Politics

2015: After Opposition Merger, What Next?

Published

12 years ago

February 11, 2013

At last, after months

of intense negotiations, four opposition political parties last Wednesday resolved to float a new political party. They called it “All Progressive Congress” (APC). It is on this platform they hope to pursue their avowed determination to wrest power from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general election.

The four parties that make up APC are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

A statement read by Chief Tom Ikimi of the ACN to newsmen after the merger said “At no time in our (Nigeria’s) national 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 All Progressives Congress, APC, 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 and stop the increasing despair and hopelessness among our people”.

On Tuesday, preceding Wednesday’s declaration of the merger, ten opposition Governors were hosted by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fasola. It was a meeting in which all the t’s and i’s of the merger were crossed and dotted.

After the meeting, while responding to a question on whether the merger talk is about unseating the PDP, the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulazziz Abubakar Yari said it is about how to “fix Nigeria in the right perspectives”.

According to him, it is a question of asking if the people have been happy since 1999 till date when the PDP has been in power. “If the contrary has been the case then the leaders are duty bound to drive the people aright.

“We believe that the PDP has not done enough. We have the idea, the knowledge and the progressive intention to move the country forward. So, if you say that we are going to move PDP out of power, yes we are ready to do that, God willing”, Governor Yari said.

Expectedly, this merger did not come on a platter of gold; it had gone through lots of criticisms and counter criticisms, accusations and counter accusations, particularly, given the benefit of hindsight of previous mergers.

It had, in fact, as in the case of iron, gone through the raging furnace, which must have made it real, feasible and achievable, at least from the perspective of the pioneers.

From all indications, the opposition seems to have been guided by the words of the great inspirational writer, Napoleon Hill, when the said “You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be”.

This feeling was perhaps also re-enforced by one of the great speeches of former United States President, Abraham Lincoln, who noted that “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just”.

The opposition has so far justified its quest for power with one key promise: to wrest power from the PDP for the interest of the country, a phrase that has become sine qua non with every aspirant to the Presidency.

Now that the merger has come to fruition, supported by the Independent Electoral Commission, what is the next step? What is the new thing the opposition has that the rest of the country has not seen or heard? What are those things they have to offer that would, with reasonable effort, better the life of the common man?

Most of all, how do they hope to change Nigeria to the point that every law abiding citizen will have his/her due in whatever way you look at it, different from the now hackneyed “when we come on board”, which now means “when it is my turn to take my share”. This is the crux of the matter.

The questions that readily come to mind are “how have these opposition parties fared in their states”? Can they genuinely say they had fared better than the party they oppose?

The challenge is also on the ruling PDP. In the words of party’s national chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, “the idea of a strong opposition party is a welcome idea to PDP as it would serve as a call to action”. The question is, to what positive extent can this be true?

The reality is that promises of such Eldorado are obviously not new to keen observers of what could easily be described as the Nigerian melodrama, in which key actors in governance are guided more by selfish than common interest in most of their decisions. The result of which is why the country’s development had been somewhat of a highly boring merry-go-round.

The reason for this situation may not be far from the possibility that those who aspire to rule are guided more by what Martin Luther King Jr meant when he said “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but because conscience tells him it is right”. They seem to apply this principle without adapting it to the Nigerian stage.

Aspirants do not also seem it necessary to reason like Cyrus the Great, who said “All men have their frailties; and whoever looks for a friend without imperfections, will never find what he seeks”.

Above all, what can we, both individually and as a country, achieve if we do not imbibe the words of the great mahatma Ghandi, who expressed the belief that “Where there is love, there is life”.

It, therefore, may not really make any difference whether the opposition wins the presidency or not in 2015 if they cannot make similar difference where they currently find themselves.

