Monday, 5 August 2013

2015: Tension in PDP over Dikko’s disciplinary committee •Govs, NWC, BoT, others reject composition

  •  by  Jacob Segun Olatunji and Leon Usigbe - Abuja
  • THERE is mounting tension in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the composition of its seven-man national disciplinary committee headed by the second republic Transport Minister, Alhaji Umaru Dikko as most of the governors, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and other party elders were said to be kicking against it, describing it as another “political blunder” by its National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga

    Alhaji Tukur named the seven-man committee last week as follows: Alhaji Umaru Dikko, Chairman; King A J Turner, Deputy National Chairman; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Barrister Hussaini Kiraki, Hajiya Nana Ayisat Kadir and Senator Emmanuel Agboti as Secretary.

    According to feelers from the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, the aggrieved party members were protesting that apart from the fact that Dikko was a former national chairman of one of the registered political parties who knew nothing about the PDP, they argued that he had been on sick bed for a very long time now that he had to be flown abroad by the Federal Government where he is currently receiving treatment.

    “The choice of Umaru Dikko as the Chairman of the PDP National Disciplinary Committee is laughable, this very funny, it is another political blunder by Alhaji Tukur and his cohorts which cannot stand the text of the time. Dikko is a dominant member of the PDP, he was even the national chairman of one of the registered political parties, what does he know about the PDP? How can you bring a stranger just like that to make him the chairman of such a sensitive Committee?” a member of the BOT told the Nigerian Tribune in confidence while speaking on the development.

    According to him, “Dikko is even sick, he had been flown abroad for medical attention, he is a personal friend to Tukur since their NPN days, the rest is history. He then appointed King A J Turner as the Deputy Chairman of the committee, he is creating way for Turner to chair the committee through the back doors, Turner is a well-known figure  in the party as the strong supporter of President  Goodluck Jonathan, and the roles he played in the Bayelsa PDP crisis led to removal of the former governor from office.”

    Speaking further he said: “the only credible members of the committee are Chief Iwanyanwu and Alhaji Oyedokun, though they too are very close to the Presidency, but they are respected founding members of the party who had paid their dues in the party and who would not want to soil their reputations for anything, Tukur will have to explain how he arrived at the choice of the committee members, PDP has many credible leaders such as Dr Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, Senator Ken Nnamani, Professor Jerry Gana and a host of others if the party really means business.”

    Though the Committee is yet to be inaugurated, Nigerian Tribune gathered in Abuja at the weekend that some concerned party leaders and governors had already raised the matter before President Goodluck Jonathan.
    NigerianTribune

    Tinubu goes for knee surgery


    tinubu
    Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
    Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, one of the national leaders and founders of Nigeria’s new political party, the All Progressives Congress will have surgery on his knee Tuesday in the United States, a short statement from his media office said today.
    Tinubu has been out of Nigeria since the second week of July, spending weeks in United Kingdom before moving to the United States.
    In his absence from home, the APC was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The following day, the former Lagos Action Congress of Nigeria hoisted the flag of the new party.
    Tinubu’s non-appearance at such an important political event had spurred speculations about his whereabouts.
    But the statement today appeared to have put all permutations to rest.
    “Based on previous sports injury on one of his knees and recent further aggravation on the knee from rigorous political and family related activities, he has been advised by his doctors, despite his persistent reluctance that orthopedic surgery is necessary at this time”, said the statement.
    ” Former Governor Tinubu is expected to resume his normal political activities and public engagements following clearance from his doctors.
    OsunDefender

