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Tag: Ekweremadu

  • Critics of Ekweremadu miss the point

    Critics of Ekweremadu miss the point

    For two weeks running, some political commentators on the emergence of the leaderships of the 8th National Assembly – Senate and House of Representatives, seem to miss the point and have allowed their personal interests to override national concern. Their prejudiced views unfortunately have refused to situate some of the key actors, especially the present Deputy President of Senate in his rightful perspective.

    Since emerging the number two person, Senator Ike Ekweremadu with Senator Bukola Saraki as President of Senate, mischief makers have deliberately slanted his emergence with coloration of a regional appointment rather than visualise this great feat as a continuous call to national service, a responsibility he has ably discharged meritoriously since 2007 till date to the admiration of not only his colleagues but Nigerians.

    It is either those hate writers choose to be mischievous or they simply refuse to accord him the honour he deservedly merits. For the avoidance of doubt, a clearly televised election in a keenly contested poll seen nationwide, cannot be painted in the web of ethnicity, or sectionalism. The votes he garnered showed a complete national spread, which confirmed that the man in question was just not a Lilliputian thrown up by sectional biases but one who is a player at the national level.

    In my retirement, one pet hobby of mine as one sits out at the balcony every morning and evening in Benin is to voraciously read up all the Dailies, listen to radio and television analyses, including surfing on the communication high way to keep up to date with goings-on in Nigeria and the world in general. Having followed with keen interest the activities and performance of Dr Ekweremadu over the years, first as Senator then as Deputy Senate President, it will be saying the obvious that in him lies a true patriot and emergent national figure.

    For a man who enjoys the support and camaraderie of all his colleagues, a pedigree he had kept faith with since the 6th, 7th and now the 8th Senate, it would be a great disservice not to appreciate and allow him assume the cozy post he duly won in that testy energy sapping contest against an All Progressive Congress candidate, Senator Ali Ndume, at the hallowed chamber of the Senate on June 9, 2015.

    His accolades and attributes, indeed are worth mentioning here. Broad minded, humble, never pugnacious and imbued with high intellect, his arguments on the floor of the Senate made in such sublime serene language that even those who might not toe his views initially, are bound to be swayed by his superior position and elucidation, which undoubtedly puts him in good stead as a leader capable of carrying on his shoulders all the Senators through senate proceedings.

    He has always been in the inner sanatorium of the Senate, very influential, has immense knowledge of the working of the senate and would always be a fountain of knowledge for his other colleagues to draw inspiration from. One who has tremendous support across board and had made significant contributions to fashioning better laws that would lift mankind out of misery and want, is just not your backroom senator, but one who had earned our respect and should be accorded all due respect.

    From the much this writer had known of the lawmaker who while as serving senator, had time to burn the midnight oil, reading and thus bagging a PhD in Law, last year from the University of Abuja, cannot be wished away. All the committees he headed are of national importance. He had been at the Ethics and Privileges, Niger Delta, Solid Minerals and Judiciary and Human Rights. Others are Internal Affairs and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He was later to be Chairman on Federal Character and Government Affairs, as well as Chairman Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and also Chairman joint Steering Committee of Policy Analysis and Research Project of the National Assembly (PARP). He is also the current Chairman of Governing Council National Institute Legislative Studies.

    On the International scene, elected into the ECOWAS Parliament and  first as Deputy Speaker Parliament, Dr Ekweremadu later became Speaker ECOWAS Parliament and also chaired Ad Hoc Committee on Political Situation in Niger Republic and Republic of Guinea. The Bills and Motions he had sponsored, portray him as a national personality.

    Since 2003, from records, Ekweremadu had sponsored such Bills as Civil Process Severs Bill, Private Detectives and Investigators Bill, State of the Nation Address Bill and River Basins (Amendment Bill). He had equally co-sponsored Nigeria Police Act (Repeal and Re-enactment Bill, ) Abortion of Discrimination Against Women Bill, National Human Rights Commission Act Amendment Bill, Legal Aide Act, Elimination of Violence in Society Bill, Legal Practitioners Act (Amendment Bill) and Criminal Justice Victims Remedies Bill.

     The Motions attached to him are very encouraging. It is to his eternal credit that Dr Ekweremadu moved the Motion on The Absence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that triggered chain of legislative interventions leading to the emergence of an Acting President, The Passing Away of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Surging incidence of Kidnapping and Hostage taking in Nigeria, Outbreak of Hostilities in Jos, Plateau State, The Menace of Gully Erosion and Landslide in South East.

     A man who has the interest of the masses at heart, he had severally spoken and raised motions on the floor of the senate on such issues as Deplorable State of Nigerian Roads (A wake up call on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA); Abandonment of Nigeria Ship Crew in Captivity in Somalia and General Insecurity in the Nation.

     Perhaps more than anything are the illuminating lectures he addressed at different fora both in Nigeria and overseas.  A cursory look – Constitutional Amendment and Electoral Reforms in Nigeria, Curbing Menace of Corruption in Nigeria through the Constitution, Role of Legislation in Engineering Order Built Environment in Nigeria, Review of the 1999 Constitution  and the Stability of Nigeria and the Repositioning of  the Local Government System for Sustainable Development through Constitution Review. Others are Key Governance Issues in Nigeria and Succession Challenges in Nigeria.

