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Tag: Reconciliation

  • Sani: Reconciliation is last hope for APC

    Sani: Reconciliation is last hope for APC

    Senator Sheu Sani, who is representing Kaduna Central District in the Senate, spoke with Tony Akowe in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the challenge of reconciliation in the All Progressives Congress (APC). Excerpts:

    What is your view on the committee recently set up by the President to reconcile members of the party?

    First, let me say that I am here at the national secretariat of the APC for two reasons. First is to personally express my support and solidarity to the effort of the president in setting up a reconciliation committee headed by Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. We are confident that his intervention could most likely address the fundamental issues that are facing the party at both the national and at the state level. It is no more news that the APC is faced with crisis in some states where it holds sway as a party and this crisis has defiled solutions for over two years and efforts that were made in the past has not been able to address the problems. Nobody could have solved this problem other than President Muhammadu Buhari himself through Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The governors cannot solve the problems of the APC because they are party to the crisis; APC Senators and members of the House of Representatives cannot solve the problem because they are party to the problem. The party at the national level cannot solve the problem because there is disrespect and disregard for the leadership of the party in the last two years. The very fact that the party itself has been inhibited with lack of funds and other challenges made it impossible for the party to bring to order what is happening. What we need to understand very clearly is that crisis within a ruling party is not new and not strange. Each time you have a group of people who organise themselves and take over political power, you are bound to have internal crisis within the party. It is so in the National Liberation Front in Algeria, it is so with the African National Congress, it is so in any political party you can think of in history that has taken over power. The APC crisis started earlier and hopefully, it will be healed in other to prevent it from inflicting some damages that could affect the fortunes of the party.

    Are you worried that the party that came into power with so much goodwill is today engulfed in a crisis that is threatening its very foundation?

    It is of concern that a party that came to power with so much good will and hope has found itself in a civil war with itself. Right now, the APC is both the government and the opposition because most of the criticism and opposition that is going on in the country is within the APC itself. So, one tragedy that usually become the symptom that extinguishes a political party is absence of internal democracy. You can see the supremacy of the party in South Africa and in Ethiopia. But in Nigeria, there is no supremacy of the party because people holding position of executive power think that the party should be under them and not them being below the party. That is where the crisis starts. If the state chairman of a political party can go and kneel down before a state governor for money to pay the rent of his office and feed his family, political parties in the Nigeria setting seems to be parastatals of the state government and that is totally unacceptable. There is also the syndrome of the party is our own. If a clique of people believe that they founded the party and other people are strangers, then the recipe for crisis has been set. What we need to understand is the very fact that PDP was not destroyed from the outside, but from the inside. It is the elements within the PDP that were marginalized and oppressed that became the final nail on the coffin of her party. If the APC must learn anything, it must learn from the history and I believe that some of the people who left the PDP to join in this merger should not come with that bug and bacteria because those fundamental issues need to be addressed. If all party members are not treated equally and fairly, certainly there will be problem.

    Few days after the President set up the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led committee to reconcile members, a parallel secretariat was set up in Kaduna. Can you explain why this is so?

    You are right that in Kaduna State today, we are having a problem and there are two APC secretariats. There is the one which the governor set up for himself and serves as his personal convenience where he can do whatever he wants to do and we also have our own APC secretariat, so, we have twins APC in Kaduna. Our own is the genuine one because the chairman of the party that was duly certified and elected and recognised by INEC was not the one the governor is dealing with. So, as far as we are concerned, we are here to tell the national secretariat that Senator Shehu Sani, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and other party stalwarts in Kaduna will not accept, tolerate, endorse any form of tyranny by the governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai. He has pocketed the party and wants to impose his will and is exploiting his proximity to the President to unleash a rain of terror on the party. Right now, the party is already divided in Kaduna and it is for the national secretariat to note this and we have said it in clear terms. The problem has defiled solution for two years, but we believe that we believe that Asiwaju can do a lot of reconciliation and we hope that he will be able to achieve a lot because if Asiwaju fails, it is going to be doom for the party. When you see people fighting within the party, it is because they want to remain in the party. If they don’t want to remain within the party, the will simply walk away from the party. So, we are saying in the 21st century Nigeria, there are those of us in the APC that will not accept any governor going into a room to write the list of his concubines, friends, his errand boys and guides and send them as executive of the party. We are going to remain in the APC and pursue this agenda and my presence here at the APC is to send a clear message appreciating Tinubu’s appointment and so to tell them that it is in the best interest of the party that they don’t take sides or the most they can do is to give us equal treatment as far as Kaduna is concerned.

    Is it possible to see the parallel executive in Kaduna State happening at the national level?

    I don’t know anything about national level, but I can tell you that as far as Kaduna is concerned, we have parallel APC and it is left for Asiwaju to build the bridges. Lagos is known for bridges. So, we hope that there will be seventh mainland bridge to connect the divide. But we are not sure of that.

    What is your take on Buhari contesting the 2019 presidential election?

    One thing which Nigerians have refused to recognize is that people have the right to say they want the President to contest or not and he a³so has the right to accept what they are saying or reject it. As far as I am concerned, any opinion on whether he should contest or not is simply an exercise of freedom of speech and it is left for him to decide. However, in every sense of the word, he is constitutionally empowered to decide on whether he wants to contest or not. But I think it is in the interest of the country and in the interest of the party that President Buhari makes his position known because right now, it has been his Aides that are speaking on his behalf. Whether they are doing it with his consent or not, no Nigerian for now knows whether President Buhari will contest or not.

    We have seen a lot of Shehu Sani for governor posters in Kaduna. Are you contesting for governor in 2019?

    Well, in politics, there are things you want and there could be decision later of what may be or may not be. In the process where reconciliation is taking place now, I think it is in our interest to put our ambitions in our pockets for now in accordance with the plea of Mr. President and wait for Asiwaju to address the problems. It is going to be a tragedy, if he fails. This is what I know and I can speak in parables. The pronouncement of the appointment of Asiwaju to reconcile members has been able to avert the tragedy of people decamping from the APC to the other parties. It has been able to do so at least for now.

    Few months to election, the National Assembly wants to reorder elections and this is generating a lot of heat in the polity. What was really wrong in INEC deciding that the presidential election holds first.

    You see, there is an impression in the National Assembly which people have from outside and that is the presence of pro Buhari senators and anti Buhari senators. I don’t think that is true. Nobody was elected to be there and be pro or anti. We are all senators and in issues, we vote and decide on what our positions should be or can be. Having said that, let me say that the reordering of the sequence of election was informed by a number of factors. One is that the hitherto position as it is right now where you start with the President and end up with the states is one in which you have the bandwagon effect. The smaller parties felt that each time you have a presidential election and the president wins, nobody other party will win any seat again because it have bandwagon effect. What we are saying now is that let us have the Presidential election last so that Nigerians have the opportunity to vote for Senators and members of the House of Representatives on their own merit. They should be able to reelect those they want and vote out those they don’t want. The reason is very simple. We are trying to avoid mass trial, mass conviction and mass burial of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives. By that, we will allow each member go to his grave or be acquitted before justice electorates.

