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TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2015 THE NATION POLITICS 47 E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net All Progressives Congress (APC) senators-elect eyeing the Senate Presidency are lobbying party leaders to achieve their ambition. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the issues that will shape the contest and the chances of the contenders. FIVE All Progressives Congress (APC) senators - North), Who ? - George Akume (Benue Northwest), Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), Ahmad Lawan (Yobe succeeds Senate President Mark Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) and Adamu Abdullahi (Nasarawa West) -- are in the race for Senate president. They are lobbying for the support of leaders and stakeholders to become the number three citizen. The ranking senators, except Lawan, are former governors and leaders of the party in their states. Akume ruled Benue State between 1999 and 2007. Goje, Abdullahi and Saraki were governors in Gombe, Nasarawa and Kwara states. In addition, Goje and Abdullahi are former Ministers of State. Three of the aspirants-Akume, Saraki and Abdullahi -- are from the Northcentral. They were also compatriots in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before they defected to the opposition party. Two aspirants-Goje and Lawan-are from the Northeast. All of them are eminently qualified to succeed the out-going Senate President, Gen. David Mark, who will become a floor member or the arrowhead of the opposition legislators in the next legislative dispensation. Had the Southeast and Southsouth not committed a political blunder in the recent elections, the Senate presidency would have been automatically zoned to either of the two zones. But, the senators-elect from the two regions belong to the PDP. The next Senate President will be the 13th Head of the National Assembly. In the First Republic, Nigeria had three Senate Presidents-the late Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe (1960), the late Chief Dennis Osadebay (1960- 1963) and the late Dr, N wafor Orizu (1963-1966). They belonged to the defunct National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC). In the Second Republic, Dr. Joseph Wayas (1979-1983), a chieftain of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), was the only Senate President. In the aborted Third Republic, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu (1992-1993) and Ameh Ebute (1993) served as Senate Presidents. They were chieftains of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). In the last 16 years, five Senate Presidents-the late Chief Evan Enwerem (1999), Dr. Chuba Okadigbo (1999-2000), Pius Ayim (2000-2003), Adolphus Wabara (2003-2005), Ken. Nnamani (2005-2007 and Gen. David Mark (2007-2015)-have been elected. They are PDP chieftains. The Senate President is second in line for the succession to the Presidency in the time of emergency. In the First Republic, when Nigeria practiced parliamentary system, the Senate President acted as the President when the ceremonial President was temporarily absent. In the Fourth Republic, the Presidents have shown keen interest in the antecedents and pedigrees of contestants for the number three position out of the fear that a strong Senate President may facilitate their impeachment, if they do not enjoy cordial relations. In the past, the President usually put his feet down on his choice for the position. The approach has unleashed acrimonious selection process and engendered bitterness. Thus, between 1999 and 2007, the Senate leadership did not enjoy stability of tenure. In eight years, the Senate had five Senate Presidents. Three of them were impeached by their colleagues. But, it appears the APC is now trying to democratise the selection process by giving opportunities to interested senators to vie. Also, the National Party Caucus is also brainstorming and managing the antagonistic ambitions of aspirants so that it will not be detrimental to party cohesion and unity. It is not clear whether the Chief John Odigie- Oyegun-led party has zoned the slot to any of the geo-political regions in the North. But, there is a consensus that the next Senate President should come from the North. So far, there is no agitation for the •Akume •Lawan zoning of the position to the Northwest, which has produced the President-elect. The Northcentral has intensified its agitation for the position, following the outcome of the National Assembly elections. Also, a prominent APC leader from the Northeast, Senator Abba Bukar Ibrahim, who was the governor of Yobe State between 1999 and 2007, has urged the party to zone the seat to the region. He said the move will give the zone a sense of belonging and foster equity and justice in the party. Bukar has not shown interest in the race. However, other stakeholders from the zone have a contrary opinion. In their view, it is better to agitate for the zoning of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the Northeast, because, in their view, this is more realistic. No fewer than six legislators from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states are lobbying the party leadership to become the Speaker. Last week, apparently to douse the brewing tension over the scramble for the slot, APC National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Layiwola Mohammed clarified that the party has not taken any definite position on the zoning of the Senate Presidency. But, the scheming has •Saraki •Abdullahi •Goje •Mark been