Politics
Bode George And Lagos PDP
Last week’s jailing of erstwhile Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one time chairman. board of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Olabode George is perhaps the worst news for the Lagos State chapter of the party this year. For the party, two years without George, is like playing Hamlet without the prince
George, who with five other directors of the NPA was sentenced to two years imprisonment by an lkeja High Court, presided by Justice Joseph Oyewole has been the leader of the party in the state for the past six years. Aside being a major financier of the party in the state. George’s closeness to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and other top leaders of the PDP, also placed him head and shoulder above other chieftains of the party in the state and the South West zone.
The national leadership of the party had so much trust in George’s ability that it entrusted him with the responsibility of strategising and actualising the party’s futile attempt at taking over the Alausa Government House. Ikeja, Lagos in 2003 and 2007. He later served as the Director General of the President Umaru Yar’ Adua Campaign outfit during the 2007 electioneering.
But it appears none of George’s political credentials made sense to Justice Oyewole, while pronouncing him and five other directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) guilty and had them sentenced to two years imprisonment, last week Monday.
While many have hailed the judgment as a step forward in the quest to rid the country of corruption, the PDP believed the court ruling was not fair to George, who was a former military governor of the old Ondo State. The party’s National Vice Chairman (South West). Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo. said the party would appeal the ruling, even as he insisted that the judgment was very much against the ruling party. George has since applied for bail while his appeal is to be heard.
For the state chapter of the party, the judgment might have put a spanner in the on going works to reposition the PDP ahead of the 2011 election. The national leadership of the party in its calculation for the 2011 governorship election in Lagos, has since realised the importance of a total reconciliation of all contending groups within the party as a sine qua non to the party’s repositioning ahead of the election. But every reconciliatory moves initiated at the national and zonal levels of the party had been bedevilled by the inability of the various groups to fully embrace one another.
The major contending groups within the party are the Establishment Group. headed by George: the Solidarity Group, headed by the High Commissioner to Ghana. Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro and the Mandate Group, under the leadership of former Minister of Works and Housing, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe.
Other minor groups include, the Alagbon 14 Forum of Local Government Candidates and the Elders’ Forum.
The various groups are product of division of the party along factional lines. following the poor handling of the fallout of the 2007 governorship election. and the simmering politics that trailed the post election ministerial nomination from the state.
While many of the various reconciliatory committees set up by PDP leadership of the party, have made concerted efforts to unite the various interests within the party, the recognition of George as the de facto leader of the party in Lagos was never in contention. What was in contention was the extent to which other interest groups were prepared to accept him as leader of the party.
The George group is also said to have an upper hand in the power game. as he was responsible for the installation of the incumbent executive of the PDP in the state. And the leaders have continued to demonstrate their support for the embattled politician.
Observers believe that with George’s possible confinement to the four walls of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison for the period of his sentence, other groups might try to position themselves for possible take over of leadership of the party in the state. This, as many believe, may likely worsen an already bad situation. It is believed that the state executive, which has demonstrated unalloyed loyalty to George may resist such a move.
Yet, as is custom in the PDP, any state where the party does not have a sitting governor, the leadership of the party in such state is usually ceeded to one of the national figures in most cases, a serving minister or a national leader with much clout.
Thus, the party cannot shy away for too long on the issue of a leader in the absence of George. This, again, may open another ‘power show’ between the other group leaders, notably, Obanikoro, Ogunlewe and the Minister of State for Interior, Mr. Demola Seriki.
Musiliu Obanikoro
A former Commissioner for Home Affairs in the Alliance for Democracy (AD) government between 1999 and 2003. Obanikoro later contested and won the Lagos Central Senatorial seat on the party’s platform in 2003. but later defected to the PDP while serving as senator. He emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate for the 2007 election, without George’s support. George’s choice was the widow of the late Funsho Williams. Hilda. But. George in his capacity as the leader of the party, was also given the task of coordinating the strategies for the electioneering.
The actual battle started after the loss of the election when the state chapter was expected to forward its list of ministerial nominees to President Umaru Yar’ Adua. George had an edge in the show of strength that ensued, being the most senior leader in the state and a close ally of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, George showed preference for Bode Augusto above Obanikoro. but Augusto could not scale the Senate hurdle.
The new list became a tug of war and at a point Obasanjo had to wade in. Eventually, and in order to calm frayed nerves, the party settled for a middle of the road approach, by picking Seriki, who was not in the reckoning of the state leadership for the appointment.
Obanikoro was eventually appointed an Ambassador. But his attempt to use the office to reposition himself has proved difficult. A good number of the party members in the state felt that Obanikoro has sidelined them ever since losing the Lagos governorship bid and assuming his ambassadorial posting.
The animosity against him was brought to the fore recently when some members of the party protested against his presence at the high table during a forum called to resolve the factional differences in the-party. The development degenerated to a free for all, and Obanikoro was saved only by the intervention of the police and some chieftains of the party.
Owing to the grudge the party members have against him. many believe it may be difficult for the ambassador to assume leadership of the state chapter.