    INEC has no regret registering APC – Jega


    INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega Photo Credit:234NEXT
    Mr. Jega stated this on Monday in Abuja.
    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it has no regret registering the All Progressives Congress, APC.
    The chairman of INEC, Attahiru Jega, said this on Monday at a stakeholder conference with media professionals and civic groups on voter register optimisation, and plans for continuous voter registration holding at the REIZ Hotel, Abuja.
    “It is clear to us that the parties that intend to merge met all legal requirements and we have done all the processes required of us. We believe we are right to do so under the law. We are satisfied that what we have done is within the law,” he said.
    The registration is opposed by a group, African Peoples Congress, that was denied registration by INEC using the same acronym. The group has challenged INEC’s decision in court.
    Mr. Jega also said APC is eligible to participate in the November 16 Anambra election, saying it was registered within the time specified by Section 84 (c) of the Electoral Act which is 60 days to the election.
    Mr. Jega also said INEC has discovered 93,526 cases of multiple registration of voters in Anambra and will soon start prosecution of the culprits. There were about 870,000 of such cases nationwide before the 2011 election.
    PremiumTimes

    Sunday, 4 August 2013

    The making of APC and the storm ahead

    on    
    By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
    After intrigues, controversies,accusations and counter accusations, the Independent National electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday, announced the registration of the All Progressive Congress, APC, as one of the political parties in the country.
    Before the nation’s electoral body pronounced APC registered, there had been mounting tension following the claim that the powers- that -be were mounting pressure on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to abort the APC registration. Specifically, the Presidency and the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, were accused of perfecting plans to thwart the registration process.
    Consequently, those behind the formation of the APC threatened fire and brimstone should INEC refuse to register the party after fulfilling all the requirements. The APC members, in fact, last weekend, promised to mobilize millions of its supporters to occupy the INEC head office as well as the National Assembly if by Thursday INEC did not register the party.
    There was the insinuation that the electoral umpire may advise the merger group to adopt a new name as there were pending litigations at the Federal High Court by the rival African People’s Congress, another political association laying claim of the APC acronym. With the tension the registration APC generated, INEC, last week, beefed up its premises with heavily armed security. Then, on Wednesday, it announced that, after going through the documents submitted by the merging political parties and the inspection of its office, APC has been registered as a political party.
    The genesis As the PDP, the acclaimed biggest party in Africa, continued to bestride the political landscape like a colossus, there were fears that the country was heading for a one -party state, hence the need to check the slide before the country is plunged into dictatorship. The leadership of some of the opposition political parties, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and a faction of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, led by the Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha, decided to go into merger by floating what they described as a mega party.
    APC-toonThe merger talks came to fruition on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 as the four parties, in the spirit of the alliance, proposed to change their names to APC. Briefing journalists at the residence of the ACN leader, Chief Tom Ikimi, in Abuja, the parties said they resolved to uphold the principles of internal democracy, focused on serious issues of concern to the people and also determined to rid the country of corruption.
    According to the text read by Ikimi, the chairman of ACN Merger Committee, “At no time in our life has radical change become more urgent. And to meet the challenge of that change, we the following progressive political parties, namely, ACN, ANPP, APGA and CPC, have resolved to merge forthwith and become the All Progressive Congress and offer to our beleaguered people a recipe for peace and prosperity.
    “We resolve to form a political party committed to the principles of internal democracy, focused on serious issues of concern to our people, determined to bring corruption and insecurity to an end, determined to grow our economy and create jobs in their millions through education, housing, agriculture, industrial growth etc, and stop the increasing mood of despair and hopelessness among our people.
    “The resolution of these issues, the restoration of hope,  the enthronement of true democratic values for peace, democracy and justice are those concerns which propel us. We believe that by these measures only shall we restore our dignity and position of pre-eminence in the committee of nations. This is our pledge.” The resolution was signed by the representatives of the parties: Ikimi, for CAN, representative of APGA, Senator Annie Okonkwo, former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who was the Chairman, Merger Committee of ANPP and Garba Sadi, Chairman, Merger Committee of CPC.
    Ikimi explained that each party involved in the merger selected a merger committee at its highest level which was published at the points of their inauguration, noting that it was the agreement of the leaders of the parties that qualified them to be part of the merger.
    He said that the decision taken will be immediately communicated to the appropriate authorities which include INEC so that the new mega party will commence political activities as one entity.
    He said that all the parties involved in the merger talks agreed on the name All Progressive Congress through consensus and that the party had involved women in all the committees it set up to ensure gender balance.
