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American politics may morph even more into prime-time
entertainment with the emergence of a new Republican presidential front-runner:
reality-TV real-estate mogul Donald Trump – best known for his billions,
bravado and big hair.

“I am giving it serious, serious thought,” Trump said as he
blanketed the airwaves with appearances this week. “I am honoured by the
polls.” The polls show that after years of playing the media to publicise his
skyscrapers and casinos, best-selling books and top-rated TV shows – and
apparently also just for the sheer pleasure of it – the outspoken entrepreneur
looks like presidential material to a growing number of Republicans.

One survey by Public Policy Polling finds he’s the top choice
among 26 percent, followed by past presidential candidate Mike Huckabee with
just 17 percent and the rest of the Republican field even further back.

“I sort of feel this is politics gone bonkers, to have Donald
Trump tied for first,” said CNN Analyst David Gergen.

Of course, the election campaign has barely started. Obama has
announced he’ll seek a second term but few Republicans have officially decided.
The party will spend more than a year choosing its nominee and Americans won’t
actually vote until November, 2012.

So some pundits suggest Trump’s only advantage is his high
profile compared to other potential candidates.

But at a time when the Obama administration is struggling to
cut spending and spur economic growth, Trump points constantly to one
potentially persuasive credential: He’s ridiculously rich, with a fortune
estimated at $2.7 billion.

The guy not only knows how to do business, his public persona,
especially on “The Apprentice” and more recently “Celebrity Apprentice,” is
built around the premise that he’s a tough boss.

Obama’s most famous words may the largely abandoned promise
that “yes we can.” Trump’s most famous phrase, echoing from television screens
every week is “you’re fired.” Trump hasn’t decided whether he’ll run or not,
but he’s already announced he’s ready to fund a campaign with $600 million of
his own money.

He’s expected to announce his decision on the season finale of
“Celebrity Apprentice” at the end of May. If he does run, that hit reality show
will almost certainly come to an end, but another much bigger one will only be beginning.

Jonathan Mann presents Political Mann on CNN International each
Friday at 18:30 (CAT), Saturday at 3pm and 9pm (CAT), and Sunday at 10am (CAT).

In what may seem the most tactical political manoeuvre against
incumbent Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim and the ruling People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) in the state, two main opposition governorship candidates from the
All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),
Rochas Okorocha and Ifeanyi Araraume at the weekend announced an alliance
against the re-election of Mr Ohakim.

Addressing newsmen at Amaifeke, the country home of a former
governor of the state, Achike Udenwa, the two men said that all that mattered
was to effect change in the leadership of the state and liberate the state “from
the pains of maladministration.” They, however, noted that there was no issue
of stepping down by any candidate, explaining that either of them has the
capacity of saving the state from total collapse if elected.

Mr Okorocha said there was a need for a collaborative effort to
put an effective check on the PDP in the state; saying the alternative for the
party was rigging and manipulation of the electoral process.

While accusing the state government of wielding undue influence
over the state INEC officials and some of the security agencies, the APGA
candidate urged voters to sustain the struggle for change and not to be cowed
by the intimidations of the ruling party.

“If Ohakim insists on rigging at all costs, we shall stop him at
all cost,” he said.

Mr Araraume said: “It is regrettable, the level of desperation
which the incumbent has resorted to in his bid to secure a second term in
office,” Mr Araraume said. “This clearly shows that the man has nothing more to
offer to Imo people. He is spent. He has given his best, but his best is
clearly not good enough. The simple thing to do is to move over for a more
competent hand to run the state.”

When the hint of the new alliance between APGA and ACN broke at
the weekend, the PDP camp literally turned into a panic mode as series of
meetings were convened to fashion out a counter move. The political adviser to
Mr Ohakim, Rex Anunobi, however said there was no cause for alarm.

“You know this is not the first alliance we have faced in the
course of this election,” he said. “This will also crash like the previous
ones.”

