The Nation Newspaper

Tag: BUHARI

  • Sambo leads Fed Govt’s transition committee

    President Goodluck Jonathan has raised a 17-man transition committee to take stock and prepare a comprehensive handover note for the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    The panel, which held its inaugural sitting yesterday, is headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

    But the presidency is awaiting the transition committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC)/president-elect for what a source described as “constant consultations on key issues.”

    Although the list of the committee was yet to be made public, it was gathered that it was a “compact panel” for efficiency.

    Some members of the committee are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (Northcentral); the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is also Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Southeast); Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Stephen Oru (Southsouth); Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda (Northwest); Minister of Police Affairs Mr. Jelili Adesiyan (Southwest); and the Minister of Transport Senator Idris Umar (Northeast).

    Others in the team are the Managing Director of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi; the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Public  Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki; and some technocrats in government.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the committee’s meeting, Anyim said: “We met to discuss the terms of reference and developed the guidelines for preparing the handover briefs and the committee adjourned to April 20 for a second meeting.

    “After we have collected our own briefs from the MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies) and then put them together, we will then interface with the other committee so that whatever clarification they want, the questions they have, we will be able to address them.”

    On whether he was aware that a committee has already been set up, he said: “Yes, that is normal. Ours is to collect our own hand over briefs, prepare the briefs and prepare the president’s handover notes.

    “The terms of reference of our own committee are to collate relevant information for the hand over briefs from all the MDAs, prepare them and interface with the incoming administration’s transition committee.”

    A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The President mandated the committee to do a thorough job to enable the administration to take off on time.

    “The government is only awaiting the APC/President-elect’s transition team to compare notes and carry the new government along.”

    The source said the key areas the committee might focus on include the actual state of the economy; assets and liabilities, especially local and foreign debts; the level of privatisation programme; completed and uncompleted projects; multilateral agreements; and the oil industry among others.

    But, there were indications yesterday that the President-elect might meet with APC leaders tomorrow on the transition committee of his incoming administration.

  • Scrap land-swap policy, natives urge Buhari

    The natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the auspices of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA)  have appealed to the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to scrap the land-swap programme of the outgoing Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed.

    They said the swap deal was a conduit pipe for allocation of massive lands to cronies of the outgoing PDP-led federal government.

    In a statement by the President of the association, Pastor Danladi Jeji, the natives who congratulated the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President-elect, Professor Yemi Osibanjo on their victory in the March 28 polls, said the victory is a right step towards the fulfillment of the aspiration of Nigerians through the ballot box.

    The natives further appealed to the in-coming Buhari-led government to appoint competent natives of Abuja as Minister of the FCT and political aides, so that the incoming government will not have a crisis of confidence between it and Abuja original inhabitants, urging the federal government to ensure that all Nigerians have a say in the people-elected government.

    “The election of Gen. Buhari is the fulfilment of our aspiration for a people-centered government and we will offer maximum support to the incoming federal government which we are optimistic will have policies that will benefit not only original inhabitants of Abuja but also all Nigerians resident in the capital city. We also seek a total audit of land allocations by the Abuja Geographic and Information System, AGIS,” the natives stated.

    OIDA stated that the natives have fought and endured injustice for long in the administration of the outgoing PDP-led federal government, especially on the protracted issues of land-grab, demolition of native houses, non-development of satellite towns, marginalization in appointments, non-compensation of compulsorily acquired lands and massive sacking of whole villages for the appropriation of their lands by selfish politicians and their cronies in government.

    They urged the APC-led Federal Government to create a development commission to cater for displaced indigenous communities in Abuja. “The proposed Abuja Original Inhabitants Development Commission (AOIDC) should be statutory and derive its funding from 30% of all sales accruing from allocable lands within the FCT.

    “When established, AOIDC should deal with the lingering issues of relocation, resettlement and compensation for all project affected communities and persons. We have the confidence in the ability of your government to end these injustices,” OIDA said.