    Reactions
    Shortly after the announcement of the new mega party, the National Chairman of  the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, while speaking to journalists, said APC was not a threat to his party.
    Tukur described the coming together of the opposition parties as a good development and that the move would inspire the ruling party, describing the PDP as the Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in the forthcoming elections.
    He said, ‘’It is beautiful. The more the merrier. Let me tell you, there is no polling in the whole Nigeria where you do not have one member of the PDP. The PDP is the only party in the country that fields candidates in every polling booth.”
    Prayer for merger
    The governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, a PDP member, said he had prayed that merger of the opposition political parties should come to reality, adding that with a strong party on stream, the politics of the country would be rationalized.
    Aliyu advised leaders and those in positions of authority to always be loyal to the country and not individuals while bearing in mind that one day they must leave office and give account of their stewardship.
    ‘Marriage for divorce without a child’
    One of the founding members of the PDP from Cross River State, Dr. Dorncklaimz Enamhe, said that the merger was a marriage that will head for divorce soon without any issue.
    He said the merger was an official umbrella of all the parties in the country but will not last as a result of the selfish interests of the individual parties that formed the merger, noting that it was a gun powder that will soon explode.
    ‘’PDP is battle ready for the merger parties which is a good thing for our democracy. It is now the influence of PDP in all the units and wards will manifest like, in my Atubulum unit and Gakem ward in Bekwarra, all the parties always come together against PDP and we always come out victorious. They are a bunch of strange bed fellows that will soon disintegrate,” he said
    Fears
    There were fears within the ranks of the four parties that formed the APC, that the former Head of State and the CPC presidential candidate in the 2011 elections, General Mohammed Buhari, and the leader of the ACN, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , may use the party as their personal property.
    This belief had fueled the speculation that the merger was not going to work out, but the secretary of the CPC Merger Committee, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla Obono-Obla, while saying the ambitions of General Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu will not, in any way, affect the new party as the APC was set up to rescue the country from the PDP.
    “I can assure you that the two leaders, General Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and all the leaders of the opposition parties agreed that the parties should merge to rescue Nigeria from the pit and no Jupiter will change it”, he said
    “Bola Tinubu is a democrat to the core; he was in NADECO; he was a senator; he was governor; he is a democrat; so he cannot impose his will on anybody; likewise General Buhari. He has contested presidential elections, he went to the Supreme Court three times, he has been the most vocal voice for change in Nigeria, so they are not going to impose their wish on anybody.
    “You know that Nigeria is on the brink. We are going to change it: railway, petroleum sector, infrastructure, etc. These are the details the merger committees worked out. The comprehensive work plan to ensure that real democracy is entrenched in Nigeria.
    “We are also concerned about the independence of the judiciary. This is very important. You can see that the judiciary is not independent, it is dependent and you cannot have a just society without the independence of the judiciary, you cannot have a democratic society without the judiciary; so we worked out ways on what the party will do to strengthen the judiciary and make it truly independent.”
    Rival APC
    About one month after the merging political parties announced the fusion plan, another political association, African People’s Congress, with the same acronym, APC, applied to INEC to be registered as a political party. On March 14, the rival APC unveiled its logo, constitution, emblem and acronym.
    This unveiling of the acronym, constitution and logo by the rival APC led to confusion even within the ranks of the All Progressive Congress. At this point, some critics described the APC as a group of unserious and undiplomatic politicians who only wanted to intimidate the ruling party and the Presidency without following proper channel.
    It was as if the merging political parties were oblivious of the Igbo adage that says whoever is eating with the devil must use a long spoon. As it was displaying its intimidating posture and what some described as a ‘road show’, efforts were made to ensure that the registration of the name did not see the light of day as it was evidenced in the application of the rival APC.
    Speaking at the unveiling of the logo, constitution and manifesto, the Acting National Chairman of African People’s Congress, Chief Onyinye Ikeagwuonu, lamented what he described as poverty of leadership in the country since 1999, saying that his APC was on rescue mission.
    Commenting on the controversy surrounding the acronym, APC, the Legal Adviser, Mr. Kingsley Nnadi, said that it should not be the problem but it should be the name, adding that any other group making claim to the acronym APC had not made any official request to INEC which, he said, his African People’s Congress had made.
    He debunked the allegation that the African People’s Congress was hurriedly floated by some members of the PDP to scuttle the registration of All Progressive Congress, stressing that,  if the PDP had performed,  there would have not been any need to float his APC. “My party has no link with PDP. In fact, our intention is to take over power from the ruling party. If PDP is ruling well, there would have been no need to come up. We are out because PDP has failed to touch the lives of Nigerians”, he said.
