Nigeria: Babangida and Obasanjo may establish new party

A political group which is crystallising around two former presidents - Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) (1985-1993) and Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-1979 &1999-2007) - is beginning to make efforts to establish a new political party in order to take on the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to which both men still belong. The first indication that the two are working together was the joint press statement they issued a few weeks ago on the state of the nation and the security challenges facing Nigeria. Sources say that Obasanjo and Babangida resolved that they could not work with either another former military Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari (1983-1985) of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), or the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

 

Tinubu and Buhari's opposition parties are currently in talks for a possible merger ahead of the 2015 general elections and this group is also said to be working with some of the Northern Governors. Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, is meanwhile said to be involved with the People's Democratic Movement (PDM) and the plans to revive the movement. The PDM was a socio-political group that was formed by the late Major-Gen. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua – the older brother of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua – who was vice president in Obasanjo's first term but was imprisoned by Sani Abacha' s military regime in 1995 and died in captivity in 1997.

 

The PDM was one of the socio-political groups that formed the basis for the PDP's establishment in 1998. Some politicians recently held a meeting in Abuja to kick off plans to revive the PDM. In attendance were PDP chieftains Tony Anenih; Titi Ajanaku; Ambassador Yahaya Kwande; Dubem Onyia and Lawal Kaita.

 

The latter is said to have been representing Atiku Abubakar at the PDM meetings. It has been said that Atiku has been reluctant to personally attend the PDM meetings in case he is seen as actively working against a party whose government he has benefited from

 

through the award of lucrative contracts. Atiku's company - Intels Logistics and Services Company - operates the concession for the Onne Port. It is in partnership with Orleans Invest in which his longstanding close business associate, Gabriele Volpi, is part-owner.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

 

© 2012 Menas Associates

Nigeria: Azazi pours fuel on the fire in PDP's North-South divide

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen Andrew Owoye Azazi (rtd), is in hot water over recent public statements arguing that the lack of internal democracy in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is at the root of the increasing threat posed by Boko Haram. Azazi, who made the claim at the South-South Economic Summit organised by the South-South Governors during the past week, stated: “PDP got it wrong from the beginning, from the onset by saying Mr A can rule, Mr B cannot rule...according to PDP's convention, rules and regulations and not according to the constitution and that created the climate for what has manifest itself, this way [sic]”.

Azazi also implied that certain elements within the party, disgruntled over President Jonathan's succession, led to the escalation of the Boko Haram violence. It may be recalled that in the politically tense days leading up to the PDP's selection of Jonathan as its candidate for the April 2011 presidential elections, there had been “threats” from some aggrieved quarters that, if Jonathan emerged as head of state, the country would be made ungovernable. This was a response to the widespread northern views that Jonathan's emergence was against the interests of the North and that the PDP's 'zoning' arrangement meant that a Northerner ought to be president from 2007-2015.

Azazi pointed to an October 2010 statement which was credited to Lawal Kaita, a prominent member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) - one of the foremost Northern socio-political groups - proclaiming that "anything short of a Northern President is tantamount to stealing our presidency. Jonathan has to go and he will go”.

Azazi went on to state that the Boko Haram threat did not escalate to the point it is at now until after the 2011 general elections. He traced the escalation in its activities to the deadly suppression of riots in the North in the aftermath of the polls.

During a visit to the bombed offices of This Day on 26 April, the President was asked what he thought about the NSA's comments. He stated that it was possible that the NSA was misinterpreted. Jonathan is also reported to have demanded a full transcript of the NSA's statements.

The party has already refuting Azazi's claims with the PDP National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh berating him for making them. Reports have claimed that the President has since been under immense pressure to sack Azazi.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2012 Menas Associates

Sokoto governor passed to run in ruling party primary

Sokoto State's incumbent governor, Aliyu Wamako, has successfully navigated the screening process of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the party's Sokoto State gubernatorial primary election which is scheduled to be held on 17th December.

Other candidates who passed the primary screening process are Senator Abubakar Gada and former Minister of Sports Yusuf Suleiman, who resigned his ministerial position a fortnight ago to contest Sokoto's gubernatorial elections.

There had been speculation that Governor Wamako might receive similar treatment to that given to his Bayelsa State counterpart, Timipre Sylva. The Bayelsa incumbent failed the screening test for the November primary and so was unable to contest the election. Suspicions were that Wamako would also be “screened out” to pave the way for Suleiman, who is thought to be the president's preferred candidate for next year's gubernatorial election in Sokoto.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Ousted State governors fall to anti-corruption body

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested four former State governors on a raft of charges, including include embezzlement, fraud, mismanagement and misappropriation of State-owned funds. The former Governors arrested by EFCC are: former Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniel; former Oyo governor Adebayo Alao-Akala; former Nasarawa governor Aliyu Akwe Doma; and Danjuma Goje, the former governor of Gombe State, who is now a serving senator.