    The natives also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for accepting defeat and saving the nation from crises that may have occurred if the election had not been conducted according to international best practices. They wished him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

    “Formally welcoming the President-Elect and his vice to the nation’s seat of power, the natives urged General Buhari not to let Nigerians down considering the massive votes given to him by citizens from all parts of Nigeria including the natives of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,” Jeji said.

  • Buhari’ll bring true change, says Ngige

    The declaration of General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) did not come to me as a surprise. Though this victory was long in coming keen observers of recent developments in Nigeria  know that the victory was inevitable; that a day like this would come. It was a victory postponed, but not denied.

    It is not in doubt that the last time the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won an election freely and fairly conducted in Nigeria was in 1999 under the administration of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

    From 2003 to 2011, PDP had not won any free and fair election. It was the judiciary that had always legitimised the shenanigans that characterised the previous elections.

    It is, therefore, to the credit of Prof. Attahiru Jega that he decided to make history by insisting that the 2015 Presidential and National Assembly election is substantially free and fair despite the massive rigging some unscrupulous INEC perpetrated in the South-East and South-South states in the election.

    Nigerians yearned for change: change from a corrupt, clueless, inept, incompetent, hopeless, divisive and hateful government that had been in office for the last 6 years. Nigerians yearned for a change from a government that had divided the country along ethnic, religious and regional lines to a government that will unite, unify and bond all Nigerians.

    Nigerians yearned for change from a government that had no answer to the collapsing economy, mass unemployment, insecurity and mass poverty to a government that will revive the economy, create employment and empower the masses. Nigerians yearned for a government that will stop the mindless looting of our common patrimony and assets by our fellow country men and women.

    I am hopeful and optimistic that Gen Buhari represents the symbol of change that Nigerians yearned for hence the massive support he received from the entire North, South West, South East and South South zones of Nigeria.

    The process for the redemption of our country under the leadership of Gen Buhari and Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has just started. All hands must be on deck to support the incoming government to return this country to the path of glory and progress.

    I congratulate Nigerians for this historic election in which an incumbent government at Federal level has been voted out of office through a free and fair election.

    I must also congratulate the outgoing President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his spirit of sportsmanship in conceding defeat and thus saving the nation from needless post election tension and apprehension. To God be the Glory. Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria.

     

  • Ex-VP Atiku advises APC governors-elect to emulate Buhari

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on elected governors on the platform of the All Progressive Party (APC) to emulate the exemplary and selfless service the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is ready to provide at the national level.

    Atiku, who spoke at a news conference addressed by APC leaders and elders in Yola, said the election of Senator Jibrilla Bindow has stopped ethnic and religious politics in Adamawa State.

    The conference was organised to thank the people for voting massively for the APC at all levels.

    It was attended by the governor-elect, three senators-elect, members of the House of Representatives, 22 members of the state House of Assembly elected on APC’s platform and other party leaders.

    Atiku described the momentum and victory of the APC as historic, saying it was the first time in six years that he would be part of the winning team at the state and federal levels.

    The former vice president regretted that the state has been so divided on ethnic and religious lines, especially because of the insurgent activities and the political campaigns of some politicians.

    He, however, said his heart was gladdened that the people won the challenge with their uncommon resolve by voting massively for APC candidates and Senator Bindow, as the governor-elect.

    The former vice president urged the governor-elect to put a formidable team together and hit the ground running immediately after his swearing-in, stressing that there was urgent need to address the myriads of problems facing the people frontally.

    He said besides the challenge of resettling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and victims of insurgency, the problems of infrastructural deficit in the areas of health, education, roads, and water supply for the people should be addressed for the good of the people.

    The governor-elect said he was humbled by the massive support and mandate given to him by the people, saying it was made possible by the tireless efforts and support of the party’s elders and leaders.

    He praised the people for their support and confidence in the APC, urging his co-contestants to join hands with him to develop the state.

  • LCCI urges Buhari to focus on agriculture

    LCCI urges Buhari to focus on agriculture

    The Agric Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has  urged the incoming Federal Government to focus on the review and implementation of agricultural policies to boost local food production and enhance food security.

    The group noted that lack of implementation had been the bane of “good agricultural policies”formulated by successive governments.

