Politics
Opposition Parties, Ganging-Up Against PDP?
The political storm has started building up. One can only imagine its momentum as the 2015 general elections draw closer.
Political leaders of opposition parties seem to be at their wits end going by the political under currents characteristic of early preparations for election. However, almost three years ahead of the 2015 elections, they have started strategizing to wrest power and control of governance from the ruling party at the centre.
Towards achieving this task, the opposition political parties plan to form a formidable common platform ahead of the elections. To ensure the conceptualisation of the political alliance, the leadership of the All Nigeria People Party (ANPP) has set up a 20-Man Merger Committee under the leadership of former Presidential Candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC), Alhaji Bashir Tofa.
The former Governor of Yobe State, now a Senator, Bukar Abba Ibrahim was recently quoted as saying “ANPP would soon conclude its merger plans with other opposition political parties in order to wrestle power from the People Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.”
According to him, “all the opposition political parties have realised their mistakes and had resolved to forge a common agenda to tackle PDP in 2015.”
On the part of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the party has already set up a strong panel under its chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi, to hold talk with the ANPP and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on the need for merger.
The National Publicity Secretary of ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, recently said the two political parties, ACN and CPC, are going to finalise merger talks by October 2012. The party’s spokesman said the ongoing talks were not about the ACN and CPC alone, but a phenomenon that would see to the coming together of progressive forces in the country, irrespective of party affiliation, to provide a credible alternative to the ruling party at the centre.
Mohammed said “what is coming from the ACN/CPC is more than just talks, it is going to be like the Noah’s Ark because all politicians of like minds are coming together.”
In the thinking of the opposition political parties, an alliance or merger had become imperative in the chequered political development of the country now, given the fact that the PDP-led government had failed to impact the dividends of democracy on the people, and that the only way they could “kick” PDP out of governance at the centre is to come together.
But the PDP has dismissed such ongoing moves by opposition parties to form an alliance aimed at wrestling political power from the party come 2015 general elections. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metue, said the party is not threatened in any form by such an alliance since PDP remains the only truly national political party committed to the continued existence of Nigeria.
He said,” At the appropriate time, Nigerians will decide whether to entrust their great nation into the hands of regionalists, doomsday prophets and pro-anarchists or to the safe hands of the PDP’.
The party’s spokesman emphasised that PDP as a political party is the only party in Nigeria with a strong presence in all the 9,572 electoral wards, and that the party would rely on its intimidating membership as well as its credible performance to win the general elections in 2015.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are earnestly waiting to see how far the opposition parties can go with their alliance and merger plans within the context of the chequered history of irreconcilable political differences associated with political alliance and merger.
Today, one of the opposition parties, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) is completely engrossed in leadership crisis with the party becoming rudderless based on the conflict of interests between the two elected Governors of the party.
A Public Affairs Analyst, Mr Wisdom Dike, said,” the conflicting political interests of APGA’s two elected Governors, Peter Obi of Anambra State and Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State respectively on leadership crisis within the party portends from the onset a divisive tendency for the opposition parties alliance/merger.
“The proponents of the alliance merger cannot leave out APGA in the merger plan. The two elected governors of the party are crucial for any formidable political alliance,” he noted.
On the part of the CPC formed few months to the 2011 general elections, the party is presently in a time of soul searching to overcome the crisis of leadership that arose largely from the conduct of the party’s primaries. A reflection on the history of political alliance/merger in Nigeria, however, shows that opposition political parties’ alliance/merger have always been merely cosmetic political alliance without any resultant effects.
A political scientist and lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Uyo, Dr Monday Dickson, said “political alliance/merger in Nigeria is merely a talk show, practically, Nigerians need a concrete realisation of the opposition political parties merger to challenge a ruling party and provide more dividends of democracy.”
According to him, “the political merger is a good plan, lets wait and see the outcome of the alliance among the opposition political parties.”
It will be recalled that shortly after independence, the Northern People Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigeria Congress (NCNC) formed an alliance, while the Action Group (AG) remained the opposition political party.
