The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: 2023

  • PRESS RELEASE: 2023 PRESIDENCY: CONCERNED IGBO STAKEHOLDERS FORUM CONDEMNS NORTHERN ELDERS FORUM’S POSITION

    PRESS RELEASE

    2023 PRESIDENCY: CONCERNED IGBO STAKEHOLDERS FORUM CONDEMNS NORTHERN ELDERS FORUM’S POSITION

    The Concerned Igbo Stakeholders Forum (CISF) has condemned a comment made by Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum, which suggested that the North was ready to hold power beyond 2023.

    The leader of the Concerned Igbos Stakeholders Forum, Mr. Chukwuma Okenwa, in a statement released in Enugu, described such comments as very disappointing and an aspersion to the intelligence and patience of southerners.

    According to him, such comments are capable of exacerbating the already fragile peace of the country. Thus, further fueling secessionist movements in the country.

    He said that Hameed Ahmed-Baba had insinuated in a recent media report that the North has what it takes to hold power beyond 2023 and should not cede political power to the South. In a quote, “We must lead Nigeria the way we have always led Nigeria, not because we are better than anybody else but because we have the majority of the votes,” is what he said.

    Mr. Okenwa said in the spirit of equity and fairness that a president from southern extraction, specifically the southeast, should be a non-negotiable agenda. According to him, Southern Nigeria is more united than ever; and will vehemently resist any attempt to impose a Northern President on Nigerians come 2023.

  • Five APC power blocs battle for control ahead of 2023 presidency poll

    Five APC power blocs battle for control ahead of 2023 presidency poll

    AT least five power blocs in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reportedly digging in ferociously to fully control the structures of the party ahead of the February 18, 2023 presidential election.

    Findings by Nigerian Tribune showed that serving governors, their predecessors, senators and other major stakeholders in the party are involved in the fight for the soul of the ruling party formed about seven years ago.

    Some former governors, who were not successful in the bid to install their successors in 2019, are said to be steadily pushing against incumbent state chief executives and their godfathers as the logjam created by the recent conduct of APC ward congress persists.

    The aggrieved party leaders are also said to have an axe to grind with the national caretaker committee over alleged manipulative tendencies, which has delayed the choice of a date for APC convention.

    The APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee leadership postponed the local and state congresses, due to festering conflicts trailing the conduct of ward congress in states, where the exercise held.

    According to the sources, one of the major problems is the presidential ticket of the APC for 2023, with the five power blocs emerging, each hoping to get the backing of the villa.

    “Everybody wants to control the party structure across the zones. Everybody is claiming access to the Presidential Villa and this is because it is the villa that installed the current APC national caretaker committee. Some governors are using Mai Mala Buni in the quest to achieve their desire.

    “Former governors and serving senators believe they have access to the Presidential Villa. Everybody is lining up their teams, hoping that the structure of the party will fall into their hands. Where a governor has a candidate, some ministers and senators are determined to protect their own candidates, so whoever is able to receive endorsement of the Presidential Villa will be in charge of the APC structures at the state level,” a top-level source told Nigerian Tribune.

    “All former governors, ministers, senators and others who believe the governors are oppressing them, belong to this group. For example, a former governor from the South believes he is the ‘son’ of Mr President. He is fighting back because of perceived injustice meted out to his group by the other camp during the 2019 elections. Most of the party leaders, who still feel cheated during the 2019 governorship primaries and believe they are the pioneers of the party, have formed a camp.”

    The source claimed that members led the campaign that culminated into the sudden exit of a former national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, from office to pave way for the Buni-led committee .

    It was learnt that another camp comprises allies of the current interim national leadership of the party, which the other blocs claimed was attempting to take advantage of its present status in the APC to completely takeover the structure of the party.

    “Remember that it was an influential minister, few former governors and party stalwarts that came together to oust Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from office as APC national chairman. All those stalwarts, who led the campaign belong to this camp, which also includes some serving governors, two from the South inclusive.

    “However, majority of the APC governors are in another camp and because Buni is part of them, they want to deploy their influence and resources to hijack and have a firmer grip on the structures of the party. So, everybody is positioning their own members and protecting their interests,” another source said.

    The source warned that the outcome of the ongoing power struggle “is predictable, depending on how President Muhammadu Buhari handles the planned convention of the party,” adding, “The stakeholders are so confused that to even pick a date for the convention is a problem.

    “The two blocs are desperately seeking the attention of Buhari. One bloc is pro-Tinubu; the other one is anti-Tinubu. In the anti-Tinubu group, there are about three camps. A former governor from one of the states in the South-West is the alter ego of the one camp; a serving governor from the zone is the rallying force for the second camp, while the loyalist of a top functionary in the presidency form the third flank.

    “The pro-Tinubu group appears homogenous except that there are two camps: there is a group that comprises people insisting that it is either Tinubu for 2023 presidency or nobody; the other comprises those who are trying to rise on the crest of Tinubu to achieve their personal agenda. So in all, there are five distinct groups involved in the power structure to control the APC machinery.”

    According to the sources, most of the ministers are also at loggerheads with their governors, with Lagos State having a peculiar situation.

