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POLITICS

2023: As APC, PDP Sink into Crisis

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By Jude Opara

As the 2023 general elections draw closer, there are no doubts that the two dominant political parties in Nigeria are currently in a dirty in-fighting that could threaten their very foundation. Interestingly, the crisis rocking the ruling-All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nothing but self implosion occasioned by the illicit struggle for power and control.

While it is normal in any political setting for politicians to struggle for power, what makes what is happening in both the APC and the PDP strange is the fact that both political parties usually main the same pattern.

They usually campaign with high sounding promises and when they get into office, they will shut out the electorates that elected them into power.
They will operate like masters over lording it over their subjects, but with few months to another circle of elections, they will begin to warm themselves back to the people.

There is really no political ideology that one can say is a hallmark of the two political parties because usually you could see a political officer jumping from one party to then other depending on his selfish calculation and interest.

The APC clinched power in 2015 when General Muhammadu Buhari defeated the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP. One would have thought that given the robust campaign and promises made by the APC, their administration would be a sharp contrast with what made Nigerians to reject the PDP.

However, few years down the line, it has been clearly proven that there is really no difference between the two parties except in their names and logos. The APC has been like an accident waiting to happen because after their electoral victory, most of the party stakeholders cried out that they were ignored especially in appointments and placements.

President Buhari was said to have recoiled to his inner circle appointing mainly his friends and allies while ignoring most of those who fought for his emergence as the president. In fact at a point, his wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari queried where most of the people now calling the shots now were during the campaigns.

After the 2015 victory, some elements in the APC began the policy of fencing some other stakeholders. For instance, there was the leaked memo by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna warning President Buhari to be wary of the acclaimed national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.  In deed Tinubu used to be a frequent caller at the Aso Rock but shortly after, he was more or less fenced off. There was the rumour that the President was keeping him at arm’s length.  

Tinubu had worked very hard for the emergence of Buhari as the president and also immediately after their electoral victory, he ensured the ouster of the former Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun and the enthronement of his loyalist and ally, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Oshiomhole who had just left office as the governor of Edo state began operating as the lord of Manor, running the party more or less like his private empire and always talking as if he had immunity from removal. His overbearing influence came to a head in 2020 when he insisted that his estranged ally, Governor Godwin Obaseki must not re-contest the Edo state governorship election. In his attempt to replay the record of Lagos state where Tinubu was said to have rejected the former governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode from returning, Oshiomhole ignored all pleas to allow Obaseki be but all to no avail.

The disqualification of Obaseki by the APC forced him to join the PDP who wasted no time in handing him their ticket to represent them in the election. And it is instructive to note that angered by Oshiomhole’s obstinacy, even some APC governors secretly supported Obaseki to win.

Shortly after the victory of the PDP in Edo state, the governors moved against Oshiomhole and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC met in the Presidential Villa in June and summarily sacked the National Working Committee (NWC) led by the former Edo state governor.

The APC in their wisdom appointed a Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) headed by the Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state. The CECPC was given six months to organize and conduct a convention where a substantive NWC was to be elected by December, 2020. But more than one year after, Buni and his men are still occupying the National secretariat of the APC.

In fact Buni and his team gave reasons to believe they were never intended to leave in six months because as soon as he arrived at the party’s secretariat, he began by renovating the office of the National Chairman. Many analysts saw that as a sign that he was not ready to leave office soon.

But the chicken seems to have come home to roost because of the Supreme Court verdict on the Ondo state governorship election where the apex court ruled that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC won the Ondo 2020 election.

The tribunal dismissed the joint petition of Eyitayo Jegede and the PDP lodged against the declaration of Akeredolu of the APC as the valid winner of the Ondo gubernatorial contest.

Jegede and the PDP had in their case, queried the legal validity of Akeredolu’s nomination by the national caretaker committee of the APC headed by Mai Mala Buni, Yobe governor.

They specifically asked the court to determine whether Buni, as a sitting governor, could double as national chairman of the APC to sign Akeredolu’s nomination form for the governorship election.