But before the 1964 general elections, the NPC/ NCNC alliance had irretrievably broken down, giving rise to the formation of new alliances by other political parties such as the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) and the Nigeria National Alliance (NNA).
In the UPGA were the NCNC, AG, Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU) and the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) led by Late Senator Joseph Talka, while the NNA had NPC and the newly formed Nigeria National Democratic Party (NNDP) led by Chief Samuel Akintola, a breakaway faction of AG.
The NNA was ideologically and politically cohesive, but UPGA was a collection of diverse ideological political leaders. The political alliance among the UPGA endured for a while because of the imperative needs for them to wrestle political power from the NNA, but the military coup of 1966 truncated everything.
Towards the 1983 general elections of the Second Republic, the opposition political parties, the United Party of Nigeria (UPN), Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Nigeria People Party (NPP) formed an alliance called the Progressive Parties Alliance (PPA) to confront the then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
But the greatest albatross of that alliance/merger was the irreconcilable political disagreement of who to be the common candidate of the alliance.
The problem remained unresolved and led to the disintegration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri and Mallam Aminu Kano.
Currently, as 2015 approaches, the opposition political parties are faced with a similar chequered history of political merger/ alliance. The question thus is “can there be any difference now?”
Senator Abba Ibrahim may have aptly stated it when he said the issue of merger in the past was never done with all serious intent among the parties.
“This time around Nigerians expect cohesion.”
Philip-Wuwu Okparaji
Rt Hon. Abbas secured the party’s ticket through an affirmation exercise conducted across the 13 electoral wards in the constituency.
The wards involved include Kwarbai A, Kwarbai B, Limancin-Kona, Unguwar Fatika, Unguwar Juma, Dutsen Abba, Gyallesu, Kufena, Dambo, Wuchichiri, Tudun Wada, Tukur-Tukur, and Kaura.
The exercise, which began simultaneously in all wards at about 10 a.m., recorded large turnout of APC members who gathered at various party offices across the constituency.
At Kwarbai B Ward, the Speaker’s ward, the process was conducted peacefully under the supervision of the ward APC Returning Officer, Malam Iliyasu Muhammad Balarabe, in the presence of Rt Hon. Abbas.
According to the ward APC secretary, Nafiu Sabo, the ward has over 10,000 registered members, but 220 members were accredited for the exercise.
Before the affirmation, Mallam Balarabe informed members that Rt Hon Abbas was the only aspirant who purchased nomination forms, underwent screening, and was cleared by the APC national leadership to contest the Zaria Federal Constituency seat.
Following a voice vote by accredited members, the Speaker was affirmed as the party’s candidate in the ward, a process replicated across the remaining 12 wards.
At the constituency collation centre, the APC Returning Officer for the House of Representatives primary in Zaria Federal Constituency, Dr. Hamisu Ibrahim Kubau, announced that 1,376 APC members across the 13 wards endorsed Rt Hon. Abbas as the party’s flag bearer.
He explained that although thousands of party members participated in the exercise, only accredited delegates were allowed to vote.
Dr. Kubau declared: “There are 13 wards in Zaria Federal Constituency, and only one aspirant purchased a form, was screened, and cleared. He is Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. After due process, we conducted affirmations across all wards.”
He added that the process was peaceful and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party representatives.
Chairman of the APC House of Representatives Primary Elections in Kaduna State, Senator Yakubu Oseni, described the outcome as a reflection of the Speaker’s popularity and acceptance among constituents.
He expressed confidence that Rt Hon Abbas would secure victory in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking after his declaration, Rt Hon. Abbas expressed appreciation to APC members for reaffirming their confidence in him.
The incumbent Reps including Emily Inyang and Godwin Offionio, in separate interviews
protested the handling of the primaries conducted by the leadership of the party in the state, saying it was skewed against them.
The aspirants further described the primaries as a charade and an embarrassment to the state.
According to them, the House of Representatives primaries fell short of the provisions of both the Electoral Act as amended in 2026 and the party’s constitution.
They accused the leadership of the party in the state, backed by Governor Bassey Otu, of violating the party’s constitution in the conduct of the House of Representatives primaries across the state on Saturday.
