, the ex-governor who hails from Ihiala in Anambra South Senatorial zone is lobbying that as the only governor who was denied a second term, he should be given the party’s ticket to contest the 2014 governorship election.

Dr. Obinna Uzoh contested the state’s governorship election in 2003 but lost at the PDP primaries. He later moved to the National Democratic Party (NDP) but failed to make much impact at the general election. The philanthropist is seeking the ticket of the PDP to contest the governorship in 2014.

Another former governor of the state, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, is back in the race. Currently an Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N) senator, he is expected to run on the platform of the emerging All Peoples Congress (APC) of which he is a prominent promoter.

In spite of his ouster as governor by the court in March 2006, Ngige has remained very popular in the state. Analysts say his popularity, which culminated in his election as a senator in 2011, is based on his performance while in office as well as his resistance of political godfathers.

Another PDP guber aspirant, Senator Andy Uba, like Dr. Chris Ngige, was a governor of Anambra State. He is currently the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District. He was also the Personal Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo

In 2010, he contested the Anambra guber on the ticket of Labour Party and lost. Now he wants the ticket of the PDP in his quest to return to the Government House in Awka come 2014.

In the race is also Senator Annie Okonkwo who represented Anambra Central Senatorial District in the past. He is aiming at contesting the election in 2014 but his political affiliation is still uncertain. He is said to be flirting with the ideas of either joining the APGA or the APC.

Former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who hails from Aniocha Local Government Area, is another returning aspirant. He lost the guber election in 2010, to Governor Obi, after his controversial emergence as PDP candidate. He is reportedly eying the PDP ticket again ahead of the 2014 governorship election.

There is also Hon. Uche Ekwunife, member of House of Representatives who tried to be governor of Anambra State in 2010 as a candidate of the Progressive people Alliance (PPA) and lost. Now a member of the ruling APGA, she wants the nod of the party to vie again in 2014.

New entrants

Mr. Ezeemo is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orient Group of Companies. The 58-years-old businessman and media mogul hails from Umunwayiekwosiduru kindred of Umuchu, Aguata local government area of the state.

The industrialist, who is a chieftain of the APC, has declared his readiness to unseat the APGA government in the state come 2014. He is going about his aspiration with seriousness and pundits say he is one of the men to watch in the race.

Chief Paul Odenigbo is another new comer in the governorship race. From Ayamelum in Anambra North, he is already reputed as one of the strongest bidders for Obi’s job. A foremr Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG), he enjoys the backing of party elders within the ruling APGA.

Former Minister of Water Transport and an indigene of Mmiata Anam in Anambra West Local Government Area, Prince John Emeka is aspiring to rule Anambra State on the platform of the PDP.

The former Minister, who recently told a gathering of party leaders of his desire to go for the governorship post, is one of the fresh candidates being thrown up by a group of non-aligned party chieftains within the PDP in the state.

Victor Afam Ogene is currently an APGA member of the House of Representatives representing Ogbaru federal constituency of the state. He is in the race for the governorship on the platform of APGA.

Ogene, an eloquent politician from Anambra north who made it to the House of Representatives in his first attempt is now banking on his popularity and acceptance to win the governorship contest.

Ifeanyi Ubah

Ifeanyi Uba, the Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas, hails from the Anambra South Senatorial district and he is in the race for the 2014 governorship contest. An ally of Chief Victor Umeh, the embattled National Chairman of APGA, Uba is optimistic of getting the party’s ticket.

He is regarded as one of the leading contenders for Obi’s job given his popularity and huge financial war chest.

Another aspirant, Oseloka Obaze, is also from Ogbaru, Anambra north senatorial district. Currently, the Secretary to the State Government and a good confidant of the governor, pundits say he might get the governor’s endorsement if he decides to contest.

Chike Obidigbo is another aspirant considered to have deep pockets to fund the race for the governorship. He is running on the platform of the PDP. A fresher who has not contested any elective position, his handlers say he has what it takes to win the party’s ticket.

May 26, 2013
Anambra 2014: APGA, PDP, APC set for battle

The governorship aspirants in Anambra State are warming up for the epic battle. Will Governor Peter Obi hand over to a successor from the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)? Will the opposition carry the day? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the chances of the parties and aspirants as the contest draws near.

Eyes are on Anambra State this year. Since the tenure of Governor Peter Obi will expire in March, next year, the next governorship election may take place in December.

Ahead of the poll, the face of politics in the state is changing. The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)is becoming fragile, owing to the crisis that has polarised the party. But the opposition platforms, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are waxing stronger. Analysts predict that the contest may be between the PDP and the APC, if the APGA refuses to put its house in order. There is the possibility that the ruling party may be totally weakened, not only because of its protracted leadership crises, but also because of the perception that Obi is becoming too intimate with President Goodluck Jonathan, and ultimately, the PDP.

The politicians nursing the governorship ambitions are coming out boldly. Their camps and structures are being fortified in anticipation of the epic battle. The governorship aspirants have started positioning themselves. Party activities have been revived because they are on the prowl.