    You were at the JAMB office with anti-snake venom and some people have said that you went there as a sign of mockery for your party. How true is that?

    My presence in the JAMB office was on a rescue mission to avoid more snakes eating more money. If you have a story where snakes have consumed N36 million, that is very shocking and in order to prevent more money being eaten by snakes, I brought two things to them. Anti snake repellants and snake charmers from my constituency. It is my own personal contribution to the fight against animal based kind of corruption. Again, if this is a drama, it need to be finished and what I did was to finish the last aspect of the drama.

    You said the Kaduna State governor is using his closeness to the President to do what he does in Kaduna. Do you see that affecting the President in 2019?

    He has been constantly bombarding us by dropping the name of the President in every thing he does. He keep telling us the President said I should do this, the President said I should do that and the President has come to Kaduna over 12 times and has never said anything to us. We are only hearing it from him and we are saying that we have been with the President from the onset and not him that is a convertee to being a supporter of the President. We cannot in any way be treated like outcast because you have access to the President. So, we said that we are equal stakeholders in this party and the President has any message for us about Nasir El-Rufai, he should talk to us and not to hear it through el-Rufai because I knew the President before el-Rufai knew him. I have been respecting the President before him and even when he was saying the President was too old to contest, I never believed it. So, if this party will continue to be one and succeed in the next election, we must have a level playing ground. Senators and Governors must live in peace with each other’s. We must address the problems of the state and whatever resolution that is reached by this committee must be endorsed by all interested parties. For now, in Kaduna, I can tell you clearly that we are having two parallel executive of the party and any attempt by anybody to recognize the faction of the governor is going to spell a lot of trouble because we will not agree. I am here to say that clearly and I have told the people at the secretariat. Any attempt to tint toward the governor, we will oppose it to the last.

  • Tinubu and burden of reconciliation in APC

    Tinubu and burden of reconciliation in APC

    President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to reconcile aggrieved members of the party to ensure harmony and cohesion ahead of the 2019 general elections. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the issues involved in the affected state chapters and how the reconciliation move would enhance the fortunes of the ruling party at the polls.

    RESOLVING the intra party crises rocking many state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not likely to be a tea party. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu recently to lead the party’s reconciliation effort and improve cohesion within the fold, as preparations for the 2019 general elections gradually get underway.

    Tinubu’s mandate includes resolving disagreements among party members, particularly the leadership of the party in various chapters and political office holders. Given the existence of factions in virtually all the states controlled by the APC, observers are of the view that it is imperative for the ruling party to put its house in order before campaign for 2019 begins. If properly carried out, analysts believe the initiative is capable of rescuing the APC from disintegration and in turn enhance its performance in the next general elections.

    Analysts are of the view that Tinubu has a difficult job on his hands, because many chieftains in different state chapters and political office holders are at dagger drawn and the party is polarised in factions. Besides, the leadership of the National Assembly are not on the same page with the executive. Though the APC is in majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and produced the leadership of both chambers, the party members in the two houses play the role of opposition, to the admiration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the official opposition party. As a result, budget proposals, government nominees and requests usually suffer delays in getting approvals.

    For the APC to succeed in papering these cracks, the leadership of the party must face reality in its approach to tackling the problem. Lagos lawyer and civil right activist, Mr Monday Ubani, cautioned the leadership of the party not pretend that all is well. He said there are issues that must be resolved, for the party to avoid protest votes by the aggrieved factions or individuals in 2019. He added: “It is not too late to address the contending issues that have created factions in many states chapters.”

    Ubani said the time to unite the party is now, because in few months the party, going by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) time table, would hold primaries to choose candidates for various elective positions for the 2019 general elections. He said the APC should avoid a situation whereby the aggrieved factions or individuals would use the convention grounds to ventilate their anger.

    The civic rights activist commended President Buhari for setting up a committee headed by Tinubu to bring all aggrieved members to a round table. He is optimistic that Tinubu will deliver. He added: “If the aggrieved members or groups know that you are serious with the reconciliation and all the mistakes are corrected, they will forgive you. To err is human and to forgive is divine.

    “The President should be sincere with Tinubu, so that the reconciliation would be genuine. He should be given the power to address the issues. Tinubu is not in government, how can he make changes and calm the frayed nerves. This can be done if the President accepts and implements the recommendations of the committee. If the leadership of the APC agrees to address the perceived injustice on time with genuine interest, it will help the party. If not, it will do more damages to the fortunes of the party.”

    To Professor Ayo Olukotun, the idea of saddling Tinubu with the reconciliation of aggrieved individuals and groups in the APC speaks volumes about the importance of the APC leader to the continued existence and success of the party. To that extent, he described the move as a good idea.

    Olukotun, a professor of Political Science at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), appears to agree with the statement credited to Professor Toyin Falola of the University of Texas that “if Bola Ahmed Tinubu dumps President Muhammadu Buhari, he (Buhari) runs the risk of losing popularity before the 2019 elections”. The statement added: “Tinubu is the only hope of Buhari’s re-election come 2019. If he says that he will not support Buhari, the Southwest is gone.”

    Aligning himself with Falola’s view, Olukotun said the leadership of Asiwaju in the APC is not in doubt. His words: “Whether you like Tinubu or not, you can’t take away from him the strategic importance of continued existence of the APC. Tinubu is the gate.”

    On the essence of reconciliation, Olukotun explained that “when you have a mega party like the APC, the different dimension of national question and the crack in the wall of Nigerian federation are transferred to the mega party. The party becomes a mini-Nigeria, reflecting the contradictions, the crisis and the cracks within the larger polity.

    “There is this feeling that Buhari has not been fair to the constituent parts of Nigeria, except his own part of the country. Furthermore, the strategic role played by Tinubu that led to Buhari’s victory in 2015 has not been given due recognition. All these facts will make the assignment difficult and somehow ironic.

    “It appears a belated recognition of the pre-eminent role which Tinubu played in bringing about the APC. It would have been nicer if the assignment had come earlier with the reverence that is due to Asiwaju Tinubu, so that it is not seen as an errand boy assignment. It’s a tough assignment.”

    But the Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr Anthony Sani, disagreed with Olukotun’s position. He said Tinubu does not need any tutorials to be able to deliver on his mandate. His words: “Senator Tinubu is a serious-minded politician who knows what is required to reconcile the party into a united platform that can face the challenges with clear head that comes with determination, harmony and stability. I do not believe Senator Tinubu needs any tutorials to be able to deliver on the promise of his mandate.”