    “In Lagos, the situation is unique. The president personally nominated former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola as minister. When he nominated Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, the Lagos caucus opposed his nomination for second term as minister of state for health. But, Buhari said the nomination was for the South-West, even though nominee could be a politician based in Lagos. He told them that he nominated Mamora to represent the South-West, and not Lagos State. So, most of the people that are from Lagos State, including those in the presidency are not part of the local political equation. And the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Committee (GAAC) does not see them as members of the local political equation. So, Lagos is a complicated issue.

    “Other sources said the local government and state congresses were technically delayed in order to allow the president to return back to the country from his medical trip to the United Kingdom since the vice president could not report to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, except to the president only. Therefore, it was reportedly agreed that since the president would return within days around the congress activities, the party should hold on further action until the vice president had briefed the president on the realities of the issues involved.

    “The president is back, and probably all the issues involved will be presented to him, and hopefully better decisions taken to avoid the present illegality which may threaten and harm the party in future,” the source said.

  • ENUGU 2023: X-RAYING EKWEREMADU’S LATEST POLITICAL STRATEGY.

    ENUGU 2023: X-RAYING EKWEREMADU’S LATEST POLITICAL STRATEGY.

     

    By Buchi Nnaji

     

    As civilized citizens, it is imperative and part of our responsibilities to weigh up the intent and aspiration of leaders from time to time, especially when their activities become dicey.

     

    2023 is an election year with peculiarity. Since the return of democracy in 1999, governorship position in Enugu State has been moving rotationally from one zone to another and by the year 2023, one phase of the cycle would be completed, and another phase will commence in the same pattern.

     

    The first phase of the power rotation started with Enugu East District, of which His Excellency, Sen Chimaroke Nnamani governed the state for eight years before handing over to his successor, His Excellency, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime who is from Enugu West senatorial district.

     

    In 2015, His Excellency Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi took over from Chime as it was the turn of Enugu North zone to mount the saddle of leadership of the state.

     

    In all these years, despite the challenges from opposition parties, the candidates of People’s Democratic Party, PDP recorded landslide victories during election. This shows that the people of qEnugu State are in unison with the peaceful zoning arrangement of the PDP.

     

    Following the same sequence, at the end of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s tenure in 2023, it is sacrosanct that Enugu East senatorial zone shall produce the governor that will continue where the incumbent Governor will stop.

     

    However, rumours have been going round that the Senator representing Enugu West senatorial zone in the red chamber, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu in his bid to take what belongs to Enugu East senatorial zone is hatching plans to disrupt the power rotation process that is widely accepted in Enugu State, without taking cognisance that Enugu people are wiser and poised to dislodge him politically if he dare to make such attempt. Power belongs to the People!

     

    It is not only dangerous but treacherous for someone like Sen. Ike Ekweremadu to bite the finger that feed him. Ekweremadu who is a major beneficiary of the principle of power rotation in Enugu State is the least person expected to champion the infelicitous move to thwart the existing zoning arrangement.

     

    Ekweremadu and his ardent followers who are obviously wallowing in political oblivion believe that he has sacrificed a lot for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and deserve to be compensated with Enugu State governorship ticket come 2023. This is ridiculous.

     

    What the Senator and his cohorts fail to understand is that there are many PDP faithfuls, both big and small who have had equal share, if not more of the sacrifices. In fact, no body has sacrificed for the PDP more than the electorates who risk their lives for many hours, under the scorching sun of election days and threats by political tugs, just to make sure the party win election and remain relevant.

     

    It is high time some leaders stopped taking the common man for granted. Those who have occupied political offices for very long time should in all fairness give way for other younger ones to come up.

     

    Source close to the Aninri born Senator said that Ekweremadu bragged about how he will conveniently secure the 2023 PDP governorship ticket from the national body of the party without stress, but he failed to understand that PDP belongs to her members, and any attempt to impose a candidate on the people of Enugu State will not only be vehemently resisted by the masses but will further tarnish the image and integrity of the opposition party.

     

    The national body of PDP must not make the mistake of soiling the party because of one man’s ambition, especially now that PDP is struggling to restore her past glory and correct the mistakes of the past.

     

    The will of the greater number of party faithfuls who by divine providence have been comfortably supporting power rotation despite the attempts by unscrupulous and greedy individuals to create confusion in the state must be uphold in order to maintain the dignity and strength of the party in Enugu State.

     

    PDP leaders at all levels must not be cowed into believing that Ekweremadu was the only one who stood firm for the party during it’s trying times. Many people at different levels paid the same price, even more. He should be thankful to God for his huge benefits so far.

     

    If Ike Ekweremadu is actually hoping that PDP will use 2023 gubernatorial ticket to compensate him, then he must be dreaming because that expectation will never see the light of the day. Nobody can cajole the people of Enugu State to distort the peaceful clockwise rotation of power in existence.

     

    Moreso, if the Senator feel like displaying his political sagacity, he should channel his interest to vying for the Presidency in 2023 instead of wasting his time and resources chasing shadows in Enugu.

     

    Gone are those days when citizens sit down and watch politicians brandish powers the way they like in attempt to intimidate people and grab what rightfully belong to them, at the expense of public interest.

     

    With all the enormous wealth and fame acquired by Ike Ekweremadu over the years, he should be grateful to Enugu East Senatorial Zone that brought him into political lime light through his political father, Distinguised Senator (Dr.) Chimaroke Nnamani instead of wasting his resources on campaigns against the progress of Enugu State.

