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Tag: Olusegun Obasanjo

  • Odi: Judge’s absence stalls ruling against CBN

    Odi: Judge’s absence stalls ruling against CBN

    THE Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt yesterday deferred ruling in a suit by Odi indigenes in Bayelsa State against the governor of the Central Bank (CBN).

    Odi, a community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government, invaded by the military in 1999 on the order of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, was awarded N37.6 billion compensation last year by Justice Lambo Akanbi.

    Odi indigenes approached the court to challenge the destruction of their community, and sought N100 billion as damages.

    The CBN, after receiving a copy of the judgment, appealed. The plaintiff won the appeal.

    The plaintiff filed a motion ex parte asking for a garnishee order absolute to be made to the CBN, to effect the payment. The court granted the order.

    The CBN later filed an application to set aside the garnishee order absolute, arguing that it was not given time to be heard as an affected party before the order was made.

    Justice Akanbi dismissed theclaims and held that CBN was duly represented in the matter on June 17, last year, by its lawyer.

    He ordered the CBN to pay Odi the money without further delay, but all to no avail.

    Following the refusal, the people filed a suit at the International Court of Justice and filed a criminal charge against the governor before Justice Akanbi.

    They asked the court to invite the CBN boss to show cause for his disobedience to the court’s order. The governor was represented by a lawyer.

    The matter was fixed for ruling yesterday, but the judge was away in Bayelsa State.

    He doubles as a visiting judge at the Federal High Court, Yenagoa. The matter was adjourned till March 19.

    The community spokesman, Lt. Commander Koku Imananagha (rtd), regretted that the ruling did not take place.

    He said: “We are not happy because we wanted this matter to be fast-tracked; let’s see if we can get result. This come back today, come back tomorrow, we are getting tired of it.

    “If a court gives a judgment to the CBN and the governor does not obey it, I don’t know what that means, so we want to make sure that he is disgraced.”

     

  • Amaechi’s Obasanjo coup

    Amaechi’s Obasanjo coup

    FOR two days last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was ferried from one project to another by his host, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, to commission projects. Both guest and host relished the roles they foisted on each other. Ordinarily, not constitutionally, the role of commissioning major projects is reserved for the president who often synchronises his visit with the completion of huge state projects. But President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience, are at daggers drawn with Mr Amaechi, and that conflict has degenerated so badly and obscenely that even the constitution is endangered.

    Fortunately for the governor, Chief Obasanjo is not only at worse daggers drawn with the president over what many describe as egotistical trifles, the former president also had sufficient clout to make his visit to Rivers both important and memorable. The message and implication of the visit and project commissioning were of course not lost on Nigeria’s mischievous reporters who latched on to the visit to give it very copious treatment. Mr Amaechi not only carried out a coup, he did it with aplomb, amidst jokes, banter and dithyrambs certain to leave President Jonathan chafing and envious.

    It is unlikely that after this celebrated role reversal between Chief Obasanjo and President Jonathan, there is unlikely ever to be any reconciliation. Neither President Jonathan nor Governor Amaechi is temperamentally suited for succumbing to pressure or making peace after war. As the 2015 polls draw near, both gentlemen will indulge their bizarre talents to the fullest, the former to levy war earnestly and heedlessly; and the latter to fire ripostes with disproportionate and unqualified youthful zest.

  • Robbers dismantle ATM at Ondo varsity

    Robbers dismantle ATM at Ondo varsity

    Armed robbers dismantled yesterday an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at a new generation bank inside Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) campus, Ondo State and stole an undisclosed amount.

    It was learnt that the bandits carried out their operation between 1am and 3am at the ATM opposite Olusegun Obasanjo Multipurpose Hall.

    Sources said five gunmen, armed with two AK 47 rifles, entered the campus through a pedestrian gate at the southern part of the university.

     

    The Nation learnt that when the hoodlums got to where the ATM is located, they met two AAUA security guards and three sheriff deputies and tied them.

    It was gathered that the robbers entered the ATM room after breaking the door with electrical metal cutting tools.

    According to a source, the robbers attempted to dismantle an ATM at one of the old generation banks.

    A student, who preferred anonymity, said: “We discovered that they attempted to open the ATM of an old generation bank when we got to the place this morning.

    “I think they could not dismantle the ATM because it was already dawn and they were afraid of being attacked by students.”

    The management of the university, led by Prof. Femi Mimiko, has visited the scene of the incident.

    Confirming the robbery, police spokesman Wole Ogodo said nobody has been arrested.

    He said the robbers succeeded at the new generation bank because there was no anti-robbery alarm, but failed at the old generation bank because it had a strong security door.