    Sani also dismissed the insinuation that Tinubu has grievances with the APC leadership. He said: “I am not aware that Senator Tinubu has complained of being marginalised by the party, because he has debunked such reports and has asked Nigerians to support the current regime under President Buhari. I believe those who gave him the assignment would not do so, if his loyalty was in doubt.

    “The senator is a serious politician; I do not see him accepting the assignment if he does not believe in the party any more. What is more, Senator Tinubu does not see politics as an individual enterprise, but a collective mission. Tinubu’s constituency is adequately represented in this government. As a result, the senator would be too happy to serve a party which has given his immediate constituency the opportunity for their progressive ideology to find expression.”

    On the timing of the reconciliation move, the ACF scribe states: “One year is not too short for any reconciliation to take place and enable the party to come together, to confront the challenges ahead with unity of purpose, clear thought and morality. I do not think it is too late. The APC does not want to confront the coming general elections as a divided house, but as a sturdy platform brought about by the reconciliation.”

    Civil rights activist Comrade Mashood Erubami said President Buhari took the right decision by choosing Tinubu to lead the reconciliation process. He said that was the best decision, under the circumstance the party found itself. He advised those who were jolted by the choice of Tinubu as a peace envoy not to be biased, but to begin to understand and appreciate the position occupied by the National Leader in the party.

    Erubami was optimistic that the Tinubu-led peace committee will successfully reposition the APC as a mega party. His words: “With Asiwaju in the fore-front of peace-building moves among the members of the party and the strong confidence that the President has in him, forging a renewed and sincere alliance will bring the APC back into its glorious space and rekindle the confidence of the people in its undoubted capacity to deliver and help the masses from the state of penury to state of prosperity.”

    The activist said the peace building work that Tinubu has been saddled with must “not only bring party members together for the continued enjoyment the available patronages, but also encourage a new covenant between the people and the APC, particularly in re-jigging its manifesto to conform to current realities”.

    Erubami believes that with the reconciliation process, “conflict resolution among the party members will lead to genuine deliberative governance that will target new economic, political and ideological measures to be newly designed to improve the lives of citizens, with new orientation for gainful engagement, new and better welfare for the people”.

    The Tinubu committee is expected to move from one chapter to the other and reconcile the warring factions. There are a lot of grievances among major stakeholders that have proved intractable. These grievances are also responsible for lack of cohesion in the party. Some of the states where members of the APC are at cross purposes are listed below.

     

    Kano

    The political tussle between the immediate past governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso  and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje appear to have reached a point of no return. This is to the extent that governor declared recently that he has parted ways with his predecessor forever.

    Kwankwaso and Ganduje were former political associates who enjoyed harmonious relationship since 1999. But a fierce battle between them broke out immediately after the former handed over power to the latter. The crisis brought cracks within the ruling APC in the state. While the supporters of Kwankwaso are known as the Kwankwasiyya movement, those backing Ganduje are referred to as Gandujiyya group.

    The tension has been so high among members of the two factions that the Kwankwasiyya group had filed a lawsuit in Abuja to try to stop the recent local government elections. The Ganduje group has warned Kwankwaso not to visit Kano, because his safety can longer be guaranteed.

    Extolling his innocence, Ganduje said: “Everybody knows we are innocent in our crisis with Kwankwasiyya. What baffles me is that they are going round the country saying we can’t win election. This is ridiculous. This is lie. I have never seen such an enmity. Do these people love us? But they are calling for reconciliation. For what? If we reconcile, how do we manage this red cap? I myself, I’m about to remove my own. Kwankwasiyya is not a political party. So, what would be our position if we reconcile?”

    The Kwankwaso faction appears to have the backing of former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau. Three of the former governor’s top associates declared support for the Kwankwaso movement on January 26, 2018. Shekarau was a foundation member of the APC; he was a member of the committee that harmonised the various political parties that transformed into the APC in 2014. He pulled out of the party when the APC national leadership appointed Kwankwaso as party leader in the state; a decision Shekarau considered absurd.

    A close watcher of Kano politics, Malam Idris Gwamaja, said the crisis has deepened to the extent that both factions have sworn not to come together again. He said with the calibre of the Tinubu-led committee coming to broker peace in Kano APC that there might be a solution in sight.

    He said: “I am sure they will listen to him. Both Kwawanso and Ganduje are close to Tinubu. Besides, the APC National Leader should extend his reconciliation mission in Kano to include Shekarau. He was a member of the committee that formed the APC. He should be brought back into the fold; he’s an influential politician in Kano.”

     

    Kaduna

    The feud between Governor Nasir el-Rufai and the Senator representing Kaduna Central Malam Shehu Sani has polarised the APC in the state. The crisis reached a climax in January 2016, when Sani was suspended from the party for 11 months for criticising the governor’s policies publicly and for portraying him in a bad light before the international community. The suspension lapsed on December 2, 2016.  Sani and his supporters had expected that they would be fully re-absorption into the party. But, the senator was again given an indefinite suspension. Besides, his house was attacked by some youths and his constituency office later vandalised.

    Analysts believe that the genesis of the crisis could be traced to the APC governorship primary where el-Rufai given the party’s ticket for the 2015 election. It was learnt that Sani had wanted to contest for governorship, but he was pressurised to allow el-Rufai who was considered the favourite of the President. Thus, Sani settled for the senatorial ticket. He contested and won the election. But, since then, there has been cat and mouse relationship between him and the governor.

    At a point, the APC national secretariat intervened and quashed the earlier suspension slammed on Sani by the state executive of the party. The mediation team that restored peace between the feuding parties was led by the APC Vice Chairman (North West), Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir. Despite the intervention, peace has continued to elude Kaduna APC.

     

    Kogi

    The crisis in the Kogi APC chapter was triggered by the emergence of Yahaya Bello as governor, following the death of Prince Abubakar Audu who was the APC candidate in the November 2015 governorship election. Audu died before he could be declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). As a result, his running mate Hon. James Faleke insisted that he was the right person to replace Audu, since they ran the election on a joint ticket. But, INEC after consultations with legal minds decided that the first runner-up in the APC governorship primary was the rightful replacement for Audu. Consequently, Bello was declared winner.

    Faleke headed for the courts to challenge Bello’s emergence. The matter went up to Supreme Court, which eventually ruled that INEC followed due process in replacing Audu. Since then, there has been no respite in the Kogi chapter. Stakeholders are concerned by the growing animosity between the governor and other major stakeholders; they appear to be working at cross purposes.

    Analysts believe that the Kogi crisis will not be difficult for Tinubu to handle, because he knows everything involved; he will prevail on Faleke and his supporters to embrace peace and join hands with the governor in the interest of the party.

     

    Oyo

    The battle of supremacy between Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the Minister of Communication, Hon. Adebayo Shittu, has destabilised the APC in Oyo State. Shittu has never hidden his interest to succeed Ajimobi who will complete his second term in May next year.