Hon. Godwin Offiono, representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, particularly expressed disappointment with the primary that allegedly disenfranchised registered members of the party in his constituency.
Hon. Offiono asserted that having failed to arrive at a consensus, the party leadership opted for a direct primary to decide the candidate for the 2027 election.
“But what I witnessed today was not only alarming, but quite disheartening that our electoral system have not shown any improvement, especially now that we have a man of God in the person of the governor as the leader of the party.
“How do you declare a result by 9:00am even when the electoral materials were yet to arrive at Yala.
“As an aspirant, I couldn’t even vote or see the materials for my own primary at my Okuku ward in Yala Local Government Area, where I come from. But no matter what happens I am still in the race and have not stepped down for anybody.
“The governor had all the time in the world to drive the process of consensus but he never did. As a representative, I cannot even see my governor. I called, no response. I sent text no reply. I am treated as an out cast,” he lamented.
In an emotion laden tone during a telephone interview, Hon. Offiono further said: “I could not believe that first term NASS members like me can be treated in this shoddy manner even when I don’t know my offence.
“I have been a loyal party man. I appeal to the governor to do the right thing, follow the Electoral Act and party constitution in electing representatives.”
Similarly, Hon. Emil Inyang of Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency said he still remained in the race and had not stepped down for anybody.
According to him, “If this shenanigan called primary is allowed to stand, it would affect the party’s fortune in the general elections.
“My appeal to the governor is to allow the people to decide. And if they so voted against me, I will rest and not fight over anything.
“There was no stakeholders meeting held to decide on anything before now, and someone can not be unilaterally imposed on us all in the name of compromised primary,” he stated.
A coalition of support groups within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has protested the disqualification of former presidential aspirant, Mr Tein Jack-Rich, from the Rivers West Senatorial race ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 general elections.
The groups, in a statement issued on Saturday morning in Abuja, described the action of the party’s screening committee as unjust and capable of worsening internal divisions within the APC in Rivers State.
The statement, signed by the coalition’s National Coordinator, Dr. Bilal Galadima, and General Secretary, Hon. James Ogenyi, accused the party leadership in Rivers State of favouring politicians loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, while sidelining long-standing members of the APC.
The coalition alleged that only aspirants aligned with Chief Wike were cleared to contest for elective positions in the state.
“How can our party allow only one man who is not a member of our party to make decisions or dictate the direction of our party?”, the group queried.
The coalition specifically faulted the exclusion of Mr Jack-Rich, describing him as a loyal party member who had supported the APC for more than 13 years and previously contested the party’s presidential ticket.
It also questioned the alleged clearance of Chief Felix Obua, whom it described as a recent entrant into the party and an ally of Chief Wike.
“How can our party disqualify Jack-Rich, a former presidential aspirant who has been loyal and supported our party for the last 13 years, only for our party to choose Felix Obua, a Wike loyalist who only joined the party three months ago?”, the statement read.
The group warned that failure by the APC leadership and National Working Committee (NWC) to address the matter as it could weaken the party’s structure in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections.
It called on party leaders to uphold internal democracy, reward loyalty and ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.
INEC TO BEGIN MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION AS POLITICAL PARTIES SUBMIT REGISTER
All 22 registered political parties have successfully submitted their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the Commission has said.
In a statement issued on Friday, Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Mohammed Haruna, said the submission followed the extension granted by the Commission after political parties raised concerns during a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, regarding the timeline provided in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general elections.
He said, “The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th May 2026, two days before the extended deadline.”
He recalled that following a meeting with political parties, the Commission, in a statement issued on the 27th of March, 2026, adjusted the deadline for the submission of party registers from 21st April 2026 to 10th May 2026 to align with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the actual dates fixed by political parties for their primaries.
Mr Haruna noted that political parties were accordingly allowed to conduct their primaries within the approved period from 23rd April 2026 to 30th May 2026, while the register of party members was required to be submitted to the Commission not later than 21 days before the conduct of their respective primaries.
He added, “INEC wishes to state that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended timeframe and will subject the submitted registers to the necessary verification processes in line with the law.”
The Commission restated its commitment to the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.