    According to him, police were making efforts to arrest the robbers.

     

  • Golden girls at war?

    Golden girls at war?

    Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, PhD and Oby Ezekwesili, PhD, were the golden girls of Olusegun Obasanjo’s transparent presidency. If you have read Nasir El-Rufai’s Accidental Public Servant, you would have met the pair, among the other transparency holiest of holies, in their true habitat.

    There she was, Okonjo-Iweala: dollarised Finance minister, who never shared her glory with anyone; and who Rufai, in his book, insisted wanted total control of her Finance and economic domain (later proved by her Jonathan era epaulette of “Coordinating minister for the economy).

    There was Ezekwesili herself, the inimitable “Madam Due Process”.

    There was also the theorise-or-be-damned Chukwuma Soludo, later CBN governor. In early days, however, Soludo stormed out of Okonjo-Iweala’s “cabinet”, because she would not share her glory and Soludo was staging his own grandstand for presidential attention.

    Of course, there was the “muse” himself, El-Rufai: clean, antiseptic, uncompromising — like some good machine with human life!

    But how times have changed. Soludo has moved on to be replaced by an equally voluble Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Goodluck Jonathan has become president. El-Rufai has moved into the opposition. Ezekwesili, it appears, is non-committal, except to public accounts transparency. Okonjo-Iweala has achieved her dreams — empress of the economy; but under an especially clueless president.

    And that is the cause of the “war” between the hitherto chummy golden girls. In the scandal of the “missing” $20 billion NNPC public money that won’t go away, Okonjo-Iweala and Ezekwesili have gone different paths.

    Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is dreaming forensic auditing, to clear the air once and for all, since NNPC has submitted some documents to explain — or explain away, as quite a number prefer — how the money was purportedly spent.

    But Dr. Ezekwesili is screaming putative cover-up without quite saying anything. To her, forensic audit is easily compromise-able. NNPC is flush with petro-dollars to resist compromising any firm — any firm at all — if it really has anything to hide. She would rather keep Diezani Alison- Madueke, Petroleum minister, out of the probe loop too.

    Hear Madam Due Process thunder: “The minister of Petroleum Resources is the chairman of NNPC Board. Her argument in overseeing a mere corporation, usurp the power of appropriation is awful.”

    And her vicious raking of Okonjo-Iweala: “Sadly, the minister of Finance stated that her ministry does not have the expertise to verify the impunity-induced expenditures by NNPC.”

    No smoking guns yet, of course; and the fiery Madam Due Process is pronouncing no one guilty. But she smells, it appears, putative cover-up, and is furious enough at the tragi-comedy, in an otherwise serious public finance scandal. “How awful,” she thundered, “to see some reduce serious conversation on missing US $20 billion to what the Yoruba call ‘Awada Kerikeri’ [serious comedy]. No, this is not comedy.” Gbam! It is not.

    So, she suggests an international probe panel, like one Paul Volcker headed, in war-time Iraq, to get to the root of the matter. Why not?

    So, what can set hitherto golden girls of governmental rectitude and public accounting transparency on such a take-no-prisoner war?

    It’s the clueless Jonathan Presidency, stupid.

     

  • Amaechi’s K-leg has been straightened, says Obasanjo

    Amaechi’s K-leg has been straightened, says Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stated that the K-leg of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has been straightened, declaring that he has no apology over the declaration he made in December 2006 at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.

    The former President also admonished incumbents never to run down their predecessors, but to build on their achievements.

    He was apparently referring to President Goodluck Jonathan, who is now at loggerheads with the ex-President, who has temporarily withdrawn his membership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and now one of the leaders of the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), declared that the K-leg pronouncement was made based on wrong assumptions and information.

    Ex-President Obasanjo and the former Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly (Amaechi) spoke yesterday at the inauguration of Ambassador Nne Furo Kurubo Model Secondary School, Ebubu-Eleme-Ogoni in Eleme Local Government Area of the state.

    The first phase of the projects’ inauguration would showcase Rivers government’s completed projects in over 300 communities in 300 days.

    The former President’s white aircraft (jet), marked G-SENT, landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 11:07 am, Obasanjo alighting at 11:09 am. He was received by Amaechi and wife, Dame Judith.

    Monarchs, led by the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Godwin Gininwa; the representative of the Rivers Southeast Senatorial District, Magnus Ngei Abe and some members of the National Assembly, commissioners, other top government officials and eminent personalities were part of the welcoming party.