     

    Maintaining a political equilibrium that has sustained peace in Enugu State is the hallmark of the governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration and whoever is not ready to follow the same footsteps is a perceived traitor that cannot be trusted with Executive power.

     

    Most times, people are driven by greed and hunger for power to the extent that they do things without thinking properly. The idea of heating up the polity in order to be called for settlement and appeasement is not in the interest of the Enugu State and must be discouraged.

     

    This has been one of the strategies of Sen. Ike Ekweremadu. In 2015, he used the same strategy and it worked for him. Ekweremadu despite knowing that it wasn’t the turn of Enugu West zone to produce the governor, started in his usual style to wander in the dream land, painting images of his inexistent political weight.

     

    Of course, it worked for him then because negotiation ensued and His Excellency, former Gov. Sullivan Chime was robbed of his opportunity to represent the people of Enugu West senatorial zone in the red chamber.

     

    The leaders of PDP must braze up and stop giving in to the manipulation of some politicians who are desperate for power.

     

     

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It is the policy of The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine not to endorse or oppose any opinion expressed by a User or Content provided by a User, Contributor, or other independent party. Opinion pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

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  • ENUGU 2023: POWER ROTATION MUST CONTINUE IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION

    ENUGU 2023: POWER ROTATION MUST CONTINUE IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION

     

    By Buchi Nnaji

     

    As the 2023 general election draw close, political activities in Enugu State are gaining momentum. Politicians, cultural groups and well meaning individuals have started laying claims and counterclaims on whose turn it is to take over from Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    Considering the terrible state of insecurity that has become a nightmare to the South East region, one shouldn’t have had the moral justification to discuss politics while his house is on fire. But it will also be unjust to throw deaf ears on the recent brouhaha over zoning in Enugu State.

    Zoning, otherwise known as ‘rotation of power’ has no doubt enshrined equity, justice, fairness and consequently, peace and political stability in Enugu State since its divine adoption. While some argue that it is not backed by the constitution, the principle of zoning remains kosher.

    Some people wallowing in political oblivion allege that there was never a time it was agreed that zoning should be observed in Enugu State. However, feigning ignorance does not dispute the fact that rotation of power is rooted in Enugu State and also instrumental in maintaining political balancing in the State since the return of democracy.

    Before now, political activities in Enugu State have been characterized by so much violence, thuggery, killing of Innocent souls, and so on. Though it is near impossible to have a hitch free election season, the gentleman’s arrangement of zoning has reduced in no small measure the catastrophe that bedevils it.

    Just as I pointed out in one of my earlier articles on zoning, Enugu State political structure is comfortably standing on a tripod, ekwu na to. The triangular equilibrium in Enugu State is made up of the three senatorial zones, Enugu East, Enugu West, and Enugu North senatorial zones. The rotation of power started from Enugu East zone in 1999, to Enugu West zone and currently in Enugu North zone. So, whoever says there is no zoning arrangement in Enugu State is merely trying to fly an unhealthy kite to favour his or her selfish ambition.

    At this point, having concluded a cycle of power rotation, different unsavory arguments are cropping up from the camp of desperate politicians, in a bid to truncate the smooth zoning process to favor their selfish interests. One school of thought has it that since the first cycle of rotation has ended, the next cycle can start from any zone. Those towing this unproductive path are few selfish individuals who are merely trying to ignite political quagmire. Their ill-fated argument does not hold water as it lacks every sense of propriety and good judgement.

    Another epileptic reasoning has it also that since the first cycle of zoning in Enugu State has been concluded with Enugu North senatorial zone taking the last lap, the next cycle should start from the last zone (Enugu North), going anti-clockwise.

    This obnoxious line of thought on its own is ridiculous, unsubstantial, selfish and dead on arrival. Borrowing a leaf from natural principle, the earth and other planets rotate round the sun in a steady clockwise direction. Never a time was it reported that after a complete rotation, the planets started going anticlockwise. Therefore, it will be counterproductive and foolish to start rotating power in an anti-clockwise direction just to satisfy the desire of desperate politicians. Anticlockwise rotation is tantamount to swimming against the ocean current. No one goes against natural system or pattern and expect victory or good result.

    While all these debates are going on in various media, yet another naive group condemned in entirety the act of peaceful zoning in Enugu State. They claim it is undemocratic and encourages mediocrity. This assumption is utterly wrong because democracy in a simple term is defined as the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. If this definition is in order, it means that democracy and it’s principles revolve around the people. That means, a people can consciously or subconsciously choose a particular arrangement that works for them, in as much as it is for their collective good. That is democratic.

    Others went further to insist that zoning in Enugu State is only a PDP affair, hence does not affect other political parties. Well, as much as it resembles the truth, it is pertinent to note that zoning principle is one of the secret weapons of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Their past victories that has kept them in power can be traceable to the fact that they respect equity, fairness and justice, while abhorring marginalization, deceit and divisive actions.

    All the arguments being peddled by different individuals and groups in a deliberate attempt to manipulate, truncate and sabotage the divine political arrangement that has been working in Enugu State are invalid and should be jettisoned.