Three parties are in contention. These are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which is fusing into the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Others, including the Labour Party (LP),the African Democratic Party (ADC) and the United Peoples Party (UPP)may become spectators on the poll day.

The PDP, which is the self-styled largest party in Africa, is plotting to return to power. The ruling party, APGA, is also having problems. Although its lone governor, Obi, has performed well, his romance with the PDP leaders has become an issue. When the Alliance for Democracy (AD) leaders started fraternised with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, they lost their territories. APGA is basking in the euphoria of the power of incumbency. But ACN has said that this will collapse on poll day. Sources close to the PDP disclosed that its leaders do not perceive the APGA as a threat again, since its leader, Obi, is at home with the President and other PDP leaders.

Three zones are competing for the slot in the state. Obi is pushing for power shift to Anambra North Senatorial Zone. He hinged his position on the real or imagined rotational principle. In his view, the district has not produced the governor, since a state was created out of it and Awka became its capital.

The Central Senatorial Zone produced Obi (2006 till date), Dr. Chris Ngige (2003-2006), Dame Etiaba (November 2006-February 2007).The South produced Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju (1999-2003), Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife (January 1992-November 1993) and Dr. Andy Uba, who was deposed by the court. Thus, in the last 22 years, the South has produced three governors and the Central has also had a stint. Anambra North has only been playing the second fiddle. The former deputy governor, Dr. Chidi Nwike, who was recently murdered in Asaba, Delta State capital, hailed from the zone. He was until his demise the National Vice Chairman of the ACN in the Southeast. Chief Chinedu Emeka, who was deputy to Mbadinuju, is also from the zone. The various groups and associations calling for power shift to the North have been strengthened by the governor’s position.

However, the aspirants from other zones are not deterred by this clamour. Notable APGA chieftains have even disagreed with Obi on the issue and vowed to resist his attempt to impose a candidate of his choice. Obi’s position on power shift appears very weak because the aspirants from the other zones seem to be stronger than those from the North. Therefore, observers contend that the North may end up producing another deputy governor.

The aspirants itching to succeed Obi include the ACN strongman, Senator Ngige, who represents Anambra Central, the federal legislator from Anaocha/Njikoka Dunukofia Constituency, Hon. Uche Ekwunife, Senator Andy Uba, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, and Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu. Others are Chief Olisa Metuh, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, Dr. Ifeanyi Uba, Prof. Charles Soludo, Mr. John Nwosu, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, Oseloka Obaze, Senator Emma Anosike, and Sir Godwin Ezemo.PDP has more aspirants than other parties. Among them, Uba is the strongest. Party leaders have described him as a brand. He has a strong financial base and solid structure. There are many people in the PDP who feel that Uba should be fielded as the consensus candidate, having won the governorship poll before, although the court nullified the election, based on the tenure controversy. APGA has a sizeable number of aspirants. But party sources said that other ACN aspirants would step down for Ngige.

THE ASPIRANTS

Ngige (ACN)

Ngige is a household name in the state. He is very popular. Many admire him for his courage and strong will. He is vocal on the podium and he has mobilisation skill. Ngige is running for the third time. He ruled the state between 2003 and 2006, before he was removed by the Appeal Court in Enugu, which ruled that Obi won the 2003 poll. The ACN chieftain has a good leadership style. As the governor, Ngige constructed many roads that have continued to remind the people that he cared for them. The roads opened up many commu-nities.He has told reporters that he is coming back to continue the good work. He explained that his motto now is: “Operation totality for restoration of the abused system.”

Ngige’s popularity has reflected in the outcome of past polls in Anambra State. His party won six House of Assembly seats, one House of Representatives seat and a senatorial seat. During the senatorial election, he defeated the former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof Dora Akunyili of the APGA.

Ekwunife (APGA)

Uche Ekwunife is a colourful politician. She is also a veteran governorship aspirant. The odds are certainly against him. Some felt that it would be easier for her to emerge as the deputy governor. But she debunked the rumour that she wanted to play the second fiddle. “If anybody is thinking of such a thing, it means the person does not understand what politics is all about. I was there in 2010 and I want to state it here again that I, Uche Ekwunife, will be running for the governorship of this state. Why should I vie for deputy? I am not joking about it.”, she said.

Ekwunife is contesting on the platform of APGA. She is from Central Senatorial Zone and the only woman running for the position at present. Currently, the federal legislator is the House Committee Chairman on Environment.Already, the aspirant has visited the 21 local government areas for the inauguration of her campaign committees.

Uba (PDP)

Andy Uba, who represents Anambra South Senatorial Zone in the Senate, is the candidate to beat at the PDP primaries. The senator is a serious contender. He is a tested and trusted politician in the conservative camp. Uba took off as a presidential aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In Aso Rock, he wielded much influence. Party leaders perceive him as a loyal party man who has worked for the fold with all his heart. Life is full of ups and downs. Thus, Uba’s political career has not been rosy. The senator tasted the carrot in 2007 when he was declared the winner of the governorship poll in 2007.He was in the saddle for barely 17 days before the court ruled that the election that catapulted him to power was held in error. Following the interpretation of the tenure by the Supreme Court, Obi returned to power.