    The Chairman, Agric Group, LCCI, Mr. Wale Oyekoya, said at a briefing in Lagos: “Our fact-finding shows that our government has made serious efforts at making good agricultural policies through schemes, programmes and institutions, but has not been able to implement or backed them up with adequate budgetary allocation and financing, coupled with corruption in the execution of the formidable policies.”

    Oyekoya, who is also Managing Director, Bama Farms Limited, listed policies, such as the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, Nigerian Incentive-based Risk-sharing in Agriculture,Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund Act, Agricultural Development Trust Fund Credit, Guarantee Fund Credit, Agricultural Produce Finance and Multi-Channels Agricultural Financing Scheme, among others, as some of the good policies.

    “But the same government has failed woefully in implementing all these laudable policies. Propaganda and corruption have taken the stage of our policies, and farmers suffered the consequence,” Oyekoya said.

    He added that a lot of funds, including loans and grants, such as the N200billion CACS scheme in 2007, $3billion by USAID in January 2013, World Bank’s $300,000, should have made the country self-sufficient in food production rather than depending on importation, claiming that a big chunk of the money was embezzled.

    Oyekoya said: “Our commercial banks need to be restructured and mandated to fund real farmers and not political farmers. No farmers can survive on the current commercial interest rate of 26 per cent. The agriculture sector accounted for less than one per cent of the portfolio of banks.

    “Nigeria still spends about N1bn daily to import rice into the country and depleting our foreign reserves. Yearly, we import foods worth over N450billion; foods that can be produced in Nigeria by local farmers if the business environment is conducive. All these food items can be abundantly produced in Nigeria, but corruption, selfish interest of our leaders and propaganda have crippled the sector.”

    According to him, farmers are closing up their farms because of inconsistent government policies, policy somersault, lack of funds, high cost of feed materials and poor infrastructure.

    He said foreign investors would automatically come into the country if the environment was conducive.

    “The government has over the years formulated good agricultural and financial policies meant to encourage food production but such policies have been found inefficient and ineffective since the intended results were not realised,” Oyekoya said.

    The LCCI group recommended that at least 10 per cent of the country’s annual budget should be devoted to agriculture and the review of subsisting schemes and reforms to make them more supportive of farm output.

    Others include to encourage family farming and capacity-building; encourage local production; ban the importation of foods that can be produced locally; tighten the nation’s porous borders; tackle corruption; facilitate access to funds with single-digit interest rate and less cumbersome requirements; access to farm lands; provision of modern farm equipment to farmers to boost production, processing and value chains; and consistent local content policy.

  • Buhari: violators of constitution, election riggers ’ll be punished

    Buhari: violators of constitution, election riggers ’ll be punished

    Government officials and agents subverting the nation’s constitution should not expect to go unpunished, the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, has warned.

    Buhari told reporters at the weekend in his Daura hometown, Katsina State, that anyone, whatever his political allegiance, found to be working against the constitution would be brought to book.

    Saying he was ready to work in concert with the National Assembly to ensure constitutional amendments where necessary, the president-elect added that he would encourage the implementation of the Uwais report, especially in the area of institution of a special court to try electoral offenders.

    He said: “I will look for understanding and cooperation from the National Assembly when a change of the constitution or Electoral Act is necessary.

    “So, for me to make up my mind here and later try to lobby is out of it because some of them, if they are very hard, they will give me a tough time.

    “I will say that I haven’t read the Uwais report. But I have read a few of the extracts from the papers. I think it is a good thing and we will encourage it. But we need to get a comprehensive report from the field.”

    He cited the lawlessness that characterised the elections in parts of the country,  especially Rivers, Imo and Edo states.

    Gen. Buhari said Nigerians deserve to  know “which of the law enforcement agencies and at what levels are undermining the constitution of Nigeria because the Electoral Act is derived from the constitution of the country. So, that in future, those who are in positions will know that they are not beyond the law.

    “I think that is what will bring more stability into the system. In view of that, I will try and work with the National Assembly to make sure that we do something about it.