According to section 183 of the Nigerian constitution, “the governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever”.

Akeredolu narrowly escaped in a split verdict of 4-3. It was said that the governor got judgement because the plaintiffs did not join Buni in their suit.

Minister of state for Labour and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Festus Keyamo had advised the party against going ahead with the Ward Congresses last week. Keyamo advised that Buni should resign to give the party the opportunity to put somebody who may not have the baggage Buni has as a sitting governor.

Surely, going into the events that will lead to the next general elections, already different factions are germinating within the APC and surely this will not augur well for the party and also the country.

In the PDP, the story is no better because since losing power in 2015, the party had failed to play the critical role of an opposition party. They have failed to take advantage of the numerous errors of the APC to warm themselves into the hearts of Nigerians.

What they have been doing is to hope upon hopes, believing that Nigerians will vote for them given the failure of the APC. Only intermittently the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan will issue statements attacking the APC and their policies.

Many stakeholders have made calls for the Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus to resign, but somehow the Rivers state administrator has managed to hold on to his position.

But on Tuesday, the news filtered in that seven members of the NWC had resigned their position sighting highhandedness and lack transparency on the part of the party leadership. The truth is that the mass resignation is nothing but a sign that there are powers behind that action and it is aimed at forcing Secondus out.

In the last one year, the PDP has lost three governors and several members of the parliament both at the national and state levels.

Many analysts believe that one real problem the PDP is having is the fact that since after losing power in 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan has not really played that role as the leader of the party. The former President Olusegun Obasanjo publicly tore his membership card and had said he no longer plays partisan politics. So the seeming absence of a figure in the mould of a former president has left the party in the cold.

It is only Governor Nyesom Wike of River State that is now playing the real opposition by intermittently challenging actions and policies of the federal government. The other PDP governors are simply seen but not heard.

Yes, many people have also blamed Wike for the emergence of Secondus because during the convention, he threatened the party until he had his way of enthroning his kinsman as the Chairman.

So going into the 2023 elections, there are huge uncertainties over which between these two parties that Nigerians can trust, given the fact that they are merely two sides of the same coin. There have been rumours that people like Tinubu who may not have his way in the APC will team up with some other aggrieved politicians from both the APC and the PDP to form a third force that could wrestle power from the two dominant political parties.

POLITICS

I Didn’t Call for Ganduje’s Resignation – Alia

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From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue has denied calling for the resignation of Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CPS was reacting to some media reports that the governor has called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.

The Kula said the governor at no time called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
He said the governor enjoyed a good relationship with the Ganduje-led leadership of APC.
“It is imperative to clarify that at no point did Governor Alia assembled, attended and sent a representative or participated in any meeting to discuss the removal or call for resignation of Alhaji.
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The Benue State governor remains firm in his support and allegiance to the leadership of the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganduje.
“Furthermore, at no point, whether publicly or privately, has the governor advocated or expressed any desire for the resignation of the National party chairman”, he said.
He said the governor was focused on positively changing the fortunes of the state.
“He is alive to his responsibilities as the leader of APC in Benue State and is doing everything legitimate to reposition the party for future victories.” Kula said.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Benue State said it has withdrawn the only case filed by the embattled state chairman of the party, comrade Austin Agada that was pending before High Court 4 in Makurdi.
It said the said case has been consequently struck out by Justice T.A. Kume.
The state publicity secretary of the party, Daniel Ihomun,  said this was done in compliance with the directive of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its 146th meeting held on the 20th March, 2024, wherein resolutions targeting peace were made directing all pending cases filed by members of the party in Benue State against the party or concerning the party and its members be withdrawn within 7 days.
Mr. Ihomun in a statement, made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said the State Legal Adviser of the APC, Alyebo Mathew Esq, at the instance of the state chairman, filed a Notice of Withdrawal on the 25th March, 2024, in the only case filed by the chairman that was pending before High Court 4 in Makurdi.
The party urged all members affected by the directive to withdraw all matters in court to clear the way for proper reconciliation that will ultimately pave the way for peace in the party.

