Politics
Political Parties Merger: Matters Arising
The on-going merger project of major opposition political parties in Nigeria has generated mixed reactions from Nigerians. While some have expressed doubt over its workability, others say it will not fail like previous attempts.
Beyond this, the news that the merger, being spearheaded by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), with a view to overthrowing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections, would come to fruition in June has caused excitement in some quarters.
Those who think it is not feasible, from all indications, are mostly beclouded by the thought of previous failures of political parties merger right from the early period of post-colonial political era in the country.
Those who are not only longing for a change, but also against a drift to a one-party state, given what they christen elephantine and intimidating nature of the PDP, are looking forward to any arrangement that could displace the ruling party from office at the centre.
They reckon that this would give Nigerians the opportunity to compare the PDP and another party, with a view to knowing which one is better. This stance is with the knowledge and acknowledgement that it will be difficult for any political party, as an individual institution, to displace the PDP at the federal level.
Such stance is based more on the strong structure the PDP has evolved over the years, which is capable of dwarfing any single opposition, than that the PDP is invincible, or always presents the best candidates for elections.
Indeed, a political party that has 24 governors out of 36, and, therefore, controls two-thirds of the country, and whose members constitute the majority in the National Assembly has enough muscle to keep winning elections. The reason for this is simple. Governors are the prime movers in the country’s polity.
The implication is that as long as these governors keep on capturing people’s hearts in their respective states, using their performance, popularity or intimidation, they can deliver the votes to their political party.
Also, the governors are the ones whose agents could manipulate elections to suit their purpose in a country like Nigeria, which is still struggling to organise transparent polls.
In spite of the fore-going, however, the merger and the prospect of one singular opposition party look bright, particularly going by the meticulousness of the planners. They are also taking things stage by stage and have recorded successes at each stage so far.
Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, a former governor of Yobe State and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), recently confirmed the current rapprochement among the major opposition parties.
“The ACN has appointed their team. The ANPP has also done the same thing and I am part of the committee. We have met several times. We have toured North Central. We met our supporters in North Central in Lafia. We were in Enugu, South East of Nigeria for a whole day. We are going to go to visit other zones”, he said.
Still, there are fears in certain circles over the alliance achieving the desired result. One factor that sticks out as possible cause of failure is selfishness on the part of key planners of the alliance, topmost among which is former Head of State, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd). Experience has shown that leaders of the political parties that had previously attempted such arrangement never dropped their personal ambition, ego and interests.
It was the same ego trip and the posture of self-importance by leaders of the ACN and the CPC that truncated the merger/alliance plan of the two parties in 2011. If the Buharis and Bola Tinubus had played down self, perhaps, the merger arrangement could have worked.
Unfortunately, these people stuck to their guns in their demands, hence the merger deal never came through. Of course, such merger failure made it easier for the PDP to win the presidential election in 2011.
Currently, Buhari has indicated interest to contest, yet again, the presidency in 2015. He said that he would present himself because of the numerous appeals by his supporters for him to bid for the number one position. This is against his earlier declaration, after the 2011 elections, that he would not seek elective office again.
With Buhari ready to contest in 2015, the pertinent question is: Would he agree to step down for another person, in the event of a merger, if this becomes imperative, despite the assurances by leaders of the ACN, CPC and ANPP that this time their personal interests would be secondary?
Also, if Buhari is joining the 2015 presidential race because his supporters are putting pressure on him, it is not likely that he would resist appeal to step down the same way in any merger arrangement that would not present him as the candidate, knowing that it is likely to be his last shot at the top position?
As it stands, Buhari is obviously doing the bidding of his supporters and those appealing to him instead of acting on his conviction. Would he be prepared to sacrifice his interest and that of his followers for the interest of the country? This is a feat yet to be achieved by any Head of State in Nigeria.
Considering that all past leaders of the country had always claimed to base their decisions on the interest of the country first, though such decisions had led the country to its present state of underdevelopment, and aspiring leaders also put forth selfless service as their focus, the kind of leader Nigeria does not need is quite obvious.
It is thus deducible that political merger or not, all those at the helm of Nigeria’s governance cannot claim not to know what is best for the country. The problem had always been doing the right thing for the benefit of the citizenry, playing down selfish interests.
