Politics
Between APC And PDP
Activities leading to the
2015 general election are gradually gathering momentum. One of these is the coming together on November 26,2013 of the All Progressive Congress (APC),the New People’s Democratic Party (NPDP) and five of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) seven aggrieved governors known as the G7 governors.
When the political drama started last three months, precisely on August 31 2013, many thought that the governors were jokers, but little did they believe that it may turn the political wheel of the nation to another direction.
The journey started after the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) election which Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State won with 19 votes against 16 by Jonah Jang of Plateau State.
It later progressed when five governors elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a walk out at the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the partys special national convention.
The walk out obviously was due to a culmination of factors after series of attempt were made at appeasing the two parties.
These governors, Babangida Aliyu (Niger),Sule Lamido (Jigawa),Abdufatah Ahmend ( Kwara),Aliyu Wamako (Kano)were not happy with the leadership of the National Chairman of the party,Alhaji Bamagar Tukur.
These five governors moved to Shehu Yar’Adua centre to join Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi and Murtala Nyako(Adamawa) who were not at the convention.
After the walk out, the governors started to consult some prominent members and the founding fathers of the party with the view to settling the problems .They met the former President, Chief Olusengun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangid, Alex Ekwueme and many others.
But as the group made each move, those behind the picture and walking behind the actors thwarted all efforts and caused more problems which widened and escalated the problem in the party.
While these were going on,the APC,a new political party which emerged as a result of the fusion of four political parties took the advantage to woo the aggrieved governors and the end result of that romance of some months ago became a marriage.
The APC leaders led by Lagos State Governor Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former head of state and presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Gen.Muhammed Buhari toured some states with a view to wooing the Governors to come over to the party.
When the group arrived Rivers State early last month, their arrival generated another problem between the Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Police Force and Governor Amaechi.
The Police had to stop a large crowd of PDP party faithfuls at the entrance of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa from going into the airport to welcome the visitors. That later resulted to the Governor trekking about five kilometer to the presidential lounge of the airport. However, before this encounter, the Police in Rivers State had carried out series of confrontation against the state government to the extent of blocking the entrance of Government House and preventing the governor from entering into his official residence.
The five governors may have different reasons for joining the APC,but among them was to save and strengthen democracy.
In his own view , Governor Amaechi said the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to the commencement of Train Seven of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) is a major constraint to the socio-economic development of Rivers State.
Chibuike Amaechi who stated this Thursday in his broadcast to the people of Rivers State, said the step which was taken by the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke would deny Rivers people tens of thousands of jobs and also discourage investments in the state.
The governor said the minister insisted that investors should go and invest in the Brass NLNG project rather than in the NLNG Train Seven project in Rivers State.
The governor while justifying his decision to leave the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for All Progressive Peoples Congress (APC), also accused the Federal Government of sidelining Rivers State in boards and other federal appointments at the federal level. “Rivers State is treated with levity. Out of the several councils of universities, no Rivers person was found worthy of becoming a University Council Chairman”, he fumed.
He also mentioned total absence of federal presence in Rivers State as another major ploy against the state, adding that the good governance tour in the state exposed the total lack of federal presence in the state which he described as the cash cow of the federation.
Abandonment of work on the East-West Road, deliberate delay of work on the Port Harcourt International Airport, the third busiest airport in the country, when work on other airports have been completed, and commissioned, and the poor state of Bonny-Bomu road leading to the only functional LNG project, he said shows the lack of interest of the Federal Government on its projects in the state.
The governor remarked that “no personal interest or ambition can be higher than the welfare of the people that gave him their mandate without condition”, he said. He accused the Federal Government of ceding oil wells belonging to Rivers State to Bayelsa, Abia and Akwa Ibom States.
“Even after we got a judgement that the oil wells were wrongly ceded to Akwa Ibom State and should be returned to us, only dry wells that were no longer producing oil were returned”, he said.
“In the specific case of the Soku Oil Wells, despite a decision reached that the monies should remain in an escrow account till all matters concerning it are resolved, the Federal Government continues to pay neighbouring Bayelsa State the revenue meant for Rivers in a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul”, the governor maintained.
Governor Amaechi who also noted that internal party democracy had been sacrificed on the altar of personal greed and injustice declared that it would be impossible to achieve set goals and aspirations of the state under the PDP as presently constituted.
The Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly Hon. Leyii Kwanee supported the Governor for his action and decision and said the Ogonis have not benefited from the PDP-led government as he accused the party of marginalising the Ogonis by not implementing the report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“As an Ogoni man, I’m so pained that Mr. President and the PDP-led government, for the past two years have not been able to implement the UNEP report. It is a sufficient anger,” Kwanee stated.
Hon. Kwanee who is also the member representing Khana Constituency 2 in the Assembly, condemned Ogoni sons in Abuja who had not used their friendship with the President to influence him to implement the report.
One thing that is clear and certain now is that the coming together of the APC, the new PDP and five governors have threatened the PDP’s existence. That move is destined to change the face of politics permanently and for good.
It would also end the issue of impunity and rivalry and ensure competition for the good of the people thereby empowering the electorate to choose who leads them in their respective states, Senate, House of Representatives and State Assembly rather than imposing leads by political godfathers.
Although, the situation may create two party system, it will as well strengthen and deepen democracy in the country.
The situation may change for the PDP that once enjoyed the monopoly both in the Senate and House of Representative.
Hon. Sokonte Davies,representing Bonny/Degema Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, confirmed that the PDP is now in minority in the lower chamber and if the two other governors join with their supporters in the Senate and House of Representatives,the PDP may no longer be the largest party in Africa.
APC leaders listening with rapt attention to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (right), during their visit to Rivers State, recently.
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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