In 2010, PDP denied Uba the ticket and handed it over to the former Central Bank Governor, Prof Soludo. Uba moved to the Labour Party, but he failed to make an impact. After the election, Uba returned to the PDP, where he has been consulting with stakeholders on his ambition to return to power. As a senator, he has embraced his legislative duties with a consuming passion. Uba is not a bench warmer in the Senate. He has also avoided controversies. Sources said that his consultation with the various stakeholders in the state over the 2014 project is yielding dividends. Although he has not formally launched his ambition, many chieftains are urging him to declare his interest so that mobilisation can begin across the local governments.

Analysts believe that Uba will definitely make an impact during the election, if he gets the ticket of his party. However, others are equally going for the same ticket. The gulf between him and his brothers has collapsed as both of them are now backing his ambition. This is an added advantage to him. The Presidency is also said to be showing keen interest in Uba’s ambition. That may also be the reason many PDP leaders are enthusiastic about his entry into the race.

Nwankpo (PDP)

He is the Secretary of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), which has been enmeshed in controversy. The Okija politician has been acquiring chieftaincy titles since 2012. During the flood disaster, he was at home to comfort the victims. However, some people feel that he is not a heavy weight politician.

Ukachukwu (PDP)

In 2010, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu contested the governorship on the platform of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), but he failed at the poll. Now, he is in the PDP. Today, he is back to the PDP. Already, he has taken a full duplex in Awka for his campaign, with his photograph boldly displayed in front of the building along Onitsha-Enugu Express Way.

Obaze (APGA)

A career diplomat from Ogbaru Council, Obaze returned to the state on Obi’s request to become the Secretary to the Government.Described as a gentleman and a hard worker by his admirers, Obaze replaced his younger brother in Obi’s executive council, Dubem, who was referred to as the de-facto governor of the state during his time as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.

Party sources said that Obi is promoting his interest in the ruling party because he is humble, intelligent, focused and hardworking. On this account however, some party chieftains are already having grudges against the governor. They have been warning that the party may be embarking on a suicide mission, if eventually he picks the ticket because he is a political neophyte.

Ezeemo (ACN)

Sir Godwin Ezeemo is preparing to rub shoulders with Nigige, His gestures to churches, markets, artisans, corporate organisations and has really brought him closer to the masses. This is ironic, because he stood behind the former governor in the period of trouble.

Ubah (APGA)

Ifeanyi Ubah is the Chief Executive of Capital Oil and Gas. He hails from Nnewi. Many people have attributed his recent travails to his political ambition. Apart from Ngige, Uba and Ekwunife, who are the front runners, Ubah is the next person in line that has appealed to the people.

In 2012, he distributed kerosene to many homes at the peak of scarcity, which hit the country. He ordered that a litre should be sold at N50 when it was being sold at N150 per litre elsewhere. Before now, he has supported the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, who is battling other party leaders for the soul of the party. His endorsement earlier by Umeh was what triggered off the sour relationship between Obi and his chairman.

Anosike (PDP)

Senator Emmanuel Anosike, who represented Anambra North, was replaced by Senator Joy Emodi, following the Court of Appeal verdict. He has been holding meetings in his country home, Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area, ahead of his declaration for the governorship. He was a member of the House of Representatives between 1991 and 1993.

Apart from these gladiators, there are other aspirants in other smaller parties. They include Dr. Chike Obidigbo, who hails from Umunya in Oyi Local Government Area. He is the Southeast Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). He is also an advocate of power shift to the North District.

Others are Dr. Alex Obigbolu from Onitsha, who was the chairman of the Anambra State Local Government Civil Service Commission. He contested the governorship in 2010 on the platform of African Political System (APS). Later, he defected to the PDP. He sees himself as the most qualified among the candidates. Though his backers are not known, but from all indications, he has a large following at the grassroots. The only thing that can hinder his chance is the lack of strong financial base.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, is also interested in succeeding Obi. He however, is studying the crisis in the party, which has failed to abate.

Other aspirants are John Nwosu and Patrick Obianwu. The list may swell as time goes on. Obi’s deputy, Emeka Sibedu, may throw his hat into the ring, a source said, adding that the pendulum may swing to his direction, despite the clamour for a candidate from the North.

The people are full of eagerness. The aspirants are on the track. The whistle will soon be blown by the electoral commission. Who succeeds Obi next year? The people will decide at the poll.

May 23, 2013
Firms battle over land

IN the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a piece of land is everything.

Its exorbitant cost has ensured that estate developers are always at loggerheads, slugging it out in both the media and law courts.

Plots 8, 70 , 77 and 97of Dakwo District Cadestral Zone C08 have been the subjects of such battles since 2010 as Messrs Broadfields Intermidiaries Ltd, Messrs Esil Baltimor Ltd, Messrs Unity Hills Garden Estate Ltd, Patmos Group of Schools, and Global Menillioum Ltd accused Falplins Nigeria Ltd of encroaching into their plots.