     As reported widely in the newspapers both at home and overseas, his lecture series at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Democracy of Sub-Regional Integration on the topic, ‘Global Economic Crisis Implications for Africa’, received a louder acclamation and widely accepted by scholars, strategic thinkers and top politicians from all over the universe that had converged for that Commonwealth international conference.

     His vision and thought are not parochial in nature and for a man whose amity is warm and infectious, this awardee of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic CFR, Dr Ike Ekweremadu, deserves being the Deputy Senate President and the sky indeed is his limit.

     The challenge as always now is for him to leverage this exalted position to fashion out innovative Bills and Laws that would make Nigeria a better place and its citizenry happier.

    –Dr Omoroya wrote in from Benin City

  • I had no deal with Ekweremadu, says Saraki

    I had no deal with Ekweremadu, says Saraki

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has said he had nothing to do with the re-emergence of Chief Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President at the June 9 controversial election in the Senate.

    Saraki whose choice as Senate President went against the wish of his party,All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday also denied receiving any message to attend a party meeting at the International Conference Center (ICC) on the day.
    He spoke at his maiden press conference in Abuja as Senate President.
    He said that contrary to the insinuation in many quarters ,he had no deal with Ekweremadu or the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Ekweremadu becoming deputy senate president.
    All he did,according to him, was to reach out to all Senators to support his (Saraki’s) bid to head the Senate.

  • Saraki/Ekweremadu: Senate and its bi-partisan leadership

    Saraki/Ekweremadu: Senate and its bi-partisan leadership

    The emergence of a bi-partisan leadership at the Senate, headed by Dr. Bukola Saraki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ike Ekeremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as his deputy, took many Nigerians by storm because it is unprecedented in the current political dispensation. Assistant Editor ONYEDI OJIABOR examines the development and its implications on the polity. 

    The emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Senate President and Dr. Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy has continued to reverberate in the country. For the first time, the country woke up to the reality of a bi-partisan leadership in the Senate.

    But, what is the implication of the emerging scenario in the Senate? Some believe that the marriage of convenience in the Senate may not last because it is built on a quicksand. The Eight Senate was inaugurated on June 9, 2015, under questionable circumstances. In the days to come, a bitter power struggle between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might ensue on the floor of the Senate.

    On the other hand, this might be in the overall interest of the nation, according to some analysts, because in the process lawmakers in the Red Chamber may resort to building a broad consensus in carrying out its principal functions. This development, in their view, would strengthen the Senate and make it more people-oriented.

    No doubt, the debate for and against the bi-partisan leadership in the Senate will continue for quite a long time. The implications of the development, observers say, will soon unfold to make things clearer. A lot of things hitherto taken for granted and considered settled in the Senate may assume a different dimension.

    For instance, in the past, it was common for Senators belonging to the majority party to gather somewhere in a closet to rehearse the steps that will be taken to arrive at decisions on the floor of the Senate. Thus, they merely come to the floor of the Red Chamber to act the script. The new arrangement in the upper chamber may have foreclosed such compromised decisions. The meaning is that it will be difficult to ignore the opposition in the Senate for whatever reason.

    Again, in the past, whenever the ruling party is to hold its National Executive Council meeting, the Senate is usually held to ransom and forced to close. With the emergence of a Deputy President of the Senate from the opposition party, the Senate can decide to continue its sitting. Decisions taken at such sitting will be binding on the Senate if the issue of quorum was not raised.

    It should not also be forgotten that with the new arrangement in the Senate, the executive arm of government can no longer easily have its way on issues in which it has special interest, especially with the minority party now being part of the presiding officers.

    Besides, for the first time, the country is likely to witness robust, healthy and vigorous debates on the floor of the Senate. At the end of the day, issues are more likely to be decided on their merit. Decisions are likely to be enriched because the era of “carry go or bow and go” would be a thing of the past. This is likely to be the case, provided the opposition does not sell out.

    Observers say the fact that the majority and the minority parties are fairly matched is a healthy development. The APC, which is the majority party, has 59 senators, while the PDP, the minority party, has 49 senators. The implication, according to such observers, is that the upper legislative chamber may be very slow in arriving at decisions, due to divergence of personal and party interests. “Unless it is well managed, the divergence of interests may breed friction because the opposition with its large number of members and a presiding officer on its side may decide to challenge issues it is strongly opposed to,” an observer who wants to remain anonymous said.

    What is more, it is believed that the APC members in the chamber may remain largely divided because of the division created during the election of the key principal officers. The partnership between Saraki and PDP members within the chamber, observers say, is likely to prevail for a long time because the former Kwara State governor and his backers are likely to remain perpetually in fear of the APC majority who opposed his emergence.  Saraki is also likely to be in perpetual fear of PDP senators though majority of the opposition lawmakers supported him to emerge. The APC, insiders say, may have sued for peace and are now willing to bury the hatchet.

