The Nation Newspaper

Tag: defecting

  • ‘Why politicians are defecting in Anambra’

    ‘Why politicians are defecting in Anambra’

    In this piece, Okechukwu Anarado examines the spate of defections in Anambra State, saying many politicians are moving to the ruling party at the centre, believing that whosoever gets the party’s ticket will succeed in upstaging Governor Willie Obiano, with the assistance of the federal might.

    Elections in Anambra State usually throw up such eruptions that leave trails of strange bedfellows amongst erstwhile associates. With the next governorship election scheduled to take place on November 18, the trend is being witnessed once again. Besides election matters, nothing else seems of rational consequence any more in Anambra today. Different political groupings bent on upstaging Governor Willie Obiano’s applecart and ruin the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s (APGA) chances of winning the election are to blame for the trend.

    The publicity blitz associated with the Anambra governorship is not unconnected with the fact that the election is staggered, because it takes place every four years at a time different from that of the rest of the country. It is also due to the characteristics of Anambra politics, which is capital intensive, fractious and can be potty.

    The buildup to this year’s election aptly exposes the unpredictability and the unreliability of many Nigerian politicians whose missions in politics are driven by no conviction other than voracious hunger to either amass wealth or covet power. This explains the unrestrained, osmotic shuffles by many influential politicians to political parties that suggest protection of the defectors’ interests.

    For instance, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had a grip of the Presidency (1999 to 2015), despite the poverty of its trajectory in Anambra politics, it was still fashionable for it to parade unprecedented numbers of governorship aspirants. While most of the political parties, including the parties that metamorphosed into the All Progressives Congress (APC), usually perform woefully in governorship elections, the PDP always parades no less than 30 aspirants each election season. After losing to APGA, the contest usually lingers in the courts; with the candidates hoping each time to use presidential fiat to rob the party of the people’s mandate. That was PDP in Anambra State!

    In Anambra 2017, majority of those who nursed hard impressions of the APC before it chanced upon presidential powers now gravitate towards it for an embrace that was considered leprous before now. Indeed, most of those clamouring for the party’s ticket to contest the governorship lacked the boldness to call the party by name in Anambra until very recently when the delusions of their past and illusions of self-preservation exposed their ideological ineptitude and insincerity to any genuine political cause.

    But for phantom assurances of the Presidency to reward them with Obiano’s seat, probably why, for instance, would acknowledged PDP high chiefs suddenly clamour to ingratiate themselves with the leadership of the APC? Some suddenly forgot the humongous destruction their private interests caused Anambra State and are insulting the sensibilities of the people by taking the people’s sense of history for granted.

    But come to think of it: Of what electoral value is the APC in Nigeria today that the people of Anambra would risk trading in their trusted home grown APGA-government for a faltering concept that gladly ignores the participatory impulses of the people of the Southeast? What would the class of emergency apologists of the APC tell the people, to make the party saleable, when the owners of the party contemplate no remedies for the unprecedented exclusions Ndigbo suffer in the party? Could there be unspoken underhand bargains between the party and its Anambra governorship aspirants to gain the state’s seat of power beyond the legitimate electoral mandate of the people? What has any state in the Southeast gained from being run by the party in power at the centre?

    The shenanigan about the advantages Anambra would gain if governed by the APC is a hoax. Professor Chukwuma Soludo calls it ‘an elite talk; an elite game for the elite interest!’ He further admonishes that “some might join a political party so that the federal authorities might deploy the armed forces and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to write election results for them. It has nothing to do with the people and their welfare.” The APC in Anambra is a sure recipe for erosion of the tempo of development the state has known for about 12 years of APGA government.

