Politics
2019: APC And The Power Game
The five letter word, power can be so seductive and intoxicating that once a person gets it, he hardly let it go. Some kill, maim or carry out any scheme just to hold on to it as experienced in Africa.
The average politician who finds himself in an executive office and tastes its sweetness, does not like letting it go without a fight or being disgraced out of office.
Even when they are no longer in office, they still dictate who gets what, because to them, it is the easiest way to stay relevant and act as godfathers to the powers that be. Although, they cannot be under-estimated, their influence is so far- reaching that in their struggle to hold on to power, they don’t care if the structure that they have spent years to build crumbles.
Here in Nigeria, the political impasse between factional leaders of the various political parties has become so nuseating that one wonders why the quest for elective office has become a battle between nations. The crisis of the Peoples Democratic Party between 2013 and 2017 should have been a lesson to would-be politicians in Nigeria that internal strife needs to be settled amicably before it engulfs the party even at the national level.
Today, the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to have bitten more than it can chew as the crisis in Rivers and Zamfara States has ensured that for the first time in four years, it would not be able to field candidates for the National and State Assembly elections as well as that of the gubernatorial.
The seeming crisis which started in 2016 between factions of the party later culminated in a court action which the party has to live with today. In Rivers State, prior to the purported APC ward congress held in May 2018, one Ibrahim Imah and 22 others who had paid for the nomination forms but were denied their rights to contest filed a suit in Port Harcourt to seek legal redress having been hindered and denied the opportunity to participate in the congresses before Justice Chiwendu Nwogu.
The suit apparently spurred Justice Nwogu to issue an interlocutory injunction restraining the APC from going ahead with the congresses. Rather than contest the restraining order, the party proceeded with the congresses, thereby incurring the wrath of the court which on May 30, 208 nullified the entire congresses. While the suit was still in court, the two factions; the Rotimi Amaechi and Magnus Abe factions went ahead to conduct primaries for the governorship, state and federal legislative seats ahead of the 2019 elections.
Also, an Abuja High Court judgement barred the APC from fielding candidates in Rivers and Zamfara States following the inability of the ruling party to resolve its internal conflicts and respect its own rules on the conduct of its primaries.
It is not only the APC that is facing legal challenges as even parties such as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for now has no presidential and vice presidential candidates. However, an Appeal Court in Abuja yesterday recognised Donald Duke as the candidate . In Imo, Ogun and Enugu States, the APC is still factionalised with some members opting to join other political parties where they feel their interest will be protected.
These crises are due to the failure to create a level playing field for all aspirants in the party. The APC prior to 2015 had been boasting that it is the only democratic party that has nothing to do with godfatherism and impunity in the conduct of its affairs but today, the same party members who were complaining that its main opponent, the PDP is not democratic cannot even put its house in order.
Power is transient but it seems most politicians hardly recognise this fact. However, to keen political observers, it is a battle for supremacy and who will be the ultimate godfather of Rivers State politics. And there is equally the fear of, the unknown gripping the political gladiators, as they do not want to fizzle out of the power game. For example, if the Amaechi’s faction wins the battle, the Abe’s faction will go into political oblivion and if Abe wins, Amaechi’s influence would have been curtained and his political career totally destroyed. So having tasted power, none of the factional leaders, is ready to come to a compromise.
Mr Rotimi Amaechi had tasted executive power for eight years, and was even a Speaker for eight years. As a Speaker, he was so influential that some Commissioners, Assembly members and local government chairmen including board members of parastatals and companies got their appointments or won their elections through him.
The implication of the power play is that Amaechi cannot afford to lose out to Magnus Abe as the stakes are too high. The same thing applies to the incumbent Governors of Ogun and Zamfara States.
As it stands now, the APC is in a dilemma as its loss is a plus for its main rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers and Zamfara States.
The leadership of any political party is supposed to be made up of men and women of integrity but when the National Working Committee of a party in question ceases to be neutral, eventually the outcome of its decision will be contested in the law courts. Political parties should always strive to act with decorum and fairness to all party members and learn to obey its own rules and guidelines to avoid embarrassment and crisis, the type which is clearly staring the APC in the face.
One lesson the gladiators of all the parties that have crisis which cannot be resolved internally should learn is that in the next dispensation, they should let every vote count so that all their members would have a sense of belonging in the democratic process.
Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye
The Rivers contest is expected to draw heightened attention in the oil-rich state, as political actors position for influence in a district long regarded as strategic to the balance of power in Rivers State.
INEC disclosed that the by-elections will hold concurrently with the Ekiti State governorship election, underscoring what promises to be a politically charged day across several parts of the country.
