5 July 2009
analysis
Lagos — As the 2011 general election draws nearer, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has gradually commenced measures to sanitise itself at all levels. Hitherto, the news was all over town of various adoption of serving governors and legislators by different state chapters of the party.
These adoptions were more rampant within the Southern states where the party is in control. It was to control and infuse discipline within the party that the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Eze Ogbulafor came out with a stern warning a fortnight ago to state chairmen of the party.
Ogbulafor in the tense letter to state chairmen of the party warned them to desist from adopting incumbent state governors and legislators as the party's candidates for the 2011 general election. In the letter, the PDP chairman warned the state chairmen that failure to adhere to his warning would attract disciplinary action.
THISDAY gathered that Ogbulafor had to intervene to call the state chairmen to order in view of the rampant manner with which they were adopting governors and legislators to the anger of other aspirants who felt short-changed.
The directive by Ogbulafor mid last month to the PDP chairmen warning them to desist from the undemocratic practice, reads in parts: "My attention has been drawn to your indiscriminate adoption of state governors and legislators as flag bearers of the party on the pages of newspapers for 2011 elections.
"In case you have forgotten, let me once again refresh your minds on my speech at the just concluded Special National Convention of 20th April, 2009, where I stated that: "for those already in offices who may desire to continue in 2011, you have a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate capacity through good performance and delivery of democratic dividends based on our Party Manifesto, Constitution and Mr. President's 7-Point Agenda"
"I went further to make it very clear that our candidates will be chosen by our teeming members. They will emerge through a transparent process. They will not be hand-picked by any executive " Ogbulafor stated.
Accordingly, Ogbulafor said, "In view of the above, let me warn you for the last time, to desist from adopting any candidate as our party's flag bearer. Kindly note that our constitution does not empower you to carry out such act Henceforth, we will not take it lightly with any state chairman who flaunts this order."
It was gathered that some state chairmen took advantage of the meeting where the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party told members of the National Assembly that performance would be given a chance when time comes for the nomination of candidates for the 2011 election. Apparently to their self-serving point of view, the state chairmen came to the conclusion that the serving governors and legislators have performed and therefore stand the chance of a re-nomination. A kind of carry-go position of the Elumelu in the Delta Youth Vanguard.
Before the letter from Ogbulafor, some state chairmen had been announcing the adoption of governors and legislators as consensus candidates for the 2011 general election.
In Delta state for instance, the incumbent governor had been severally adopted by the Uduaghan Vanguard and even before he faced charged of frauds by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Hon. Ndudi Elumelu during the Easter period had organised a programme, where his group adopted Uduaghan for the 2011 elections.
The same is the situation in Enugu state where various groups including the state chapter of the party joined in the adoption queue. The adoption of Governor Sullivan Chime by the party drew the ire of the factional chairman, Barrister Raymond Nnaji, who fired a complaint to the National Secretariat of the party.
It was against this background that the National Chairman had to speak out.
Also last week, the National Vice Chairman of the PDP in the South-south zone, Chief Edet Nkpubre issued the same warning to the six chapters of the party in the zone. In what looked like a riot act, the party through the zonal chairman issued a terse warning to its members not to attend any meeting not authorised by it or join any association whatsoever.
Like Ogbulafor, Nkpubre also issued a threat to those who would disobey the directive. According to him, failure to abide by this directive, the party would impose sanctions against the erring members.
He went further to add, "the party noted with great concern the proliferation of associations and pressure groups competing with the party for influence, and the involvement of some party officials in these association. It therefore warned that, henceforth, no party official should held positions in such associations or groups. This is to enhance discipline and party supremacy." The party warned that any member or official that disregard this directive would be sanction appropriately in line with the provision of its constitution.
In streamlining summons to meeting, the NWC said in the letter to all states chairmen, "No party member, no matter how highly placed is permitted to hold or summon meeting to discuss party issues other than the wards, local government and state chapters of the party", explaining, "this measure is meant to ensure that authority and discipline is not undermined."
Also, the party barred members and officials from holding party meetings in private residences, stating that henceforth, "state party chairmen are to ensure the establishment of verifiable party offices in local governments and wards in their states and party meetings should be held in party offices."
THISDAY gathered that the zonal chairman, who hails from Oron in Akwa-Ibom state, is particularly piqued over the proliferation of associations or pressure groups in the zone. For instance, in Akwa Ibom State where the Ibibio and the Annang are flexing muscles over who wins the party ticket in 2011, there have appeared on the scene various pressure groups and association championing the aspirations of various interest groups.