Politics

NGO Passes Confidence Vote On Fubara Over Dev Strides

Published

1 week ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

A grassroots organisation known as Sir Siminalayi Fubara Peace Initiative, Friends For Good Governance, has passed a confidence vote on the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara over his development strides in the state within a short time in office.
Apart from the numerous development projects embarked upon by the governor in the state, the body expressed delight over the recent payment of N85,000.00 minimum wage to civil servants in the State to reduce the economic burden of workers and their dependants.
Spokesperson of the organisation, Chief Felix Ologara, who addressed newsmen in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area described Governor Fubara’s administration as the most compassionate, peace-loving and labour-friendly in Nigeria.
Coordinator of the NGO, Comrade Felix Nnaa, also lauded the governor of Rivers State for staying focused on the development of the state despite the challenges by detractors of his administration.
The NGO also commended the newly elected local government chairmen in the state, particularly the chairman of Khana LGA, Hon Martin Nwigbo and his Tai counterpart, Hon Mathew Dike for modelling their leadership style after Governor Fubara’s in providing essential services to the people.
On his part, the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Hon. Martins Nwigbo, who also spoke with the press assured that his administration will give priority attention to the development of Khana, particularly in providing security, economic empowerment, human capital development and restoration of power in the area.

Politics

Ex-Inc President Harps On People-Centred Governance

Published

1 week ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

Former President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Atuboyedia Obianime, has called for a people centred governance in Nigeria.
Prof. Obianime said this at the Rivers Liberation Summit and Awards organised by the Ijaw Wari Initiative Worldwide in Port Harcourt.
He said projects execution are good but government must come up with policies that will create employment opportunities for the people.
The former INC president particularly urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, to revive all moribund industries with the view to creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the state and stressed the need for the revamping of the agricultural sector in the state.
Also speaking, a former chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Dr Sam Sam Jaja, said the Ijaws will never surrender their rights for any reason.
“We know where we come from and we know where we are now; we know the battle we fought and we know the battle we are still fighting and one thing is very important among us, we will never surrender our rights for any reason”, he said.
Dr Jaja said the Ijaws have been known to fight against oppression and marginalisation and commended the Ijaw Wari Initiative for complementing the INC.
“What we are doing today is to honour Ijaw sons and daughters who deserve to be honoured and of course we have one of our elderly sons to tell us what we have done in terms of pursuing leadership”, he added.
He also described the Ijaws as symbols of leadership, adding: “it starts from us and it will continue to remain with us for a long time”
Dr Jaja also declared that with an Ijaw man at the saddle of leadership in the State, the people will see a new phase of governance, adding that areas neglected will be touched, while expressing optimism that the event would equip the participants to face the challenges ahead.
In his welcome address, the president of Ijaw Wari Initiative Worldwide, Somina Wokoma, said the event was to “commemorate the October 30th, 2023, failed attempt to impeach our dear Governor which marked a turning point in our democratic journey”.
“As we converge on this epoch making occasion, we celebrate the triumph of democracy, people oriented leadership and the resilience of Rivers people”, he said.

John Bibor

Politics

Group Tasks Rivers LG Chairmen On Aggressive Rural Dev

Published

1 week ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

A non- governmental organisation in Rivers State, the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force ( (NDPVF), Opobo/Nkoro Chapter, has tasked Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas of the State to urgently focus on aggressive infrastructural and human capital development projects.
This is contained in a statement released by the group in Port Harcourt shortly after her Chapter Executive Council ( CEC) meeting in Opobo Town, and signed by its Coordinator, Commander Idawari Brown; Secretary, Comrade Success Dinne Ebranga and Public Relations Officer, Comrade Lucky Ubani.
The group urged the chairmen and councillors to be proactive in the discharge of their assignment of dispensing quality service delivery in their areas of jurisdiction and admonished them to follow the leadership example of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“There is need for the Chairmen of various Councils in the state to ensure that they emulate the leadership style of the governor by building bridges of transformation, human capital development and youth inclusiveness in governance of their LGAs”, the statement said.
The group further admonished the chairmen of the various councils and their Councillors to put in their best in the leadership of their local areas for the well-being of the people.
“The people are in dire need of your contributions for better development bridges in terms of even distribution of development projects and programmes that will have direct- bearings on the people’s welfare and lives.
“They should include those who have what it takes to develop the areas through their contributions to move the area forward developmentally.
“We urge the chairmen of various councils and their councillors not to appoint anybody on political patronage in order to siphon the treasury of the councils.
“We would not tolerate this lackluster attitude from any council chairmen Councillors. The real thing should be done through those with leadership expertise and are ever ready to join forces with them to build a pleasant and virile Local Government Areas administration for posterity.

By: Bethel Toby