Living with Iheanacho’s
suspension

Mr Anunobi also said the governor will triumph despite sudden
hostility from politicians in the Owerri axis following the suspension of the
minister of the interior, Emmanuel Iheanacho by President Goodluck Jonathan.

A number of people from Owerri zone, where the minister comes
from, are angry over the alleged involvement of the governor in the president’s
decision.

Though Mr Ohakim vigorously denied having a hand in the
minister’s suspension, some of the political leaders in the area accused the
governor and his aides of sponsoring a campaign of calumny alleging that the
minister used security forces to intimidate PDP members in the state during the
national assembly election.

“How can a governor stoop this low just to score a cheap
political point? Even Mrs Kema Chikwe had the audacity to brag publicly over
the suspension of Iheanacho. They upstaged Iheanacho because the people of
Owerri zone resisted the imposition of Kema Chikwe by Ohakim through their
votes,” said Nestor Obisike, an angry chieftain of the PDP from Owerri zone.

Mr Anunobi exonerated his boss of complicity in Iheanacho’s
ordeal, stating that his suspension cannot in anyway affect the voting pattern
in Owerri zone.

“Ohakim has done so much for the people of Owerri who are ever willing to
reciprocate the gesture by voting massively for the governor, whose candidature
alone can constitutionally ensure that an Owerri son occupies the governorship
seat of the state in 2015,” he said.

The short tenure of Rufus Ada-George as governor of Rivers State
was a political springboard for four young men. Although Mr Ada-George, who was
governor from 1992 – 1993, is no longer a heavyweight when it comes to politics
in the state, the others are still in the play. Peter Odili, who was the deputy
governor; Celestine Omehia, who was Commissioner for Education; Abiye Sekibo
and Rotimi Amaechi played the roles of special assistants to Messrs Ada-George
and Odili respectively.

With the return to civil rule in 1999, Mr Odili served as
governor for eight years – till 2007. Mr Sekibo was Secretary to the State
Government from 1999 to 2003 and Minister of Transport from 2003 to 2006. Mr
Amaechi went to the state House of Assembly, where he served as speaker till
2007; while Mr Omehia played a more low-key role as special adviser to Mr
Odili.

As Mr Odili’s tenure drew to a close, so also did their time of
journeying together, no thanks to conflicting political interests among the
four men, who were leaders of the People’s Democratic Party in the state.

Things fall apart

Mr Ameachi won the primaries to be the party’s flag bearer for
the 2007 elections, but Mr Odili reportedly orchestrated a move that ended with
him being replaced by Mr Omehia. Mr Ameachi went to court and, about five
months after Mr Omehia had been sworn in as governor, the Supreme Court ruled
that Mr Amaechi was the legitimate candidate of the PDP and therefore should be
the governor.

The move created enmity between Messrs Omehia and Ameachi, who
are cousins. It has worsened over time and sucked in Mr Sekibo who, like Mr
Omehia, remained loyal to Mr Odili in the fight against Mr Amaechi.

Three years after, Mr Odili, like Mr Ada-George before him, no
longer wields great political influence in the state. But the activities of the
other three could make or break the relative peace which has returned to the
state after years of militancy and violence. This is because all three are in
the race for Tuesday’s governorship election for the state. And so far, the
campaign has been marred by accusations and counter accusations, with
propaganda seemingly the main weapon now.

Mr Amaechi, 45, is the incumbent governor and the PDP candidate.
He is from Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area and his running mate is Tele
Ikuru, who is currently the deputy governor. Mr Sekibo, 53, is governorship
candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria. He is from Okrika and his running
mate is Serekara Barieeda Wifa. Mr Omehia is contesting under the platform of
the All Progressive Grand Alliance. He is also from Ubima and his running mate
is Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, a serving lawmaker.

The odds

Analysing the governorship race, Ukoha Ukiwo, a senior political
science lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, said the odds favour Mr
Amaechi and the PDP. This, he said, is partly because of “the structure of the
state; the nature of our political economy; everybody that is somebody leans
and gives support to the incumbent”.