Beyond Rivers, the electoral body listed other affected constituencies to include Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, Ondo South Senatorial District, and Enugu North Senatorial District.
The vacancies, according to INEC, arose from a combination of deaths, resignation, and other constitutional developments. In Nasarawa, the demise of Senator Godiya Akwashika has left a gap in a district considered a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In Enugu, the passing of Senator Okey Ezea has set the stage for a competitive race in the South-East.
Similarly, the Ondo South seat became vacant following the resignation of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who now serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa seat in Kano opened up after the death of Hon. Muhammad Danjuma Hassan.
Analysts say the Rivers South-East by-election, in particular, could reshape political alignments in the state, as parties jostle to fill the void left by Sen. Mpigi and consolidate their foothold ahead of future electoral contests.
Stakeholder from Bayelsa East Senatorial District, on Monday, endorsed the incumbent Senator representing them to run for a second term.
Leading the stakeholders, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Political Affairs (iii), Dr Iti Orugbani, said the reason for the endorsement was based on the federal lawmaker’s trajectory of good deeds and massive execution of projects across communities of the Senatorial district.
Dr Orugbani highlighted some of the projects to include landing jetties, telecommunication masts and town halls amongst others, noting that Sen. Agadaga’s performance has exceeded those of others who hitherto represented the oil rich area.
Bayelsa East Senatorial District comprises Ogbia, Brass and Nembe Local Government Areas of the State.
The Governor’s aide who called on the State’s Eastern political enclave to respect the 2022 new zoning agreement, which guaranteed second term for Senators from the District, stressed the need for political tolerance and peace in the forthcoming 2027 polls.
“In 2022 the leaders and stakeholders across party lines from Bayelsa East held a meeting and altered the old single term for Senators from the district’s agreement and signed that begining from 2023 any Senator emerging from the district must serve for a minimum of two terms.
“In 2023, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, then an incumbent Senator representing the Senatorial district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given a second term ticket by the party. Though he lost to the PDP.
“Now that the entire state is now APC and the District has an APC Senator in the person of Benson Agadaga from Ogbia LGA, why not also give him a second tenure?
“The stakeholders in 2022 changed the old political agreement because they saw that it wasn’t beneficial to the district any longer. And so, because it was Ogbia Local Government Area that started the old zoning arrangement by producing the first Senator in 1999, I want to plead that let Ogbia also begin the new two terms zoning agreement”, he said.
Also speaking, the duo of woman leader of a support group, ‘Agadema Women’, Mrs. Owadaba Jokori and the Information Officer of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, Comrade Ikio, stated that the incumbent Senator has done well for the district in the past three years that he has been in office.
They lauded the federal lawmaker for his infrastructure projects, especially the construction of landing jetties in select communities of the three local government areas of the district, commending stakeholders for supporting the lawmaker in his second term bid.
In his remarks, Senator Agadaga thanked the stakeholders for the confidence reposed in him and the endorsements he has received lately from constituents and admirers across political parties.
The lawmaker noted that within the past three years that he has been Senator, he has delivered dividends of democracy to his constituents across the Senatorial District, emphasizing that the call for him to be senator from the Brass Senatorial District came to him as a surprise, noting that he accepted the clarion call when the clamour became so loud.
“I was Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, when various groups from the zone came calling on me to contest the 2023 Senatorial polls.
“Ever since winning the elections as a senator, I’ve continued to deliver on my mandate in both representation, lawmaking, oversight, project execution and support for constituents when called upon. And I shall continue to do more if elected for a second term”, the Senator said.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set May 15 as deadline for definite hearing in a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The judge on Monday shifted the hearing date following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, and his lawyer in court without any information.
Apart from the absence of the plaintiff, who is a legal practitioner, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, who are 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter, were also not in court.
Following the absence of the plaintiff and the two defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, representing Dr Jonathan, applied to the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
Having joined issues with each other, Mr Uche said, the suit is liable for dismissal with a N5 million cost to be awarded against the plaintiff and payable to Dr Jonathan.
He argued that from all indications, the plaintiff has abandoned the suit and ran away upon sighting the preliminary objections raised against the suit, adding that the court is a busy place and not for unserious matters.
Justice Lifu, however, noted that there was no evidence of service of hearing notice on INEC and AGF to appear in court for the suit, adding that lack of service of hearing notice is fundamental.
The judge said rather than striking out the suit, he prefers to bend backward to accommodate the plaintiff and the two defendants for the last time.
While adjourning the matter to May 15, Justice Lifu ordered that hearing notice be served on the plaintiff and the 2nd and 3rd defendants who were not in court on Monday.
The plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, had filed the case seeking an order to restrain Dr Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as an aspirant for the 2027 election.
He is also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Dr Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
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