    “I will like to work within the system because we believe in it. I have just told you about three governors and the battle they have with the law enforcement agents in their states.

    “We discussed and advised them to try and document these things legally so that it can be taken before the court and we will make sure that people who work against the law are prosecuted, especially those who have lost their immunity and those who think they have immunity because this is the best way to stabilise the system.

    “People must not benefit from being lawless. You can’t be in a position by virtue of the constitution, then subvert the constitution and continue to enjoy the privileges offered by the constitution. I don’t think that will be acceptable by the APC. So, whether you are in the opposition or the government, you have to behave yourself. I think that is the way we can make progress”.

    On the violence in Lagos and Rivers states, Buhari said: “I think we should allow the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to give its comprehensive report. Meanwhile, as you mentioned in some of the states, especially in Rivers and Lagos, the two parties are slugging it out. I think we have to take our time and let us get as much report as possible in accordance with the Electoral Act.

    “I personally want to be legal about this so that people will appreciate that we believe in a system. What we need to do is to modify the system according to the law if we don’t like it and that no one should come out and do to the system whatever he likes.

    “For what is happening in Lagos, I think that for whatever political reason, the PDP wants to have Lagos by all means.

    “I have a lot of respect for the governor of Rivers State; for his courage. It has been a long time, as you all know, where at a certain time, the Commissioner of a Police virtually hijacked the state and the governor was virtually sentenced to the streets, fighting thugs without law enforcement agents to survive as governor, while the constitution made it very clear to all of us that the governor is the chief security officer of the state.

    “So, a lot of unconstitutional and lawless acts of the PDP are on record and we intend to make the PDP understand it and make sure that according to law, those who are responsible for that are taken to the court and properly charged.”

  • Support Buhari, Fashanu urges stakeholders

    Support Buhari, Fashanu urges stakeholders

    Former Wimbledon FC of England striker, John Fashanu has charged Nigeria sports men and women to give their maximum support to the in-coming Nigerian president, General Mohammadu Buhari just as they did to the out-going president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

     Fashanu, who was a strong supporter of President Jonathan, said he does not regret supporting him stressing that as a sport person he was particularly pleased with the support Jonathan gave to sports which made Nigeria excel at the several international competitions.

    “The fact is that I am a sports person and I am always interested in any person who shows so much interest to sports and President Jonathan did that which led to the numerous achievements we achieved under his tenure. This was the reason I supported him with everything I had,” he said.

     Ambassador Fashanu maintained that it was against this backdrop that he was calling on Nigerian sports men and women to support the newly elected president noting that it is through this that they will get the him to pay more attention to them.

    “I want to congratulate General Buhari for emerging winner of the presidential election and I want to use this opportunity to advise him to be a good sports man. I want to also advise him that the best way to get to the heart of the youth of Nigerians is to invest greatly in sports and by so doing he would have succeeded in touching the lives of millions of Nigerians.

    “Some of us may not have supported him but I want to believe that he understands the reason we did that, and I want to assure him that we would also accord him the same support when we are needed,” Fashanu stressed.

     The former board member of the Nigeria football Federation expressed confidence that Nigerian sports will continue to strive under the new government saying that with the caliber of people in the now ruling party they would not want to lower the standard set by their predecessor.

  • Igbo foundation hails Buhari

    The Foundation for Promotion of Igbo Music, Language, Culture and Tradition (Igbo Foundation) has congratulated the President –elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on his victory at the polls in the last presidential election held throughout Nigeria on Saturday, the 28th day of March, 2015.

    In a statement signed by the foundation’s National Chairman, Augustine Iheanacho Okechukwu, the foundation said, “Your election as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is symbolic and historic. It is historical in the sense that this is the first time in the history of Nigeria where an opposition party has successfully unseated a sitting government by peaceful and democratic means which is the only method of change of government approved by the Constitution. You have made history.

    “While we congratulate the president-elect, we must continue to be grateful to His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander In-Chief of the Armed Forces for his magnanimity in accepting the out-come of the Presidential Election. For so doing, Dr. Jonathan has proven himself to be a great democrat and has succeeded in writing his name in the sand of times in the Letters of Gold.