Falplins Nigeria Ltd has also raised the alarm in the media that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), accusing the Director of Development Control, Yahaya Yusuf of abuse of office and sentiments in the matter.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director, Patmos Group of Schools, Mr. Patrick Ehime explained to journalists that after meeting the requirements for allocation of a school plot, the FCDA allocated the plot to him.

According to him, on taking surveyors to the plot, he discovered that Falplins Limited had already erected buildings on the plot.

He noted that when he reported to the Development Control it was discovered that the firm had no title document and building approval, an indication of illegal structures.

His words: “I was given a school plot to build based on the requirement of FCDA. And after meeting the requirements I was allocated the plot. On getting here with the surveyor, we discovered that Falplins Limited has already built on all the plot. And I went to the Development Control to report. We discovered that he does not have title document; he does not have building approval.

“All the buildings he built on Plot 77, Plot 97, Plot 70 and Plot 8 are all illegal… But for you to get a legal plot, a legal house in Abuja, you must submit your drawing to the Development Control, with your title document. After verifying that your title document is authentic they proceed to give you approval.”

He also noted that a court gave a verdict on the matter last year restraining Falplins Nigeria Limited to Plot 102 measuring 13.5 hectares.

April 16, 2013
Achebe’s battle against prejudice

When we think of artistic influences, of the way each artist is shaped by his or her predecessors, we tend to do so in positive terms. But sometimes negative influences are even more powerful. Repulsion and rage give an emerging artist a sense of purpose and identity that are more useful than the desire to emulate. A good example is one of the great figures of 20th-century fiction, the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, who died last week. It is often noted that the title of Achebe’s groundbreaking Things Fall Apart, the book from which all modern African fiction emerges, comes from an Irish writer, WB Yeats. Less often acknowledged is that Things Fall Apart owes much more to another Irish writer, the novelist Joyce Cary.

In an interview in 1972, Achebe described what was on his mind in 1951 and 1952, before he wrote Things Fall Apart : “One of the things that set me thinking was Joyce Cary’s novel, set in Nigeria, Mister Johnson , which was praised so much, and it was clear to me that it was a most superficial picture, not only of the country but even of the Nigerian character, and so I thought that if this was famous, then perhaps someone ought to try and look at this from the inside.”

Cary spent much of his childhood in White castle, between Derry and Moville. He retained all his life a powerful nostalgia for Lough Swilly and the Donegal hills, recalled most vividly in his late novels Castle Corner (1938) and House of Children (1944). But like many from his background – a declining landlord family – he entered the colonial service, as assistant district officer in the Borgu region of northwestern Nigeria, between 1914 and 1920.

First published in 1939, Mister Johnson ran through eight editions in 21 years. It was adapted for a successful Broadway play in 1956 and (by William Boyd) for a less successful film in 1990. Most importantly in relation to Chinua Achebe, the novel was hailed in Britain and the US as the first “authentic” depiction of an African character. Time magazine called it “the best novel written about Africa”.

The eponymous protagonist, sympathetically drawn, is a young clerk working for the British district officer of the fictional northern Nigerian area of Fada. He attempts to ape his colonial master in dress, language and manners and to stand above the “common savages”. He tries to identify entirely with the imperial motherland. He sings: “England is my country. / Oh, England, my home all on de big water. / Dat King of England is my King.” He hero-worships his boss, Rudbeck. Johnson adopts the district officer’s manner: “He carries his shoes in one hand, his white helmet in the other, his umbrella under his arm.” As he enters a village, he “advances with the dignified steps of a governor-general in full uniform, picking his way among rubbish”. But this transformation is doomed. Rudbeck treats him with the “ordinary politeness which would be given to a butler or foot-man at home”, a politeness that Johnson mistakes for friendship. He and his wife regard the Nigerian as “comic” and “quaint”.

To make his aspirations to “civilisation” real, Johnson amasses unpayable debts, steals from the company that is bringing the railway (and thus “civilisation”) to the region, betrays his friends, gets caught stealing from a store, shoots a white man, is tried and sentenced to death. His last wish is to be shot by Rudbeck himself, a desire that is graciously granted. Johnson dies submissively, even happily.

The interesting thing about Mister Johnson is that all of this could have worked brilliantly as a mordant satire on colonialism. With just a little more self-awareness, Cary could have told the story in a deadpan tone, allowing it to take on a kind of grotesque comedy. Had he done so, Achebe’s rage at the novel would seem unjustified. But Mister Johnson presents itself as a kind of social realism and as an explanation of the African mentality. Cary can’t let the story just tell itself without authorial commentary. He can’t drag himself away from racist colonial attitudes long enough to satirise them.

So Cary writes of the African villagers as creatures without ideas, without culture, even without history: “Its people would not know the change if time jumped back fifty thousand years. They live like mice or rats in a palace floor; all the magnificence and variety of the arts, the ideas, the learning of the battles of civilisation, go over their heads and they do not even imagine them.” Johnson himself is incapable of having a past: Cary wrote in his preface to the novel that he used the present tense to drive the narrative because “Johnson lives in the present, from hour to hour . . . Johnson swims gaily on the surface of life.”