    But, the different caucuses within the ruling party will continue to habour mutual suspicion. It may prove difficult to manage and probably erase the suspicion. “Everything however depends on how Saraki will handle the explosive situation. If he is tactful, Saraki can ensure that the Senate behaves like a family where unnecessary partisanship on issues of national interest will largely be subdued. Former Senate President, David Mark, did it successfully where even APC Senators went to represent him at occasions,” the unnamed observer noted.

    Other observers say Saraki would have to perfect the art of blending opinions, do more of introspection on issues, regardless of his interests. Such observers argue that extreme political intrigues and unabridged inflicting of his views on matters of national interest may turn out to be Saraki’s undoing.

    Mark and Ekweremadu’s leadership of the Senate, although they belonged to the same party, brought stability to the upper chamber. Between 1999 and 2007, a period of eight years, the Senate had five different leaderships. But, between 2007 and 2015, another period of eight years, it had only one leadership with Senators Mark and Ekweremadu holding sway.

    Prior to the inauguration of the National Assembly, when senators within the APC were divided over the election of its key principal officers, it is instructive that some senators even within the ruling party were rooting for Ekweremdu’s return as Deputy President of the Senate.

    What was not clear then was whether he would agree to defect to the party to be able to clinch the position and whether the APC would accept to have a PDP man as Deputy Senate President, considering the fact that the opposition party has 49 seats in the chamber. The proponents of the above idea believe that Ekweremadu’s re-emergence will bring experience and stability in the handling of the affairs of the Senate and the country, irrespective of his political party.

    Ekweremadu has always been rated among the majority of his colleagues and various zonal caucuses as highly detribalized, humble, intelligent, and a straightforward personality.

    A public affairs analyst, Nicholas Ozor, who spoke about what the Saraki/Ekweremadu leadership portends for the Senate, insisted that the whole thing depends on the political and psychological temperament of Saraki and Ekweremadu and not necessarily about the party they belong to. Ozor said: “It will be foolhardy to believe that all APC senators would always support the proposals and bills brought by President Muhammadu Buhari to the floor of the Senate.

    “Individual, regional, ethnic, political and even religious interest would always play up. It is how the individual lawmakers are able to manage these interests and subdue them to national interest that will make the difference. For instance, if some of his public comments are anything to go by, it is safe to say that Ekweremadu favours a responsible opposition. For his widely published address to his constituents after the presidential and National Assembly polls, as well as his recent address at the PDP National Assembly members retreat in Port Harcourt, leaves no one in doubt that he places national interest above party interest. I don’t see someone with Ekweremadu’s kind of mindset working at cross purposes with any policy that would move the nation forward.”

    Ozor also cited the example of the PDP, which he described as both the ‘real’ opposition in parliament for the 16 years it held sway as majority in the National Assembly. He also explained how leadership of at least one chamber had always been at loggerheads with the executive arm for the 16 years even though they were of the same party.

    In the Enugu address, Ekweremadu said: “It needs to be reiterated, however, that the Southeast PDP and indeed Ndigbo have nothing against President Mohammadu Buhari as a person or against his incoming administration. We will work hand-in-hand with him in line with our regional agenda and the overall development of Nigeria. We will give him all the support to succeed because he was elected as the President of Nigeria, not president of the APC or any section of the country in particular”.

    Preaching constructive opposition in Port Harcourt, Ekweremdu had stated: “Let me quickly add that ours should not be an opposition that sees nothing good in any government action or policy. We should not engage in market square propaganda and destructive criticism that turn truth upside-down or tends to incite the citizenry against the government in power…. So, we must oppose responsibly and with patriotism. We must play by the rules and stick to verifiable facts. The PDP lawmakers in the 8th National Assembly should hold the ruling APC accountable on each of its campaign promises…. We should also provide policy alternatives, dissect every executive bills on its merit, and provide informed and energetic oversight of the executive to ensure that Nigerians are not cheated at any point in time. We should ensure that successive national budgets address national needs and that they do so equitably. We should only support the confirmation of appointments that meet competency test and comply with the principles of federal character and equal opportunity”.

    Ozor argued that what Senator Ekweremadu listed were what should ordinarily constitute the role of a legislator in a democracy, irrespective of whether he is in the opposition or majority party.

    In the same vein, an Ibadan-based political analyst, Zachaeus Adebayo, also insist that if the Benue and Plateau Houses of Assembly could work with the APC lawmakers as Speakers. Even though the PDP are in the majority in both houses, he saw no reason why the situation in the Senate should be different. His words: “The APC’s Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange was elected Speaker of a house where the PDP is in majority, while the PDP made do with only the Deputy Speakership position. Hon. James Okefe Ejembi. Ikyange beat PDP’s Hon Ucha to the Speakership position. In Plateau State, Hon. Peter Azi of the APC was also elected Speaker of the 24-member House of Assembly, whereas the PDP is in the majority with 13 seats. So, it is all about democracy in action. Much more depends on the readiness of the individuals in question to work.

    Some observers however contend that for Ekweremadu to continue to enjoy the support of a greater majority of the Senators, he should always be Deputy Senate President whenever he presides. He must not try to outshine Saraki at any point in time. By that, analysts say, the fear that PDP Senators may hijack the Senate will greatly be reduced.