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POLITICS

Mutfwang Meets PDP North Central Leadership Calls for Unity among Officials

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From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has called for unity a purpose among officials of the North Central geopolitical political zone towards the growth of the party in the region.
He noted that the region has consistently remained a stronghold for the PDP since its inception, attributing it to the party’s ideologies and its developmental impact on the citizens at any given opportunity.


Governor Mutfwang made the commendation during a meeting on Wednesday with PDP officials from the North Central, led by the zonal National Vice Chairman, Hon.
Theophilus Dakas Shan, at Plateau House in Abuja the nation’s capital.

While applauding the dedication, patriotism, and steadfast support of the PDP officials in the region for their role in promoting unity and internal democracy in the party reiterated that such dedication will not be forgotten by the party.
Governor Mutfwang through his Director of Press and Public Affairs expressed his gratitude to the zonal officials for their commitment during the 2023 general elections, an effort he said aligned with the party’s principles.
He reiterated that the party’s mission is to govern not for personal gain but for the people’s liberation, voicing his expectation that the PDP will continue to be the people’s party, deserving of significant involvement in its administration.
As the opposition party, the Governor emphasized the need to strive for the governance Nigerians aspire to, stating, “We must offer constructive criticism to the government and ensure the Nigerian people are not shortchanged.”
The Governor announced plans to reform the party into a robust, dependable, and credible political platform that enables Nigerians to run for elections and fulfill the promise of democracy.
The National Vice Chairman of the PDP North Central Zone, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, congratulated Governor Mutfwang on his election and Supreme Court victories.
He pledged full support to his administration, noting that the Governor’s unique position as the sole PDP-elected Governor from the zone will not be taken for granted.
He acknowledged the North Central’s role in electing the National Chairman of the PDP by consensus before the 2023 elections. However, recent political events in Benue State, has set aside the Chairman from office adding that the zone needs to address the matter as a family.
Hon. Shan said plans are underway to hold congresses of the Party and called for unity to ensure that the process is reliable, credible, and universally accepted, thereby minimizing potential litigation.

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POLITICS

FG Seeks Swedish Govt Support on Technical Education

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By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Federal Government is seeking the support of the Swedish Government to help drive its ongoing efforts of integrating technology and skills into the education sector.The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman who made the appeal while hosting the Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englung, on a working visit to the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja, said it was important to leverage Sweden’s technical expertise.

The Minister also said the Federal government is seeking the support of the Swedish government in the development of indigenous languages to aid sound educational development in Nigeria.
He said: “The presence of (Swedish) tech companies in education and training is very important for us because one of the major things this ministry is focusing on now is to bring technology and skills into our education system right from the very early stage of education and we feel it is a very important mechanism tool for learning and teaching.
”And so we will be looking at your experiences to see how we can grow from that because what we want is right from primary school we want our students to be exposed to technology and skills so that at that stage they can grow with it and nurture critical thinking capabilities.“Right now education is not all about just providing training for jobs and skills of today, but preparing them to think about the skills of tomorrow and the best way to do that is by nurturing critical thinking capability right at the early stage.“So we will be leveraging your expertise and experience in order for us to develop our plans and integrate skills and technology into the curriculum at all the levels of our education system in Nigeria.”Mamman who noted that some agreements had been signed between Nigeria and Sweden in the past, however, stressed the need for both countries to deepen bilateral relationships by committing to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in several areas of partnerships.The Swedish envoy had earlier named some Swedish firms in Nigeria engaged in educational and entrepreneurship programmes.Hahn – Englung who expressed Sweden’s readiness to deepen existing relationships, especially in the area of education, noted Sweden’s desire to have more students study in the country’s institutions of higher learning.“We have quite a number of companies especially when it comes to EdTech but then also, we have ideas to see what we can do more together.“We have many Nigerian students going to Sweden every year. They are very competitive students we have noticed but we will like to see that expand more.”

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