Civil Society Coalition for Good Governance, Budget and Accountability has condemned the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Executive Secretary, Civil Society Coalition for Good Governance, Budget and Accountability, Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke, who said this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt also described as illegal all legislations passed by the defected lawmakers.
Amb. Nkweke described the defection as “monkey politics’, queried the rational behind the action of the lawmakers few months after being sworn into office, adding that members of the civil society community were yet to be told reasons for the defection.
“Up till now, we are yet to be told why they defected just few months of being sworn into office. For me, that is monkey politics”, he said.
He urged the lawmakers to go back to their former party and beg Rivers people for forgiveness, adding that if that is done, they may be welcomed back.
Amb. Nkweke also cautioned the lawmakers not to allow themselves to be used to do the bidding of an individual, adding that the present administration in the state needs the support of all to move forward.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the group has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for giving civil societies the latitude to operate freely in the state.
He alleged that civil societies were caged in the last eight years, adding that there was no breathing space for civil societies in the last eight years in the state.
Amb. Nkweke described civil society as the engine room of democracy as it engages in sensitisation on the policies and programmes of government, regretting, however, that their inputs were never taken into considerations.
“Civil societies give signals, civil society creates the awareness and sensitize the people towards achieving a reliable democracy.
‘’i want to let you know, very frankly, that civil society space in Rivers State, for the past eight years, was suffocated. There was no breathing space, they didn’t breathe. Civil society was dead completely”, he said.
Amb. Nkweke said the situation also affected upcoming activists as some of them had to operate from hideouts.
By: John Bibor
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on President Bola Tinubu not to condone incompetent personalities in his government.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, NANS President, Comrade Pedro Obi, expressed concerns about the competence of the Minister of State for Youth Development and the SSA to the President on Student Engagement.
Comrade Obi, after staging a peaceful protest at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), reiterated that the NANS will not be intimidated and will continue to fight for the interests of Nigerian students.
He said, “The message is very simple, we have incompetent people who have been appointed to offices. It’s unfortunate and it’s not the President’s fault, of course he believes in Nigerian youths and has also given us the opportunity to showcase our capacity in various roles that he has given us.
“We have the SSA to the President on Student Engagement, who has shown incompetence. He cannot continue to hold that office and we are calling on Mr. President that he should be sacked with immediate effect.
“Also we have the Minister of State for Youth Development. We are also calling that immediately he should be sacked, because he has left what he ought to do and has dabbled into the affairs of NANS.
“These people have displayed incompetence and are destroying the youth community. There are so many competent youths that President Tinubu can pick from.
“NANS can never be intimidated. This is an organisation that we grew up to meet and we will continue to protect the dignity of this organisation.”
Receiving the NANS on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office in the SGF, Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri, assured the NANS of relaying back their complaints to the SGF which he said will land on the listening ears of President Tinubu.
According to him, “I have listened to the complaints you raised. I assure you that your complaints will get to the listening ears of Mr. President.
“Let me assure you that I’m happy this was also re-echoed in the NANS President’s speech that President Tinubu has indebt love for the youths of Nigeria and also for the students of Nigeria. This has been demonstrated by polices that (has) been put in place for the youths.
“I want to assure you that the President has your concerns in his heart and he’s always ever ready to attend to your needs.
“With this, I am going to report back to my boss the SGF, who will take up the matter with the President. I urge you to continue to maintain peace and tranquillity. Don’t do anything that will make Mr. President feel bad about you.”
Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu, has withdrawn the court action he instituted against the party over his controversial removal from office barely two years into his four year term.
His action has removed legal impediments likely to militate against the emergence of his replacement from the North Central.
Several meetings have been held and being planned following this new development.
On Tuesday, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) passed a vote of confidence on the Ag. National Chairnan, Amb. Umar Damagum, whom members said has discharged his functions creditably.
It was gathered that the North Central Caucus of the party had long before now started mobilizing to ensure that the zone produces Ayu’s replacement to complete his tenure which expires in 2025.
In a related development, Amb. Damagum has held series of meetings with various groups to perhaps shore up his chances of retaining his seat as acting chairman.
He led the members of the NWC on Wednesday to interact with the PDP National Ex-officio ahead of the NEC meeting.
Immediately after the meeting with them, he led the NWC members to another meeting with the State Party Chairmen from the 36 States, including FCT, Abuja.
The meetings were held at the NEC Hall, PDP National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, in Abuja.
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