    Observably, the temper of majority of residents of Anambra State over the political sophistry of most of the politicians now in circulation is suggestive of anxiety and reprehension driven by the singular constant element characteristic of Igbo success in their legitimate pursuits. The people’s suspicion of the buildup to this year’s election stems from their recourse to history. Disgusting memories of trodden paths and fears of their pernicious relive confront the people of Anambra. And they would not be cajoled into any gloomy political misadventure; not by whatever repackaged niceties the exponents of past missteps recommend. The people would not be intimidated into lavishing a cherished political heritage that does not only bear Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s imprimatur, but increasingly offers them safety, dignity and functional development. The stellar achievements of Governor Obiano in the past three years, in keeping with the APGA tradition, have further entrenched the party in the people’s consciousness.

    • Anarado is a Special Assistant to Governor Obiano on Media and Publicity
  • PDP faction begs defecting members

    PDP faction begs defecting members

    Ahead of today’s mega rally by the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the planned defection to the party by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, a faction of the PDP opposed to the reelection bid of Governor Seriake Dickson, yesterday appealed to PDP defectors to come back.

    The faction, under the auspices of the PDP Unity Group (PUG), insisted that the ongoing exodus of PDP members to the All Progressive Congress (APC), if not halted, would impact negatively on the fortunes of the party in the December 5 governorship election.

    The faction, coordinated by Mrs. Marie Ebikake, a former commissioner in Dickson’s government, spoke in Yenagoa few hours after PDP elders loyal to the governor carpeted defectors, describing them as ungrateful.

    Ebikake, in a press conference attended by members of the faction, spoke particularly about a fresh gale of defections set to hit the PDP today in a first mega rally of the APC scheduled to hold in Yenagoa.

    Ebikake said: “We cannot pretend to be unperturbed by the planned cross-carpeting of more of our esteemed members tomorrow (today). There is no doubt that some of these defectors are men and women of high political substance and pedigree that have contributed immensely to our past achievements”.

    Meanwhile, elders from the state and founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday rose from a crucial meeting and declared that the party would surmount its challenges and triumph in the December 5 governorship election.

    The elders, who met to review the ongoing defections of PDP stalwarts to the All Progressive Congress (APC) ahead of the election, said they were not losing sleep over the development.

    One of the elders and PDP founding father, Chief George Fente, said those who left the PDP and others leaving today (Saturday) after enjoying all the party’s  benefits were ungrateful and selfish.

    It had been revealed that over 70 PDP stalwarts and 500 others will today join the APC in a rally scheduled to hold at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex.

    But Fente said: “We know very well that some of our members in the PDP are leaving today. Why did they not defect before? They have enjoyed all the benefits in PDP. They have chosen to dump a party that has made them. They are ungrateful.

    “These defectors are political locust and they are gravitating towards an abysmal chasm of destruction. They will implode in APC and they will start running back to PDP. We are still advising them to come back because the umbrella is big enough to accommodate them.”

    Reading the collective position of the elders, the Chairman of the Committee of the Restoration Caucus Chairmen, Chief Thompson Okorotie, said majority of Bayelsans were behind the governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    “We hear of defection these days even though some of the listed people have died the claims of the opposition and that shows there is no coherence or totality in their claims.’’

    “However, we wish to state that those defections will have no impact on our route to success in the forthcoming primaries and the gubernatorial elections,” Okorotie said.

    He said the administration of Dickson has recorded many strides in different sectors of the state economy, adding that the governor started his government with a sound blueprint.

    He listed the governor’s achievements to include road infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, economic investment promotion and housing.

    He said despite the dwindling revenue which had affected all the states, Dickson was still paying salaries of workers.

    Okorotie, who noted that the governor has created enabling environment for investment, observed that pockets of criminalities, especially kidnapping in the state were politically motivated by evil forces.

  • LP candidate denies defecting to PDP

    LP candidate denies defecting to PDP

    The Labour Party (LP) standard-bearer in Osun State governorship election, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, has debunked the rumours that he was planning to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Akinbade was the Secretary to the state government under the Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s administration and also chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    His media consultant, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, in a statement, also dispelled the speculation that he had been disqualified from participating in the governorship election.

    He assured that he would not only contest, but would win the poll.