    Anyone who love Enugu State must put the interest of the state before his/her personal ambition. It will be wrong to disrupt the working zoning arrangement in Enugu State just for one’s selfish desire or aggrandizement.

    Meanwhile, in reality, everybody can never agree to zoning, but that does not change the fact that zoning as being practiced in Enugu State has been fruitful and always take it’s natural course despite efforts being made by few disgruntled individuals and groups to scuttle the gentleman’s agreement. If majority of the stakeholders and the good people of Enugu State still see the need to abide by the principle of clockwise power rotation in order to eschew anarchy, and other vices associated with electioneering, then, those who are against the peaceful zoning system should have a rethink.

    The recent zoning of 2023 governorship ticket by the All Progressive Congress, APC Enugu State to Enugu East senatorial zone is a clear indication that Enugu State respects clockwise zoning arrangement.

    It is however advisable for other political parties in Enugu State such as the incumbent People’s Democratic Party, PDP to also key into the zoning arrangement and cede their governorship ticket to Enugu East senatorial zone if they must continue to make waves in the political history of the State. By so doing, the party is expected to field a credible candidate from Enugu East senatorial zone for the 2023 gubernatorial contest.

  • Enugu 2023: Should Zoning Fly? (1)

    Enugu 2023: Should Zoning Fly? (1)

     

    By Prince Ejeh Josh

     

    Nigeria’s political atmosphere is already heating up. Camps are pitching tents. Consultations from the north to the south, and from the east to the west are already gaining momentum across the Niger. Symposia, birthday parties, lectures, titles, etc., are all being held and taken from different political bigwigs from distinct ethnic groups. Frantic attempts to exchange handshakes across the Niger are ongoing. All these gestures, we were told, were being bankrolled by political allies. Even a whole State House of Assembly has passed a resolution to compel a certain governor to succeed Mr. Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

    Pressures are already mounting on some people to run. Whether these pressures are as a result of external forces or intra-introspection will become clearer as the political coastline crystalizes. Rumours, being the first political tool wrapped in propaganda are already flying high, driven by supporters of political heavyweights. There have been arguments on whose turn it is to steer the Nigeria statecraft. Interesting arguments are streaking out daily from sectional apologists and alleluia “boys”. This shows that interesting days are ahead.

    In every nook and cranny, different political formations are surreptitiously springing up from political gladiators. Establishments are aligning and realigning. New establishments are also positioning strategically to displace the old order, as each section, camp, ethnic group and zone is laying claim to the right to power.

    Unfolding events are revealing that the battle for the soul of 2023 in Nigeria is going to come with a sweeping effect. Many will be taken by surprise. Gladiators will be swept off by emerging political class. It will be a war that will be strategically fought and tactically won. This time, neither gun, machete, axe nor IED would be the determining weapons. It will be a game dictated by integrity, character, principle, established custom and practice.

    Interestingly, the most important and often preferred custom usually referred to nationwide has started causing rupture and uneasiness in some camps. From the national level to the state level, beneficiaries of this established and well-decorated custom at one time or the other have suddenly made a comeback to thwart it, and have the existence of the custom either denied or redefined to suit whatever reason that might be appeasing to their egocentric pursuit.

    Months ago, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, and one of the “Shadow Ministers and a member of the Kaduna Mafia” in the government, Mr. Mamman Daura, had come out to condemn and rubbish the custom for which he fought and advocated for against the then Mr. Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. He, alongside President Buhari’s ardent supporters, had threatened revolution if the principle of “zoning” was not respected by the south.

    Between 2014 and 2015, it was predicted by the United States that Nigeria would cease to exist. However, the collective will of Nigerians prevailed, and Mr. Buhari of the northern enclave was elected President. The United States’ prediction kissed the rock. This prediction that went directly to the very foundation of Nigeria as a sovereign State could only be displaced by zoning; a gentlemanly agreement. There was a relatively peaceful and secure political atmosphere. Many hailed it as a spirit of zoning and constitutive democracy in action. For political watchers, this zoning principle, although unwritten, has ensured equity, justice, peace, and national unity.

    In 2020, when the then national Chairman of the All Progressive Congress and former Governor of Edo state, who himself was a gracious product of zoning, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, stood up against equity, justice and fairness on the pretext that his estranged godson had gone rascal and in breach of, perhaps, unspeakable anti-people’s agreement clandestinely reached, the people of Edo state wasted no time but quickly retired him from politics. In disbelief, he was given a bloody nose and plucked down from fame and glory.

    Today, the trend and the clamour from different quarters is a continuous call for power brokers to respect the democratic principle that allows power to rotate among the people; both majority and minority ethnic groups, for the purpose of enthroning justice, and assuring the spirit of belongingness.

    In recent times, leaders from different ethnic nationalities have been beckoning on the administration of President Buhari to consider a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction from the south eastern zone. Prominent figures from the Northern Elders Forum, Afenifere leaders, Middle belt leaders, and the Ijaw nation have lent a strong voice to the call for the south easterners to be considered for Equity and Justice sake.

    From the throe of the south east are sons and daughters of the zone making a strong case for the Igbo man to be unanimously nominated and elected President of the country come 2023. These people making this call include the high ranking Senator representing Enugu West senatorial zone, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Nnia Nwodo, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and of course, the leadership of the Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo. Analysts have seen the recent agitation and mild unrest from the shore of the east as the resultant effect of marginalisation, abandonment, entrenched injustice and deviation from zoning.