  • Buhari, APC and PDP defectors

    Buhari, APC and PDP defectors

    Since the result of the recent Presidential and National Assembly elections confirmed the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC), there has been endless reports of top politicians defecting from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties to APC. Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports  

    Before the March 28 presidential election that returned General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and also saw the opposition party positioned as the next majority party in the National Assembly, following the victory of most of its candidates across the country, Nigerians have yearned for change.

    Ironically, the people of Africa’s most populous country didn’t just want a change in the presidency or at the National Assembly; there was a widespread yearning for a change of the ruling party at the helms of affairs at the center and numerous states. Thus, the campaigns were not just about the candidates, they were also largely about the political parties.

    And as the two leading political parties, the opposition APC and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) struggled in the months leading to the historic election, many analysts predicted a tough election. Expectedly, the election was a close one. Many people were quick to put the victory of the APC down to the commitment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to a free, fair and credible election.

    “APC’s victory, though not unforeseen, came as a pleasant surprise to many Nigerians. While we were sure the opposition party was best positioned to win the presidential election, we never for once lost sight of factors like rigging and other malpractices that could turn the table,” Ade Ajayi of the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), said.

    The lawyer cum human rights activist was quick to add that with the March 28 election, INEC and indeed Nigerians sent a serious warning to politicians that henceforth, the people would decide who rules them. “It became clear to all and sundry that the peoples’ vote can also count here in Nigeria. Now politicians are conscious of what they do and who they are associated with,” Ajayi added.

    With the presidential and National Assembly elections decided, a new vista was promptly opened in the history of Nigerian politics. As if they’ve been waiting on cue for APC’s victory, prominent PDP chieftains started dumping the party in droves. And their new political destination turned out to be nowhere else than the same APC they derided and maligned for months ahead of the March 28 elections.

    These defection craze amongst PDP chieftains, according to Ajayi, confirms that a new political era may have dawned on the country. “Now everybody wants to be on the side of the people. The same people they have joined others to exploit for years. The defections are a sign of the new order and should not come to any serious political analyst as a surprise. But it sure calls for serious reflections by both parties and Nigerians as well,” he said.

    Party leaders, current elected public office holders, political appointees, former aspirants and even newly elected public office holders on the platform of the PDP all found one reason or the other to desert President Goodluck Jonathan’s party barely a week after his loss at the polls. And analysts say the party’s loss in the March 28 presidential election triggered the defections.

     

    Heavyweight defectors

    Last Tuesday, while the PDP was still putting its acts together to respond to the many high profile defections that had trailed its loss, news filtered in from Plateau State about a mass defection of its prominent members into the APC.

    Among those who defected were Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun;  Senator Victor Lar; and the state deputy governor, Ambassador Ignatius Longjan.

    Their defection introduced a new dimension into the string of losses being suffered by the ruling party.

    Also, there are talk that a former minister and former deputy governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen; Mr. Jimmy Cheto and Chief Jethro Akun have concluded plans to move to the APC ahead of yesterday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    In Edo State, the PDP candidate in the 2012 governorship election, Maj- Gen. Charles Arhiavbere, was received into the APC on Tuesday by Governor Adams Oshiomhole after he announced his defection at the weekend.

    Also, a former governor, Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor and former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Idada Ikponmwen, announced their defection to the APC. Osunbor, who was governor from May 2007 to November 2008, declared for APC with his supporters at Iruekpen, Esan West Local Government Area.

    Same day, Jigawa State Deputy Governor, Ahmed Mahmoud, led other defectors at a ceremony in his home town Gumel. Mahmoud along with a Special Adviser to Governor Sule Lamido, Alhaji Bello Dansokoto; the immediate past Executive Chairman, Dutse Capital Development Authority, Alhaji Bashir Aminu, and the immediate past Chairman of Gumel Local Government Council, Alhaji Ya’u Kura, defected, taking with them thousands of supporters.