    The tumultuous crowd at the airport and projects’ sites kept shouting “Baba, Baba, Baba (daddy/father), we love you.” Many of the enthusiastic people carried placards with these inscriptions:, such as “OBJ, you are God sent to Nigeria” and “Amaechi, the people’s Governor.”

    Other inaugurated projects inaugurated on the first day of the two-day visit include the reconstructed and dualised 18.3 km G. U. Ake Road; the dualised Okporo Road, off the East-West Road; the dualised Elekahia-Rumuomasi and Ken Saro-Wiwa (Liberation Stadium) Roads, as well as the Model Primary Health Centre at Akpajo-Eleme.

    The Songhai Farm at Bunu-Tai, off Bunu-Afam Road in Tai Local Government Area; the Banana Plantation in Ogoni; Afam Power Station in Afam, Oyigbo Local Government Area; the 2×60 MV/132/33 KVA Elelenwo Sub-injection Station in Port Harcourt were also inaugurated.

    At the free Model Secondary School built on 21 hectares of land and being managed by an Indian firm), named after Nne Furo Kurubo, the state’s first permanent secretary and a former Nigerian Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, who was at the ceremony, the ex-President stated that the NGF chairman had done well.

    PDP’s flags were given to the governorship candidates of the party in the Southsouth zone, excluding Amaechi, at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt in December 2006, with the ex-President Obasanjo declaring that the ex-speaker’s candidature had K-leg, in spite of winning the governorship primaries.

    The flag for the Rivers governorship candidate of the PDP was later given to Amaechi’s cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia, from Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area

    Ameachi went to court. His property was thrown out of his Port Harcourt residence, while Dr. Peter Odili was governor. He relocated to Ghana with his family.

    Omehia won the election and was inaugurated as governor on May 29, 2007, but he was sacked by the Supreme Court in the landmark judgment of October 25, 2007, with Amaechi inaugurated as governor the following day at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

    Former President Obasanjo, who did acrobatic, by jumping to the high stage/podium, unlike Amaechi and Kurubo, who used the steps, said: “I am not here (in Rivers State) for politics. I am here to see development and to acknowledge development. So far, I have seen a bit. We still have other places to go.

    “The Governor (Amaechi) talked about K-leg. I believe that as a leader, when I have something that requires action, that action must be taken. Otherwise, I am not a worthy leader. A report came about him (Amaechi) which indicated K-leg and I said yes, there was a K-leg. But then, he did what was required in democratic dispensation. He went to court to straighten the K-leg.

    “I am one of those who when he got the judgment/verdict, I found it awkward. I did not voice it out publicly. Awkward in the sense that how can a man, who has not contested an election, a man who has not been voted for, will be declared the governor?

  • NIMN factional group to unite soon

    NIMN factional group to unite soon

    The crack within the National Institute of Marketing Nigeria (NIMN) may soon be sealed as top members of the two factional groups are set for settlement.

    The move is coming after the former president, Chief Lugard Aimiuwu stepped down and Ganiyu Koledoye replaced him.

    A member of the council, who craved anonymity, said while the groups were discussing the way forward, there were signs the two leaderships were striking a deal to move the profession forward.

    It was learnt that there are attempts by past leaders to impose a candidate when Koledoye’s completes Aimiuwu’s term.

    It was also gathered that the council members are poised to frustrate such attempt.

    It would be recalled that since the NIMN came into being in 2003 through Act No 25 okayed by then President Olusegun Obasanjo, it had been enmeshed in crises. Years after its establishment, the institute continues to struggle with leadership crises that created two factions: The Nigerian Marketing Association (NIMARK) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (CIMN), with each having separate offices on the same road (about 500 metres apart).

    An attempt to settle the matter led to the unification of the two factions and the emergence of NIMN, headed by Chief Aimiuwu.

    While other council positions were declared vacant, the institute moved quickly to foreclose any intention for the position of the president, saying that one of the members, Chief Femi Odufowokan, the Chairman of Ijebu Northeast Local Government and former factional President of NIMN threatened to stop the election.

    Koledoye confirmed that both bodies were finding a lasting solution to the frosty relationship. “We are dialoguing with them (Adeyeye group), and we believe very soon, we will have cause to call you to witness the harmonisation celebration.

    ‘’We don’t want use force as it was the case in the past because whatever they are agitating they must have got genuine reason to do so,” Koledoye said.

    Some of the contentious issues raised by Adeyeye’s faction include that the institute should emulate other professional institutes, such as Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, and stop issuing certificate unethically. They also said that council membership should be made unattractive by way of reducing financial benefit of council members.