    It is also the thinking in some political settings that Saraki, as unpredictable as he may be, needs to combine some level of political maturity and native intelligence to weather the storm stoked by the novelty of a bi-partisan leadership of the Senate.

    To most watchers, the political chessboard in the Eight Senate will not only be interesting, but will also remain unpredictable. A lot, they say, will depend on Saraki and Ekweremadu’s political sagacity. With some nibbling from within and outside the country’s political circles, Nigerians are likely to gain more from the Eight Senate.

  • ‘Ekweremadu’s emergence bad for democracy’

    Progressives Solidarity Forum (PSF), a pressure group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), has faulted the claim that Senator Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President would strengthen democracy.

    Speaking in Lagos during the inauguration of the acting executive of the Lagos chapter of the group, its Director of Media and Publicity, Hajia Rekiya Sanni, said the group was against  Ekweremadu’s  emergence.

    “Bringing Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President in the upper chamber cannot strengthen democracy in the legislative arm. This is like bringing back the same Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that has destroyed the country in the last 16 years.

    “Nigerians took a courageous step to sweep out the PDP by voting them out, only for a ‘cabal of a click’ to bring them back through a back door. This would not be acceptable in any civilised democratic setting.

    “This is not the change that Nigerians voted for; the change Nigerians voted for is a complete departure from the old ways of doing things,” Hajia Sanni said.

    Having Saraki and Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President, according to her, would amount to returning to status quo.

    She advised the APC to convene a leadership meeting to discuss and give directions to Nigerians to deliver election promises. “The APC should not give excuses to Nigerians for non-performance of the mandate given to them as a result of not been able to pass the executive bills.”

    The Grand Patron of PSF, Dr. Ibrahim Emokpaire described the election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as a blessing to Nigeria, saying it is a combination of “brains and brawn; vision and purpose; the political will and intellectual capacity to surmount the myriads of challenges facing our country today.”

    Emokpaire said PSF is ready to work with  APC and the government in designing policies that would reshape the county and  restore its lost glory.

  • Igbo group urges Ekweremadu to step down

    Igbo group urges Ekweremadu to step down

    London, United Kingdom (UK)-based Igbo group,  Concerned Diaspora Enugu West,  is worried about the crisis arising from the leadership contest  in the Senate, in which Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as Senate President and Senator  Ike Ekweremadu “put  himself forward for  the post of the Deputy Senate President”.

    The group, in a statement signed by its convener, Ignatius Ozoilo, noted that while it conceded  that Ekweremadu’s interest to become part of the leadership of the  National Assembly  was a legitimate aspiration, it was not a  right political decision for the senator representing Enugu West, asking him to step down “with immediate effect”.

    It noted that Ekweremadu was Deputy Senate President for eight years as a member of  the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with ample opportunity to use that position to improve the political, economic and social  prospects of the country.

    The  UK-based group  said regrettably, “he failed to demonstrate any particular sense of legislative  acumen  for the benefit of his constituency  and  Nigeria”.

    Urging the senator to step down, it  said Ekweremadu should be alarmed  about the “consequences of his opportunism and lack of principle.”

    The statement reads in part: “Nigerians  were  quite eloquent on March 28, 2015, that they needed the country to move in a different direction. It is an affirmation that is prescriptive of a collective desire to have  a new set of leadership at both the Executive  and Legislative arms of government.

    “Senator Ekweremadu’s action is a clear aberration to that  spirit of collectivism and clearly undermines the essence of  opposition as an ingredient of constructive governance. Honourable Leo Ogor, the  former Deputy Leader of the  House of Representatives, was rightly appreciative of that sense of change by  turning down the offer to stand for the post of Deputy Speaker. It was a commendable political move, which Senator Ekweremadu ought  to have emulated.”

    It added: “As his constituents,  we respectfully advise that Senator Ike Ekweremadu should  stand down as Deputy Senate President with  immediate effect. We further advise that he should  devote the next four years to work for the people of Enugu West, whom he has  utterly abandoned because he has been busy pursuing his own interest and personal ambition.”

  • Atiku, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal and Ekweremadu

    Atiku, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal and Ekweremadu

    It is worrisome what dire portents the controversial National Assembly (NASS) leadership elections of June 9 have let loose. The elections were supposed to be a routine, if slightly competitive, exercise to choose those who would preside over the affairs of the 8th Senate and 8th House of Representatives. But it turned out to be a harbinger of unsettling and inextricable complications for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Given what the disputed elections signposted, the APC must ready itself for more intrigues and fierce competition for dominance by party leaders. In defiance of his party, APC’s Bukola Saraki had struck an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge as Senate President, with PDP’s Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy. In the lower chamber, Yakubu Dogara, also defying his party, had emerged as Speaker, with Lasun Suleiman of the APC as deputy.

    While the APC was still fuming over the developments in the National Assembly, some of the party’s key leaders offered their views on the election and managed in the same breath to show where they were headed politically. The viewpoints of three APC leaders — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso — indicate just how poignantly the NASS election transcended merely producing the leaders of the 8th NASS. Senator Saraki, Alhaji Atiku, Governor Tambuwal and Senator Kwankwaso are thought to eye the 2019 presidential race. Their actions and opinions on the June 9 NASS leadership elections were believed to have been influenced by their ambitions. But whether each has pursued that ambition ethically and healthily, and with the insuperable circumspection of a future presidential aspirant, will be clear in the coming months.