intensified by the aspirants and their supporters. There are six states in the Northcentral. They are Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kwara and Kogi. Benue State has always been the beneficiary of the position in the past. It has produced Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, Senator Ahmed Ebute and Gen. Mark. Plateau has produced a Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu. Also, Nasarawa produced former Deputy Senate President Haruna Abubakar. Three states-Niger, Kwara and Kogi-have not enjoyed the slot since 1999. However, senators-elect from Kogi, Kwara and Niger will not be ranking senators when the Upper Chamber is inaugurated in June. As green horns, they may not be eligible to contest. The lone exception is Saraki, the Chairman of the Senate Commitee on Environment and Ecology, who was reelected at the recent elections. Northcentral APC leaders agitating for the seat have pointed out that the zone mobilised support for the party with resounding success. Apart from Benue, where Akume has been an undisputed leader and the party has now won two senatorial seats, other states have resisted the opposition party since the restoration of civil rule. The New PDP, which defected from the main PDP and dissolved into the APC, altered the trend. In the recent elections, APC won the governorship polls and most of the parliamentary seats, except in Kogi, where there was no governorship contest. However, observers have raised some questions: will religion be a factor? Will ethnic balancing play a role? Presidentelect Buhari is a Fulani Muslim. Akume is a Christian. Saraki, Goje, and Abudullahi are Muslims. To observers, this is a non-issue. When Obasanjo, a Christian, was the President, Chief Evan Enwerem, the late Chuba Okadigbo and Senator Pius Ayim, who were Senate Presidents, were Christians. A senator-elect, who gave an insight into how the Senate President will emerge, said: “The next Senate will select the principal officers based on merit, competence, capacity and performance in past leadership positions.” The five aspirants are likely to meet these criteria. According to party sources, certain party leaders are rooting for Akume. The former Benue governor has been described as a cool, mature and committed party man, who braced the odds to make the APC a successful platform in the state. As governor for eight years, his achievements are evergreen. In 2007, Akume had indicated interest in the seat. Although the PDP favoured Mark for the position, he said there was no provision in the constitution forbidding any senator from the opposition party from vying for the seat. He later emerged as the Senate Minority Leader. But, former governors and governorselect appear to be gravitating towards Saraki, a youthful, hardworking and result-oriented politician with a mass appeal in his state. In the Second Republic, his illustrious father, the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, was the Senate Leader. He is interested in surpassing the achievement of the late Waziri of Ilorin in the Senate. The former Kwara governor and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) defected with all the notable PDP chieftains to the APC, making the PDP a shadow of itself in the Northcentral state. During the general elections, the party, under his leadership, won the governorship poll and 95 percent of parliamentary seats. Although it has also been pointed out that Saraki is Yoruba, his supporters have said that this does not invalidate the fact that he is a Northerner. Lawan is also a serious contender. Sources said that he has the support of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Northeast APC governors and leaders. The zone has 15 senators and APC has 90 per cent of the House of Representatives members from the zone. Lawan has been described as a highly dependable party man and committed to party discipline and supremacy. The Senate is made up of 109 senators. Sixty five are from the APC. The PDP has 44 members. Therefore, opposition senators may also play a significant role in the choice of the Senate President, especially if there is no consensus or there is a split in the rank of APC senators. Out-going Senate President Mark is also scheming to retain the seat. He has 44 senators behind him. Therefore, he is hoping to profit from the split in the APC caucaus in the Senate. The calculation is that, if the Northcentral fails to put its house in order, the APC Senate caucus may go for a contender from the Northeast. But, if the split persists, Mark may capitalise on the division to project himself as a suitable candidate. A party source said the APC national leaders are not oblivious of the implications for the APC as the next ruling party. “Our leaders are trying to put their house in order so that the struggle for power at the Senate will not create problems for the new government at the centre. They are trying to build consensus and make members to project the larger, collective interest of the party, instead of projecting personal interests,” added the source.
