1 December 2008
Lagos — The electoral fortunes of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Nigeria 's biggest opposition party have progressively diminished since 1999 as a result of recurrent internal crises. However, Chuks Okocha reports that a reconciliation committee set up by the party has proffered an approach not only out of the circle of crises but also to galvanise the opposition forces for performance in future elections
As the 2011 election year draws nearer, political parties have gradually commenced strategizing towards improving their fortunes at the elections. One of the political parties in the front burner of trying to re-invent itself is the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). The party has been in and out of crisis since the days of Chief Don Etiebet as its national chairman. Even the present executive council headed by Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke is still battling with deep-seated crisis.
In a bid to heal the wounds and re-position the party, the ANPP central working committee months back set up a committee on peace and reconciliation of its members. The committee is headed by former presidential candidate , Alhaji Bashir Tofa . The panel has since concluded its assignment and come out with its recommendations which are far -reaching. In one of its recommendations, the committee recommended that the party should quit the existing Government of National Unity (GNU) of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua as a measure towards re-inventing itself.
Also, the committee recommended that ANPP should team up with other notable opposition parties like the Action Congress (AC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Progressive Peoples Party (PPA), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) to form a mega party for the purpose of unseating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power by 2011.
The Tofa committee also accused the ANPP presidential candidate in the 2007 presidential election , Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) of being disrespectful to the party and asked the party to take appropriate action against him.
The party's decision to participate in the Government of National Unity has turned out an albatross disuniting the party. For instance, some sections of the party including General Buhari are seriously opposed to ANPP participating in the GNU.
It was for the sake of the GNU that the party withdrew its petition at the tribunal against the PDP flag bearer at the 2007 presidential election, President Yar'Adua thereby leaving Buhari to be pursuing the case all alone to this day.
According to a copy of the recommendations obtained by THISDAY, the ANPP Peace and Reconciliation Committee said, "More than 90 percent of those who spoke to us expressed serious apprehension and disapproval of the party's involvement with it (GNU)."
The report further said that ANPP's involvement in the Yar'Adua-led GNU "cripples the idea of ANPP as an opposition party. "The party has to share the blame with PDP of looting and almost destroying the country. The association of ANPP in GNU makes ANPP part of PDP and the GNU is a plan by the PDP to swallow ANPP", while in caps, the Tofa committee said emphatically "ANPP MUST GET OUT OF IT SOONEST!"
On the future of ANPP in the 2011 general elections, the committee said that very few expressed confidence that ANPP can form the next government if it opts to go it alone, stating therefore that the only option left for the party is to join other parties in the formation of a mega party for the 2011 elections.
According to the report, "Many, including some of those leaders suggested that the party should join Action Congress (AC), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Progressive Peoples Party (PPA). Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) to form a mega party for the purpose of unseating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form a brand new party."
The Tofa committee frowned at the attitude of its 2007 presidential candidate, General Buhari in shunning the committee, saying, "It came to us as a shock, because it is a party committee and it is for reconciliation.
The committee further recommended that the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party should be dissolved as its composition did not represent the wishes of members.
"The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party should pass a vote to dissolve the current BoT and replace it with competent members," it recommended, while asking that the nomination of members of BoT should be based on those described as "real leaders".
Accordingly, the report said, "a role model in the state who can attract people to the party by his or her image, such a person must not belong to any faction and must be resourceful, well respected, honest and trusted." It further said that any member that is nominated into the BoT that does not possess these qualities should be rejected by the NEC.
The committee called for the design and printing of new party membership cards to replace the current membership cards which it observed contained the signature of the former national chairman of the party, Chief Don Etiebet, now a member of PDP's BoT.
The committee consists of Tofa as chairman and Chief Emma Eneukwu as secretary. The other members of the committee include Barrister Fugbara Ayigba, Chief Bisi Lawal and Chief Emma Uroh.
It is gathered that the committee's report is the main item for deliberation at next week's NEC meeting of the party. Other far-reaching recommendations of the Tofa committee include that ANPP should re-examine how it conducts its primary elections for the nomination of its presidential and governorship candidates.
According to the committee's report, "ANPP should seriously study and adopt the style and conduct of the primaries in the United States of America . The Democratic Party 's proportional methods may be studied further for consideration."
It explained that this should be done urgently and discreetly before other rival political parties beat the party to it.
The Tofa committee also strongly recommended the setting up of a disciplinary committee to try erring members as discipline is one of the pillars upon which party unity is maintained.
On funding of the party, the committee's report said that when it met with the governors elected on the platform of ANPP, it was suggested that the governors met among themselves and come out with the best way to fund the party. The report said that without proper funding, especially in states the party does not control, that it would be impossible for those chapters of the party to be viable, lamenting that most of its financiers have all decamped to the PDP for greener pastures.
Other issues listed that should be explored towards the re-inventing of ANPP are for the party to address the problems of communication between the states and the national headquarters as the party in the states have been left behind. It further said that there is a serious communication gap between the party at the centre and the states and local governments.
Against the backdrop of these efforts, the issue is whether the ANPP leaders will be able to rise above their petty differences in the interest of the party and the opposition camp.
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