    Before the APC came on board, Shittu belonged to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He contested the 2011 governorship election on the platform of the party and lost to Ajimobi who was the candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Interestingly, the CPC and the ACN are two of the major parties that metamorphosed into the APC. After winning the 2015 presidential election, President Buhari who was the CPC presidential candidate in 2011 compensated Shittu with ministerial appointment, without consulting the state governor. Ajimobi considered this development a slight on him, as the party leader in the state.

    The cold war took a new dimension when Shittu reported Ajimobi to Buhari in a petition. He alleged among other things that the governor is trying to hijack the party in Oyo State. The strained relationship played out recently when the Southwest Zonal Campaign Office for President Buhari/Osinbajo re-election support group initiated by Shittu was commissioned in Ibadan. Ajimobi and other state APC officials, as well as other state governors in the region boycotted the programme.

     

    Ogun

    The governorship ambition of Senator Solomon Adeola has pitched him against Governor Ibikunle Amosun. Adeola is currently representing Lagos West in the Senate. He hails from Yewa in Ogun West Senatorial District, which has never produced governor since the state was created 40 years ago.

    Amosun has never hidden his feeling towards Adeola’s ambition. He has ruled out the possibility of the senator succeeding him. Despite the governor’s rebuff, Adeola has been going round the state to seek the peoples support. Another issue that Tinubu may have to contend with is where the APC governorship candidate will come from. The people of Ogun West Senatorial District are at loggerheads with the Ogun East senatorial zone. The people of Ogun West insist that the governorship position should be conceded to them, for the sake of equity and justice, because it was the only senatorial district that has not produced governor since the inception of the state over 40 years ago. But, Ogun East stakeholders argue that power rotates between the Egba and Ijebu divisions and not on senatorial basis. Amosun has publicly declared support for Ogun West as the zone that will succeed him in 2019.

     

    Ondo

    The Ondo APC governorship primary of September 3, 2016 was the root cause of the division in the state chapter. The incumbent governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, was declared winner by the Election Committee headed by Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar.  Aggrieved aspirants faulted the process through which Akeredolu emerged. One of them Dr Segun Abraham went to court to challenge the validity of the primary. The matter is still pending in court. Another aspirant, Chief Olusola Oke dumped the APC and joined the Allied for Democracy (AD) to contest the governorship election.

    The first casualty of the post-primary exercise was the state chairman, Isaac Kekemeke who was sacked from office, while his deputy, Ade Adetimehin, was elevated to the position of Chairman. Kekemeke has challenged his removal in court; the matter is still pending.

    While Oke has returned to the APC, those that followed him to AD are being rebuffed. They are seen as renegades that should not be pardoned, because they worked against the APC during the governorship election.

     

    Bauchi

    The power tussle for the control of the Bauchi State chapter of the APC between the federal lawmakers from the state led by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Governor Mohammed Abubakar, is responsible for the crisis rocking the chapter.

    Dogara and members of the National Assembly are on one side of the divide, while the governor, members of the state assembly, state commissioners and a large chunk of the party structure are on the other side.

    The genesis of the crisis dates back to 2014 governorship primary. Efforts to reconcile the aggrieved members appear to have failed. The Dogara group complained that the governor did not support him in his quest to become Speaker. They accused the governor of alienating other critical stakeholders in the administration of the state and the party secretariat.

     

    Zamfara

    The face-off between Governor Abdulaziz Yari and Senator Kabiru Marafa has created a crack in the state chapter. The clash was over the nomination of Ahmad Bello Mahmud by President Muhammadu Buhari as Resident Electoral Commission (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Governor Yari had insisted that the nominee who was to represent Zamfara in INEC should not be confirmed by the Senate, because the nominee is from Sokoto State. Marafa said Mahmud should be allowed to represent the state. Since then the two gladiators have resorted to name calling.

     

    Sokoto

    For more than two years after he was elected governor of Sokoto State, there was no respite for Aminu Tambuwal. An APC governorship aspirant, Senator Umaru Dahiru, who lost the party’s governorship ticket to Tambuwal during the primary had challenged his nomination in court. The senator asked the court to set aside the party’s primary that produced Tambuwal on the ground that it was not validly conducted. The case dragged from the Federal High Court up to the Supreme Court. However, the suit was dismissed by the apex court late last year.

    The inability of the party leadership to resolve the dispute at the initial stage had left observers wondering if the antagonist is not enjoying the backing of some party leaders in the state that would have been happy to see Tambuwal sent packing.

     

    Gombe

    The inability of APC members in Gombe State to come together under one executive committee denied them victory in the last governorship election. Trouble started during the 2015 shadow election when the party was polarised into two factions, with one faction led by Magaji Doho and the other by Karu Ishaya.

    Both factions enjoyed the backing of some political heavyweights like former Governor Danjuma Goje and former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Senator Usman Nafada.

    It is hoped that the current reconciliation effort within the APC will help resolve the protracted crisis.

     

    Borno

    All would have been well with Borno APC, but for the running battle between Governor Kashim Shettima and Senator Abu Kyari who represents Borno North in the upper legislative chamber. Kyari is interested in succeeding Shettima in office come 2019.

    However, the governor does not want Kyari to succeed him. The political ambition of Kyari has polarised the APC chapter. Interestingly, both of them served as commissioners under former Governor Ali Modu-Sheriff.

     

    Bayelsa

    In Bayelsa State, the APC is in comatose. It is practically non-existent in the state; a situation which has given the PDP the chance to continue to dominate the state. During the 2016 governorship primary, the party split into two groups with the former Governor Timipre Sylva leading a group and his former protégée, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, leading another.

    The division was the major reason the party lost the last governorship election; as one faction was accused of selling out to the PDP. While the group that is loyal to Sylva claims that Orunimighe has been suspended from the party for anti-party activities, he (Orunimighe) insists “I am still the authentic chairman of the party and I can suspend anybody no matter the status of that person”.

     

  • Ibadan King’s Men back reconciliation on chieftaincy crisis

    Ibadan King’s Men back reconciliation on chieftaincy crisis

    A socio-cultural group of Ibadan intellectuals, called The Ibadan King’s Men (Egbe Bobaselu), has welcomed the current reconciliation efforts to resolve the misunderstanding generated by the crowning of 21 new kings in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, five months ago.

    In a statement at the weekend after its meeting, the group’s spokesman Dr. Adams Olufemi Akewula said members of The Ibadan King’s Men were happy about the resolve of the parties to end the crisis.

    But Akewula noted that “such reconciliation should respect Ibadan Native Laws and tradition wherein the Olubadan remains the only recognised Oba of the city”.