And yet this failure is what makes Mister Johnson such an important book in the history of African literature. It gave Achebe something to write against. His own African novels occupy the same ground that Cary tried to inhabit, that of the Nigerian caught between indigenous and imperial cultures. But of course he wrote the story “from the inside”, with the dignity and gravity of tragedy. Cary’s colonial prejudice proved much more useful to African literature than his well-meaning sympathy.

April 1, 2013
UK, Italy to join Nigeria’s battle against terrorism

Britain yesterday vowed to work with Nigeria to bring the killers of seven foreign hostages to justice as the death of the construction workers were confirmed.

Islamist fundamentalist group Ansaru on Saturday said it had killed the abducted workers of Lebanese construction firm Setraco.

The British, Italian, Greek and Lebanese nationals were abducted at a construction site in Jama’are, Bauchi State on February 6.

Ansaru posted a video of the bodies of the slain workers, which the British, the Italian and the Greek have confirmed to be real. The group said it killed the hostages to prevent an operation to rescue them, apparently referring to reports that British aircraft were seen in Nigeria.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague identified the Briton among them as Brendan Vaughen. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti gave the name of the Italian victim as Silvano Trevisan.

“We will work with Nigeria and other affected countries to bring the killers to justice and tackle terrorism in the region,” Hague said.

Monti promised Rome would use “every effort” to stop the killers.

A statement from Greece’s foreign ministry said authorities had already informed the hostage’s family.

“We note that the terrorists never communicated or formulated demands to release the hostages,” the statement said, but did not give the victims’d name.

The Lebanese also have not named the victims from their country.

The British Defence Ministry said yesterday that the aircraft were in Nigeria to collect Nigerian troops who were being deployed to bolster the international offensive against Islamists in Mali.

Britain is providing airlift capacity to help the French-led mission there.

Ansaru, the fundamentalist group that kidnapped the seven construction workers, said in a statement, “the Nigerian and British government operation” prompted the executions. Both Britain and Nigeria denied that they had launched any such mission.

In a statement, Hague described the killing as an “act of cold-blooded murder”.

“It is with deep sadness that I must confirm that a British construction worker, held hostage in Nigeria since 16 February, is likely to have been killed at the hands of his captors, along with six other foreign nationals who we believe were also tragically murdered.

“This was an act of cold-blooded murder, which I condemn in the strongest terms. My thoughts are with his family, and the families of the other hostages, who will be devastated by this tragic loss.

“I offer them our deep condolences at this terrible time, and know that the thoughts of people up and down our country will be with them.

“Responsibility for this tragic outcome rests squarely with the terrorists. I am grateful to the Nigerian Government for their unstinting help and co-operation.

“We are utterly determined to work with them to hold the perpetrators of this heinous act to account, and to combat the terrorism which so blights the lives of people in Northern Nigeria and in the wider region.”

The Greek and Italian governments separately said yesterday that their intelligence services had new information that suggested the allegation was correct.

“Our checks conducted in co-ordination with the other countries concerned lead us to believe that the news of the killing of the hostages seized last month is true,” the foreign ministry in Rome said in a statement.

“This is a horrific act of terrorism for which there is no explanation except barbaric and blind violence.” Several Nigerian news websites carried versions of a story that first appeared on February 23 claiming that the British aircraft seen at Abuja were on their way to Bauchi State, where the kidnapping took place.

They were there, one report stated, “to prepare the ground for the eventual release of the foreigners”.

Britain’s High Commissioner to Nigeria was quoted in the article denying this, saying the aircraft were part of “routine military-to-military engagement”.

But in its statement saying it had executed the hostages, Ansaru included links to some of the stories online, as part of its justification for the executions.

March 11, 2013
Unending battle with malaria parasite

The battle to eliminate the malaria parasite has evolved over the years. Yetunde oladeinde reports.

MALARIA is an infectious disease caused by the parasite of the genus plasmodium, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito. There are four species of the parasite that have been identified to be causing human malaria; Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), Plasmodium vivax (Pv), Plasmodium malariae (Pm) and Plasmodium ovale (Po). In Nigeria, 98% of malaria infections are due to Pf. This parasite causes the most deadly form of malaria, known as severe malaria. Other forms of malaria present in Nigeria include P. ovale and P. malariae which play a minor role with the latter being quite common as a double infection in children.

Malaria is a disease that could be easily prevented and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Statistics show that more than 60% of the outpatient visits in Nigeria are due to malaria, and over one million children and pregnant women die yearly from the disease. The objectives of the malaria treatment according to the malaria treatment are curing the disease and eliminating the parasites from the body. It is also important to prevent progression to a severe disease.

Busola Bamishaiye has been working on the field, monitoring and sensitising people about new trends in malaria in some states in the past few years. She disclosed that ACT is the approved drug. According to her, “even these drugs are a combination of two different anti malaria; it cures and eradicates the parasite completely.”

Bamishaye added that “in malaria we have treatment for complicated and non-complicated malaria. If the complicated type is discovered then they are referred to the comprehensive centres for proper management where this can be handled. We cover over 21states. In 2004 when we came in, the rate of malaria was very high but with the interventions things have changed. So far the prevalence of malaria in the state is changing and we hope that by the time we get into the second phase of the programme things would get better.”

