Defectors driven by personal interest – Yunusa
They are attracted by Buhari’s achievements – APC chieftain
Mark’s committee will reconcile all aggrieved members – Ologbondiyan
BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE, AKINWALE ABOLUWADE, BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, TIMOTHY AGBOR AND MAYOWA SAMUEL
The Peoples Democratic Party is desperately working to put a stop to the embarrassing defections of party loyalists from its fold, The Point has learnt. This is coming just as there have been disquiet and tension in the polity as the ruling All Progressives Congress continues to harvest the defections of prominent politicians into its fold, especially from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
However, stakeholders are concerned that the APC is embracing some PDP politicians with alleged criminal records and those that have been hostile to the ruling party.
Throughout last week the opposition party was frantically searching for a solution to the almost intractable crises rocking it which had provided a fertile ground for the recent exodus from the once ruling party.
National publicity secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party boasts of more experienced hands in politics and governance, though he would not emphatically comment on the effect of defection of high profile members to another party.
He is certain that the eight-man reconciliatory committee set up by the party and headed by former Senate President, David Mark, will do a very good job.
Ologbondiyan claimed that the party has a far better internal crisis management mechanism than the APC as a political party and even as a government, saying, “PDP has earned the trusts of Nigerians and our party will do better when given another opportunity to lead Nigeria again.”
Sokoto State Governor, who also doubled as the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, said on Friday after the national caucus meeting that “We have just risen from our 40th meeting of the national caucus of our great party, the PDP, where we have resolved to submit to the NEC of our party tomorrow recommendation from the national working committee for the National Convention of our party, to be held between Friday, 30th of October to Saturday, 31st of October. The venue will be determined tomorrow by NEC (Saturday).
“Also, this distinguished body had empaneled eight distinguished leaders of our party under the able leadership of ex-President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, to interface with our leaders who are involved in these issues of court, so that all court matters can be now withdrawn and then for normalcy to continue to return to the party.
“I appeal on behalf of this body to all well meaning members of our party in the interest of the party to shield their swords and let us embrace peace because Nigeria is waiting for PDP; and I believe that we have the capacity to resolve whatever issues we have internally.”
People had been worried at the sudden turn of events where PDP members seek solace in the same opposition party they had previously abused and derided.
They cited the case of a former Minister of Aviation in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and a serving Senator, Stella Oduah, who recently dumped the PDP and joined the APC in Abuja. She is the latest of high profile member of the former ruling party who joined the APC recently.
Recall that in June Peter Nwaoboshi, senator representing Delta north, also defected to the APC from the PDP.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned Nwaoboshi and his two firms – Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd — in 2018 before Mohammed Idris, a judge, who was later elevated to the Court of Appeal.
They were then re-arraigned before Chukwujekwu Aneke on October 5, 2018.
In the two-count charge marked FHC/L/117C/18, the EFCC alleged that the defendants laundered N322 million between May and June 2014, in Lagos.
However, the court said the anti-graft agency failed to prove the elements of the offences for which it charged the senator.
” Oduah said she joined the APC family as part of the process of the changing political narrative in the South East, and assured that she joined the APC along with her multitude of supporters who have been jubilating in Anambra State
“
In the case of Oduah, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja recently threatened to issue a bench warrant for her arrest if she fails to appear in court for her trial on the next adjourned date.
Justice Inyang Ekwo stated this on July 12, when Oduah failed to appear in court repeatedly.
She is facing trial alongside others for alleged fraud to the tune of N2.8bn
The court adjourned the matter to October 19 and warned that a bench warrant of arrest would be issued if the defendants are not in court on that date.
The former minister, who is currently the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District in the Senate, has been charged with eight others with charges bordering on conspiracy, money laundering and maintaining anonymous bank accounts with First Bank PLC.
The EFCC brought the charge against them in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/316/2020.
Others charged alongside Oduah are Gloria Odita, Nwosu Nnamdi, Chukwuma Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Limited, Sobora International Limited and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Limited.
However, she was received at a brief ceremony in Abuja on Thursday and admitted into the party by the Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni; Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State; Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma and the Deputy President of the Senate, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege. The APC Anambra governorship candidate in the November 2021 election, Andy Uba was also at the occasion.
Buni congratulated her for joining the APC and assured her of rights as all other members of the party.
“You will enjoy the privileges enjoyed by all members of the party because you will have a waiver,” Buni said.
Oduah said she joined the APC family as part of the process of the changing political narrative in the South East, and assured that she joined the APC along with her multitude of supporters who have been jubilating in Anambra State.