    In a report by The Pacesetter Magazine Frontier Magazine, Chief Obaze Oseloka, a governorship aspirant in the forth coming Anambra state Governorship Election, like other Anambra concerned citizens, have been vehemently arguing for the governorship slot to be zoned to Anambra South. He hinged his support to equity and natural Justice. Every progressive society must come to term with the principle of democracy, of which zoning is a part.

    Of a particular interest about zoning arrangements is the role it has played in maintaining political equilibrium and stable order within the system in Enugu state. But recent developments in the state are becoming more interesting by the day as some of the greatest beneficiaries of the long established zoning and rotation of offices in the state among the three senatorial zones are beginning to question the established order. Quisling. To them, zoning has become archaic, out of tune with civilisation, and should not be allowed to fly by every right thinking individual. Ironically, these set of people, it would appear, have been championing and clamouring for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction based on the equitable zoning formula.

  • 2023 Presidency: The need for power to move down to the south in the next election

     

     

    Former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Kokori has added his voice to the contentious issue of which zone would produce the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. He spoke on that and more in this interview.

     

    There have been calls for some time now from different quarters urging President Buhari to rejig the country’s security architecture. Last week, the president appointed a new set of Service chiefs. What are your thoughts on that?

    Normally, Nigerians are grateful because it is better late than never. Like I have said before, what we need from the new Service chiefs is deep patriotism and they should not be tempted to embezzle money meant for the welfare of soldiers because all the Service chiefs that have been involved in this Boko Haram insurgency battle became billionaires after they left office. Though you can’t stop them but they should not make that their primary objective of serving the military. There is so much money being pumped to them and that is why they don’t want the insurgency to end. Let this set be the last on this Boko Haram and other insurgency issues in the country because it is a shame that Nigerian soldiers that are respected all over the world and who have played major roles in peace-keeping cannot even protect their territory. It has been a shame but like I said, it is better late than never. I wish them well but I think the greater blame should go to the head of state because we expected a retired general to be more efficient in handling this type of war than what Buhari is doing. And to leave some people in a command for five, six years is not acceptable anywhere in the world; even in Nigeria here, it has never been acceptable. Buhari believes that he is an island unto himself; that’s the way he runs his government. But, every government should be sensitive to its people; at times, Buhari is not sensitive to anybody. He does things at his own time and leisure; that is the issue. But, as I said, I want them to be more patriotic to be able to clear this dark era of our history – banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and so on.

     

    The whole country appears to have been enveloped by insecurity. It started from the North East before moving to the North Central and North West. Today, it has gone to the South West. That informs the recent seven-day ultimatum issued by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to all unregistered herdsmen in Ondo Forest Reserve to leave or get registered. The Fulani have also threatened to eject all the Yoruba in the North if the ultimatum is carried out. What is your take in all of these?

    Normally, you could see that the thing is coming to an end; they are reconciling and doing a lot of other things. Actually, the Yoruba are the only people who can deal with the criminal Fulani elements in this country. The Igbo cannot deal with them because those people who are thugs in the North can always pounce on the Igbo and take their shops because the Igbo have investments all over the country. The Yoruba people don’t have investment outside their own territory because they occupy the most critical part of this country; so you can’t mess up with them. The people of the North respect the Yoruba more than they respect every other people in this country, so they will more likely want to reconcile with the Yoruba than if it is the South East Igbo, Middle Belt or even the South-south people. So, all what is happening in Yoruba West happens all over the whole country. There is so much banditry in the South-south. The Fulani herders destroy a lot of crops; they kidnap people, rape women and do anything they like and they are not afraid because the South-south governors are not playing their roles like their Yoruba counterparts in the South West. Edo State now is virtually taken over by the bandits and sundry criminalities. So, it is an issue that has reduced Nigeria to something close to a failed state. That the World Bank and other major international agencies have not rated Nigeria as a failed state is because of our economic resilience; that is why, if not, the insecurity in Nigeria is abnormal. We are even the third most dangerous country to live in the world. But, I can only say that Buhari should try to leave a good legacy, if not, he would be on the wrong side of history when he leaves. He was able to defeat a sitting government because we all believed that Jonathan was very weak and Buhari, as a retired general, would perform wonders. But, here is Buhari whom we thought is a firebrand, and who doesn’t take nonsense from anybody, the whole indices are now showing that corruption is on the increase. Security-wise, we are one of the worst countries and the economy is also poor. I don’t blame him much on the economy but those two areas – corruption and security, which were the flagship of his campaign mantra, he hasn’t impressed me. Nigeria expected so much from him when he came on board and within the first three months, even without saying one word, Nigerians were running away from corruption but when they saw that it was the cabals that were running the country, nobody was afraid any longer. So, normally, every governor has the right to drive out criminals in their states; even the traditional rulers have the right to drive out criminals from their communities. But, why it is now difficult for communities to maintain security is because of the type of weapons these Fulani from the Sahel have imported into the country – high caliber weapons like the AK47 and others. So, with that, ordinary village farmers cannot withstand them and they are very ruthless. So, I know the battle that is going on in the West. What is happening in Yoruba now should be replicated in all the other zones of the country by the governors. You can’t just run a country where everybody is afraid to drive on the road.