To facilitate the project, Bamishaye said that there has been support from some donor organisations, the federal government as well as some state governments. “We work in conjuction with the World Bank to fight malaria in Nigeria. Presently, we are working in Ekiti State. Malaria is one of the major health issues in sub Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria. Out of every ten patients in the hospital at least four are affected by malaria. The rate at which it kills is faster than any other disease in Nigeria. The latest drugs in use now are so expensive and so many states cannot afford them; that is why the federal government and other stakeholders are involved.

She stated: “Between 2009 and now about 1.5 million nets were brought to Ekiti State and there has been lots of campaigns. If nets are used properly, the rate of malaria would have reduced drastically. As at now things have changed and the primitive beliefs about the things that cause malaria have changed. In the past they used more of herbs and concoctions, but now there is the awareness of free treatments.”

Her organisation, SHI-Nigeria, is one of the initiatives that have helped to reduce malaria. Bamishaiye said: “We are involved in malaria programming as a sub recipient to the National Malaria Control Programme in some states of the federation. Other activities of the organisation include procurement and supply chain management and distribution of health commodities for other organisations.”

As a sub recipient to the National Malaria Control Programme in the Global Fund R8 Malaria grant, SHI is working to ensure effective malaria control delivery in line with the National Strategy for combating malaria. “This is aimed at achieving timely and equitable access to malaria diagnosis and treatment by all Nigerians through some key intervention programmes. The first is the introduction of parasitological confirmation of malaria cases by quality assured microscopy or Rapid Diagnosis Test. We also have the treatment of uncomplicated malaria with an ACT within 24 hours of fever onset through health care providers,” said Bamishaiye.

Malaria could be suspected malaria: A patient with a fever or history of fever in the last 48 hours who lives in Nigeria, or has come from anywhere or any other endemic country. Uncomplicated malaria: A patient with a fever or history of fever in the last 24 hours who has a positive parasitological test and no symptoms of severe disease.

Severe malaria: A patient with parasitologically confirmed malaria who is ill and has one or more of the clinical manifestations which could be severe anemia, unrousable coma, multiple /repeated generalised convulsions etc.

It is also important to note that chloroquine and sulphadoxine/ pyrimethamine (SP) are no longer effective in treating malaria in Nigeria due to high treatment failures resulting from widespread resistance. Efficacy studies that test the ability of anti-malarial medicines to kill and clear malaria parasites have shown that ACTs are better than chloroquine. ACTs are widely available in all the Global Fund supported health facilities (public and private)

Artemisinin derivatives are the most effective drugs against malaria in the world at the moment and yet if misused the parasites can potentially develop resistance to them. A technique to prevent resistance developing to artemisinin derivatives is to combine them with other anti-malarials so that as a combination there is less possibility of the parasites developing mechanisms to avoid both medicines. It is for this reason that artemisinin derivatives such as artemether, or artesunate are combined with one other anti-malarial medicine to form various types of ACTs

March 3, 2013
The battle of two Orjis

Since the beginning of the year, the media has been awash with the story of the attempts by former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu to re-enter the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the resistance of such effort by the state leadership of the party led by Governor T.A. Orji and chairman, Senator Emma Nwaka. The scenario has unarguably drawn both critics and antagonists of both parties into the public domain.

However, an objective understanding of the Abia political situation can only be attained if we cast our minds back to the political dynamics in Abia State since 1999 and how it has evolved till date.

Such proper understanding will equally enable us understand why such effort by Orji Kalu evokes so much passion and emotions especially by Abia politicians and the stiff resistance to such re-entry by the current leadership of the party.

Orji Kalu in Abia State evokes so much emotion because his administration was one that came to power with so much support by a wide spectrum of the Abia population in 1999. It has to be stated that between 1999 and 2002 when there was still some pretence to governance, the Kalu administration constructed few short roads, which were concentrated in urban centres of Aba and Umuahia. However, by 2003 these roads which the Kalu administration used to showcase as its achievements had started showing signs of collapse due to poor conception and execution, and by 2006 most of them had actually collapsed. The gradual collapse of these roads was simultaneously followed by the collapse of a more fundamental value, which was the gradual collapse of democracy in Abia under Kalu’s watch, and its substitution with the rise of the dictatorship of the Kalu family.

How did this situation arise? Early in the administration of the Orji Uzor Kalu, the dictatorial tendencies of the Kalu family, the muzzling of dissent voices and alienation of critical segments of the Abia population were the main contradictions that generated an opposition group led by the trio of Onyema Ugochukwu, Ojo Maduekwe and Vincent Ogbulafor.

Towards the 2003 elections, the imperative of ensuring electoral victory for the PDP, had led to the resolution of the Abia leadership crises in favour of Kalu and his mother. Such resolution equally led to the ascendancy of Mrs Eunice Uzor Kalu as the de facto leader of PDP in the state.