    Akinbade linked the rumours to his co-contestants, whom he claimed were threatened by his enviable and closeness to the grassroots.

    According to him, he was no longer a member of the PDP and would not go back to the party, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already cleared him to contest the election.

    He said: “My opponents are threatened by my track records and acceptability among the people, especially the grassroots. They know that at the coming polls, I will beat them silly and that is why they are cooking all kinds of stories against me.”

  • Defecting senators and PDP’s hypocrisy

    Democracy has many definitions and interpretations across schools of thoughts depending on the ideological leaning or interest of the contending scholars. Samuel Lipset offered one of the initially recognized classifications of contemporary democracy which he hinges on majority rule and minority rights. Morlino developed Lipset’s hypothesis further by describing a democratic system as “a set of institutions and rules that allow competition and participation for all citizens considered as equals characterized by free, fair and recurring elections. Though, definitions of democracy may vary for obvious reasons, its unique features are clear and incontrovertible across the contending perspectives. Among such are accountability (every democratically elected government is accountable to the people, to whom it owes its existence) and proper conduct of elections. The true representatives of the people must emerge through credible electoral process for us to expect them to be accountable to the people.

    One very important feature of democracy that, distinguishes it from other systems of government is its guarantee of freedom of association. According to Lane Kirkland, famous American labour leader, who served as AFL-CIO President for 16 years, “Democracy depends on stable, representative institutions. It depends on the right to organize. It depends on freedom of association.”  The  UN General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 20, 1948, also states that “everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and that no one may be compelled to belong to an association.”

    The exercise of freedom of association by all classes of people in a given society has always been at the heart of the struggle for democracy around the world, and it remains at the heart of society once democracy has been achieved. Without freedom of association, other freedoms lose their substance. It is impossible to defend individual rights if citizens are unable to organize around common needs and interests. As one labor leader put it, “Freedom of expression without freedom of association is the right to speak freely in the wilderness.”

    Freedom of association is the right to mingle with or dissociate from, join or leave, relate or disagree with groups purely out of a person’s own choosing, and for the group to take collective action to pursue the interests of members.  It is both an individual right and a collective right, guaranteed by all modern and democratic legal systems, including the United States Bill of Rights, article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and international law, including articles 20 and 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organization.  The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Section 40 makes it clear that “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interest.”

    Most political philosophers are of the opinion that freedom of association is essential to the development of civil society and thus very vital in the strengthening of democracy. Not only this, it is also an important fortification against all forms of despotism. It is typical of dictators to view free organizations as threats and target them for repression, takeover, or closure. The hallmark of a totalitarian state is the destruction of structures and institutions that encourage freedom of association.

    It is from the foregoing that one would like to analyse recent political development in the country, with particular consideration to the defection of politicians from one political camp to the other. It would not be an understatement to state that the recent arrival of the All Progressive Congress, APC, on the Nigerian political scene, has radically altered the political landscape in the country. The party’s ability to gain a significant in road, within such a short period of its existence, into places hitherto regarded as People Democratic Party, PDP, strongholds is already creating palpable fears among PDP stalwarts across the country. It has now suddenly dawned on PDP and its group of day-dreamers that their ludicrous plan to rule the country for 50 un-interrupted years is becoming an illusion.

    It is, however, disappointing that the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, has been acting in undemocratic manners by deliberately frustrating attempt by 11 defecting PDP senators to officially notify the Senate of their new political preference. It is rather amusing that Senate President, David Mark and his co-travellers in the Senate, have found it expedient to hide under curious  legal pretext in their bid to thwart the wish of these defecting senators. It is equally laughable and hypocritical that the PDP-led senate leadership has suddenly found legal justification as a basis to temporarily delay the aspiration of the defecting senators. In 2003, when the late Dr. Wahab Dosunmu dumped the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and later defected to the PDP, it was a big celebration in the Senate. Ditto for Senator Musiliu Obanikoro who took his mandate with the AD to the PDP and was equally applauded by the largely PDP dominated Senate.  In fact, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe was not only applauded for dumping the AD for PDP, he was compensated with the position of Minister of Works. This is just to mention a few instances that reinforce PDP led senate leadership hypocritical stance on the defecting PDP senators.