    The election, or more accurately, the affirmation, of Senator Ekweremadu appears to be the leitmotif of the forthcoming presidential struggle. The reaction of the four APC leaders to the presence on the APC ticket of PDP’s Senator Ekweremadu is serving as the litmus test to gauge their loyalty to the party, their character as individuals and politicians, and their understanding of the dynamics of Nigerian politics. Senator Saraki’s ambition is hardly disguised. While he is entitled to nurse any ambition, many party leaders and followers are uneasy over the guileful but facile manner he ceded the important and valuable position of Deputy Senate Presidency to the PDP, and act attributed wholly to his machinations. Even after the brouhaha over the political heresy is quietened, it is doubtful whether Senator Saraki can be trusted again. Party leaders, members and the populace will wonder whether there is a limit to what and who Senator Saraki can trade for his ambition. He will be judged blameless for resisting his party and pursuing his ambition to lead the senate; but he will not be exculpated for undermining his party in such a grand, reckless and offensive manner. He is unlikely to live down that betrayal, or celebrate for long what is evidently a pyrrhic victory.

    Alhaji Atiku denies that his celebration of the outcome of the NASS elections has anything to do with the 2019 presidential race, but he has offered no forceful or convincing justification for turning a blind eye to Senator Saraki’s subversion of party discipline. Indeed, Alhaji Atiku was enthusiastic in welcoming the new NASS leadership. “The Nigerian people are looking up to the new National Assembly to work with the executive arm to find solutions to the problems of insecurity, poverty, illiteracy and joblessness in the country,” gushed the former vice president. “Their election is indeed a call to duty, and it is a call for which they cannot afford to fail the nation.” He goes on to suggest that the new NASS leaders should not be discomfited by the circumstances of their emergence, but should swing to work immediately and not let personal political interest supersede national interest. He offered no direct or indirect opinion on the subversion of party discipline plotted by Senator Saraki, nor of the embarrassment and dire implication to the APC which the affirmation of Senator Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President disgracefully connoted.

    While Alhaji Atiku has achieved some renown in crisscrossing political parties, Governor Tambuwal, another party leader who might be interested in the 2019 presidential race, had a reputation for general stoicism and ideological politics. During his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he came across to many as a dependable politician and leader, one who mixed well, and was sagacious, intelligent and courageous. Why he seemed blithely unaware of the damage to his reputation which his inappropriate reaction to the NASS leadership election implied is hard to understand. He was an ardent defender of the independence of the legislature, and he stood ramrod against the political and executive malfeasances of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. But surely, given his perspicacity, he should be capable of drawing a line between legislative independence and legislative ethicalness, and between party discipline and executive interference. Yet, he was not too incommoded by the desire to defy his party when he felt it was justified. Whether that justification had anything to do with principles or personal interest cannot now be easily established. But in embracing the June 9 NASS elections, which he claimed exampled the maturation of Nigerian democracy, he showed none of the gifts, accomplishments and oratorical endearments for which he had been celebrated as a hero of the 7th Senate.

    Senator Kwankwaso has never hidden his interest in running for president. In fact, he is unabashed in showing his interest. He has a solid political pedigree, and his time as governor of Kano State, not to talk of his Kwankwasiya ideology, continues to resonate quite well with many Nigerians. In the last APC presidential primary, he surprised many by coming a famous and inspiring second to the winner, Muhammadu Buhari. Since then he has talked sensibly, fearlessly, independently and clairvoyantly. What is more, he seems somewhat uncannily prescient in judging political matters. Weeks before the June 9 NASS elections, he had warned of an impending catastrophe if APC leaders failed to handle the NASS leadership elections well. After the elections, when some party leaders waffled, he forthrightly lambasted Senator Saraki for rank indiscipline, and described other beneficiaries of the aberrant elections, such as Senator Ekweremadu, as undeserving. He also counseled the party to establish its authority over its members if the Buhari presidency was not to be threatened by the new and unholy alliance between Senator Saraki and his new PDP affiliates.

    It may be too early to project into the 2019 presidential race, for four years is a very long time in politics. But so far, Senator Kwankwaso has talked the talk most engagingly. His sound bites are clear and crisp, and his stand quite geomorphologically close to the Rock of Gibralta. It however remains to be seen how well he can stay faithful to, and be focused on, doing and saying the right things effortlessly. At the bottom of the posturing by these ambitious APC leaders is the expectation that President Buhari could choose not to run in 2019. If he does however run, the hopes and plans of these early aspirants will be summarily dashed. If he does not run, the field will be crowded by many presidential wannabes, some of them accomplished flip-floppers, and others too short-termist to endure a long race. Among them, if he can stay the course, and nurse his principles, will be Senator Kwankwaso, ebullient, iconoclastic and pragmatic as ever.

  • What does Saraki’s, Ekweremadu’s emergence portend for APC?

    What does Saraki’s, Ekweremadu’s emergence portend for APC?