     

    Recently, the leader of Miyetti Allah, Bello Badejo, stated that all lands in Nigeria belong to the Fulani. Some people have reacted saying that such statement was capable of causing crisis in the country. Do you agree with them?

    No, all lands belong to the government; I think that is what the land use decree said. I think the Miyetti Allah leader was becoming too arrogant and that was why one Dr. Aliyu gave Bishop Matthew Kukah a notice to leave Sokoto. Normally, you don’t have a right to tell people to quit but you have a right to tell criminals to quit your territory. Any country or organisation that is in this type of situation should hold the people at the top responsible. And that is why I am holding the president, governors and the National Assembly members responsible for the evils, and the pains we are going through in this country. When you talk of restructuring in this country, if the state governors and the National Assembly members said they want restructuring, it will be done, whether Buhari likes it or not. So, when we blame Buhari, the whole governors and members of the National Assembly should equally be blamed. If the governors and the National Assembly resolve to restructure this country, Buhari will have no choice but to do that, otherwise he will be impeached.

    Last week, Nigeria got the worst global corruption ranking since 2015, even though the presidency has disagreed with the ranking, insisting that the president should be commended for diminishing corruption.

     

    However, not many Nigerians would agree with that defence; what is your take on the rating?

    Forget about the rating. Nigeria has always been corrupt. There was a time when Nigeria was ranked the second most corrupt country in the world. So, now we are almost beating 20 countries. Nigeria is only better than those countries that are ruled by warlords in corruption rating. During the military regimes, only few people stole money, but now, a lot of people are stealing money. Today, you have about five percent of Nigerians stealing money, and living big while 95 percent of the people live in squalor. Today in Nigeria, if you are not attached to any governor or presidency or any State house or National assembly, you can’t get a job. You must be attached to somebody before you get a job. It is no more a country. The country is dying little by little. I am now calling on the governors and the national assembly to step into the crisis we are facing in this country. Leave Buhari; those two agencies can act and change everything but due to corruption because they themselves have acquired so much wealth, they won’t do anything. That’s the problem we have. If you have skeleton in your cupboard, you can’t dare to challenge the president. They dare not challenge Buhari. The presidency is eating and they are also eating, while the common man suffers. And most of the pressure groups in the country are no longer the way they used to be in those days. And when I talk about pressure groups, my own labour is the first culprit; the most powerful pressure group. The fourth estates of the realm, that’s the media, which actually are the tribune of the people, have been killed by corruption. The civil society group can only bark; they can’t bite just like the media. But, the most powerful pressure group is the organised labour. I am just watching my people from the sideline and shaking my head. The labour can shake any government; any authoritarian government or any rogue government.

     

    Which geopolitical zone would produce the president in 2023 remains a very contentious issue; what are your thoughts on that?

    I am somebody who believes in meritocracy. But, because the Nigerian system allows rotation of the presidency, it should be allowed to stand. I know that Nigerians agreed to rotate the presidency; although it is not written in law, but there is a conventional agreement to rotate the presidency between the North and South. It is only fair that the next president after Buhari should come from the South because the North would have done eight years after Buhari. So, naturally, it should go to the South. Actually, I am one of those who don’t believe in that type of nonsense but the way the country is going now, it is like some people think it is their hereditary right to dominate other people. No, that is not acceptable. It should be rotated between the two sides for us to have maximum peace, equity and justice in the country.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • 2023 Elections: Nwodo emphasizes the importance of restructuring the country before the next Election

     

    The immediate past President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural group, Chief John Nwodo, has called on the Federal Government to initiate and conclude the process of restructuring the country before the 2023 elections to avoid a situation where some sections of the country may boycott the exercise.

     

    He said Nigeria used to be the envy of nations, given its pedigree in education, agriculture and well-being of its people because there was a regional system of government that allowed regions to enjoy sovereignty over their national resources until the system was thwarted. He, therefore, cautioned that to avoid the “coming catastrophe”, Nigeria must restructure.

     

     

    Nwodo, who was the ninth president-general of the apex Igbo group, spoke in Lagos on Friday at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture, with the theme, ‘The constitutional history of Nigeria’s dysfunction: Any pathway to indivisibility and common progress?’

     

    The event, organised by the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, was also attended by the Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), legal practitioners and human rights activists, among others.

     

    There have been agitations for the restructuring of the country so that states or regions could control their resources.

     

    Several prominent individuals and sociocultural groups, especially those in the southern part of the country, have stressed the need to restructure the country, insisting that the current system was tantamount to a unitary system of government, which they said could not work for a diverse nation like Nigeria.

    Nwodo, who was a keynote speaker at the event, explained that there was a time the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy was agriculture, and that all the regions had different items they were producing and exporting, which availed them funds to develop their regions.

     

    He added, “There was only one reason why things worked so well then. We had a regional system of government that allowed regions to enjoy sovereignty over their national resources whilst paying royalties and taxes to the Federal Government. Our domestic security was independent and uncontrolled by the Federal Government.

     

    “Suddenly, the army came to power and abrogated our constitution, turned us into a unitary state and imposed a unitary constitution on us. They seized our natural resources and donated them to the Federal Government to share without adequate respect for derivation.”