    Akewula said members reviewed the current peace moves, spearheaded by an elder statesman, Dr. Lekan Are, with members from the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), religious leaders, opinion moulders, Ibadan elders as well as some mogajis (family heads) and expressed confidence in the composition of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC).

    The varsity don described as unfortunate the backlash that followed the crowning ceremony by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, adding: “All the people involved should retrace their steps now for enduring peace and tranquillity of the city.”

    He lauded the concern shown by prominent Yoruba obas on the matter, as well as the efforts of the Aare Ona Kakanfo-designate, Otunba Gani Adams.

    Akewula said: “The Ibadan King’s Men are lovers of peace but will not welcome any reconciliation that will downplay the place of Olubadan and any ulterior motive at rewriting the chequered history of the land for selfish and political reasons”.

    The group lauded the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, for displaying rare royal maturity in his conduct and peaceful disposition since the crisis broke out.

    It said: “If not for the matured manner with which Kabiyesi has taken the matter, the city would have been embroiled in a needless blood-letting.”

    The Ibadan King’s Men sought the support and cooperation of the indigenes for the frontline monarch to succeed on the throne of his forefathers so that history would be kind to him as the oba “who came, saw and conquered”.

  • Ondo APC begins reconciliation

    Ondo APC begins reconciliation

    •Boroffice, Ilori, others parley in Akure

    Leaders and major stakeholders in the 18 local government areas of Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of Mr Isaac Kekemeke as the party chairman in the state.

    At a meeting yesterday in Akure, the state capital, the party stakeholders also expressed support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and that of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in the interest of the ruling party.

    They unanimously resolved to grant unconditional “amnesty” to party members who contested last year’s governorship election under other parties.

    This development was hinged on the fallout of the party’s primary election, which produced the Akeredolu as APC’s candidate.

    The meeting called for truce among aggrieved members to enable the party forge a common front at restoring the glory of the party in the Sunshine State and Nigeria.

    Kekemeke said: “We are very conscious of the need to deliver more votes for President Buhari, more than we did in 2015. Although we thank God that we still won the 2016 governorship election, but the huge reduction in the votes scored by APC in the election has taught us the need to bring everybody on board for the good of APC in Ondo state.

    “Therefore, all members who left the party in annoyance or became less active in the party because of the fallout of the last governorship election are hereby invited to return home to their party and are hereby granted unconditional amnesty with full rights and privileges as obtained before their brief departure.”

     

  • PDP: What manner of reconciliation?

    PDP: What manner of reconciliation?

    The Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic (Party) has set up reconciliation committees at state and zonal levels to resolve the protracted crises in various chapters. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines how the

    The reconciliation and harmonisation committees set up by the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have failed in its primary assignment to restore peace in troubled state chapters. Instead, they have compounded the problems of the party. The objective was to reintegrate the feuding members, particularly the supporters of the former national chairman, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, who was sacked by the Supreme Court.

    Observers say the position of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee in recent time has put spanner in the reconciliation process. Before the Supreme Court judgment, both factions had promised to abide with the court ruling and vowed to work together for the progress of the party.

    Both Makarfi and Sheriff have breached the undertakings. Since the judgment was delivered, Sheriff and his group have distanced themselves from the party. Sheriff said the PDP is now in the hands of looters and ruled out having anything to do with the party. If Sheriff, who lost out in the struggle had stayed away from the party, then, who will Makarfi reconcile with? Observers have described the move as a exercise in futility.

    Owing to Sheriff’s indifference to the party, Makarfi has deviated from his proclamation of “no victor no vanquished”. Makarfi  is now talking tough. He said: Those who genuinely repent and give in to the party will be given equal chance in the party. We don’t have luxury of time. We won’t allow circumstance to hold us back. We called both sides. You can’t force everybody to come”.

    On what he has done to ensure Sheriff remains in the PDP, Makarfi said: “It is not up to us for him to remain in the party. It is his choice. I have not talked to him after the Supreme Court judgment. I am sorry, I have not. Many people who are his supporters were at the convention. They participated in various committees at the convention. Individuals will make their personal decision.”

    Analysts say the PDP’s reconciliation move is cosmetic; the party’s leadership does not recognise Sheriff as a factor to contend with. A PDP stalwart said: Makarfi may have reneged on his no victor, no vanquished stance. It is now winner takes all. The reconciliation committees members are members of the Makarfi-led NCC. That is why reconciliation moves have sparked fresh row in some states. Sheriff and his supporters have read between the lines that the Supreme Court has laid to rest their political relevance in the PDP.

    A member of the Sheriff’s group, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Makarfi meant well in his bid for reconciliation, but the hawks surrounding him have forced him to act against his will. He added: “He started with ‘no victor, no vanquished’ mantra, but the hawks in the party have changed the humane approach. He has now resolved to grant amnesty to members that are loyal to Sheriff as if to say they are criminals.”

    Reconciliation in the Southwest is dead on arrival. Some members loyal to Sheriff have defected to opposition parties because of the condition given by the Makarfi group that they would not be regarded as PDP members, unless they purge themselves of anti-party activities. They have been labelled as rebels and they would be treated as such. Hence, they decided to call it quit.

    The Sheriff’s faction has been expelled from the Ondo State chapter for allegedly frustrating the reconciliation process. Those expelled include the Chairman of the faction, Biyi Poroye, Johnson Alabi, Yemi Ajonibode and Ademola Genty. The party alleged that the expelled members failed to appear before a disciplinary committee set up by the party in the state.

    The party also announced the suspension of members of the Poroye-led executive, pending when they will appear before the disciplinary committee.

    Poroye said the Makarfi-led PDP was not sincere with the reconciliation and harmonisation of the two groups. He wondered why the Ondo State chapter could decide to expel members, if the reconciliation move was to restore peace in the party. “They have a hidden agenda; they have taken over the party; let them do whatever they like with the party, he said.

    There were two parallel executives in Nasarawa State before the Supreme Court verdict that declared Makarfi as the authentic leader. Sheriff had dissolved the state executive of the party headed by Hon. Francis Orogo. He installed his loyalist Hon. Muhammed Sarki Tanko. According to Sheriff, the state executive of the party was sacked because of anti-party activities.

    Makarfi has recognised Orogo. The Tanko group are complaining that the new national leadership did not recognise it abd has not involved it in the reconciliation process. A member of the group said: “We are being treated like orphans simply because of our loyalty to Sheriff.”

    He added: “It is wrong of Makarfi group to think we are not relevant in Nasarawa politics. Politics is a game of number. You cannot say because we are supporters of Sheriff and ignore us. We have alternatives. PDP is not the only party in the country. If that is what they meant by carrying everybody along in rebuilding PDP so that it will bounce back into reckoning, I wish Makarfi and his people best of luck.”

