Fall of Jonathan’s men: What implication for
his re- election?
on january 10, 2015 at 4:00 am in politics
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BY HENRY UMORU, ASST POLITICAL EDITOR
AHEAD of next month’s general elections, the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP conducted its
primaries last year to field candidates for the
election based on the guidelines and timetable
provided by the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC.
The PDP primaries may have come and gone,
but their memories will linger for a very a long
time especially against the backdrop of the
performance of Jonathan’s men who resigned
to contest. Many of them, at the end of the
day, came out wounded, some humiliated,
defeated while some won with the support of
some powerful connection and influence.
One very interesting aspect of the primaries
was the mass resignation of Ministers, Special
Advisers and Special Assistants, those that
could be described as the President’s men
who left the cabinet to contest for the
governorship position in their respective
states. Following the tendering of letters of
resignation, the Ministers decided to test their
popularity in their various states, by
contesting the governorship primaries on the
platform of PDP.
Many overrated themselves and some possibly
had the notion that their states belonged to
them. There were those who felt that the name
of President Jonathan rang enough bell to
earn them tickets. They believed in the powers
of the Presidency to do and undo. They relied
on President Jonathan. Having served the
President well, it became a seeming statutory
right to emerge governors in their states.
If a minister in a President’s cabinet resigned
to contest for a higher political office, the
conclusion was that such ambition must
naturally enjoy the President’s support and
approval, after all they were President’s men.
They enjoyed the blaring of siren each time
they visited their States and had become not
only special but also high class people in their
states. Again, as top government officials
money was not going to be the problem.
Labaran Maku resigned from his position as
Minister of Information for the Nasarawa
Governorship race; Emeka Wogu resigned from
the Labour and Productivity Ministry for the
Abia race; Musiliu Obanikoro resigned as
Minister of State, Defence to contest for the
Lagos State governorship ticket; Nyesom Wike
left his office as Minister of State, Education
for the Rivers State governorship race; Prof.
Onyebuchi Chukwu resigned as Minister of
Health for the Ebonyi race; Dr. Samuel Ortom
resigned as Minister of State, Trade and
Investment for the Benue State governorship
race; Darius Ishaku resigned as Minister of
State, Niger Delta to contest the Taraba State
Governorship position and Elder Godsday
Orubebe resigned to contest for the Delta State
governorship ticket.
Bala Muhammad, Labaran Maku, Godsday
Orubebe and Stella Oduah
Bala Muhammad, Labaran Maku, Godsday
Orubebe and Stella Oduah
Besides the Ministers who resigned, there were
also Special Advisers, Special Assistants,
heads of parastatals like the Federal Character
Commission, FCC, Nigeria Social Insurance
Trust Fund, NSITF, among others.
As aspirants commenced campaigns ahead of
the primaries and because of the strength of
the office of the president, many aspirants
dropped his name as they went along in their
respective states, telling those who cared to
listen that they enjoyed the support of
President Goodluck Jonathan.
The President’s men thought they had all
what was required to navigate the murky
waters of Nigerian politics, having worked at
the federal level, with the President and
attending Federal Executive Council meetings.
They represented President Jonathan through
their ministries.
The Ministers had also concluded that the
mere mention of the President’s name or the
mere thought that they worked with the leader
of the party, would be enough to frighten and
scare away other contestants.
At worse, even if they lost, the President may
influence the outcome in their favour, after all,
they all sought his approval to quit the
cabinet in pursuit of more juicy political
package. They either got it wrong or were
wronged by the system they had served
doggedly.
Yes, some suffered protest votes and what
irked those who resented them was their
association with the Presidency and the
perceived arrogance even if there was non.
And the man they expected to help them
looked the other way, especially in keeping
with democratic principles.
The ministers had possibly dreamt of the past
where a sitting president would impose
candidates on the people in various states
without allowing such persons test how
popular they were.
But as it turned out, President Jonathan
appeared too busy to put a word cross to the
handlers of the primaries in various states or
force other contenders to drop their dreams.