Four categories of politicians who defect – Yunu sa
Tanko Yunusa, chairman of National Conscience Party, said: “The truth is this, normally when it is always time for election, those who are in government curry the support of people who are trying to run away from some of the bad things they had done in previous governments. That is the number one reason for which people really move. It is either those who were in government before that the present government is trying to witch hunt, or have skeletons in the cupboards or who want to continue to be in power. So they move to protect what they have done over the years. And if they have criminal cases hanging on their necks, they only find favour in protecting themselves against those criminal cases by joining the government in power.
“Then, there’s a second category. They are the people who feel any government in power is where they should belong to. We call them AGIP. That is Any Government In Power. They want to continue to benefit from government patronage, they want to continue to be in government, they want to be seen to be relevant and always in the limelight. The idea is not about going to serve the government or the people, no. It is self-serving; it is for personal gains and personal interests, nothing more.
“Then the third group is the weaker ones who do not believe they can build anything new of their own and get the people to support them. So, they want to go to where the food is already cooked. We call them ‘Food is ready politicians.’ They believe that it is the only place they can survive or win elections.
“Of course the last one are those who just get carried away with the euphoria of ‘these are the people in government so, let me just flow with people in government.
“Then there is the final narrative of those who believe that the best option if you want to make a certain change in the system is to belong to the mainstream politics. So, you need to be in power so that you can change the system. It is obvious that Nigeria politics is heavily monetized to a point that even if you have credibility and have the means, even if you build your new party, the Nigerian people will not vote for you. They will only vote for you if you are in a political party that is already in power. And so if you want to make a change you need to belong to the government in power so that you can make the changes that you want. So these are some of the reasons for the movement that you are seeing. But those who move most are those who want to protect what they had already illegally acquired in the past or over the years.
“Most of them defecting might be nursing ambitions towards 2023 general elections and they need to save themselves from EFCC and ICPC Embarrassment
“
Political parties have no ideologies – Akinnola
Lawyer, journalist and human rights activist, Richard Akinnola II, argued that most politicians defect for their personal conveniences.
“Most of the political parties we have today have no ideologies anyway, I mean the two key political parties, APC and PDP, and there is no ideological difference. They are just six and half a dozen. That is why it is very easy to shift allegiance or membership. This night you are in APC, by morning you are in PDP and by evening of tomorrow you are back in APC.
“These parties are made up of the same people and they just see these two political parties as avenues to win elections, pure and simple. No ideology, nothing. Not because of the people or their constituents or whatever, they just see the political parties as avenues to win elections and they just look at it and ask which party can win election in this area and jump even if they had spent donkey years in that political party. No conscience, just their personal interests, pure and simple,” he said.
Defectors to APC want to escape prosecutions – Analysts
The gale of defections into the ruling APC by chieftains of the PDP, has also been described as a ploy by the defectors to escape probe by the nation’s anti-graft agencies.
This was the opinion of two political analysts, Ayo Ologun and Jimmy Promise, during exclusive interviews with The Point. They argued that most political actors don’t carry out proper considerations of the founding principles of the party before they defect into it.
Ologun argued that the defectors either wanted to escape investigations of their corrupt practices by anti-graft bodies or because of the economic benefit in joining the party in power.
He said, “First of all, it should be noted that politics in Nigeria is devoid of principles and most times the players lack character, hence, defection from one party to another without consideration of the founding principles of such party.
“I can say with all sense of responsibilities that most of the defectors to the APC aren’t doing so for belief in the party, but either to escape witch-hunt by the anti-graft agencies through the instrumentality of state or are being out rightly bought over with money.
“The kind of interest that drives some of the defectors is such that it is either economic or to avoid the big hammer. It is almost like once any crook defects to the APC, he or she becomes deodorised and termed a “Saint” and all the supposed sins become forgiven,” Ologun argued.
Promise said, “PDP members who defect to the ruling party suddenly turn to saints after accepting APC as their Lord and Saviour.
“Those defecting are doing so for two reasons, one, it’s for their personal selfish ambition, or the fact that the present APC government is looking for them and want to force them at all cost and most of them are defecting to save themselves from APC or any other persecution. We all know that presently in Nigeria, it’s either they join APC as ‘sinners’ who have decided to be ‘changed persons’ and have accepted APC as their personal Lord and personal Saviour or they are in PDP that is exposed to torture, intimidation, harassment, arrest and all kinds of witch-hunt.