    “We have just one APC (African People’s Congress). The other one does not exist and INEC is aware of our party. The other APC only did merely negotiation, but we started our party over two years ago with the documents submitted to the INEC; we have met the requirements of the constitution and the Electoral Act.
    “I believe that the unveiling of our party today has finally put to rest the contention over APC, which one is authentic or not and we are waiting for INEC’s reply. We have our offices in over 26 states of the federation including our national headquarters and our support is massive.”
    INEC Chairman, Prof. Jega
    INEC Chairman, Prof. Jega
    Disqualification
    Despite the claim by the African People’s Congress to have fulfilled all necessary requirements before INEC, the Commission, on March 25, 2013, rejected its application, saying that the association breached Section 222 (a) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution as amended.
    Confirming the rejection of the application, the then Director of Public Affairs of the commission, Emmanuel Umenger, said, “The Commission has written to this political association and had stated in very clear terms that they are in breach of section 222 (a) of the constitution with the additional explanations stated in the letter.
    “The Commission also observed that the submission made on for PA 1 does not contain the addresses of the national officers of the political association as stipulated it means this association has the responsibility to prove, because these are  the things the commission has observed and the law says if you do not meat any of these requirements you will not be registered as a political party
    “The Commission has gone ahead to explain in its letter I have on my table. The letter we have sent today duly signed by the Secretary to the Commission Abdulahi Kaugama and it is self- explanatory, the letter is dated 21, 2013 which was signed and collected by one Micheal Ogani of APC.”
    According to the letter under reference number INEC/DPPM&L/APC/490/V.1/76, dated 21st March, 2013, and addressed to “The Chairman, Proposed African People’s Congress,” and with the title, Re-Application for Registration as a political party, it stated that African People’s Congress breached Section 222 (a) of the Nigerian Constitution. Reacting to the disqualification, Ikeagwuonu accused the merging parties of being behind the rejection of its application.
    Controversy deepens
    Even as the dust raised by the surreptitious manner the rival APC applied for registration was yet to settle, another group rushed to apply to INEC with the name All Progressive Congress on March 5th but the application was immediately rejected by the INEC with the reason that another group had applied with the same acronym, and they decided to change to All Peoples Congress of Nigeria, APCN.
    The group however re-applied for registration in March 28 with the name All Progressive Congress of Nigeria, APCN, but INEC again advised its promoters to still change the name to avoid conflict in acronym.
    Battle taken to the temple of justice
    Still in a spirited attempt to reclaim the acronym and ensure that the association is registered as a political party, African People’s Congress dragged INEC to the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an order of the court to compel the Commission to register it as a political party.
    In the suit number, FHC/ABJ/CS/224/2013, the association prayed for a declaration that the defendant (INEC) lacked the discretion and/or had no power to refuse to register an association as a political party once the conditions stipulated by the said defendant for such registration were met. Other reliefs sought were a declaration that the plaintiffs being the principal members and promoters of the association known as African People’s Congress had met all conditions of eligibility for the registration of African People’s Congress as a political party. An order commanding/directing the defendant to register the association known as and called the African People’s Congress as a political party forthwith; and an order of prohibition prohibiting the registration of any other association known as and called African People’s Congress or having the acronym ‘APC’ as a political party pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
    An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from registering any other association or known as and called African People’s Congress or having the acronym ‘APC’ as a party.
    INEC claimed that the association did not supply information on the residential addresses of its national officers although the association said the office addresses of its officials were contained in the form it filled and submitted to the Commission.
    New party emerges
    Despite the pending matter in court, INEC, on Wednesday registered the All Progressive Congress thereby closing all the allegations that the Presidency had mounted pressure on INEC not to register it which, for now, appears to be the only opposition party to the ruling PDP as the 2015 is fast approaching.
    Secretary of INEC, Abdulahi Kaugama, in a letter endorsing APC, said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission has approved the application by three political parties-the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to merge into one to be known as the All Progressives Congress.
    “On considering the application, the Commission found that the applicant-parties have met all statutory requirements for the merger and has accordingly granted their request.
    “Consequently, the Commission has approved the withdrawal of the individual certificates of the applicant-parties and the issuance of a single certificate to the All Progressives Congress.”
    Reacting to the registration of the All Progressive Congress, National President of African People’s Congress, Ikeagwuonu, said the decision by INEC register the other APC did not take away its legal right over the APC acronym.  The group also lampooned the Commission saying the registration of APC despite the pending court matter was a deliberate plan by INEC to plunge the country into anarchy.
    Briefing journalists at the association’s headquarters in Abuja, Ikeagwuonu said despite what he described as a setback, his group would continue with the preparations to contest the Anambra governorship election slated for November.
    Vanguard