But there alleged cases where his kinsmen
ensured the emergence of the President’s
favoured candidates.
However, they remain allegations even as
eyebrows are being raised on Rivers, Taraba
and one or two other states. The leadership of
the party was accused of having taken side
with some like in Akwa Ibom following its
quick endorsement of Governor Godswill
Akpabio’s zoning arrangement, that of
Adamawa, among others. In Delta, the
President’s kinsmen had their candidate.
But what picture does the President’s non
interference in many other cases where his
men failed paint? Is it a case of being a true
democrat, leader and father to all?
During campaigns, former Minister of
Information, Mr Labaran Maku who was so
optimistic of getting the PDP ticket for the
Nasarawa governorship race even boasted
after he appeared before the PDP governorship
screening committee at the Legacy House,
Abuja that his DNA was PDP.
Said he: “I believe in the party, I believe that
people should be in the party as a matter of
ideology and principles.
“Political parties are not just platforms for
elections, they are philosophical foundations
for the construction of our own democratic
infrastructure.
“As for me even if you test my DNA, it is PDP.
I’ am saying so because recently some of my
opponents who are so afraid of me in
Nasarawa State, who are scared of my
popularity in the party, who are scared of my
grassroots followership made my posters
under APC, they even designed some
billboards under APC and claimed that I have
left PDP. “The reason was because when we
were rebuilding the party they left to other
parties, when they came back the party was
solid and we were everywhere.
“I’ am very confident because it has been
years of hard work, years of loyalty to the
party, since 1999. I have served this party in
different capacities. I was commissioner of
information, deputy governor. I contested for
the seat in 2007. Somehow, I did not leave the
party like some others who migrated to other
parties looking for platforms to contest.
“I am bringing an experience beginning from
student unionism to journalism, a
development agent before going into politics
where I served as a commissioner, deputy
governor and a minister. If I go there I will be
the unifying force, I will bring development to
my people using my wealth of experience that
I have gathered throughout these years of
service to the nation. So I am ready to change
my state.”
After much political intrigues, manoeuvring,
backstabbing, permutations, the President’s
men lost out in the race of picking the
governorship ticket of their states. Even Maku
whose performance as minister of information
was a shining light for the Presidency failed to
enjoy the support of the same Presidency even
if you may not attribute his failure to that.
Except for former Minister of State, Education
and former Minister of State, Niger Delta,
Nyesom Wike and Darius Ishyaku who
emerged respectively as Rivers and Taraba
Candidates, other ministers like Labaran
Maku; Emeka Wogu, Musiliu Obanikoro; Prof.
Onyebuchi Chukwu; Samuel Ortom; Prof.
Sylvester Monye, among others failed to get
tickets.
At the end of the PDP gubernatorial primaries,
the following persons emerged. Akwa – Ibom
– Udom Emmanuel; Lagos – Jimi Agbaje;
Adamawa – Nuhu Ribadu; Enugu – Ifeanyi
Ugwuanyi; Jigawa – Aminu Ringim; Oyo –
Teslim Folarin; Cross River – Benedict Ayade;
Kaduna – Muktar Yero; Gombe – Ibrahim
Dankwambo; Rivers – Nyesom Wike; Delta –
Ifeanyi Okowa; Abia – Okezie Ikpeazu;
Nasarawa – Yusuf Agabi; Plateau – Gyang
Pwajok; Niger – Umar Nasko; Benue –
Terhemen Terzoor; Imo – Emeka Ihedioha; and
Ebonyi – Dave Umahi.
Others were Auwal Jatau for Bauchi; Senator
Abdallah Wali for Sokoto State; Salihu Sagir
Takai for Kano; Adamu Maina Waziri for Yobe;
Gambo Lawan for Borno; Engr. Musa Nashuni
for Katsina; Darius Ishaku for Taraba State,
Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi who was
defeated during the 2011 election became the
candidate of the party for Zamfara State,
among others.