He also said Mr Amaechi has become popular over the years
because of his activities as governor. “He [Mr Amaechi] is deemed to have
performed creditably well in different sectors – education, infrastructure,
health,” he said.

Many residents feel this way. Some point to the roads he has
constructed in the past three years; others talk about health care. He is also
credited with restoring peace to the state by his single-minded crackdown on
violent gangs.

Joy Mathias, a cabbie, is pleased by the new schools that dot
Port Harcourt and other parts of the state. “He deserves to continue,” she
said. “No other governor has done the things he has done.”

Not everybody agrees with Ms Mathias. Some young people, such as
Sylvester Emizibo prefer Mr Omehia. “[Mr] Amaechi does things autocratically,”
he said. “He does not consult or listen to people before taking action.”

This sentiment is quite strong among unemployed people in the
state, some of who have been affected by the ban of commercial motorcyclists
and Mr Amaechi’s plan to demolish all illegal structures in the state. A
cabbie, who gave his name as Goodluck, said while Mr Amaechi has score good
grades when it comes to healthcare and education, the bulk of his project is
like “putting a man in a very beautiful house with no food”.

To this set of people, Mr Omehia “is a gentleman”; someone that
will listen to them and who has a soft heart.

In terms of charisma and personality, the two candidates stand
apart from Mr Sekibo. Mrs Mathias thinks “he is the worst” of the lot. While
Goodluck, the driver, feels he has not done much for the people.

“He was a minister of transport, what did he do?” he asked.

Away from their personalities, Mr Ukiwo feels the contest is
between the PDP and the ACN. This view is hard to argue as the ACN has posed
the greater challenge to the PDP in previous elections; APGA did not even get
to field candidates in some federal constituencies in the state. But the ACN
challenge has been a weak one, as the PDP won the three senatorial seats and
all 12 federal constituency elections held in the state. It also recorded landslide
victory in the presidential elections. As it stand, only a merger between
Messrs Sekibo and Omehia can give the opposition any real chance against Mr
Amaechi. Even that might prove ineffective.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for Anambra
Central senatorial district and former information minister, Dora Akunyili may
take legal action against a former INEC returning officer and others for
allegedly defaming her character, even if she wins tomorrow’s re-run election.

Reacting to the decision of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) to have a rerun election in some areas of the district, Mrs
Akunyili said she and her family went through serious emotional trauma owing to
alleged lies against her, especially by the returning officer, Alex Anene who
alleged that he was offered a bribe of N10m, a car and a house to help the APGA
candidate win.

‘My family and I went through a lot. We suffered emotionally and
many people believed their lies. After this election (rerun) which I will win,
I may still go to court against Anene and his sponsor,’ Mrs Akunyili said.

She said the statements by INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega on the
Anambra situation had vindicated her and renewed her faith and confidence in
the Nigerian nation.

“Now the truth is out and we all feel vindicated. It is obvious
Anene was sponsored to malign and cheat and announce fake results in a hotel
room in the night. That person who sponsored him also needs to face the law. I
want the law to take its full course so that people cannot just commit crime
and get away with it,” Mrs Akunyili said. She also called on the police to
arrest all those involved in a smear campaign against her.

Set for rerun

Mr Jega had set up a panel to investigate the Anambra imbroglio
following the release of conflicting results by INEC. INEC also declared the
election inconclusive following cancellation of results in particular areas in
four local government areas.

At the end of investigations, Mr Jega said INEC decided on
organising a rerun election and accused Mr Anene of violating the Electoral Act
by his action. He also called on the police to investigate him.

Although Mr Ngige had initially said he would not take part in a rerun,
after INEC’s decision he is now soliciting for votes. One of the texts sent by
his campaign team reads: “My good people of Anambra State, vote for me in
Tuesday’s rerun election. We won before, we will win again”.

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps
(NYSC), Maharazu Tsiga, has expressed worry over the attack on youth corps
members who served as ad hoc staff to Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) in some Northern parts of Nigeria after the presidential election.