    Sale Of Power Stations

    By: Leadership Editors
    With the recent offer for sale of 10 new power-generation stations built by the three tiers of government through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), the implementation of the Electric Power Sector Reforms Act of 2005 is at a critical juncture. The stations, which have a combined design capacity in excess of 5,453 megawatts, are Alaoji Power Plant, Aba, Abia State; Ihovbor Power Plant, Benin City, Edo State; Calabar Power Plant, Calabar, Cross River State; Egbema Power Plant, Owerri, Imo State; Gbarain Power Plant, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State; Geregu II, Ajaokuta, Kogi State; Sapele II, Sapele, Delta State; Olorunsogo II, Olorunsogo, Ogun State; Omoku II, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; and Omotosho II, Okitipupa, Ondo State.
    The country has spent over $8 billion building these plants and is expected to make $6 billion from divesting 80 per cent of governments’ shares in them. Expression of interest (EoI) for the facilities closed by 5pm on Friday, July 19, 2013, and 110 private companies beat the deadline. According to the divestment time-table, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) will announce a shortlist of successful bidders on August 8, 2013, and the stations would be transferred to the highest bidders between June and July 2014.
    We note, with cautious satisfaction, government’s firm rebuff of laggard would-be investors who waited till the EoI deadline expired before making bids. Government must build on this initial principled stand all the way in the process and avoid embarrassing blunders which trailed previous sales of public entities like NITEL/MTEL and the recent unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The thermal plants must not be sold to incompetent or briefcase investors. Government must allow best global practices to prevail in the divestment process and demonstrate iron-clad will to stop scavenger-politicians from using proxies to acquire the plants.
    Whenever a breach of due process is noticed, the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) must act fast by cancelling the tainted bids. Timelines must be well handled and this exercise must not, for any reason, be allowed to go beyond the June 2014 date for the new owners to take possession of the plants and give Nigerians the much-sought stable power supply. The government should refrain from shifting the goal-post and changing the rules of the game. Since foreign development partners cum private investors are involved in the bidding process, government should strive to sustain their confidence and not do anything capable of putting the country to shame.

