Opposition parties dribble Jonathan

By Festus Owete

February 20, 2011 02:08PM


President Goodluck Jonathan’s relationship with about 21 opposition parties which recently pledged to support him in the April 9 elections has gone sour. The president, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reportedly angry that the same parties have also met his All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) counterpart, Ibrahim Shekarau and pledged their support for him. The parties are Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP),

Action Party of Nigeria (APN), Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN), National Majority Democratic Party (NMDP), Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Nigeria People Congress (NPC), Action Alliance (AA) and Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD).

The others are New Democrats (ND), Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), United Democratic Party (UDP), Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Change Advocacy Party (CAP), Movement for Democratic and Justice (MDJ), United National Party for Development (UNPD), Advance Congress of Democrats (ACD) and Accord Party (AP).

The parties, under the aegis of the Patriotic Electoral Alliance (PEAN) had, at the flagging off of the presidential rally of the PDP on February 7 in Lafia, Nasarawa State assured the crowd that they will work for the victory of the Jonathan-Sambo ticket.

The vice chairman of the alliance, Shittu Mohammed, who represented the group at the rally, read out the names of the 21 parties as Mr Jonathan, his deputy, Namadi Sambo, acting chairman of the PDP, Bello Mohammed and other party chieftains, all of whom were on the podium, applauded. Mr Jonathan was so excited that he took the list from Mr Shittu.

Curiously, 16 of the parties that went to Lafia were in Kano the previous weekend where they reportedly gave their support to Mr Shekarau. They were led by the national chairman of the National Movement of Progressive Party, Lawrence Atuwana.

In a statement to the media, Mr Atuwana said that the parties resolved to support the Kano State governor after considering a number of factors. “Having X-rayed the personality, political antecedents and ability of the present governor of Kano State, we call on all Nigerians of voting age, irrespective of religious, political or tribal affiliation, to offer their complete and unwholesome support to a man who for eight years has held Kano State stable, peaceful and, above all, a place for every Nigerian to live and earn his/her living,” he said. “Considering Shekarau’s accomplishment in different areas of human development in Kano, there is no better person to be entrusted with the leadership of the country at this critical juncture of our history. We have collectively and voluntarily agreed to avail Shekarau of the structure of our parties from the wards to the national level to work towards realization of Shekarau presidency come April this year.” A source who was at the event said the statement was drafted by Mr Shekarau’s aide and given to the party leaders to read.

Mr Jonathan was reportedly livid to hear that the same parties had met Mr Shekarau two days earlier in Kano and announced their support for the governor. The president was said to have told the parties to immediately “put their house in order” if they want to work with him.

A presidency source said, “It is not as if the parties can make any impact during the election, but it is a morale booster for the president for having 25 parties pledging to work with him.”

Briefcase parties

A senior member of the ANPP, who does not want to be named, said it was all in the game of politics. “It is a strange thing. These are registered parties and they know what they are looking for. The thing is that when they say they are coming, you can’t say they should not come. These are brief case parties and this is their time to go marketing,” he said. “They have been coming to me too. They have been phoning me. I don’t want to look ridiculous. A politician cannot turn anybody back. So, it is left for you journalists to judge.” Efforts to speak with Sule Yau Sule, media aide to Mr Shekarau were not successful. However, his running mate, John Odigie-Oyegun confirmed that some parties visited his principal in Kano to pledge their support for him, but refused to give further details.

The leadership of patriotic alliance confirmed that there has indeed been some controversy over the trip. Mr Mohammed, who is the vice chairman of the group, said leaders of six of the parties mentioned have denied making the Kano trip.

“My party was not among them. Six of them have refuted the report that they made the trip. Even one of the chairmen, the Accord Party chairman who reportedly made the trip was there in Lafia with me,” he said. “We don’t know what Shekarau wanted to achieve with that.” Mr Mohammed also said that his party, the Republican Party of Nigeria, does not involve itself in political prostitution. “In RPN, we don’t jump about. Is it money you are going to give myself here? I am young but I am not hungry,” he said.

Abba Dabo, the director of media and publicity of the Jonathan-Sambo Presidential Campaign Council said he was not aware that the same parties which pledged their support for Mr Shekarau, appeared in Lafia.

“Do you think they are the same group? I think it is for you to find out,” Mr Dabo told NEXT in a telephone chat on Friday.

Mr Dabo couldn’t confirm if Mr Jonathan reached any agreement with the parties to accommodate them in a Government of National Unity (GNU) if he wins. “I cannot speak on this matter. Only the acting chairman (of PDP) can speak on it,” he said.

On his part, Mr Mohammed said the support for the president was borne out of a desire to ensure the unity of the country and not to get any monetary gift or appointment.

An alliance of equals

PEAN was formed last year when 37 registered political parties met to deliberate on how to confront the PDP in the forthcoming elections. Convened by former Lagos State governor, Lateef Jakande, and Rasheed Shitta-Bey, the group’s goal was “to field common candidates at all electoral levels to win elections and govern as a united front.” At its third pre-inaugural meeting, the alliance agreed to reconvene on Wednesday, November 24 for the election of the national executive council. Consequently, each party was asked to send three delegates to the working session to constitute the NEC and the other working committees. The three delegates included the national chairman of the party, the national secretary and one other member.

In November last year, about 16 of the parties and the ANPP agreed to work together during the elections to form a formidable group. The group was led to the meeting by Maxo Okwu, the national chairman of CPP, who challenged the ANPP to provide quality leadership for the opposition groups to ensure that Nigeria does not become a one-party state, which he said could truncate the nation’s democracy.

“I believe that ANPP should go back. When you have one way rule, democracy will die. Try to energise your party, we urge you to do more,” he said. “The next contest must be a clear contest. If PDP is one goal post, please come and help us to man the other goal post. Democracy must grow and we must make it grow.” At the meeting, the ANPP chairman, Ogbonnaya Onu pledged to lead the other opposition parties against the ruling PDP in the general elections.

Mr Onu, criticised the PDP for giving Nigerians poor leadership in the last 12 years, saying if the ANPP collaborates with the other parties, they (Nigerians) will have the change they are yearning for.

“By the time they see us, they will know that something is happening in Nigeria and that people are ready for change. Let us never doubt what we can achieve if we work together. The time has come for change in Nigeria and we are the apostles of that change.” The ANPP national chairman said that most of the problems confronting the country are self-inflicted and can be solved, stressing “we are asking Nigerians to give us the opportunity to lead the country. If one party (PDP) has failed the nation, there are 62 other parties.”

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