  • Chief of Staff: FCT Minister, Oronsaye, Duke, Dokpesi listed

    Chief of Staff: FCT Minister, Oronsaye, Duke, Dokpesi listed

    No fewer than five candidates are being considered by the Presidency for Chief of Staff to the President, it was learnt yesterday.

    Chief Mike Oghiadomhe was forced out of the office by President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday.

    The candidates are the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed; a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye; DAAR Communications proprietor Chief Raymond Dokpesi; ex-Governor Donald Duke and the Principal Secretary to the President, Alhaji Hassan Tukur.

    The President is said to be assessing some recommended candidates.

    But while the President is yet to make up his mind, there has been celebration by workers at the Presidential Villa over Oghiado-mhe’s exit.

    Some people also took to the streets in his hometown, Fugar in Edo State, celebrating Oghiadomhe’s removal.

    He has failed to use the position to help the people and the town, they alleged.

    The jubilant Fugar citizens recalled with nostalgia the “development” brought to the town by the late Admiral Mike Akhigbe, another indigene who was Chief of General Staff in the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar regime.

    It was learnt that Oghiadomhe remained indoors yesterday at his residence on Aso Drive in Maitama District, Abuja to receive visitors, including some Presidency officials.

    According to a source, the criteria for the new Chief of Staff will be competence, rich experience in bureaucracy, maturity, exposure, loyalty, tolerance of all, irrespective of leanings, being a team player and being apolitical”.

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The personalities of these candidates are being analysed. For instance, there are concerns that the FCT Minister may be unstable on the job following pressure on him to vie for the governorship of Bauchi State in 2015.

    It was also unclear last night if Dokpesi would be willing to leave his media empire for such an assignment. There is the likelihood of a partisan backlash on his media house. But having being a Chief of Staff to ex-PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur when he was the governor of the old Gongola State, “Dokpesi will be on a familiar terrain if he gets the job”.

    But President Jonathan’s “godfather” Chief Edwin Clark has kicked against Dokpesi’s consideration for the job.

    Accusing him of so many things, he vowed to abort any plan to pick the media mogul.

    Except for his closeness to ex-President Obasanjo, the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, appears to have fitted the bill having worked as a Permanent Secretary at the Villa for more than eight years, the source said.

    “Oronsaye’s recent interaction with the EFCC might have been a pre-emptive move by some powers that be who knew the thinking of the President,” he added.

    “Duke’s polished nature, age and innovative acumen seem to be assets for the job, but there are doubts if he can be apolitical”.

    Duke has been out of power for six years, since leaving office as governor of Cross River State.

    “Being a Principal Secretary to the President, Tukur is familiar with the schedule of his boss. His Achilles Heel is his inability to detach himself from politics, especially in Adamawa State, where he wants to call the shot as a local hero.

    “He is also said not to have the temperament to tolerate perceived political enemies of the President. He is so loyal to the President to a fault that he takes on battles against the President’s imaginary or known enemies.

    Another source said the criteria had been set out by a team of experts which the Presidency engaged in 2011 to evaluate the Office of the Chief of Staff.

    The source added: “The President is seeking a United States model in managing the Office of the Chief of Staff. The next occupant will be heard less as the case with Gen. Mohammed Abdullahi, who was the Chief of Staff to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    “I think we lost the track since Gen. Abdullahi left office in 2007. The former Chief of Staff conducted his activities in such a professional manner that he earned the confidence of his principal, governors across party lines and even the Organised Private Sector. He was also not involved in politics.”

     

  • Obasanjo to inaugurate Amaechi’s projects in Port Harcourt

    Obasanjo to inaugurate Amaechi’s projects in Port Harcourt

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his supporters will on Monday host ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who will be in Port Harcourt to inaugurate people-oriented and capital-intensive projects.

    Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), who spoke in the Rivers State capital yesterday, said the inauguration would begin in the rural areas and would continue in the next few months.

    The projects to be inaugurated include roads, model primary and secondary schools, as well as primary health centres, among others, spread across the 23 local governments.

    The governor said he had spoken with former President Obasanjo, who confirmed that he would be in the state on Monday.

     

  • Obasanjo, Buhari absent as Nyako, Orji engage in sitting drama

    Obasanjo, Buhari absent as Nyako, Orji engage in sitting drama

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi were absent yesterday at the Council of State meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    At the meeting were former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Second Republic President Shehu Shagari, former Heads of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and former Head of Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan.

    Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim and former Chief Justice of Nigeria Muhammad Uwais also attended the meeting.

    Governors at the meeting included Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).

    Also at the meeting were Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers), Dickson Seriake (Bayelsa), Peter Obi (Anambra), Theodore Orji (Abia), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger).