Mr Tsiga, who spoke to journalists at the weekend in Abuja
during the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Lubabatu, said the NYSC has begun
a head-count of all corps members in the affected areas in order to ascertain
the number of victims in the crisis.

“I am celebrating my daughter today with mixed feelings because
I have my youth corps members in all parts of this country who were involved in
the post-election crisis and some of them may have lost their lives, though we
are yet to confirm the numbers which shall be made public immediately we finish
the head-count of our members,” he said.

The NYSC boss said it was disheartening that despite all the
commendations given to the corps members’ participation in the exercise
nationally and internationally, the rioters decided to attack the innocent
youth.

Ondo evacuates indigenes

The Ondo State government at the weekend embarked on the
evacuation of about four hundred of its indigenes that were stranded in the
north following the violence that erupted in some states.

Out of the evacuees, 276 of were corps members serving the
country under the National Youth Service Corps.

The first set of evacuees arrived Akure, the state capital
yesterday and were subsequently transferred to their respective local
governments and hometowns.

The Permanent Secretary in charge of emergency management,
Kehinde Temikotan, said the state government could not close its eyes and allow
indigenes of the state to be killed over political issues.

“Indigenes of the state residing in Kano, Katsina Kaduna and
Borno states have been directed to converge on Bauchi for easy evacuation,” he
said.

According to him, some of those evacuated would be dropped at
Abuja where some of them have their relatives, while others would be brought to
Akure, the state capital.

Frustrated by the Federal High Court’s verdict against its
refusal to pay the severance gratuities of retired judges in the state, the Oyo
State government has decided to proceed to the Appeal Court to challenge the
judgment.

NEXT gathered that the government had filed a notice of appeal
with the state High Court last week, but this could not be taken to the
appellate court due to a failure to get the necessary documents prepared before
the week ran out.

The judge who ruled on the matter, Muktar Ladi Abimbola, was
assignment out of the state and unavailable to attend to the application for
stay of execution order brought by the government.

Sources said when pressure was mounted on the state Chief
Judge, Bolajoko Adeniji, on the need to get the papers ready as soon as
possible to beat the required time of filing the appeal, she requested that the
counsel to the retired judges, Lasun Sanusi, apply for a transfer of the case
to another court to allow the application move in time.

The application was prepared and filed last Thursday and it is
expected that all the necessary papers will be ready to get the appeal to the
appellate court’s registry this week.

The case

After several failed attempts to make the state government pay
their severance gratuities as provided by the law, the retired judges sued the
state government to court. The state government argued that the judges should
be paid by the federal government.

The applicants: Nurudeen Adekola, Olayiwola Adio, Ruth
Oyetunde, Afolabi Adeniran, Olagoke Ige, Karimu Jimoh, Lambe Arasi, Akin Sanda,
Atilade Ojo, Simon Akinola and Theophilus Adeniran (deceased) – comprise three
former Chief Judges, two acting Chief Judges and six other judges, who worked
with the state’s judiciary throughout their careers as judicial officers.

Apart from the sections of the law mandating their pays, the claimants
also fortified their application with letters from the National Judicial
Council, in which the body specifically directed that all retired state
judicial officers will be paid in states where they served till retirement.

They also attached evidence of compliance from some states of
the federation as well as certificate of pension issued them by the Alao-Akala
government, to certify that they indeed served meritoriously with the state and
qualify to draw pensions from the state’s purse.

All these were tendered to argue their case before the
presiding judge who ruled in their favour on Thursday, April 14.

Delivering his judgement, Mr. Abimbola granted all the prayers
of the retired judges and ordered the state government to pay their gratuities
forthwith and immediately, along with the interests they prayed for.

He also berated the government for trying to stand the law on
its head in attempt to deny the applicants their lawful entitlement.

Mr. Sanusi, who said he is fully prepared to engage state’s team in the
renewed battle, described the step as ‘frivolous and time wasting’.