     

    Speaking on what must be done to avert “the coming catastrophe”, he said, “Nigeria must restructure and give its component units sovereignty over its natural resources provided they pay royalty or some form of taxes to the Federal Government to maintain federal responsibilities like external defence, foreign missions, customs and immigration.

     

    “Emphasis must return to agriculture and education. Domestic security must remain in the hands of the federating units because living safe in Nigeria today is by luck. The secularity of the Nigerian state must be respected. These irreducible minimum conditions are not negotiable. If it does not happen, we will have no alternative but to go our separate ways.

     

    “Processes to begin our restructuring as a nation must be concluded before the 2023 elections so as to avert a situation where sections of the country may boycott the elections and present the country with a constitutional force majeure.”

    Nwodo, who was a two-time minister, also decried a situation whereby the President and federal lawmakers exclusively share the appointment into the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying Nigeria could learn from South Africa and the United Kingdom.

     

    He stated, “In South Africa, the Chief Justice appoints the head of the electoral body and he does so first by advertising for those who are qualified to be in the commission to apply. After people have been nominated, he publishes the list of those nominated and those who have been objected to are delisted before the final stage.

     

    “In the UK, the electoral commission is headed by the speaker but composed of all political parties in the ballot, making rigging impossible. That is why results are announced instantaneously after the collation of results. Nigeria must restructure. So long as INEC and state electoral commission members are appointed by the President and governors respectively, there will never be a free and fair election.”

     

    He said despite the country’s abundant human and natural resources, it remained the poorest nation in the world and a major importer of things it produces.

     

    Speaking on education, Nwodo said Israel, United States and some other countries were leveraging education to come up with world-class innovations while Nigeria maintained a record of having the highest number of out-of-school children, coupled with some immoral practices, like sex-for-grade, in higher institutions.

    He added, “If the source of knowledge is contaminated, like a contaminated water reservoir, can you get clean water. Our higher institutions must be devoid of sharp practices and acts capable of compromising their integrity within and outside our borders. Education, road and agriculture are critical areas in the development of a country’s economic potential.”

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

     

  • 2023 Election : APC declares it’s readiness to win future elections, vows to take over Delta State in forth coming election

     

    All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta has declared its readiness to win future elections in the state, beginning with the March 6  local government elections.

     

    The party said it was poised more than ever before to sack the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Government House, Asaba in the 2023 general election.

     

    Chairman of the caretaker committee of the party, Jones Ode Erue, made the declaration while inaugurating the state Non-Working Committee, State Working Committee (SWC) and the 25 local government caretaker committees in Asaba.

     

    Erue said the APC in Delta State is now more united, adding that with the successful inauguration of the party organs, APC has reconciled all aggrieved members to work in one accord.

     

    He said there were no more factions or tendencies that hitherto pursued narrow and selfish interests in past, which had accounted for the party’s poor electoral fortunes.

     

    “We are all united now to take over the governance of Delta State from the PDP, led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa,” he said.

     

    The chairman tasked the caretaker committees for the 25 local governments to take the message of total reconciliation to the grassroots to have a more harmonious and cohesive platform to defeat the PDP.

     

    He, however, admitted that reconciliation was not a tea party, and charged party faithful to reach compromises and be ready to shift ground in the interest of APC in Delta State.

     

    Erue urged the local government executives to go back to their various localities and inaugurate caretaker committees for the different wards.

     

    He tasked the grassroots leaders  to ensure the membership strength of the party is increased by over 100 percent in the forthcoming national revali dation exercise.

     

    Source:www.sunnewsonlin.com

  • 2023 Presidency : Upcoming Political Party by Nigerian activists in a bid to replace PDP, APC

     

     

    The 2023 general elections are only two years away but intrigues by actors in the political space have undoubtedly started.

     

    Prior to the 2014 merger of three opposition political parties, the then ruling People’s Democratic Party had made good use of the divide and rule tactics to run over the opposition especially during presidential elections.

     

    Recall that the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change, as well as a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance had merged to form the All Progressives Congress to enable them to defeat the then ruling PDP.

     

    The National Secretary, Project Nigeria, Mr Olawale Okunniyi, who was part of the moves to initiate a coming together of opposition political parties back in 2007, said, “It was late Alhaji Balarabe Musa, the leader of the Nigeria Unite for Democracy, and chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties in 2007, who proposed an alliance of opposition political parties against one-party rule in Nigeria. This later gave birth to the Mega Party Movement under the leadership of late Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Olu Falae, respectively.”

     

    He recalled that the realignments gave rise to the Congress for Progressive Change, led by the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), the Social Democratic Party and the Action Congress of Nigeria, among others.

     

    Okunniyi, however, expressed sadness that the experiment collapsed a few months to the 2011 elections.

     

    He said, “Faced with the reality that you cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and expect to get a different result, opposition leaders received wise counsel and decided to do what many considered the impossible prior to that time-they dissolved their various platforms to birth Nigeria’s first truly national opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.

     

    “The then new party received a boost from five sitting governors of the then ruling party Peoples Democratic Party who moved in with their party structure in states hitherto considered the PDP strongholds.”

     

    Interestingly, the supremacy battle within the PDP over the issue of zoning back then strengthened the APC. This resulted in the PDP’s first taste of defeat in 2015, a failure the party has been unable to recover from till this day.