    What those behind the APC initiative has done should be commended by all stakeholders in the polity. They have been able to achieve what respected political leaders in the previous republics could not accomplish. If the opposition leaders in the second republic, for instance, had achieved such feat, the ruling National Party of Nigeria, NPN, could have found the task of re-election a tough call in the 1983 general elections. By implication, the country would have been rescued from the political and economic woes it was thrown into by the ruling NPN. This is the first time in the socio-political history of Nigeria that opposition parties have braced the odds to come together in order to build a solid party with a broad outlook and national identity. It is a bold attempt to forestall the tendency of turning the country into a one party state which the PDP, for obvious reasons, would have preferred.

    To consolidate democracy, restore a functioning economy, and promote sustainable economic growth, we need to tolerate and encourage the political preferences of every Nigerian. To deliberately complicate the aspiration of Nigerians to freely associate with the political party of their choice is inimical to democratic principles. For democracy to truly be the government of the people, it is important that the political inclination of everyone is respected and protected. Indeed, as it is often said, and truly so, power belongs to the people, but certainly not for people whose freedom of association is being curtailed.  God bless Nigeria!

     

     

    •Ibirogba is commissioner for information and strategy, Lagos

     

  • ‘PDP move to declare defecting Reps’ seats vacant nonsensical’

    ‘PDP move to declare defecting Reps’ seats vacant nonsensical’

    A member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside, has said that the move by the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to declare vacant the seats of the defecting lawmakers is nonsensical.

    He said more lawmakers and PDP senators would soon defect to the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Peterside, who represents Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro, yesterday in Port Harcourt, declared that the PDP no longer represented the aspirations of the defecting members.

    He said: “It (declaring vacant the seats of the defecting Reps) is nonsensical. It clearly shows that those at the helm of affairs right now in the PDP do not know the provisions of the law and in case they know the provisions of the law, they have shown us in recent times that the PDP is not a party that respects the law.

    “It (PDP) is a party of men who champion impunities, men who champion or support corruption. So, we will not be surprised if they pursue what is not realisable, but I can tell you that it is pure waste of time and effort.

    “The Constitution is clear. When a party is either factionalised or a party experiences a division and in the case of the PDP, of course you know what happened from the period of the last national convention in August, where some governors, some members of the National Assembly walked out of the convention and after then set up a parallel secretariat of the party, set up parallel executive of the party and of course on the floor of the National Assembly it was acknowledged that there are various factions of the PDP.

    “A faction of the party aligned with the APC. There is no denying that there are factions in the party. The party itself admits that and the law is clear in a case where there is a division in the party, the constitution is clear on that.”

    He said: “One is the direction the nation is going. You can see the level of impunity in the country. You can see the level of corruption in the country. Our economic growth is stagnated.

    “We (Reps) were concerned that this is not the PDP of our dreams and that that platform cannot deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. That platform, the PDP, does not represent our aspirations and the things we wish for Nigeria, in the light of that there’s absolute need for us to change platform.

    “The second reason is for those of us from Rivers State, politics is a game of interests. Different incentives drive different actions. Different incentives can premeditate different outcomes.

    “If our incentive for being involved in politics is to better the lot of our people, to protect the interest of our people and to advance the course of our people. Then, there are minimal standards expected of anybody who truly wishes to represent the people.

    “In the case of Rivers State, we were watching as our resources were being taken away. We were watching as the PDP could no longer protect the interest of our people. We were watching as we could not boast of a single developmental project, despite the fact that we gave PDP the highest number of votes in the past election. We were watching as we got not a single project.

    “We were watching as the PDP, which is the facilitator of our democracy at our instance, began to work against Rivers’ interest. It was no longer tolerable for us to remain on such a platform.”