“Most of them defecting might be nursing ambitions towards 2023 general elections and they need to save themselves from EFCC and ICPC embarrassment. So, they are not defecting for the sake of the masses but for their personal interest. An average politician’s personal interest comes first unlike what is obtainable in the advanced countries. For them, when their interests are in contrast with the people they are leading, they resign but in Nigeria, anything goes. It’s really a deplorable and pathetic situation in Nigeria,” Promise, a lawyer said.
Defections part of the game – PDP stalwart
The publicity secretary of Imo state chapter of the PDP, Ogubundu Nwadike, said that defections are now common in the party politics of Nigeria which used to be “cross carpeting” during the 1st Republic in the 1960s, but now it is defection or decamping.
He said the choice of the word ‘incessant’ to describe defection of members of the party to the ruling APC was erroneous because both parties are losing members to one another.
“Recall that it was the ex-chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, that proposed the absurdity of “join APC and your sins will be forgiven you.” So, it’s sad that the PDP leaders that defect are those APC is holding on the jugular for one financial infraction or another.”
The PDP chieftain argued that the truth is that PDP is the most populous, biggest, strongest, most reliable, and most acceptable party in Nigeria.
Another chieftain of the party described the recent defection of the party’s high profile members to the ruling APC as part of the game.
Speaking with The Point in a telephone chat, our source who preferred anonymity, said politicians are not tied to one particular party, noting that every politician is free to leave his/her party and pitch tent with another party of his/her choice.
He said no party is weakened by the defection of its members because as they leave someone else joins and automatically fits into their place.
“No politician is tied up in a party. Defection is part of the game. Politicians are free to defect to any party of their choice but one thing is certain, in politics no political party goes into oblivion because some of its members defected. The game remains that, as they leave others join and fill the space because nature forbids vacuum.”
He argued that the movement of politicians in this part of the world is the beauty of politics and added that when a politician feels he or she is no longer in tune with the programmes of a particular party, the next option is to try his popularity in another party.
APC providing cover for indicted politicians
Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Oyo State, Akeem Olatunji, said, “The case of Stella Oduah is known to all; she is being tried by the EFCC. In a situation like that, to save her head, she might decide to take the step. Most especially, politicians that are not principled may take such a step.
“If truly we want progress for this country, whoever has corruption charges pressed against him or her should face it.
“The ruling party is not supposed be providing cover for indicted or corrupt politicians. It is a dangerous thing and a bad thing for our political system if it continues like that. It seems as if APC has come to bastardize the integrity in our political space.”
Lamenting that APC had yielded itself as a ready nest for politicians with corrupt records, he said, “What they are trying to do is to win at all cost; irrespective of the characters that they attract to themselves. There is supposed to be honour in victory and dignity. Whichever way you look at it, it doesn’t speak well for the country.”
Defectors are attracted by Buhari’s achievements – APC chieftain
The APC caretaker Publicity Secretary in Oyo State, AbdulAzeez Olatunji, who claimed that defectors from PDP to APC were attracted by the achievements of the administration of President Muhammadu Bihari, said that “We did not drag Stella Odua to the APC. She defected on her own volition.
“It is unfortunate that I have to give an example that I shouldn’t have given. Look at our distinguished Prof. Dibu Ojerinde who is the father of one of our honourables in the House of Representatives, Olumide Ojerinde, crossed to APC. Despite crossing to APC, his father was arraigned by the EFCC. That anybody with questionable character feels that coming to the APC is the only way for him to have protection like the opposition makes it to seem is not correct.
“Stella Oduah, from what I picked from her close associates on reasons why she crossed to the APC, said that with the infrastructural revolution under President Buhari, with the Second Niger Bridge which her former party claimed to have done on paper but physically done by the current administration, it would be very difficult for any politician who wants to be relevant after 2023 to be in any other party apart from APC. That was her reason for crossing over to APC.
“The administration of President Buhari does not discriminate on development programmes across the federation. In essence, politicians who are moving from the PDP to APC are doing so because of the visible infrastructural developments that are taking place under President Buhari. For those who are talking about insecurity, we have seen that the insecurity is the handiwork of the opposition. By the beginning of 2022, the problem of insecurity would have been surmounted.”
There is permanent confusion in Nigeria – Sarah Jubril
Sarah Jibril, a former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Ethics and Moral Values, lamented that the compounding confusion is just manifesting, “so if they realise they have no principles and it is only politics that is going to direct their lives to the destruction of Nigeria, well we shall see what God is going to do in this country.”