All of the former governors arrested are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two of them – Alao-Akala and Doma – lost their re-election bids to opposition candidates, from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) respectively.

Daniel is the first of the four to be arraigned. He was arraigned in the Ogun State High Court on 12th October on a 16-count charge of embezzlement, fraud and misappropriation of N58 billion in Ogun State funds. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and has been remanded in custody.

Oyo State's Alao-Akala was also arraigned on 12th October alongside two other suspects. Alao-Akala was arraigned on an 11-count charge of conspiracy, contract fraud and other criminal acts, including fraudulent acquisition of properties in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. His alleged frauds amount to a loss of some N20 billion to the Oyo State government. He pleaded not guilty and has been remanded in custody pending the hearing of his bail application.

Alao-Akala was arraigned with his ex-commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Hosea Ayoola Agboola, presently an Oyo North senator, and Olufemi Ademola Babalola of Pentagon Engineering Services.

The other two ex-Governors – Doma and Goje – are expected to be arraigned within the next week, in their home States. Doma is alleged to have embezzled N18 billion of Nasarawa State funds, while Goje is alleged to have embezzled N52 billion of Gombe State funds.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Jonathan appears to be resisting moves by rival factions

President Goodluck Jonathan appears to be resisting moves by rival factions in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to get him make him to intervene in the current crises in the party over the list of candidates. There have reportedly been moves by rival candidates in Ogun, Oyo, Enugu and Abia states to get Jonathan's support. Currently, there is uncertainty about the candidates that the PDP will present in the four states because there are court orders and counter-orders on the party's lists.

In addition, many of the affected candidates are uncertain about their political future because will be difficult, if not impossible for them to content the election under the umbrella of an alternative party after Monday 14th February. That is the deadline for the political parties to withdraw or substitute their candidates for the forthcoming elections in April.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had published the names of all the prospective candidates in the April 2011 general elections. In most of the States there have been few surprises but, in these four States where the primaries were contentious, there were a few candidates who failed to win the status of being “ INEC-approved ” candidates for the general election.

In Ogun State, where the PDP primaries were particularly contentious and led to the two separate factions. One was allegedly spearheaded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in cahoots with the Minister of Commerce and Industry Jubril Martins-Kuye, while the other was led by outgoing Governor Gbenga Daniel. The two conducting separate primaries which came up with two different sets ofcandidates. However the Obasanjo faction recorded a major coup by beating Daniel's faction to the punch and getting its own list approved and published by INEC .

A notable casualty from the latter's unsuccessful faction is the Speaker of the House of Representatives , Dimeji Bankole, who had suddenly defected from the Obasanjo faction to the Gbenga Daniel faction. This was surprising because of the well documented hostility between Bankole and Daniel. Unfortunately for Bankole, his gamble failed to pay off because the INEC rejected the list produced by the Gbenga Daniel faction. The governor also lost out because he had won the senatorial ticket in the PDP primaries organised by his faction.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Niger Delta election overseen by 20,000 police officers

On Thursday 6th January Nigerians in the Niger Delta voted in a key state governor's ballot, ahead of the presidential elections in April. An estimated 20,000 police officers were deployed to the oil rich Niger Delta amid fears of violence and further bomb attacks, which occurred last week.

Nigerian police reported no violence but said it had made arrests in connection to several attempts to steal ballot boxes. The result of previous election in Delta State, in 2007, was annulled by a court because of suspected vote rigging and fraud allegations.

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, who flew out from Abuja to Delta State on Tuesday, has campaigned on behalf of Emanuel Uduaghan, a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and governor until the ballot annulment in November. Experts say the Delta State election will test the president's support in the state, ahead of the presidential elections later this year.

In the past, the Delta State elections have been known for outbreaks of violence and unrest, but this time the security was on high alert as voters went to the polls. Just days ago an election office was burned down in the state town of Ughelli, and a double bomb attack hit a political rally in the neighbouring state of Bayelsa. In a bid to ensure a peaceful electoral process, Delta State police spokesman, Charles Muka, said the authorities deployed 22,600 regular policemen in addition to bomb experts and more than 2,800 riot officers.

"The election has been very calm. No violence recorded anywhere. We had one or two places where there were attempts to snatch ballot boxes. We foiled them and arrests were quickly made," said Muka.

Sources: AFP, BBC News, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.