Wike and Ishaku got theirs because of the
support from first lady Patience Jonathan and
former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus
Danjuma respectively.
Aside the governorship race, some of
Jonathan’s men who were very loyal and still
loyal like governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of
Delta State who had wanted to come to the
Senate to represent Delta South; Sullivan
Chime of Enugu; Martins Elechi of Ebonyi, all
with senatorial ambitions lost out. Uduaghan
did not contest as he withdrew few days to
the election allegedly on the advice of Mr.
President who wanted his fellow Ijaw man
James Manager to continue after 16 years as
senator. The emergence of Ifeanyi Okowo also
had the Ijaw touch although huge credit
should go to Uduaghan for providing a level
playing field. Ijaw man is Okowa’s running
mate and PDP appears to be united in Delta
although some candidates believed to be loyal
to Uduaghan are being substituted by those
they defeated in the primaries. Will they defect
too? Will APC gain from this?
That’s for DeltaJust as Senate Majority
Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma- Egba;
Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and
Business, Senator Solomon Ita Enang,
Chairman, Senate Committee on Women
Affairs, Senator Helen Esuene, Senator
Heineken Lokpobiri representing Bayelsa West,
among others lost out. Manager is tipped to
replace Victor Ndoma-Egba as Majority
Leader in the Senate. Presidential power, you
may say but he and few others who enjoyed
such support also played their game well. And
why did others fail?
Was it an indication that the Ministers were
merely Abuja politicians, even though Ortom
and Maku have dumped the PDP for the All
Progressives Congress, APC and the All
Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA
respectively as their governorship candidates
for next month’s election? Maku has
succeeded in flushing out his PDP DNA now
and having that of APGA. May be after the
election, he would then have a combination of
both.
Why the abysmal performance of Jonathan’s
men at the primaries? Could it be an
indication that he left them to be on their own
or was it that he worked against them and
what with those who suffered protest votes as
associates of the President?
These were those who were believed to parade
their association with the President as their
only quality and suffered protest votes. Wike in
Rivers would have suffered same but for the
doggedness of his team coupled with the
intimidating support of Patience Jonathan
who was allegedly quoted as vowing that Wike
would emerge the next governor of Rivers
State. So what happened to the other
President’s men? What does their failure
portend to the party in next month’s election?
Would it have an implication on President
Jonathan’s re- election bid? Will those who
lost out still remain committed to the victory
of the president?
Saturday Vanguard sought to know from PDP
leaders, Stakeholders on the implication of
Jonathan’s men losing at the primaries as the
party begins campaigns ahead of next
month’s general elections and here are their
comments.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa
Metuh noted that their failure to get the
tickets will not affect the President’s re-
election bid.
He said that some of them like Obanikoro are
powerful in their states which explained why
the PDP would want them to remain.
Also in his contribution, former Edo State
governor, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor said,
” This is a direct consequence of the internal
contradictions and manipulations which
characterised the primaries generally. I believe
that those who lost out know that President
Jonathan was not responsible for what
happened to them and have no reason to get
back at him by working against his
reelection.”
In his remarks, former Senate Chief Whip,
Senator Rowland Owie, said, “No implications
at all for Jonathan’s re-election. The problem
with most appointees to the Executive arms at
the federal and state levels,is that as soon as
they assume duties, they lose touch at the
grassroots, to fulfill the destructive parable of
” A FRIEND IN GOVERNMENT, IS A FRIEND
LOST”
“They no longer get in touch with the local
leaders and those who worked for the party to
win the elections on which basis they got the
appointments. Such appointees certainly can’t
win party primaries. However there are good
ones who maintain good relationship with
their constituents and when such seek elective
positions, they will surely get through. In
addition the failure of such Aides of the
President at various party primaries, go to
show that Mr. President does not interfere
with party primaries.”