    Mahmoud becomes the third deputy governor to leave the PDP for the APC – after Niger State Deputy Governor Ahmed Ibeto and Ondo State Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi. Former Governor Saminu Turaki also defected to the APC. He was joined on the defection train by Senator Muhammad Dudu. Dudu represented Jigawa North-East Senatorial District between 1999 and 2007.

    Also, Gombe State House of Assembly Majority Leader, Mamman Alkali, joined hundreds of others who left the ruling PDP for the APC in the state. The defectors included over 50 Special and Personal Assistants to Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.

    In Ogun State, candidate of the PDP for the House of Representatives, Ijebu Central Federal Constituency, Otunba (Barr.) Adewale Moses Osinubi, renounced the party that offered him its platform to contest the last election and defected to the APC.

    Also, switching his allegiance to the ruling party in the state same day as Osinubi but from another political party, was the Ogun East Senatorial aspirant on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Kayode Tejuoso. The two were received by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    In Benue, former military governor of Kaduna and Katsina states, Gen. Lawrence Onoja (rtd), led others, including Dr. Mathias Oyigeya, former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Benue State, Chief Agbo Oga, former Chief of Staff to Senate President-David Mark, Chief Mike Iduma, Major Lawrence Ugbo (rtd), former PDP state chairmen, and Barrister Peter Ochijele, a former member of the Benue State Executive Council, into the APC last Wednesday.

    From Kwara State on Wednesday came the news that a former governorship aspirant of the PDP in Kwara State, Senator Gbemisola Saraki and PDP’s youth leader in the state, Chief Segun Olawoyin, also dumped their party and joined the APC.

    Kaduna PDP also lost chieftains to the APC during the week. Prominent among the defectors are Maj-Gen. S.B.S. Biliyock (rtd); a former member of House of Representatives, Ruth Jummai Ango and former Commissioner and Attorney-General Zakari A. Sogfa.

    From Niger State, former Secretary to the State Government, Adams Erena, also pulled out with 5,000 critical stakeholders in the PDP to the APC. The new APC members include a member of the state House of Assembly, former commissioners, local government chairmen and former PDP grassroots leaders.

     

    Right or wrong?

    While the country remains agog with news of these defections alongside various calculations and permutations ahead of the inauguration of the new government on May 29, 2015, reactions continue to trail the post March 28 defections.

    According to Barrister Brian Agu of the Voters’ Right Agenda (VRA), defection is a common norm in politics the world over. The legal practitioner says the gale of defection, rather than create anxiety, should be viewed as a sign confirming the position of the Nigerian voters that there was need for change.

    “It is no big deal. It is a good omen. Anywhere the people use their voting card to effect change; you will see politicians struggling to align with the new order established by the people through the ballot boxes. This is what we have been preaching at VRA. It is a sign that power now truly belongs to the people.

    What you are witnessing here is currently happening in Britain. The rise of UK Independent Party (UKIP) as a political party shows that the people are angry and politicians must change. Everywhere you go in Britain, if you ask the people why they are supporting the new party, they say “We need a political party that helps deprived areas, builds more houses and takes the question of the UK’s role in Europe seriously.”

    And every day, politicians, even members of parliament are decamping into the party from leading political parties like the Conservative and the Labour Parties.  Why? UKIP wants to leave the European Union. The people also want nothing to do with the Union. It is a simple, understandable message, which has led to the party gaining bigger and bigger support in European elections, culminating in it topping the vote in May this year.

    It is about the people setting political agenda for politicians to obey if they want to remain in politics. APC wants to end corruption. Nigerians also want to end corruption. So every politician who doesn’t want to be termed as corrupt is not willing to remain in the opposition when APC takes over government next May. This is the major reason for the surge,” Agu explained to The Nation.

    But former Police Commissioner in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, is not impressed by the sudden love being shown the APC by notable PDP chieftains across the country. According to him, the ongoing mass defections from the embattled ruling party to the opposition winning party, should be of grave concern to discerning Nigerians.

    “The mass defection to APC is dangerous and should be a matter of grave concern and need bother all persons of honesty and good conscience. Most of these defectors are like feathers that can be blown towards any direction by the wind.  They have no ideology.