    The dissolution of the PDP executive in Kebbi has deepened the party’s crisis in the state. Like Nasarawa, there were two party chairmen in Kebbi before the Supreme Court declared Makarfi winner. The two chairmen were appointed by parallel executives. One of them, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim Dan’illela, was said to have been unanimously appointed as chairman by the majority of the executive members at an emergency meeting held in January. His rival, Alhaji Ali Bagudo was appointed by Sheriff after a meeting held with some national officers in Birni Kebbi.

    Dan’illela’s group belongs to Makarfi while Sheriff enjoys the sympathy of Bagudo. The Bagudo group has alleged that the national leadership of the party dissolved the state executive to pave way for Dan’illela to take over the party in December when the state congress is to hold. They even criticised the composition of the caretaker committee which they said was lopsided in favour of Dan’illela group. The national leaders should have looked for neutral persons to be appointed as caretaker committee members.

    Reconciliation of warring factions in Kwara State has hit the rocks. The National Caretaker Committee had on Saturday August 12, at its non-elective convention in Abuja, dissolved the factional executive committees of the party in the state.

    A reconciliatory meeting presided over by Makarfi was deadlocked as the two factions, led by Mr Iyiola Oyedepo and Mr Sunday Fagbemi, failed to reach a compromise. The Makarfi-led NCC had summoned the party stakeholders to Abuja in a bid to reconcile them and engage Senator Solomon Ewuga as a mediator between the two warring factions. Makarfi had warned that they risked losing the party’s structure in the state to members that might join later.

    The dissolution of the Ogun State executive led by Chief Adebayo Dayo had pitched the party’s financier in the state, Senator Buruji Kashamu, against the NCC. Kashamu said: “The action of the Senator Makarfi-led NCC, which derives its legitimacy from the court, is not only an affront on the peace-loving leaders and members of our party in Ogun State but a most devastating slap on the judiciary,” Kashamu said.

    According to Kashamu, the caretaker committee constituted for Ogun “is one sided and made up of former governor Gbenga Daniel’s nominees with the exception of the chairman. How then could these people be talking of reconciliation and harmonisation? Clearly, they are liars and deceivers.

    “Having emerged from a validly organised conference which was ratified by the 71st National Executive Committee, the NCC is aware of the valid and subsisting judgment in favour of the Adebayo Dayo-led State Executive Committee of the PDP in Suit NO HC/L/CS/636/2016 which has yet to be appealed, set aside or upturned; yet it chose to continue on the path of impunity and lawlessness. I don’t see how these people can reposition the party. They want to compound its problems.

    He said it was surprising that the NCC and other organs of the party, which, he said were products of the law, could encourage illegality and impunity.

    There are indications that the reconciliation moves may not be able to achieve much success. Sheriff has ruled out teaming up with the victorious group to rebuild and reposition the party. He chided the Makarfi leadership, saying the party is now in the hands of looters. The comment is a setback on the efforts to bring every interest group on the table for reconciliation.

    Analysts had predicted that the court judgment cannot restore peace to the divided former ruling party. Such analysts had advised the party to seek political solution rather than judicial pronouncement in solving the crisis.

    Lagos lawyer and human rights activist Mr Monday Ubani said it would have been better if the two factions had settled their differences out of court rather than allowed the Supreme Court to decide the fate of the party. He argued: The court judgment can’t heal the festered wounds. The court judgment has handed over the part’s machinery to a group, while the other group is reluctant to remain in the fold.

    Ubani noted that the NCC have dissolved the caretaker committee set up by Sheriff in all state chapters and also instituted a disciplinary committee to deal with erring members. How can they achieve reconciliation with this kind of move. It is aimed at getting rid of Sheriff’s men and their supporters.

    Another legal scholar, Dr Tunde Adelana, cautioned Makarfi against treating Sheriff,s supporters as rebels. Adelana said the antics of Sheriff’s faction would continue to destabilise the former ruling party. As long as there are disgruntled party members after the convention and later the primaries, the party would remain vulnerable. He said the Supreme Court judgment may not necessarily be a good omen for Makarfi-led leadership unless it is magnanimous in victory.

    Adelana added: “Makarfi should remember that the leadership tussle had created so much distrust in the PDP that party members view one another with suspicion. The task before Makarfi now is to rebuild the party by bringing every group on board. This is not the time for PDP to engage in chest beating or discriminating against any group for it to regain its lost glory.”

    commitees are tackling the challenges of crisis resolution and harmonisation. 

  • Sheriff and PDP: Any hope for reconciliation?

    Sheriff and PDP: Any hope for reconciliation?

    In this piece, VICTOR IZEKOR urges the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to broker reconciliation among aggrieved chieftains so that the the party can bounce back and play the role of the opposition in democracy.

    I am neither a pessimist or prophet of doom when I ask the above question. For the avoidance of doubt, let me repeat myself: Is there any hope for reconciliation between Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the recent Supreme Court judgment on the party leadership tussle between Senator Modu Ali Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi?

    With the final proclamation of the Supreme Court that Senator Ahmed Makarfi is authentic chairman of the PDP and not Senator Sheriff as earlier proclaimed by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, the leadership impasse of the party that held the nation spell bound in awe has finally taken a bow. Recalled that while the impasse lasted it had negative spillover effect on the judiciary as some of the High Courts of Coordinate or equal power compounded the situation through conflicting judgment on the same issue of leadership. The awful disposition of the concerned courts this time cast aspersion on the integrity of the nation’s judiciary in addition to encouraging rascality and impunity in our body polity.

    Now, with the leadership rift finally settled, is there likelihood of point of convergence or agreement between the warring groups? This question becomes imperative in the light of the unfortunate utterances or happenings among the stakeholders of the party after the apex court verdict. Rather than soft tone of reconciliation, spirit of forgiveness and give and take, the contrary is the case. For example, reports have it that the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party Senator Walid Jibrin in a statement in Kaduna expressed joy at the Supreme Court judgment pointing out that had Senator Sheriff won at the apex court he and many others would have left the party. Similar sentiments were shared by chief Bode George, another chieftain of the party. Perhaps the reaction of Ekiti state, governor, Comrade Ayo Fayose was more devastating when he pointed that had Sheriff won at the Supreme Court he would have torn his membership card of the party and burnt the flag.

    From Southwest came the report that the supporters of Senator Sheriff Group in the party have moved enemas to another party on the ground of unfavourable comments by the likes of Ekiti State governor. These utterances and reactions that seemed unabated for now do not create favourable atmosphere for peaceful resolution of conflict. Rather, they amplify issue from frying pan into fire. No doubt the crisis that bedeviled the PDP provoked anything, but decency and decorum. It provoked among the stakeholders verbal war of words, hate speeches, bitterness, rancor and personal animosity. As the political impasse lasted, the party became a piece of bone between two violently competing dogs with no mercy to its soul. The falcon no longer hear the falconer. Many including some party chieftains and legislators have defected to other parties as a result.