48 THE NATION TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2015 ‘ The ruling PDP in Benue went into both the presidential and National Assembly elections and the governorship and state House of Assembly elections as a divided house ’ Group challenges Buhari on corruption terest in African affairs, Jose Foundation, has urged President-elect, Mohammadu Buhari, to fight corruption. In a statement in London, the foundation also canvassed for the setting up of a shadow government by the opposition, as it is practised in the United Kingdom, to checkmate the incoming government and help fight corruption rather than defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The statement signed by its President, Prince Martins Abhulimhen, congratulated Gen. Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan for his support for the incoming government. Abhulimhen added that the foundation is at an advanced stage of organising a technical workshop in London targeted at Nigerian politicians, as part of its contributions towards strengthening democracy in Nigeria. According to him, the workshop will educate and enlighten politicians on the need to set up a shadow government to check the activities of the ruling government and proffer solutions when and where necessary. Gen. Buhari recently expressed THE Coordinator of the Young Achievers Campaign Organisation of Nigeria (YACOON), Temitope Adewale, has urged the Lagos State Governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode, to tackle youth restiveness when he assumes office. Adewale said the youth voted for the governor-elect because of his pledge to tackle unemployment and social decadence in the society. The coordiantor added that youths were swayed by the campaign promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC ), adding that they voted for the party at all levels. Adewale said youths take to crime because of idleness and the lack of an enduring programme to keep them busy. He said they often succumb to the temptation of being used as political thugs during elections. He said some of the youths fronting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not do so on the conviction that the party would address their problems, but because of By Muyiwa Lucas reservations over politicians defecting to the APC, saying “I hope the people that are defecting will accept the fact that they are joining the people who succeeded. So, I don’t think they will just come and say they want to be ministers next month, simply because they were ministers before.” The foundation, Abhulimhen added, “will contribute its technical know-how to assist Nigerian politicians in setting up the shadow cabinet, to help deepen the culture of democracy, in the context of the evolving political order.” Abhulimhen advised Gen. Buhari “to look beyond party to get honest Nigerians who will serve Nigerians and put the interest of the country beyond selfish interests.” He noted that Nigeria is blessed with many qualified and enlightened men and women that will be useful in the new Nigeria and that the President-elect should look both within and outside the country, with a view of inviting capable hands to move the country forward. The foundation’s president called on well meaning Nigerians to cooperate with the incoming government, so that it can deliver dividends of democracy to the benefit of the people. Youths urge Ambode to tackle restiveness By Musa Odoshimokhe what they stood to benefit immediately. Adewale said: “Many of the youths that portrayed themselves as Jimi Agbaje’s fans did not have permanent voter’s cards (PVC), talk less of getting out to vote; all they know how to do is to use the social media, read and learn politics on Linda Ikeji’s blog. “On the other hand, the APC governorship candidate, now Governorelect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode had the most awkward fans, ranging from the artisans to the motor parks, Unions, students, professionals and all the way to the grassroots and this are the real electorates. “The youths of Lagos decided, they believe in Ambode and with Ambode they stood for victory. But, as much as the victory is worth celebrating, it is also most important to state that the hope and the expectations of the electorate must be met.” NON-governmental organisation (NGO) with in- Aternational network and in- •Gbajabiamila THAT Femi Gbajabiamila carries himself like a true leader, is not new. That he acts and talks the part is also not new. That he is a nationalist is not new as well because his antecedent speaks volume but what is new is that he’s never been the leader of the ruling party in the House of Representatives. As the House’s ‘Minority Whip’ leader, Gbajabiamila was many things. He was the voice of the House as well as the enforcer. He pushed that democracy be practiced in Nigeria like in developed countries. For starters, lets refresh on the role of a ‘Whip’ and how Gbajabiamila played the part. “A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party’s “enforcers,” who typically offer inducements and threaten party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy. A whip’s role is also to ensure that the elected representatives •From left: Senators-elect Biodun Olujimi; Monsurat Sunmonu and Jonah Jang, at an induction on legislative studies for new lawmakers in Abuja..yesterday. ‘ Gbajabiamila: Eyeing number four seat Gbajabiamila is not one who shies away from his responsibilities and actions as a leader ’ of their party are in attendance when important votes are taken.” In the House, Gbajabiamila held sway because of his stance against mismanagement, poor leadership and political immaturity. He vehemently kicked against the defection from one party to another, hammering on the need for Nigerian politicians to have and hold onto a set of political beliefs, ideology and philosophy. Gbajabiamila pretty much summed himself up in his book: “Fearless: the Emergence Of A Virile And Formidable Opposition Leader (Political Memoirs of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila) preparing himself