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not pleased with what appears like a rebellion within its ranks and the emergence of a bi-partisan leadership in the Senate. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI looks at the development and what can be done to ensure that it does not have negative consequences on the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. 

    The emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively, contrary to the wish of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila should get the positions, has been rightly described as a continuation of the battle for supremacy between the party and the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). With its numerical advantage in both chambers of the National Assembly, the APC could have easily taken charge of the situation, but it probably took things for granted. According to observers, the rift has revealed some cracks within the ranks of the ruling APC, which must be papered before it causes a colossal damage to the objective of the APC to steer the country towards a new direction.

    But, the APC appears to have found itself in a cul-de-sac. Though the party has reversed its earlier position, saying the development is not acceptable, the Lawan group within the party is still insisting that Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who was elected as part of the deal that brought Saraki and Dogara into office, must go. Ekweremadu who represents Enugu North in the upper chamber belongs to the PDP and he was returned as Deputy Senate President as a result of the agreement members of his (Ekweremadu) party in the National Assembly had with Saraki and Dogara as a condition to back them.

    The justification of the Lawan group is that a bi-partisan Senate leadership would set the stage for an administrative disorder and a possible disintegration of the ruling party. The group believes that the alliance of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives with PDP members is going to be a cog in the wheel for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to reform and sanitise the Nigerian polity.

    Be that as it may, the irony is that the position of the group runs counter to the suggestion of political analysts that this is not the time to further inflame passions and that the APC must engage its dissident members. Thus, in spite of what has happened, former Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Colonel Joseph Achuzia, said the APC should move on, by forgiving Saraki and Dogara and thereby unite all its members for the task ahead.

    Achuzia said the APC members of the Senate were naïve, by being elsewhere when they should have been at the Red Chambers of the Senate for their inauguration. He said: “They should have realized that both Saraki and Dogara were all members of the PDP; it was just at the last moment that they opted out because they knew what they wanted and knew they would not get it if they remained with the PDP. But, in their heart of hearts they still consider themselves as founding members of the PDP.”

    The former Ohanaeze Secretary-General said what won the election for the APC is not so much the manifesto or the programmes of the party, but the yearning for change of the populace, as a result of the failure of the previous government to satisfy their aspirations. Against this background, he warned the APC to tread softly, so that it would be able to deliver the promised change to Nigerians.

    Similarly, elder statesman and Second Republic politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, said it would be in the national interest for the APC and the PDP members in the National Assembly to put their differences aside and work as a team. The elder statesman said the executive and the legislature can work harmoniously, as long as the Buhari-led government is not hostile to the National Assembly. He added: “If President Buhari handles the National Assembly with care, I don’t think there will be trouble. The sooner the APC leadership accepts the reality of the situation in the National Assembly, the better for everyone.”

    Like other observers, Yakassai believes the crack within the APC in the National Assembly should be cemented with care, to avoid bringing a collateral damage to the cohesion within its members. His words: “The Lawan group has gone to court, but I don’t think this course of action will be in the overall interest of the APC. From my personal experience in the Second Republic, when I worked as a Liaison Officer between the Presidency and National Assembly, I don’t think they have a strong case. Nevertheless, it is only when the court comes up with a ruling that we can know the true position, but as a layman, I don’t think they have a strong case.

    “In the first place, I think the APC made a mistake; it has not learnt from past mistakes of the former ruling party. There is the case of former Speaker Patricia Etteh; the PDP wanted her as Speaker, but members of the House were not favourably disposed to her leadership. Eventually, members of the House had their way.

    “The second example was when former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal was elected; he was not the candidate of the ruling party. The party wanted Adeola Akande to be Speaker, but members of the House decided that they wanted Tambuwal and Emeka Ihedioha and they had their way.

    “In my view, I think any political party in power should allow members of the National Assembly to decide who they want to be their presiding officers. The party can come in, by zoning the positions, so that each geo-political zone would be given a sense of belonging. But, the issue of which particular office should go to which member, should be left for the lawmakers to decide. If the ruling party does that, there will be peace because the members have their own mandates; the mandate of the President is different.

    “We should learn from what obtains in other climes; there is nowhere in the world that the party dictates to the National Assembly or parliament, as to who should be their presiding officers. It doesn’t happen in America, Britain, Italy or any other Western country for that matter.  In these countries, the parties give parliamentarians the freedom to decide who should be their leaders.

    Yakassai also subscribes to the belief that the APC authorities committed a blunder by not taking care of the interest of former members of the PDP who defected to the APC. He said: “There is a saying in Hausa that if you see a horse with a saddle already mounted and running amok, you should know that he has thrown somebody off and that you too can be thrown off. So, what happened to the PDP, if care is not taken, can also happen to any other party, including the APC.

    “You see, the PDP benefitted from defections from other parties and it thought it would be in its own interest. Members of the party were happy when members of other parties were leaving their parties and joining them, not knowing that in the end they will be the worst losers. But, with the sign of trouble, such members started to leave one-by-one and sometimes in droves. So, the APC should beware.”