    The sum total of all these is that even with the leadership tussle over, the basis of trust and mutual respect especially, among the chieftains of the party has waned if not  broken. It is now left for the party leaders to bolster through the debris of catastrophe to salvage the dwindling opposition party if Nigeria democracy would be of reckon.

    It is gratifying to note that the pillars of the party in likes of former President Goodluck Jonathan are putting their hands together to save the party from utter collapse and ruins. However, how far will they go in the light of brickbats and mudslinging among members of the warring groups.

    This reminds one of the Yoruba adage which says that we cannot go to court and become friends again. How applicable is this with regards the matter in focus? First, Senator Sheriff seemed at loss with the apex court verdict ousting him out of power. His first reaction to the judgment was that he was shocked and appeared for now in the same dilemma. Notwithstanding his present disposition on the verdict of the Supreme Court, the facts remains that the crown his slipped off his head.

    Now that the table has been turned against him, is Senator Sheriff prepared to swallow his pride and join hands with others to save the PDP from utter ruins? The senator is the best man to answer this question for he alone knows where the shoe pinches him. However, for a diserning observer of the contemporary happenings in the political firmament for about two decades back, the unequivocal response would point to the fact that Sheriff might not be prepared to go along again with the PDP. Senator Sheriff wants always to at least be the king maker if not the king and would do anything to achieving one of these. He is never prepared to play the second fiddle as antecedents have shown. He is a tailor made for the popular saying, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” According to the apex court judgment on leadership tussle between Sheriff and Makarfi, “Sheriff is power hungry and displayed an infantile desperation to remain in power.” The PDP as at now might not  contain him for obvious reasons. Besides, is Sheriff ready to forget his ego and subject himself to the authority of party?

    On the other hand, will Sheriff be with all sincerity be accepted in the PDP, especially by the chieftains of the party some he had engaged in verbal war of words and hate speeches? To some stakeholders in the party, Senator Ali is suspect and in same manner they are suspects to Sheriff. It is a matter of cat and dog affair.

    If eventually the Senator leaves PDP to another party, the PDP must have lost a politician of patronage who might have deployed his wealth for the use of the party. In the same vein Ali leaving the PDP means missing the affluence influence of a giant party. Whichever way, the loss is that of PDP and Sheriff. Notwithstanding the magnitude of the challenges, with sincerity of purpose, political will and with the overall interest of the party as the driving force, the problems though herculean, but not insurmountable. PDP as a formidable party and alternate government must not die or fizzle away. It is the only party for now that will keep the ruling party in check in case of excesses. Nigeria cannot afford the negative inherent luxuries of a one party state.

    It is therefore imperative for the survival of our nascent democracy, the founding fathers of the party that are living and still in the party, the governors, party chieftains and other stakeholders must act and speak with one voice all aimed at salvaging the collosius that is now developing a feet of clay. Individual ego must give way to modicum of sense and sanity. Let our past be a lesson that would inform our forward match. If for any act omission or commission PDP is allowed to disintegrate, the attendant negative effects of such will be too great to not only the PDP but in the entire nation.

    • Izekor is journalist and public affairs analyst.
  • Dickson: my report a template for peace, reconciliation

    Dickson: my report a template for peace, reconciliation

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has defended the report of his reconciliation committee as the best template for for the resolution of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    The committee last Tuesday submitted its report to National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff, with a proposal that convention should hold as soon as possible.
    The committee also stressed the need for a template that would culminate into a Unity National Convention.
    While submitting the report, Dickson said: “We hope that our party will have the opportunity to put behind us needless crisis which has engulfed it since last year. Many of our leaders are impatient to see us come back together and once again represent the people of Nigeria.”
    According to the report which is published as advertorial in this newspaper, the committee proposed that the Convention Planning Committee should have seven governors, seven Senators including the Deputy Senate President, 12 members of the House of Representatives, six members of PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and six National Vice Chairmen (one per zone).
    Others are three State Chairmen per Zone (18), six serving Speakers of the State Houses ofAssembly, six former Governors, former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly (who are still members of the party), six prominent Women Leaders, six PDP Youth Leaders, six former ministers of the Party and 12 others to be nominated by the National Chairman in consultation with stakeholders.
    The committee also resolved that the Convention Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the elections to all National Offices of the Party including the zoning of such offices.
    Dickson said: “As part of the sacrifice to be made in order to reposition the party, the committee is of the view that all national officers who may claim that their tenure still subsists beyond the proposed convention are hereby requested to relinquish their claim in the interest of the party.
    “For the purpose of the convention, all officers elected at the ward, local, state and zonal levels before the first Port Harcourt convention of May 21 2016 are deemed validly elected except for the election held in some states that were declared by NEC as inconclusive.
    “The proposed National Convention should hold as soon as possible and not later than June 30 2017. The committee shall continue to engage the party leadership and all relevant stakeholders with a view to having a hitch free convention and calls upon all and sundry to work towards the realisation of this objective.
    “The committee appreciates the efforts of the former President, Governors and other leaders of the party for their efforts at resolving the leadership crises in the party.
    “This proposal is our humble template for peace and reconciliation. We believe that litigation will not move us foreword. We believe that there is need to put away personal interest for the party’s interest. We believe on the need to rescue this country from the dictatorship of the opposition.
    “This committee is encouraged by your reconciliatory approach and statements that you are committed to holding a national convention. We have spoken with so many stakeholders, after consulting a wide range of stakeholders of the party.”
    Sheriff has since adopted fully the recommendations .

  • Southwest PDP begins reconciliation

    Southwest PDP begins reconciliation

    Peace may return to the Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the decision of the party elders to reconcile aggrieved chieftains across the six states.
    A reconciliation team, led by the former National Deputy Chairman, Chief Olabode George, will commence the tour of the states on january 19, it was learnt yesterday.
    According to party sources, the founding fathers of the party in the region were taken aback by the electoral misfortune of the party and the protracted crisis that has hit the troubled chapters during last year’s congresses.
    The PDP has been losing grip in the zone. Last year, it also lost the governorship election in Ondo State. There are fears that the state may also lose Ekiti State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next governorship poll, unless steps are taken to unite the party in the state.
    The leadership crisis in the opposition party has polarised the chapters. It was one of the factors that accounted for the party’s defeat in Ondo State.
    In Lagos State, there is a war of attrition between the two factions, led by Hon. Goke Salvador and Segun Adewale. In Ogun State, there are three factions fighting for the sould of the party. In Ondo, Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Chief Jimoh Ibrahim are at loggerheads. In Ekiti, the Ogundipe camp is fighting Governor Ayodele Fayose. In Osun, aggrieved chieftains are protesting the imposition of ward and local government executives.

