Nigeria Content Online

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.”