Tuesday Column By VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO
vikeano@yahoo.co.uk | 08033077519
Mystery of 2027 race is potential participation of former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. A faction of the PDP, specifically the Tanimu Turaki-led faction announced to the world that he registered with them. They were later to announce that they had sold expression of interest/presidential nomination forms to him. A day to the date fixed for his screening by that faction, they declared that Jonathan had been granted a waiver. In other words, he would be their consensus, sole presidential candidate? A veteran journalist, former two-term governor a potential nd ally of President Tinubu Chief Segun Osoba, appeared to give some credence to Jonathan’s entry into the race when he remarked that Obi, Makinde, Atiku and Jonathan are part of a gang up plot to deplete southern base. His words, “They are plotting to field several candidates from our region in the south. Obi has emerged, Jonathan is quietly waiting in the background and Makinde has been grandstanding. All these appear to be attempts to divide votes from the south”. A federal high court has just given a boost to the former president’s potential entry into the race by reaffirming that he is eligible to contest. Expectedly, the Turaki-led PDP faction hailed this judgment.
Nevertheless, the mystery of Jonathan contesting 2027 presidential election as per Turaki’s assertions is that there are no pictures of him buying or being handed the expression of interest/presidential nomination forms; no photographs of him proudly displaying these forms as all presidential aspirants are wont to do; there is no picture/video of a proper gathering/event where he was affirmed as the consensus candidate for the party. Still, proponents and supporters continue to push this narrative and not a few persons believe it —- that his name would be in the 2027 ballot. More so, everyone is reminded that in politics, not least Nigerian politics, anything is possible. Nonetheless, there is still a hurdle which is that the Turaki-led faction is not recognized by INEC. Its only executives of FCT minister, Nyesom Wike led faction’s names that appear on INECs portal as authentic PDP with Abdulrahman Mohammed’s name (not Turaki’s) displayed as its chairman. Still it may be argued that Turaki and company probably have something up their sleeves that they are seriously guarding in order not to have their plans truncated by political opponents as being currently witnessed by some parties and that they would most probably unveil the Jonathan candidature at the very last minute when nothing else can be done about it, ipso facto. His Excellency, Goodluck Jonathan himself has neither confirmed nor denied his anticipated entry into the 2027 race, thereby deepening the mystery and drama. As it is, it is only INEC’s publication of all contestants that can settle this matter. My sensing is that it will turn out to be a ruse, a farce.
At long last, the much anticipated presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was held this week with former vice president, Wazirin Adamawa recording a landslide victory. He defeated two other contestants, viz, former two term Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, former two-term governor of Rivers state, former two term Minister of Transportation, Hon. Amaechi and former chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Alhaji Hayatu-deen. While Hayatu-deen quietly boycotted the final collation process in protest over what he called ‘malpractices’ during the primary election, Amaechi is literally threatening fire and brimstone. He said that the result was unacceptable to him because of what he described as manipulation and reportedly stated that he would be heading to the court. Not even the legendary diplomacy and military discipline of their chairman, former senate president David Mark could pacify Amaechi at a closed door meeting. Between Amaechi and Wke who is more toxic to Atiku? In 2022 when Wike then Rivers state governor lost the PDP presidential ticket to Atiku and also the vice presidential slot, he quietly returned home to Port Harcourt, ostensibly to lick his wounds while planning how to get back at the 2023 PDP presidential flag bearer for ignoring him for the position of vice presidential candidate as the runner up in that election. From the grapevine it was said that the reason Atiku overlooked Wike was because of his seeming cantankerous and domineering character. While Wike publicly vent out his anger much later, Amaechi is pouring out his anger here and now. After all said and done would Amaechi be eventually persuaded to accept being the ADC vice presidential candidate? Would Atiku agree to make him his running mate after his vociferous outbursts? Only time would tell.
There was some drama when Oyo state governor, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde formally declared his intention to run for the presidency before a mammoth crowd in Ibadan. He announced that he would be running under an alliance of PDP and APM (Allied Peoples Movement). This is confusing. Factional chairman of the PDP, Turaki was present at the declaration event. Recall that Makinde and Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed were the only two governors remaining in the party when all the others defected to the ruling APC. Bala’s negotiation for an APC cross over did not come through so he finally decamped to APM. Rather than confuse people, Makinde should simply say that he is contesting under the APM and that he would be supported by the Turaki faction of PDP. I sense that Makinde would fly APM’s presidential flag with Bala serving as his running mate or vice versa. We wait to see what really transpires at end of the day.
Wike’s faction of the PDP of which he is the national leader continue to sail through seamlessly apparently in comparison to some other opposition parties. It has just unveiled its presidential candidate, former PDP Cross River State governorship candidate, Sandy Onor at a national convention for formal collation and affirmation as the consensus candidate. It also has a smattering of Governorship candidates, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates scattered across the country, Some of those who did not make it in the APC primaries defected to PDP where they are now candidates. Among them is Professor Isa Pantanmi former Communications minister who is now the PDP gubernatorial candidate for Gombe state. Quite a number of incumbent lawmakers that crossed over from opposition PDP and Labour parties to the ruling APC hoping that they would easily get return tickets failed in their bids. However, there is still no word in the political lexicon for Wike’s role in current dispensation. He is the de jure national leader of the opposition PDP and de facto leader of the ruling APC in Rivers state. What do we call this kind of combined posts? Perhaps Nigerians can manufacture a word for it which can then be incorporated into the Oxford English dictionary. Kingsly Chinda APC governorship candidate for Rivers state is an ally of the FCT minister, apparently nominated by him. Incumbent governor Sim Fubara ironically withdrew from the race.
Of the five ministers that resigned from President Tinubu’s cabinet to contest for elective positions, only two were successful, namely, Nkeiruka Onyeijeocha (former Minister of state for Labour, Employment and Productivity) who comfortably won her primaries to return to the House of Representatives and former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs (Yusuf Sununu). Recall that Onyeijeocha was drafted from the National Assembly into the cabinet. Former Minister of Transportation (Saidu Alkali), former Foreign Affairs Minister (Yusuf Tuggar) and former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu all failed in their governorship bids. Apparently in resigning, they hoped more or less, that they had the backing of Mr. President.
A deputy Commissioner of Police, DSP Mohammed Ahmed (retired) foiled Senator Danjuma Goje’s fifth term bid for the Senate in Gombe. All three incumbent Ekiti state senators won their primary election just as the leadership of the senate similarly triumphed except for Deputy Senate Leader Oyelola Ashiru that lost his third term bid to Muheebat Dankaka, the Erelu of Offa. Altogether, the senate shall be populated by former governors. There shall be more of them in 2027, just as there shall be in the national and state assemblies, a sprinkling of relatives of some former Heads of state, traditional rulers and other high ranking persons in society. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu who had been warming up to take over from Labour governor, Alex Otti, withdrew from the Abia APC governorship primary election and settled instead for a return to the House. After losing out yet again in his attempt to be governor in Oyo state, a former Communications Minister, Adebayo Shittu announced that he is retiring from active politics and would now concentrate on religious affairs. Editor please add this last sentence.
There was an uncommon twist when Kwara state governor, Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman switched allegiance at the 11th hour from his previous chosen successor, Ambassador Yahaya Seriki to a new one, Rt.Hon. Saliu Danladi, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly. The Speaker of course clinched the APC ticket as did all aspirants supported by their governors.