Adeseye Ogunlewe
Like Obanikoro, Ogunlewe was also elected into the Senate on the platform of the AD in 1999 before he defected to the PDP. He later became the Minister of Works and had shown considerable interest in the 2007 governorship before Williams’ assassination truncated the ambition of a good number of the contestants.
It is believed that Ogunlewe’s sometimes bold and scathing criticisms of some of the party’s decisions has made many PDP members to doubt his loyalty to the party. It is said that some are not fully convinced that the former minister is 100 per cent PDP, as they fear he might still be fraternising with the Action Congress (AC) especially, with some of his followers back in the AC. In spite of this insinuation. Ogunlewe still commands respect among a large section of the members of the party. but he is not likely to get the support of the state executive.
Demola Seriki
The Minister of State for Interior had failed in the bid to get elected into the House of Representatives in 1999. His senatorial ambition on the PDP platform in 2007 also did not yield the desired result.
But Seriki turned out to be the main beneficiary of the feud between George and Obanikoro over the state’s ministerial nominee. He was eventually handed the Lagos slot. Whereas George was said to have played some roles in the appointment. there are also insinuations from some quarters that the main influence was from outside the party.
For now, Seriki is in the good books of members of the party who believe that he has identified with them since becoming a minister, Seriki is seen as a politician who though serving in Abuja, is always in touch with the state chapter of PDP. He is said to have used his poverty alleviation programmes to boost the fortune of some members and supported the party during the bye election for the Ibeju Lekki Federal Constituency seat earlier in the year.
But observers believe that the junior minister is yet to develop the clout and the political structure needed to take full control of the state chapter of the party.
Many people believe that George’s absence will be felt in many ways, especially, at a time the national leadership of the party has made public its intention to win Lagos State in the 2011 election. Analysts believe that such a huge ambition requires a formidable leadership.
The PDP is also mobilising its legal machinery to ensure that George gets the two years sentence quashed at the appeal court.
When viewed from the prism of the possible legal fire works that may drag the trial for a long period of time, analysts believe that the reprieve being sought for George, the exnaval officer turned politician, may not come early enough and this, may impact negatively on the party in the state.
Already, there are indications that the power show and the contest for relevance among the various groups has begun with each holding strategy meetings aimed at appraising the situation.
Whichever way it goes, it might just be a case of survival of the of the fittest an endless one indeed.
Culled from The Nation
Operating under the umbrella of the Coalition of Civil Society Network, the group described the ruling delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu as unfair and contrary to the spirit of democracy, urging the judiciary to consider the will of the people in its final determination of the matter.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on Thursday, October 30, sacked Gummi for defecting from the PDP, which sponsored his election, to the APC.
In his ruling, Justice Egwuatu held that it was morally wrong for a politician to transfer votes from one political party to another, stating that “political prostitution must not be rewarded.”
He declared that voters elect candidates based on the manifestos and ideals of their political parties. Therefore, it was both legally and morally unacceptable for an elected official to abandon that platform without relinquishing the mandate.
The court also restrained the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, from recognising Hon. Gummi as a member of the House, and ordered him to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, to the date of judgment.
Justice Egwuatu further directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 30 days to fill the vacant seat.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1803/2024, was filed by the PDP and its Zamfara State chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki, who argued that Hon. Gummi’s defection violated Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as there was no division within the PDP to justify his action.
But convener of the coalition, Lukman Muhammad, who addressed journalists at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, said Hon. Gummi’s defection was a direct result of the unresolved internal crisis within the PDP, which, according to him, crippled the lawmaker’s ability to effectively represent his constituents.
He said: “We believe the court’s decision was unjust and failed to consider the circumstances surrounding Hon. Gummi’s defection. Gummi’s decision to join the APC was necessitated by the unresolved internal crisis within the PDP, which hindered his ability to effectively represent his constituents.
“We affirm that Hon. Gummi’s right to choose his political affiliation is protected by the Constitution and should be respected. We stand for democracy and the rule of law, while also urging the judiciary to consider the will of the people and the greater good”.
He urged Justice Egwuatu to review the judgment, stressing that the ruling could set a dangerous precedent that undermines the principle of fair representation and the rights of elected officials.
The coalition further noted that the judgment has broader implications for Nigeria’s democratic process, as it raises questions about the extent to which lawmakers can exercise their constitutional freedom of association without fear of losing their mandate.
The parties stated that the APC was on the verge of collapse following the recent wave of defections from opposition parties into its ranks.
In separate interviews with The Tide source, spokespersons for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) —Debo Ologunagba, Oladipo Johnson, and Mark Adebayo – respectively, said an implosion was imminent in the APC.
But the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, stated that recent defections to the party were voluntary and inspired by the ruling party’s achievements, not through coercion. He added that the APC was well-structured, capable of managing its internal affairs effectively, and therefore would not experience any internal crisis.