  • Why reconciliation failed in Ondo APC, by Abraham

    Why reconciliation failed in Ondo APC, by Abraham

    A governorship aspirant during the controversial Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) primary, Dr. Olusegun Abraham, spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU in Lagos on why the party failed to resolve its post-primary crisis. Excerpts: 

    What’s your assessment of the political situation in Ondo State?

    There are many parties vying for the governor in Ondo State. The major parties are about two or three. The principal parties are the APC and the AD. So far, you will realise that, since the crisis of the primary election, the morale of the people has virtually gone down in the state. You cannot see the enthusiasm or expectation that a new government is coming. The people are confused. They are demoralised. Irrespective of what some people are saying. We need to stress the fact. We don’t know who will now deliver the state from the present bad economic situation. We pray the state will have an opportunity to elect a good leadership that will resolve its economic problems and transform the state. We need transformation in Ondo State.

    What was responsible for the failure of reconciliation in your party? Is it that reconciliation was not contemplated or it was ignored?

    Everything has a time. It was not contemplated. It was completely ignored. It was as if all they have done was a fait accompli. They have contempt for the people. Before the primary, the party was in good shape. The party was up and doing. Series of meetings were held with the aspirants, even before my endorsement by the National Leader. President Muhammadu Buhari convened a meeting with us. There was another meeting held between the aspirants and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party. The SGF addressed us and asked us to maintain calm. After the primary, when the crisis erupted, it was expected that the party will call the aspirants together, especially the four or five aggrieved contestants. The party did not do that. We expected that the president would intervene, like the one the SGF did. It was not forthcoming. It was like they had done what they wanted to do and so, the process of reconciliation was ignored. When they insisted on their position, the people had made up their minds. Well, we have to thank the governor of Kebbi State. He is a gentlemen. One or two others intervened, but in a clandestine way. They believe that they had taken their own decision and it was left for you to team up with them. That is the spirit with which they have viewed it. That’s why they have not been able to make any move about reconciliation. For me, it is very simple. You must follow the process of reconciliation, either as is done in our culture and the religions of Christianity and Islam. The process are all well stated. If you follow them, there will be no problem. There will be no fight. There is nothing you gain by fighting. If we are united, it will be easy for us to win the battle. But, if we are disunited, the battle will not be easy for us to win. We must have a process of reconciliation, which we will call genuine reconciliation. This Ondo experience is a test for the party. This is the mechanism that is lost in the APC. As a loyal member, I have suggested that we needed  reconciliation mechanism in the APC. I have faith in genuine reconciliation. In any case, genuine reconciliation must be based on truth and justice, not on fallacy, not on deceit, not on stealing, not on power ego. If you want reconciliation, you must be humble. We must come to the table with clean hands. We must correct the wrongs. These are the elements of reconciliation. It is the same in the country. But, a proper reconciliation must start at the local, to the state and national level. Today, there is no reconciliation in the country. That is why there is no focus on the proper way to progress. If you go to the National Assembly, it is not only divided along party lines, it is also divided along tribal lines. People see themselves as Southwesterners, Southeasterners, Northeasterners, Hausa, Yoruba. That’s not how to develop a country. This country is a single entity. It must be seen as a country where everybody will grow together. We are like rams locking our horns against one another, instead of being doves carrying the banner upwards. There is no reconciliation in the country because there is no truth; there is no justice. There is no way the country can prosper in the absence of righteousness. With all the money we have made from oil, with the human capital we have, the intelligent people we have, dynamic people, dynamic women in business, today, we are one of the poorest countries in the world. Our foundation is laid on unrighteousness, deceit, absence of truth, exploiting one another, greed, covetousness.

    As the stage is set for the Ondo State governorship election, what is your advice to the voters?

    With the situation on ground, I have made up my mind to vote according to my conscience.  I will urge the people to vote according to their conscience. I will urge my supporters to vote according to the dictates of their conscience. And remember that everything you are doing, you are responsible to God. So, you must vote according to your conscience.

    There is the rumour that the National Leader of your party has directed that you and other aggrieved aspirants should mobilise your supporters to vote for the AD governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke…

    I have had so much about the rumour. But, what I will say is that I am not the spokesman for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, our National Leader. So, if anybody wants any information about that, he should try to see his Press Secretary. He will enlighten you on the issue.

    How can Nigeria overcome its economic challenges?

    I will advise the President to get key economic players with experience in place. We must behave in a way that will make foreign investors to have confidence in our economy. We must package local entrepreneurs and direct their energies and resources to the export drive. Holding on to the exchange rate is gone. There must be creative ideas to bring foreign capital into the country. The two most critical aspect being neglected should be developed. You must boost the capital market. You can’t continue to build infrastructure on loans. Our mortgage industry must be built.

  • Ifako-Ijaiye run-off: Akinwunmi to embark on reconciliation

    Ifako-Ijaiye run-off: Akinwunmi to embark on reconciliation

    THE winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary conducted at the weekend, Nurudeen Olaitan Akinwunmi, has pledged to close ranks with stakeholders to pave the way for the party to win the run-off election next month.

    The primary is for a run-off election in Ifako-Ijaiye/Ojokoro Federal Constituency on December 3, to fill the vacant position created by the death of Dr. Elijah Adewale, who died in Abuja on July 20.

    Akinwunmi scored 219 of the 388 votes cast to defeat Adisa James Owolabi, who polled 166 votes. Three votes were declared invalid.

    Though Owolabi embraced his opponent after the declaration of the result, suggesting that he had no reservations about the election, the way he stormed out of the venue refusing to entertain further questions from reporters belied that gesture.

    Akinwunmi said he was not bothered, when his opponent dominated the ballot at the beginning of the counting exercise, because he knew it was going to be a keenly-contested election.

    Rasheed Makinde, who represents Ifako-Ijaiye 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, hailed the exercise, saying the conduct of the primary met everyone’s expectations.

    He said: “Democracy is not a static concept; I rate what we have demonstrated here at Ifako-Ijaiye/Ojokoro Federal Constituency as above average. It is practical democracy, where everyone freely cast their votes without hindrance.”

    According to the organisers, 12 persons initially indicated interest in the race, but only five bought forms.

    The two candidates, who participated in the primary, were the only ones cleared after the screening. A third aspirant, Adebayo Salvador, was disqualified at the last minute for undisclosed reasons.

    An official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. Bose Oluwatomisin, who monitored the primary, said the exercise was free and fair. She said: “It was free and fair and the atmosphere was peaceful. There is evidence of internal democracy; the election was rancour-free, but there is always room for improvement.”

    The exercise was relatively peaceful; a carnival-like atmosphere pervaded throughout the voting. It started at about 1.20pm with statutory delegates, after a long wait outside the complex.

    Afterwards, delegates from the seven wards in Ifako-Ijaiye and those from the seven wards in Ojokoro took turns to cast their ballot. Vote counting started at 3.15pm.