    “In civilized countries being used as examples, defections are about ideologies and convictions. It is not so here. What we are witnessing is a struggle for survival by defeated politicians. While British politicians will shift camp based on ideological convictions, our politicians are decamping just to remain relevant.

    “I am not saying all those who joined APC are the same. We had some true defectors and heroes of change like Admiral Murtala Nyako, Governors Kwankwaso, Wamako, Amaechi etc. Some were in the struggle but chickened out as a result of treachery and cowardice.  Some of them are falling back into APC today.  Those are the ones we must be cautious of. Some Nigerian politicians are mercenaries and money mongers. Many of these defectors are unreliable and slippery,” Tsav said.

    On his own part, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, wondered what those who have left the ruling party in the last few days after losing the presidential election would teach their children in terms of morals.

    He said, “It is right for anyone to defect or move because the Constitution allows for free association. But basically, it is immoral for someone to leave his party because we lost the presidential election few days ago.

    “It is about the character. Yes, you have the constitutional right to move or defect, but what lesson do you want to teach your children?

    “Just because we have lost the presidential election? Yes, we want members (in our party) but not fiddle-minded people. We want people who are committed, but the fair weather people are free to leave us. Those who are committed will still be with us,” he said.

    Emeka Asinugo, a London-based journalist and political analyst, would want the defectors to give the need for a robust opposition a thought as they scramble for places in the APC ahead of the May 29 handing over date.

    “It is in their nature that in their anxiety for a brighter economic future, so many politicians are now crossing carpet to the APC, the party that would be in charge in the near future. These flexible politicians should not forget that it is a responsible opposition that makes a government work satisfactorily, and politics mean well. For any government to succeed, it will need a responsible opposition to criticise it. The new Buhari-led government cannot possibly have the responsible opposition it will need to succeed if every politician begins to run away from his or her original party because it failed to clinch the presidential election. That is the danger in defecting to the winning party. A responsible opposition party (the PDP) is still very much relevant in the dispensation of legitimacy and in the nation building efforts of its successor. Simply put, the politicians who defected from PDP should go back there. They will be of better use in building the nation from their original party than jumping into APC bandwagon, hoping that Buhari would spill them with oil money from Aso Rock,” Asinugo opined.

    Tsav would also want the APC to handle the defectors with caution because, according to him, “serial decampees are not true politicians. They are like bees which can only be seen where there is honey.”

    “People who just yesterday said APC was a Boko Haram party are today falling on one another to declare for APC. These people have no ideological conscience and need not be taken seriously.  They are only interested in what they can have for themselves. They are traitors.  They destroyed PDP and milked the nation dry. They want to do the same to APC,” Tsav feared.

  • Violators of constitution won’t go unpunished – Buhari

    Violators of constitution won’t go unpunished – Buhari

    President Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, said on Saturday that government officials and other agents of state who work to subvert the nation’s constitution will not go unpunished.

    Buhari told journalists at his country home in Katsina that whether in the opposition or in the ruling party nobody that work against the constitution will be allowed to enjoy the privileges conferred by the constitution.

    While insisting that he will work in concert with the National Assembly to ensure constitutional amendment where necessary, the President elect said he will encourage the implementation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais report especially as it relates to the institution of a special court to try electoral offenders.

    He said: “I will look for understanding and cooperation from the National Assembly when a change of the constitution or electoral act is necessary. So for me to make up my mind here and later try to lobby is out of it because some of them, if they are very hard, they will give me a tough time.

    “I will say that I haven’t read the Uwais report, but I have read a few of the extracts from the papers, I think it is a good thing and we will encourage it. But we need to get a comprehensive report from the field.

    “The running battle from Rivers, south east and the rest of the South south, especially by governors Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha and Adams Oshiomhole with INEC officials and law enforcement agencies is remarkable and I think it has to be totally exposed so that Nigerians will know which of the law enforcement agencies and at what levels are undermining the constitution of Nigeria because the electoral act is derived from the constitution of the country. So that in future, those who are in position will know that they are not beyond the law.