In recent months, the ruling APC has continued to receive several high-profile politicians from opposition parties, particularly the PDP. Among those who have joined the APC are Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the PDP’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Most recently, members of the Enugu State Executive Council defected to the APC, a move followed by Governor Peter Mbah’s official declaration for the ruling party on October 14 in Enugu.
On October 15, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, announced his resignation from the PDP. Although he has yet to join another party, speculation is rife that he is on his way to the APC.
Similarly, Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, confirmed last Wednesday that he would be joining the APC.
Numerous other politicians, including several lawmakers, have also abandoned their parties to align with the ruling APC.
In his reaction, Hon. Ologunagba predicted an imminent crisis within the APC, expressing confidence that those who defected would eventually return to the PDP.
He stated, “This is the major political party (PDP), and it is the only democratic party in the country. It has structures cutting across all the local governments, all the wards, and of course all the states. In every home, there are members of the PDP, and that is why the APC are jittery, and that is why they are coercing our members, using state resources and state agencies to force members of opposition parties to join the ruling party.
“But in all this, we are sure and confident that very soon, the APC will implode because it is a multipurpose political vehicle that is not going to last. It is going to implode.
“Many Nigerians will see through it and know that the party is not a political party that protects the interests of the citizens. So, they are going to leave the party and move to the major political party, which is the PDP. We are optimistic that before 2027, many Nigerians will join us because this is the truly democratic party and the only party that is out there to protect their interests.”
On his part, Mr Johnson of the NNPP lamented that the wave of defections posed a serious threat to the country’s democracy.
Mr Johnson said, “This is bad for democracy. For our type of democracy, it is important to have a proper and effective opposition. Already, we’ve seen a blurring of lines between the legislature and the executive; some would even say the judiciary. I hope not. I think many people are observing the trend and are unhappy. However, we need to be a bit more patient and see what happens soon.
“When the PDP was in power for 16 years, it was the party many people rushed into. Over time, it imploded, and many of those who joined it turned against it. So, I see that happening to the ruling APC. Definitely. This is because of the nature of Nigerian politicians; many are driven by personal interests. I always say that Nigeria can never truly be a one-party state. Even if only one party exists, it will become factionalised, with different interests and power blocs. Those pushing the country toward a one-party system may not have studied Nigeria’s political history carefully.”
In his remarks, CUPP’s Adebayo stated that the pattern of defections among politicians, particularly governors and lawmakers, was a deliberate strategy by the ruling party to transform the country into a one-party state.
Mr Adebayo said, “It is not accidental; it is a deliberate and strategic effort to entrench a one-party dictatorship. Whether these defections are forced or coerced, one thing is clear: it is an intentional action driven by the ruling party, particularly the President.
“This development is unhealthy for our democracy. It is shameful and stands against everything democratic principles represent. It is inimical to the growth and development of Nigeria as a democratic nation and poses a grave threat to our political stability.
“The implosion of the APC will come before or once it loses power. Most Nigerian politicians lack ideological grounding or principles; their loyalty lies only with the party in power. Political affiliation is tied to ideology and conviction, not convenience. However, the ideology of most politicians is simply the ruling party. If tomorrow the ADC, Labour Party, or SDP wins the presidency, many of these same politicians will abandon the APC overnight. They have no shame, no conviction, and no conscience. Their only motivation is proximity to power.”
In response, Mr Ibrahim of the APC maintained the APC would not face any internal crisis, asserting that it has the capacity to effectively manage its affairs, unlike the opposition.
He stated, “The fact that the opposition are not organised and they cannot organise primaries, neither can they manage their parties, does not mean we are on the same boat with them. Our party, the APC, has been conducting primaries successfully and rancor-free.
“So, the fact that they don’t know how to manage their party does not mean that is the way we run our own party. The APC does not coerce anyone to join. Those joining are doing so willingly because of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope achievements. Our party is fully prepared. It’s not going to implode; it’s not going to have any issues similar to the issues they have been having.”
Senator Ndume, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, accused both the executive and legislative arms of complacency, saying their failure to proactively engage the United States government on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria led to the development.
The senator recalled that he had earlier sponsored a motion in the Senate on “Christian genocide” in the country. The motion, he said, led to resolutions mandating the Nigerian government to engage the U.S. with verified facts and figures.
President Trump, last Friday, announced the designation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over alleged persecution of Christians.
President Trump made the announcement via a post on his Truth Social platform, which was also shared on the official White House X handle.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” President Trump wrote.
But the Nigerian government swiftly rejected the claims, insisting that President Trump’s assessment did not reflect the true situation in the country.
However, Senator Ndume accused the President Tinubu’s administration and the Senate of treating the allegation raised by US lawmaker, Riley Moore, with complacency, prior to President Trump’s declaration, and urged the federal government to take urgent steps to engage the US government with facts and figures on the activities of terrorists organisations which, he noted, were blind to faith.
“I have alerted the government, I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state, it isn’t about what the United States can do to us, but about the misconception and the ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern.
“We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures. By engaging the US government, we should demand that they hear the other side of the story from the Nigerian government and the Muslim community. Muslims have been killed too. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally,” he said.
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