Also reacting, the Political Adviser to Vice
President Namadi Sambo, Mallam Abba Dabo
who noted that it will not have any negative
effect on the party because they did not lose
to other parties, said that what happened was
a true democratic process, an indication that
the President never wanted to interfere in the
election process as against the wishes of the
people, adding, “Contest in PDP is very keen,
people think that as a minister, once you
come out, the deal is sealed, it is not true, the
party is democratic, everyone can win, we had
an array of contestants. In other smaller
parties, once you come out to contest, you
become a colossus, it is not the same in PDP.
PDP allowed both the Ministers and non
ministers to come out and contest.”
In his contribution, former Minister of
Transport and member, PDP Board of
Trustees, BoT, Chief Ebenezer Babatope said,
“Not at all, it will not have any effect on
President Goodluck Jonathan’s re- election
bid. What happened to them was that he did
not lift his hand to influence the process, he
did not influence the decision of the
electorate; it is a plus for the president, what
happened boosted the image of Jonathan as
did not interfere in the choice of the people.”
But there are party faithful who are not
comfortable that many of those who remained
loyal to the President and were known to have
played tremendous roles in serving the party
were schemed out or outplayed in the
primaries.
“You can’t ignore the influence of some people
who will not likely to be committed to the
Presidential election any more,” one PDP party
faithful said. For the fear of being tagged anti
party he preferred anonymity. Same with a
party chieftain who spoke from Enugu. Said
he: “There’s no way this crash by President’s
loyalists will not reflect in the election results.
It will not make Jonathan lose but he will
surely lose some votes.”
Many in the opposition parties feel that the
crash of President’s men will be to their
advantage. Even a sitting governor has moved
his loyalists to another party in Ebonyi State.
Also contributing, former Member, House of
Representatives, and Executive Secretary, Anti-
Corruption Network, Otunba Dino Melaye said,
“Nine Ministers have resigned from
Jonathan’s cabinet to contest political offices
primaries. (Nyesom) Wike (Rivers PDP
governorship candidate) bulldozed to win.
Seven Ministers lost their primaries. That is
the pronouncement of the disenchantment of
Nigerians against the government of
Jonathan. The PDP is a Trojan Horse, Nigeria
is in the Intensive Care Unit, Nigeria is in the
Hospital. The time for our rejuvenation is now.
General Muhammadu Buhari is the only
answer, antidote and remedy to corruption.”
In his contribution, a member of the 2014
National Conference and Executive Director,
Human Rights Monitor, Barrister Festus Okoye
said, “Different considerations other than the
political travails of some of the Ministers and
Special Advisers will determine the outcome of
the 2015 elections. Some of the Ministers had
no concrete base in their states and relied on
Federal might. Unfortunately for some of them
domestic realities played a major role in their
defeat. Barring electoral fraud and Violence ,
Religion,ethnicity, money, inc**bency and
performance will determine the outcome of the
2015 elections.”
In his contribution, former governor of
Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife
who described the primaries conducted as
imposition by those he described as cabal in
the system, stressed merit, success and ability
were thrown out, just as he said that the
Ministers went to conduct the primaries and
the people told them how they a****s them,
adding that the defeat of the Ministers during
the primaries would not have any connection
with the President’s re- election.
He said, ” we are not doing democracy, I will
talk on this after the election. I have always
spoken in support of a two party system. A
cabal is bringing out people instead of the
people doing that. Only direct primary election
is the way forward. What we have now is
imposition by a cabal and not democracy.
APC does not do direct primary, PDP does not
do direct primary, you must select candidates
on the opinion of the people and not on
persons.
“In Ebonyi, the Minister of Health who fought
Ebola with international recognition and who
ought to have won the primaries was not
given, merit does not count, success does not
count, ability does not count, only who
supports you. “
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Comments

nice write up

History is replete with the rise n fall of many empires n kingdoms.
The same factors are also responsible for the imminent implosion of the PDP. Avarice, dissent, usurpation and repression of the rights of the populace and the greatest of them all, in the Nigerian context, grand larceny!
"Mene mene teckel" the handwriting is on the wall.