The 2007 gubernatorial election was mainly between the PDP led by Chief Onyema Ugochukwu and the PPA, which had Chief T.A. Orji, a technocrat with friends across the divide as the candidate. While the PPA, which had Governor T.A. Orji as the candidate won the governorship election and majority of the state assembly seats, the PDP clinched the majority of the National Assembly seats and some state assembly seats. The situation however remained such that the Kalu family dictatorship was still in full gear. The power of the dictatorship was exercised in a manner that gave them unlimited control over several organs of the government thus leaving Governor T.A. Orji very little room to utilize the mandate given to him by the Abia electorates.

The situation was made worse by the monopolization of the big projects contracts by the Kalu family companies and their inability to deliver. The matter was not equally helped by a burgeoning security challenge that was threatening civic and economic activities especially in the urban areas of Aba and Umuahia. As if history was repeating itself, these contradictions caused implosive crisis within the PPA that brought about Governor T.A. Orji seeking for another platform to contest for the 2011 governorship election. This development metamorphosed into the merger of Orji’s PPA large followership with the PDP. The fallout was a sweeping victory by the PDP in all the contested positions.

It has to be noted that Orji’s magic wand that made this history in Abia politics were his candour and exceptional humility that paid off in unifying the political bigwigs and reintegrating the state to the mainstream of national politics.

The most significant aspect of the 2011 elections was the round rejection of the Kalu family dictatorship as symbolized by not only the rejection of all PPA candidates but also the eventual woeful failure of Kalu who contested for Abia North Senatorial election. He lost despite his empty boasts and grandstanding.

Over the past two years, this has guaranteed a quantum leap in governance in both qualitative and quantitative terms. At least, democracy has finally been restored to the people under the current leadership of Governor Orji and the PDP in the state ably led by a tested and self-effacing politician Senator Nwaka. The evidence of the new order can be taken from a little incident that happened a few months ago at Arochukwu Local Government chapter of the PDP, where the LGA Chairmanship position became vacant and a successor-Hon Obinna Nwankwo was elected in a transparent and constitutionally stipulated manner. There was no interference from either the state governor or the state leadership of the party. Such a thing would not have happened under the former era.

Another milestone of Governor Orji’s visionary leadership is the synergy and harmonious working relationship between the state government and the Federal Government. This has brought about a number of federal government projects to Abia State. Some of the projects include: the Abiriba-Nkporo-Eso-Edda Road, rehabilitation of Ohafia-Arochukwu Road, re-opening of Osisioma NNPC Depot, the reconstruction of federal roads by FERMA, the Independent Power Project at Alaoji, the Labour Institute in Umuahia, etc. These harvests of projects were in contrast to the locust era of the Kalu family when Orji Kalu engaged the Federal Government in meaningless confrontation.

Again, the achievement of elite consensus has enabled the state government to concentrate effort at pursuing its legacy development agenda undisturbed by unnecessary political bickering and scheming. The most outstanding example of the healthy political environment is the numerous construction sites all over the state and building modern institutional monuments in Umuahia.

Those who know Orji Kalu well will agree that his sudden re-appearance to Abia scene after two years in the cooler, and his desperation to re-enter the PDP after re-organizing his PPA will only have one agenda in mind and that is to cause confusion and balkanize the Abia PDP, while repositioning his party (PPA) to actualize their plan for 2015. It is too late in the day for Abia people to be dragged back to Egypt by Orji Kalu and his band of buccaneering adventurers.

• Chief Ike is former chairman Arochukwu LGA, Abia State.

February 26, 2013
The battle for the soul of APGA

Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that Governor Rochas Okorocha’s current efforts to lead All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the merger bid of the progressives has exposed the deep crisis threatening to strangulate the party

Since Wednesday, February 7, 2013, when the leaders of the new mega party, All Progressives Congress (APC), announced its arrival, all has not been well in the camp of one of the named participating parties, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The internal crisis within the party, which has been discreetly managed by its leaders, could no longer be hidden, following open disagreement of some of its leaders over the party’s involvement in the mega party.

Announcing the arrival of the much awaited mega party, its founding leaders, after a meeting in Lagos, said the foundation participants in the grand merger of the country’s opposition parties and the formation of All Progressives Congress (APC) include the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Following the presence and active participation of Governor Rochas Okorocha at the meeting where the merger and the arrival of the new party were announced, close observers had no reason to suspect that his party, APGA, would deny being part of the merger.

So, both supporters of APGA and other interested Nigerians cold not but express their shock, when some other leaders of APGA, shortly after the arrival of APC, denied their involvement, alleging that the party never mandated Okorocha and Senator Annie Okonkwo to represent the party in the merger negotiations.

In a statement signed by Tim Menakaya, a member of APGA’s Board of Trustees, the complaining leaders of APGA said, ‘Our attention has been drawn to a press conference by a group of 10 governors, including Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, after meeting in Lagos, endorsing a “merger of some opposition parties in Nigeria.”

‘While we are not against the establishment of a mega opposition party, we believe that the issue of merger of political parties is a very serious matter that needs adequate consultations before a governor participates and makes public statement. We wish to state after due consultations with most party members, that we were never invited, consulted or informed about any political parties merger.