Jibril, Nigeria’s first female presidential candidate, both at the primaries and main elections, having run for president on four occasions, concluded that “the way it is going, there is permanent confusion in Nigeria.”
For Abbey Bamgboye, acting national chairman, Socialist Party of Nigeria, the current defection among politicians from one political platform like APC to another like PDP is not a new thing.
He noted that it is the characteristic of their mode of participating in politics which clearly showed that there is no fundamental difference between the two political parties.
“There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, what is permanent are interest, personal interest instead of public interest, although it should be public interest that is unfortunately what is lacking. Their interest is personal where they will be able to become senators, begin to receive basic salaries, allowances and get contracts, while the public institutions continue to suffer. The interest should be public interest, our position is that any elected official should not earn more than the basic salary of civil servants,” he said.
Gale of defections
Since the return of the country to civilian rule in 1999, Nigerians have witnessed defections over and over again both in the executive and legislature.
During the run-up to the 2015 general election, some members of the then ruling PDP massively defected to the APC which had just been formed from four legacy parties. The reverse was again the case in the run-up to the 2019 general election when some APC members defected to the PDP.
Just like in the previous assemblies, the 9th National Assembly in the 2020 legislative year witnessed a gale of defections with many of the main opposition federal lawmakers defecting to the ruling APC.
It all started on November 25, 2020 when Buni told Nigerians to expect more shocking defections from the minority parties to the ruling party.
Buni, who made the disclosure at a meeting with APC Senate caucus in the National Assembly, said his leadership reconciliation drive had encouraged aggrieved chieftains of his party to return even as he boasted that Nigerians would soon experience unprecedented defections in the history of political parties.
Same day, the senator representing Adamawa North in the National Assembly, Elisha Abbo, dumped the opposition PDP for the ruling APC.
Also, at the House of Representatives, on October 7, 2020, two members, Ephraim Nwuzi from Rivers State and David Abel from Taraba State defected from the PDP to the APC.
“The administration of President Buhari does not discriminate on development programmes across the federation. In essence, politicians who are moving from the PDP to APC are doing so because of the visible infrastructural developments that are taking place under President Buhari
“
Again on October 17, another member of the House, Kolawole Lawal representing Egbado South/Ipokia Federal Constituency in Ogun State defected from Allied Peoples Movement to the APC. Also, on December 15, 2020, two members of the House of Representatives, Datti Yako from Kano State and Danjuma Shittu from Taraba State, defected to the APC. While Yako left the PDP, Shittu defected from the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Barely 24 hours later on December 16, another member of the House, Tajudeen Adefisoye from Ondo State defected from the Social Democratic Party to the APC.
On December 17, another loss hit the opposition party, as a member of the PDP from Abia State, Sam Onuigbo, announced his defection to the APC.
At the plenary on February 16, 2021, two House members, Blessing Onuh and Yakubu Abdullahi announced their defections to the APC.
While, Onuh who represents Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency of Benue State, joined the APC from APGA, Abdullahi who represents Bauchi Federal Constituency, also dumped the Peoples Redemption Party for the APC.
On February 23, 2021 a member representing Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency in the House, Abiola Peter Makinde, defected from the African Democratic Congress to the APC.
On June 29, 2021, Senator Mohammed Hassan, Zamfara Central, defected from PDP to the APC.
The next day, three PDP senators defected to the APC. They are the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North), Senator Lawali Hassan Anka ( Zamfara West) and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North).
The defection boosts APC lawmakers’ number in the Senate to 70.
Also on June 29, at the House of Representatives, two members of PDP defected to the APC. The members are Idagbo Ochiglegor representing Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwarra and Michael Etaba representing Obubra federal constituencies of Cross River State. Their defection came few weeks after Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade joined the APC.
On July 6, few days after Governor Bello Matawalle defected to the APC, four House members of the PDP from Zamfara State, just like their colleagues in the Senate, defected to APC.
The lawmakers are, Bello Hassan Shinkafi, Ahmed Bakura, Ahmed Shehu and Suleiman Gumi.
The next day, another member of PDP in the House, Jonathan Gbefwi Gaza defected to the APC.
The gale of defections took a dramatic turn on July 14, when the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced at the plenary that another Zamfara State lawmaker, Kabiru Ahmadu has decided to defect to the APC.
With the recent defections, the rank of the APC has continued to swell, as they take up more seats in the chambers previously occupied by the minority caucus.
As it stands today, the number of APC lawmakers in the House has increased to 237 while the PDP has 116 members.