     

    But five years into the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, now, some Nigerians have described both the PDP and the APC as two sides of the same coin.

     

    Another group of Nigerians, who tried but failed to come together to form a third force to challenge the dominance of the two political parties in 2019, has renewed their bid to create another broad-based platform which they believe will succeed this time.

     

    Politicians like a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’abba; former National Chairman of the National Conscience Party, Yunusa Tanko; academics including Professors Pat Utomi and Kingsley Moghalu; Mrs Remi Sonaya; Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, and a host of others, who came together to form the National Consultative Front, have indicated interest in floating an alternative platform ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

     

    Speaking on the new project, Okunniyi, who is one of the prominent promoters of the new group, explained, “We are still consulting and mobilising Nigerians towards this latest move towards rescuing Nigeria from the misgovernance we have been exposed to since 2015.

     

    “It was not as if the PDP was any better, it is just that the current APC regime is progressively worse, Nigerians have never had it this bad.

     

    “The truth is that both the PDP and the APC are two sides of the same coin, they have both failed Nigerians. We are launching a Mega Political Movement in January and have a full inauguration party in June.”

     

    However, a legal practitioner and a chieftain of the APC in Gombe State, Abdullahi Jalo, expressed the opinion that under the APC, Nigerians had seen what good governance and accountability could deliver to a nation.

     

    He said, “I was a member of the PDP but I am now a full member of the APC because of the type of leadership President Muhammadu Buhari has provided since taking office in 2015.

     

    “Nigerians now understand the true meaning of progressive politics. The policies and programmes of our president are non-discriminatory. All he is interested in when a project is proposed is whether it will be to the benefit of a majority of Nigerians; he doesn’t care whether the benefiting state is a PDP or an APC-controlled state. This attitude explains why unlike previous leaders, he doesn’t care who started a project; as long as Nigerians will benefit, he goes ahead to complete it. Is it his achievement in the railway sector you want to talk about or the repayment of money spent by states to rehabilitate federal roads? Nobody is saying there are no challenges, there are but genuine efforts to surmount these challenges are on.

     

    “Without doubt, the APC will remain the party to beat in the next election.”

     

    The National Publicity Secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, disagreed with this position.

     

    He said, “Most Nigerians are today regretting the decision to vote in the APC in 2015. Walk on the streets in any state in Nigeria and speak to the people. Will people in the President’s home state of Katsina, or the people of Borno, Zamfara, Yobe states, or in fact, anywhere in Nigeria today sincerely tell you that their lives have improved for the better since the APC came on board? The answer is definitely no.

     

    “How much was the Naira exchanged for the dollar in 2015? How much is it today? How much was a bag of rice then? How much is it today? Most Nigerians today cannot travel home because roads are no longer safe due to banditry, kidnapping and robbery. Nigerians can’t wait to vote the APC out in 2023.”

     

    A chieftain of the Enugu State chapter of the APC, Osita Okechukwu, on his part, said, “The Nigerian political system has always favoured a strong two-party system. Other smaller parties can exist on the sidelines but we have had a situation where two strong political tendencies exist just like in the United States where our system of democracy was copied from. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

     

    A former Secretary of the Bauchi State chapter of the defunct ACN, Abdullahi Dauda, who has been a long-time opposition figure before the merger which gave rise to the APC, however, expressed doubts about the possibility of Nigerians taking a risk with a new political platform.

     

    He ruled out this possibility as regards to the 2023 presidential race.

     

    He wondered if Nigerians would be willing to once again risk going for a little-known marriage of strange bedfellows in the name of a political party like they did in 2015.

     

    “I think for many of us the maxim ‘the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know’  holds true.  The APC and the PDP may be two sides of the same coin but Nigerians have now tasted the two and are likely to make better informed choices in 2023. I honestly don’t see any serious threat to their dominance of the political scene yet.”

     

    Dauda further explained that the situation in 2015 was remarkably different from what is on the ground today.

     

    According to him, one factor stood out in 2015; there was a general consensus especially in the North, that the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, breached the zoning arrangement which had been in place since 1999.

     

    He noted that the deteriorating security situation as well as what many considered unprecedented corruption among the ruling elite at the time made matters worse for the then ruling PDP.

     

    There are also those within the new political movement who are optimistic that the brains behind the #Endsars movement could spring a surprise by bringing in their energy to join the experience being paraded by some of the promoters of the Mega Political Movement, to drive the process.

     

    Those in this school of thought pointed out that the youth had tasted the power of unity and focus and could deploy the same with likeminded people to wrest political power from the dominant political parties.

     

    However, another school of thought expressed the view that the problem would always come from the clash of interests among those who felt they could do a better job given the chance.

     

    Recall that prior to the 2019 general elections, several youth groups came together in an attempt to throw up a consensus candidate but their efforts failed largely because personal ambitions failed to yield the floor to reason.

     

    The Executive Director,  Civil Societies Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Awual Musa, is of the view that what is currently in high demand is attitudinal change among Nigerians.

     

    “We must change the way we do things; our value systems must change if we are to get things right be it politically or in any other sector.”

     

    Events of coming months will indicate if the fresh attempt to provide an alternative to the dominance of the APC and PDP will gain traction ahead of 2023.

     

    Source : www.punchng.com