‘We wish to make it clear that we have nothing against the formation of any mega opposition party, but we categorically state that All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has never participated in any merger talk with any political party and is therefore not in the merger. We were never consulted by anybody before such statement of our involvement was issued.

“The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Party was held in July, 2012 and various stakeholders’ meetings have equally been held in the last one year. In all these meetings, the issue of merger with other political parties was never discussed. For one of our governors to participate in a meeting where the merger of opposition parties was endorsed is ridiculous and unfortunate…

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to reiterate that the issue of merger with other political parties is not on the agenda of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA for now. Our concern at the moment is to restructure, nurture and build a strong APGA capable of winning elections across the states of Nigeria.”

Menakaya, in the statement, said the decision was reached after consultations with some APGA leaders, including Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, Ambassador Frank Nchita Ogbuewu, the 2011 APGA Governorship Candidate, Ebonyi State and Former Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Reagam Ufomba, the 2011 APGA Governorship Candidate, Abia State, Obiora Obiegue, the 2011 APGA Governorship Candidate, Enugu State and Prof. Dora Akunyili, Former Minister of Information and Communications, who contested for a Senate seat on the ticket of the party in 2011, among others.

ACN’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, reacting to APGA’s published disclaimer of the APC, said in a statement issued in Abuja that the new party “has absolute respect for the rights of individuals or groups on whether or not to associate within a democracy.”

The statement explained how APGA was included in the list of parties that consummated the merger thus: ‘We recognise the person and status of Gov. Rochas Okorocha, who as Imo Governor has been a great player and figure in Nigerian political landscape, as well as Senator Annie Okonkwo, a seasoned politician and respectable lawmaker.

“We believe in their representation that APGA is interested in the merger, hence we worked with them in good faith. They participated effectively and positively in the meeting of all governors of the parties concerned and in the meetings of the merger committees of the parties, leading to the communique released by all the governors endorsing the merger and the one by the merger committees announcing the formation of the APC.”

The statement also said, “going by the statement signed on behalf of some APGA members by Dr. Tim Menakaya, the APC had come to the full realisation that there is dissent in the rank and file of the party (APGA).

“In spite of this, and since democracy is about choice, alignments and re-alignments hinged on the fundamentals of individual freedom of association, we respect their position, and will like to describe as unfortunate whatever misconception the purported full involvement of APGA in the merger may have generated.

“We also assure APGA that we are willing to work with the party whenever it normalises its internal process and is ready to join the platform. We all remain brethren within the Nigerian family and our doors remain open, in the spirit of the new party,”

Explaining, however, that it is not only parties that can join APC, ACN said progressive individuals and groups are welcomed to the fold of the new party.

“On this basis, therefore, individuals such as the Imo State Governor and others of like minds are still considered members of the APC,” the party said.

The Nation learnt that various stakeholders, following up on the development, have been meeting to straighten the position of APGA on the merger arrangement, even as concerned elders of APGA have desperately launched reconciliation meetings to save the obvious split.

A source close to the embattled leadership of APGA lamented that the merger matter coincided with the Enugu High Court ruling that, according to him, ‘makes it difficult for Chief Victor Umeh-led National Executive to handle the matter as it would have done. I regret the situation because if care is not taken, we may lose out completely. I think someone is making a mistake somewhere,” the source said.

Efforts to speak with the members of the Umeh- led executive on this matter failed as they insisted that they are currently concerned with the need to upturn the judgement that sacked it. But it is obvious that every member is worried over the development.

An elder of the party, who refused to be named ‘in order not to jeopardise the ongoing reconciliation process, said during the week that most members of the party would ordinarily like to be part of the merger, ‘but they are worried that APGA may be swallowed up and if we have to do that, everybody must be sure that our interest is well taken care of. That is why we are worried that many of us were not part of the negotiation in the first place.”

The source also alleged that most of the people opposed to Okorocha in this matter are ‘agents of President Goodluck Jonathan and the People’s Democratic Party. So, as you can see, we are worried because it has become obvious that many interest groups are interested in swallowing up APGA ahead 2015. That is why we have to be careful and take care of our house before it is too late. We are on it now,’ he said.

The criticisms building up against Okorocha notwithstanding, The Nation gathered that he is not likely to change his mind on the matter, even though some insiders said part of the reconciliation meetings in APGA today are geared towards convincing Okorocha to withdraw from the planned merger bid.

Prince Eze Madumere, the Chief of Staff to Governor Rochas Okorocha, for example, told The Nation in a telephone chat during the week that the merger is the solution to the country’s political problem. According to him, “The merger is for real. It’s obviously the long awaited solution to the political problems of Nigeria. To effectively challenge PDP and snatch power away from it, we need a very strong party and this is what All Progressives Congress is poised to offer. I do not see why all well-meaning Nigerians should not support this bold move.”

Asked if it is true that the leadership of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were not carried along, Madumere said, “As you know, my principal, Governor Rochas Okorocha, has clearly explained the situation. He has made it clear that the real APGA is neither complaining or claiming not to have been carried along. It is the PDP-APGA that is complaining. And let me tell you, when the progressives want to move forward, they would not need the approval of those opposed to positive change.”

February 17, 2013