for the big stage, only that, this time he will go from opposition leader to the leader of the ruling party, a position he has prepared himself for and one that has waited for him. His panache and zest as Minority Whip leader was contagious and staggering. His colleagues always listened when he spoke. His oratorial prowess and his ability to convey his messages in the best possible fashion made him an item in every gathering. As Minority Whip leader, he pushed Nigeria and Nigerians. He pushed the ruling party, he pushed his colleagues in the opposition but above all he pushed himself even beyond his own comprehension. Why should he be the 8th Speaker of the House of Representative? As head of the ad hoc committee investigating claims by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON that 140.9 billion naira, which was owed by Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited and Forte Oil Plc, has been paid, Gbajabiamila did a thorough job ensuring that the House also passed Money Laundering and Terrorism Amendment Bills. That’s why Asiwaju BolaTinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress described Gbajabiamila as “an inspiration to many of the members of the House of Representatives today who are working tirelessly to see Nigeria chart a new course and are very so committed to changes, content of the character of the country, adding a great value and commitment to national development and progress of this country”. Gbajabiamila is not one who shies away from his responsibilities and actions as a leader. To preserve the democracy of Nigeria, he was once forced to scale the gate of the House of Representatives. On his Facebook page, he wrote of his action: “What happened in the National Assembly yesterday will forever live in infamy. Never thought I would see the day when I would be forced to go over the assembly gates where I work to gain access into the chambers.” Why PDP lost Benue, by stakeholders A FTER ruling Benue State for 16 years, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in a good position to win the April 11 governorship elections. But, Governor Gabriel Suswam handed the state over to All Progressives Congress (APC) during the election. What really went wrong? In the view of observers, the PDP shot itself in the foot when during the primaries it handed over its governorship ticket to an inexperienced politician. This was coupled with myriad of problems that confronted the Benue chapter of the party, prior to the general elections. The problems include from the non-payment of salaries, which had accu- From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi mulated for about six months as at the time of the elections. Pensioners were also being owed arrears of their entitlements, and teachers were also aggrieved over the non-implementation of the national minimum wage policy. In fact, the teachers were on strike at the time. Local government workers are not left out; they have been at loggerheads with the government over complaints about heavy deduction from their monthly salaries. The explanation by the Suswamled administration that it was as a result of the reduction in allocations from the Federation Account, due to the slump in oil prices, fell on the deaf ears. The aggrieved workers left no one in doubt that they were going to extract their pound of fresh from the ruling party during the election. Apart from the issue of salary which contributed to the defeat, another factor that worked against the party was political patronage. Most elders in the party were aggrieved that the governor had abandoned them, by leaning on a new generation of politicians like John Tondo,Bob Tyough, Bernard Nenge, Chris Aba and Terseer Adzuu. But, one of the factors that led to the fall of the PDP was the emergence Hon. Terhemen Tarzoor, a young and inexperienced candidate. About 18 aspirants jostled for the ticket. They include: Chief Samuel Ortom (now Governor-elect on the platform of the APC), Chief Mike Aondoakaa, Eugene Aliegba, Alex Adum Hinga Biem and Tivlumun Nyitse. Sure of them were members Governor Suswam’s cabinet, either as commissioners or permanent secretaries. Most of them sought and got the blessing of the governor before they resigned to join the governorship race. That implied an assurance from the governor that he would support each of them. However, ahead of the primaries approached, another dimension was introduced into the campaign. “It was rumoured that the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience, anointed Hon. Tarzor to succeed Suswam and this generated tension among the aspirants and PDP members generally,” a source said. They vowed to resist the attempt by an outsider to impose a candidate on the people of Benue State. When Tarzoor finally emerged as the PDP governorship candidate, there was a huge crack within the ranks of the party, as no less than 12 aggrieved governorship aspirants worked against him at the general election. “The ruling PDP in Benue went into both the presidential and National Assembly elections and the governorship and state House of Assembly elections as a divided house; their supporters worked against the party’s interest and it was obvious that defeat loomed for the party,” the source added. After Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of the presidential election, Chief Barnabas Gemade defeated Suswam and the Senate Minority Leader George Akume won his re-election. It was too late to do something to stop the looming defeat at the governorship poll.
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