    Based on past experience, the current crisis, if not properly handled, may lead to instability within the legislature and this may have negative consequences on the good governance of the country. if it is not properly handled. The intrigues that characterized the inauguration of the 4th National Assembly in 1999 under the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the emergence of Senator Evans Enwerem as the Senate President is a familiar story. Just like Saraki, Ekeweremadu had emerged under a similar controversial circumstance but sooner than expected lost out to Dr Chuba Okadigbo. He fell to the proverbial banana peels in the hallowed chamber because his emergence was at the instance of Obasanjo against the desire of majority of his party members in the PDP, who had in a mock election chosen Okadigbo as their preferred candidate.

    In November 1999, aggrieved PDP lawmakers in the senate took advantage of Obasanjo’s oversea trip and impeached Enwerem and installed Okadigbo. But, unfortunately, Okadigbo’s tenure did not last; he was also ousted in a counter coup plotted by the same power he and his group had rebelled against. Senator Anyim Pius Anyim stirred the affairs of the Senate until the end of the tenure. But, bored with the power play intrigues, Anyim had denounced his membership of the PDP in his valedictory address.

    At the inception of the 5th National Assembly, another Obasanjo’s protégée, Senator Adolphus Wabara, emerged as the Senate President. But, he was forced to resign in April 2005, following his implication in the bribe-for-budget scandal. He was accused of taking gratification from the Minister of Education for approval of education budget.

    The upper legislative chamber witnessed a bit of stability when Senator Ken Nnamani took over the Senate presidency. But, it was Senator David Mark that eventually brought relative stability ro the Senate; he was the longest serving Senate President. Until the recent defeat of his party, he had served for two consecutive terms in that position. He was in a good stead to retain the position, but for the poor outing of the PDP in the last elections.

    Mark is said to be instrumental to the emergence of Saraki and Ekwueremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. The APC is yet to recover from the shock of their emergence.

    As far as civil society activist and President Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS), Comrade Mashood Erubami, is concerned, the cracks opened by the emergence of Saraki/Ekweremadu/Dogara is a new twist in the fight against corruption. Erubami said it is a clever attempt to prevent the commission of class suicide by those who survive through the water of corruption. He added: “Fighting corruption to these elements is a deliberate act of dehydrating the bodies of such politicians for them to be wedded away. If the priority task of President Buhari’s government is to fight corruption and they know they are the target, their emergence is in a way an anti corruption crusade fight back waged deliberately to stall being targeted.

    “It is in this context that the conspiracy and the treacherous acts exhibited in the hallowed legislative chambers should be understood. It does not take time to know that the calibre of most of legislators left behind by the government that wound up cannot wait inactive under a government that has taken fight against corruption as a key task. Since most of the members of the APC, too, are also not infallible, there is the tendency that they may see the emergence of the clandestine groups as a cover against their being prosecuted later.

    “The legislative coup against the APC has launched a new space for political intrigues and prepared veritable ground for  confronting  the President in case the line of the fight against corruption is not drawn to shield those who committed corrupt acts in the past  to start the war afresh. Thus, landmines have been set for the war against indiscipline in the party and in the parliament.

    Erubami said what played out on the floor of the Senate is just a rehearsal of what to expect from the members of the PDP left behind. “Unless the President shifts the focus of governance and makes his administration people-driven, the country cannot be taken away from the sway of those who have tormented and set various agenda for the backwardness of the country in the past 16 years,” he added.

    To install a new order rightly built on the foundation of incorruptible legislature, the VOTAS President wants the Buhari administration to work towards massive participation of the people to herald an inclusive government. He said: “Government should, in view of the perfidy experienced during the inauguration of the National Assembly, engage the people in partnership, so that they can see the government as their own. People engage with what they feel part of and value what they help to build. Engaging citizens and local communities is indispensable when it comes to developing a sense of ownership in local decision-making and service delivery.

    “This will make the citizens to become a tool for checkmating the legislators in case of need. Working with citizens will allow the nation to fine-tune services based on actual needs, especially now that the country is experiencing austerity. The government needs to mobilise the people with adequate information upon which to base their loyalty and as an essential strategy to /national planning effort.”

  • PDP cautions Kwankwaso on criticism of Saraki, Ekweremadu

    PDP cautions Kwankwaso on criticism of Saraki, Ekweremadu

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, against what the party described as “incendiary utterances capable of destabilising the National Assembly and rubbishing the prevailing political tranquility in the country”.

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday, said the party was particularly shocked by the “hate statement” from Senator Kwankwaso wherein he used offensive language on the PDP and its members in the National Assembly.

    Kwankwanso criticised the way Dr Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu emerged president of the Senate and deputy president on June 9. The process shut out no fewer than 51 All Progressives Congress (APC) senators.

    The PDP said it was taken aback by the “venom and bitterness” in the statement, especially coming from a former governor, an elected senator, a highly respected former member of the PDP, who also benefitted hugely from the party as minister and two-time state governor.

    The party said it would have wished not to join issues with politicians who grew their political profile in the PDP no matter where they are at the moment, but regretted that Senator Kwankwaso went too far in declaring the party dead just because he is aggrieved that the Senate Presidency did not go his way.

    The statement said it was “indecorous, mischievous and misleading” for anybody to declare dead a party with an enviable history as the PDP, with 14 state governors, 47 Senators and hundreds of members in the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly.