    Yari Abdulaziz (Zamfara), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Idris Wada (Kogi) were also there.

    The deputy governors of Kano, Plateau and Borno also attended the meeting.

    Just before the meeting started, the sitting arrangement of two governors was the subject of a mild drama.

    Because of the ‘A’ alphabet starting with their states’ names, Abia’s Governor Orji (PDP), Adamawa’s Nyako (All Progressives Congress) and Akwa Ibom Akpabio (PDP) had to sit together.

    Nyako told Orji that he was not comfortable sitting with him as he could poison him.

    Nyako said: “I am telling you, don’t poison me here. I am not comfortable with you here. If anything happens to me here, walahi, my people will take you to court.”

    Orji replied: “For how many years have we been sitting together? Is it this zero hour that I would poison you?

    Nyako: “Who knows?”

    Turning to Elechi, who joined them during the exchange, Nyako said: “I am just warning him not to poison me. Is there any law that says we should sit down together?”

    Akpabio resolved the issue as Nyako did not leave the seat when Anyim found another seat for him.

    The meeting started when President Goodluck Jonathan came in at 10:45 am.

    Lamido and Fayemi said the Muslim and Christian opening prayers, before the meeting considered the business of the day.

     

  • Conference for govt and by govt

    Conference for govt and by govt

    Nigerians are skeptical of the success of the planned National conference given the dominance of government nominees, writes LEKE SALAUDEEN

    The distribution of National Conference slots announced by the Presidency has left many an observer sceptical. President Goodluck Jonathan has the power to pick 114 of the 492 delegates . The President alone will nominate 20 delegates across the counry; Elder statesmen, one per state and the Federal Capital Territory making 37. He will also nominate 18 retired military and security personnel ; 13 traditional rulers ; 13 eminent jurists who are not serving on the bench, and six youths. Heis also expected to appoint the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and the Secretary of the conference.

    Observers are of the opinion that with the Presidency controlling about one quarter of the delegates, the wish of the government would prevail in the delegates deliberation and the report of the conference will reflect the Federal Government’s position on critical issues affecting peaceful co-existence of the country. The national conference of Nigerians expectaion, the critics said, is where the people would be allowed to choose or elect delegates and not the type that the conference will be dominated by government hand picked delegates.

    The Presidency is silent over the criteria to use in picking its delegates. The Constitutional Confererence organised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005 was loaded by his partymen and cronies. The critical issues, such as resource control and revenue sharing formula that were supposed to be handled by the delegates could not hold becase they were divided on the issues. The delegates considered themselves as government representatives and anything that threatetened the status quo must be resisted. That was how the conference ended abruptly.

    Public Affairs analyst Bernard Briggs said the composition and mode of selection of delegates announced by the government has vindicated those saying that Jonathan has a hidden agenda.

    “The composition of the conference delegates put in place by the Jonathan administration does not reflect the generality of Nigerian populace. The people are not allowed to choose their representatives. Those selected by government and other stake holders are not responsible to the people but the power that be The conference is dead on arrival.”

    Political Scientist and human rights activist Joseph Azubike frowns at the debate procedures foisted on the delegates by the Presidency. The Federal Government stated that decisions at the conference shall be by consensus and where not achievable, it shall be by 75 per cent majority. Azubike says this provision is suspect. Why should government impose decision making procedure on the delegates, he queried.

    “I think the delegates should be free to work out the modalities of deleberation and decision making. All Nigerians have equal stake on the issues to be discussed at the conference. The allocation of slots in which the government as a unit got the highest number of seats has put a question mark on the integrity of the conference and the credibility of its report”.

    Azubike noted that the Federal Government has set a boo-boo trap for the delegates by saying issues that cannot be resolved by consensus shall require 75 per cent majority. In a conference where the government nominees are more than 100, it will be difficult to get 75 per cent in taking decision on issues that are against government’s interest, he said.

    He said people should not be deceived that government has influence on only delegates it appointed. All the delegates, according to him, are government’s benevolents and they have to reciprocate the kind gesture through loyalty. “Remember that the delegates are to draw allowances which I know will daze many of them given the level of poverty in the country. The delegates cannot go against the interest of the President that facilitates their membership,” he added.

    Student activist Abubakar Yusuf questioned the rationale of holding a national conference within three months and when we have entered election year. To him, three months is too short for a national conference to do a thorough job an d come out with credible report.

    Yusuf said: “We should not run away from the truth, we should come to a round table conference to discuss our differences and the structural distortion in the polity. But the way the Jonathan administration is going about it is not the best. How can an individual nominate as much as 114 out of 492 delegates. The conference may turn a rubber stamp.”