For instance, it was learnt that the Deputy Chairman of PDP in Akwa Ibom state, Sam Akpan is the fore-front of the Akwa Ibom Peoples Front, while another PDP chieftain Emman Ibiok formed the Akwa Ibom Democratic Voice. The former governor of the state, Victor Attah, not wanting to be left out, as he formed his Attah Ambassadors and the Friends of Attah in Nigeria.
This proliferation of groups and associations, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Ahmed Alkali said, "is a great distraction to the party" and it was therefore to ensure discipline and cohesion that the party came up with these directives.
Apart from the directives against the adoption of governors and legislators already for the 2011 general elections, PDP said that it intends to create a level playing ground for all aspirants in the forthcoming elections and would therefore take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone who flouts this directive.
THISDAY gathered that the party directive was to reduce the influence of officials and members belonging to various associations and groups and to enhance the chances of more politicians in the 2011 general election.
The spokesman of PDP explained that these directives were not by any way intended to gag its members from airing their views, but to ensure discipline and avoid discordant tunes.
Though, he refused to be drawn into further comments on this, but it was gathered that the action was to avoid a situation like when the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Halilu Bello Mohammed nearly committed a diplomatic blunder, when he accused the United States of forging alliance with the opposition political parties to meet President Barrack Obama.
The party immediately denied and distanced itself from Halilu Bello's statement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, equally followed suit by debunking the statement from the Deputy National Chairman.
Political Notes
Dariye's Strange Politics in Plateau
Former governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye is one man whose political posturing these days is as befuddling as anything. He does not seen to be very sure about what direction to follow. Dariye had a chaotic tenure as governor of Plateau State. His reign was first interrupted via the declaration of a state of emergency in the state following spate of ethno-religious riots that swept through it between 2002 and 2004.
After the six months emergency period, Dariye returned to his seat as governor only to be caught in a web of money laundering scandal. The scam and other charges of financial impropriety led to his controversial impeachment and the swearing in of his Deputy, Chief Michael Botmang.
Few months to the 2007 general elections, the Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the Appeal Court which declared Botmang's Government illegal. Today, Dariye, in similar fashion as former Governor Ayodele Fayose is desperately seeking political relevance in Plateau.
Since, neither the State Government under Jonah Jang nor the State PDP executive under Professor Dakum Shown appears ready to play ball, Dariye has found solace in the opposing camp of the so-called Emmanuel Magni-led faction of the PDP in the state. The spokesman of the faction, Mr. Sylvanus Namang announced with glee last week that Dariye in the Magni fold. His joining the 'rebels' was celebrated by the faction as the biggest thing that had happened to its feeble political fortunes since it declared itself a parallel party in the state. But wise public opinion in Plateau State still wonders whether Dariye, the "moral burden" (according to Mr. Namang), is not actually the faction's albatross, the final nail on its coffin.
The former governor could turn out to be a moral burden for the pretentious Magni faction rather than asset for the camp. Dariye's record while in office, bore no trace of what to write home about. Remember the case of the "Group of Eight" legislators that impeached him in 2006, his cat and mouse with the EFCC especially during the tenure of Mr. Michael Botmang as governor. Botmang, Dariye's erstwhile Deputy became governor after his principal was ignominiously impeached by the Group of Eight.
While Dariye fought to reclaim his seat from Botmang, one of the arrowheads the latter used to checkmate him was Namang. Namang issued several press statements informing the wary public that "Dariye will never return to power." Botmang's Commissioner for Information at that time took Dariye to the cleaners berating him of stealing public money and being saddled with "a moral burden" to reclaim his "mandate.
Two years out of power, a lot has changed and Dariye has found himself in the same boat as Namang, the camp of opposition within the house of PDP. Dariye's unseen allies in the opposing camp include the likes of former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu and former Minister of Sports, Hon. Damishi Sango.
Mantu and Dariye are back together in the Magni-faction, putting behind them their past bitter acrimony that cost the state so much and whose ripple effects are still evident. But the question arises as to how the people of Plateau State put behind them the colossal waste of public resources and squandered opportunities the senseless rivalry between the two had cost them. What about the personal misery, both in loss property and life, which the people suffered including a six-month humiliating state of emergency?
As for Magni, the party faction leader himself, he needs to come clean on his own motivation for the breakaway. He must have a reason for such an odd assemblage of characters.
Within just two years, Governor Jang has almost transformed the face of Plateau State beyond recognition. He clearly has the confidence of his people who seem ready to swim or sink with him.
The political difficulty of the Magni-led faction is also Magni's personal dilemma; how he or his faction can convince the people to vote for anyone else come 2011. Jang, by his accomplishments, is currently enjoying high rating among the majority of the people in Plateau.
Hope Dariye will not box himself into a politically suicidal corner in Plateau like Fayose did in Ekiti.
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