    It continued: “Where was Senator Kwankwaso when a party he claimed was dead defeated his choice candidate in the Senate? Was it a dead party that was able to do what according to Kwankwaso, no other party could do in the 16 years of PDP control of the National Assembly?

    “Indeed, we found it very baffling that such unguarded statement came from a person who contested for the high office of the president of Nigeria.

    “Statements from such personalities should be decorous, statesmanly and focused on the national interest instead of promoting acrimony and division in the polity. This unfortunate outburst is well below Senator Kwankwaso’s character and status and we urge him to desist from such”.

    The party underlined that Kwankwaso and other APC leaders should rather be grateful to PDP senators for being disciplined and not using their preponderance at the inauguration to take the entire leadership of the Senate following the opening created by the APC leaders in convening a meeting of senators-elect at the same time fixed for the election of the leaders of the National Assembly.

    The PDP also dismissed as frivolous, Senator Kwakwaso’s unfounded and unsubstantiated claim that PDP’s agenda’s is to irritate President Muhammadu Buhari and put hurdle before him.

    The statement described as laughable, Senator Kwankwaso’s claims that under President Buhari, everything is working well in the country and wondered why he failed to give the credit for the stability in the nation to whom it is due, immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan whose conceding of power even amidst electoral irregularities brought the conducive atmosphere the nation is enjoying.

    It noted with delight the statesmanly stance of President Buhari who at the just concluded African Union (AU) summit in South Africa eulogised former President Goodluck Jonathan for taking the unique action that brought calm to the country.

    On Kwakwaso’s claim of giving 1.9 million votes from his state and over 750,000 votes from his senatorial zone to Buhari and APC, the PDP said it does not want to join issues with him on that because of its decision to toe the path of peace, except to note the “electoral ridicule” of 1.9 million voters, with no single void vote, a record for the Guinness Book.

     

     

     

     

  • PDP cautions Kwankwaso on Saraki, Ekweremadu

    PDP cautions Kwankwaso on Saraki, Ekweremadu

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, against what the party described as “incendiary utterances capable of destabilising the National Assembly and rubbishing the prevailing political tranquility in the country.”

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Tuesday said the party was particularly shocked by the “hate statement” from Senator Kwankwaso wherein he used offensive language on the PDP and its members in the National Assembly.

    Kwankwanso had criticised the way and manner Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu emerged President of the Senate and Deputy President respectively through a contrived process on June 9.

    The process shut out no fewer than 51 All Progressives Congress (APC) senators.

    The PDP said it was taken aback by the “venom and bitterness” in the statement, especially coming from a former governor, an elected senator, a highly respected former member of the PDP, who also benefitted hugely from the party as minister and two-time state governor.

    The party said it would have wished not to join issues with politicians who grew their political profile in the PDP no matter where they are at the moment, but regretted that Senator Kwankwaso went too far in declaring the party dead just because he is aggrieved that the Senate Presidency did not go his way.

    The statement said it was “indecorous, mischievous and misleading” for anybody to declare dead a party with an enviable history as the PDP, with 14 state governors, 47 Senators and hundreds of members in the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly.

    It continued: “Where was Senator Kwankwaso when a party he claimed was dead defeated his choice candidate in the Senate? Was it a dead party that was able to do what according to Kwankwaso, no other party could do in the 16 years of PDP control of the National Assembly?

    “Indeed, we found it very baffling that such unguarded statement came from a person who contested for the high office of the president of Nigeria.

    “Statements from such personalities should be decorous, statesmanly and focused on the national interest instead of promoting acrimony and division in the polity. This unfortunate outburst is well below Senator Kwankwaso’s character and status and we urge him to desist from such.”

  • Southeast APC faults Ekweremadu on zone’s voting for PDP

    Southeast APC faults Ekweremadu on zone’s voting for PDP

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast has berated Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu for his statement that Ndigbo will vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) again.

    The party said the Southeast, if given another chance, would not vote for PDP because according to it, ‘impunity will no longer triumph’.

    A statement by the party’s spokesman in the zone, Osita Okechukwu said: “With President Buhari’s program to revamp Enugu coal, build refineries, fix our roads, improve electricity among other projects, we see the Southeast and Southsouth providing the critical supplement to President Buhari’s vote bank in 2019.

    “Whereas, we do not begrudge our dear brother for his re-election, it beats our imagination that he relied on gossip-terrorists in reaching the conclusion that the Southeast and Southsouth will be marginalised; this is miles away from the truth.

    “We are at a loss as to why Ekweremadu chose to play this spoiler game, by wittingly or unwittingly throwing spanner on our wheel to clinch the coveted office of Deputy Senate President. Pundits may grab his unintended headline that we have been settled.

    “To us, without being immodest, one may amass wealth with the office; but Deputy Senate President in real-politics is more symbolic than substantial.

    “For the records we appeal that the Southeast and Southsouth, especially we of the APC stock should not be denied any position due to us because of our brother’s unintended headline that we have been settled.

    “In sum, we re-affirm our implicit confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will not marginalise or penalise neither the Southeast nor the Southsouth; for Mr. President has repeatedly maintained that he belongs to everybody and that the past is gone”.