    After successfully selling the power stations, government should plough the proceeds back into expanding the country’s power infrastructure, specifically building a number of hydropower dams across northern Nigeria as provisioned under Phase II of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP). The money must not vanish into government’s infamous black holes of graft.
    Leadership

    Cristiano Is ‘Fake’ Ronaldo – Mourinho

    Jose Mourinho has taken another swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo by claiming that his fellow Portuguese is not the “real” Ronaldo.
    The Chelsea boss, who recently stated that his former charge at Real Madrid “thinks he knows everything”, insinuated that he has more respect for Brazil legend Ronaldo, with whom he worked during his time at Barcelona under the guidance of Bobby Robson.
    “I was manager for the first time in the 2000 year but, before that, I was assistant in big clubs and with big managers and coaching the best players in the world, so I was 30 and I was coaching Ronaldo, not this one (Cristiano), the real one, the Brazilian Ronaldo. I was coaching Rivaldo, I was coaching (Luis) Figo, I was coaching (Pep) Guardiola, I was coaching big players when I was very, very young.
    “So, at that time, I was not the manager, I was just an assistant but I was feeling that I had, in my hands, some potential and after that I start my career in the year 2000 and after four years I won my first Champions League and, after that, everything comes as a consequence,” Mourinho told ESPN.

    Mourinho left Camp Nou in 2000 to coach Benfica but it was at rivals Porto that he became a household name on the back of their remarkable Champions League success in 2004
    Leadership

    Alade Odunewu: ... And the ink stopped flowing

    When the news mill came up with a flash two weeks ago, announcing the transition of the famous veteran journalist, Alhaji Alade Odunewu, popularly known by his pen-name, Allah-De, my immediate reaction was to say another star has dropped, and the timber of the journalism profession in Nigeria has gone. Truly, his life and times celebrate all that the journalism profession stands for. The reality is Alade has mounted up wings as eagles and flown to meet with his creator.

    Allah-De has been such a huge and indelible part of Nigerian journalism history for over five decades. Nigeria, history, and indeed the media history, would not be completed without the name of Alade Odunewu. His contribution to the growth of the industry is legendary and it would amount to a disservice if anyone fails to acknowledge the role he played to get the new entrants into the profession to maintain ethical standards at all times, no matter the condition they found themselves. Odunewu is a legend in the true sense of the word, now and always in this country. We have lost not only a wonderful old school journalist of shinning integrity, but a fantastic public analyst/commentator and simply, a great human being.
    Allah-De was a journalist’s journalist with imbued knack to explain and untie complex issues in a language everybody could understand. He was among the leading stars of his time in the coverage/struggle  towards attaining the country’s independence in the 50s and 60s. His incisive write-ups against the military incursion remains as an attestation of his commitment in upholding the tenets and the core value as a watchdog. He bestrode the political landscape like a colossus and earned the respect of politicians of all shades. He was extra-ordinarily versatile on any issue he wrote on. He lived and breathed journalism in and out of the newsroom. His passage is a real loss to the pen fraternity in Nigeria.
    In his life time, Allah-De loved his celebrity status but he knew how not to take it too seriously as he always accorded younger journalists at that time the respect they deserved. Once more, we have lost a great mentor, and a true gentleman. We will forever miss his dry humour, quick wit and genuine advice as a front runner/father.
    Baba, as I fondly called him while alive, was larger than life. A wonderful story anchor, Allah-De was an amiable and lovable personality who appreciated his craft which he honed to an art form. He held his colleagues, both old and young, in high esteem. He could laughed at himself and thus make us all smile when one least expected.
    Alas! The ink stopped flowing and indeed....away he flew. Allah dey.Walk tall among your ancestors.
    •Lanre Ogundipe,
    Former, National President,
    Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
    Ibadan.
    NigerianTribune