By SONALA OLUMHENSE

I am delighted that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has entered the fray for the presidential ticket of the APC. His candidature presents the potential for some answers Nigerian democracy desperately needs.

Two decades ago, Professor Osinbajo served in the government of one Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the current National Leader of APC who is also running for the ticket. Some of the children who were born at that time may vote for the first time in 2023.

Of course, we only hope there will be an election. I doubt that even the Vice-President believes there will be one: the most significant achievement of his administration is that Nigeria has descended into the category of the unsafe and insecure. Of course, should he emerge the APC candidate, he will campaign safely in an official government bubble despite its being an unofficial activity, but everyone knows that for voters and election officials, the challenge will be different.

And that is the principal problem which confronts Osinbajo: his candidature is trapped between ridiculous and incredulous. In his declaration, he claims to have thoroughly known Nigerians in the past seven years, having traveled widely and been with most of them.

“I stood where they stood and sat where they sat,” adding, “I believe that the very reason why the Almighty God gave me these experiences, these insights, and these opportunities, is that they must be put to the use of our country and it’s great peoples.”

I will not challenge Osinbajo’s faith; that is between him and God. But I will confront his presumptuousness and arrogance. His government worked to make Nigeria increasingly unlivable.

He anchors his presidential quest on Buhari, a man he describes as “a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity,” and positions his effort as being to “complete what we have started.”

But of which nation is Buhari a patriot? Perhaps Niger, which he does not hesitate to serve, or the United Kingdom, where he enjoys squandering Nigeria’s scarce resources on himself? Certainly not Nigeria, where he is a remorseless nepotist who pens obituary and birthday messages in place of statecraft.

A patriot is a man who makes sacrifices for his country ahead of himself and would give his all for her.

Integrity? It is not claiming to be something that makes you that thing: it is being so much of that thing that everyone identifies you as being that. You cannot be honest and hypocritical at the same time.

A man of integrity is a man of his word, but the past seven years prove that Buhari is a man of many words but not of his word. A man of integrity is one who is not afraid to hold out his hands so people can see he has neither blood nor fecal matter on them. He is one who is not afraid to open his front door to demonstrate that he has nothing to hide.

How did Buhari reward Nigerians for buying his propaganda about how he would combat corruption? The moment he got into office, not only did he “cleverly” refuse to declare his assets publicly, but he also began to assemble around him the nation’s most corrupt men and women.

“As far as the constitution allows me, I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country,” he had promised at his inauguration. “For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch.”

It was startlingly untrue: He ducked the public disclosure of his assets, ducked compelling his ministers to publicly disclose theirs, ducked his ‘First 100 days’ promises, and scandalously ducked naming the nation’s top kleptocrats as he had promised. And that is how Nigeria commenced its descent into ungovernable, the world’s poorest and hungriest, with death and distress everywhere.

Integrity? The Fifth Schedule of the constitution affirms that a public officer shall not ask for or accept property or benefits of any kind for himself, stating that “the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention of the said sub-paragraph unless the contrary is proved.”

And yet, within weeks of taking office in 2015, Breaking Times, an Abuja newspaper, fearlessly identified the new Nigeria leader as the owner of a lake front N2.1 billion mansion in Asokoro, near Aso Rock, providing lavish pictures of activities at the property. The report was neither denied nor was the newspaper sued.

Similarly, in 2018, Buhari accepted a N45m gift from a shadowy organization called the Nigeria Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN), which paid for his APC presidential primaries forms. NCAN then conveniently—and triumphantly—disappeared into the shadows.

In other words, Buhari indicated he was open to presidential gift-receiving, contrary to the constitution. How do we know what else he has collected in the past seven years, and from whom? Nigerians and members of the international community are left to make up their minds whether Buhari simply does not care about Nigerians or about the constitution.

Among those watching eyes is the United States. EVERY year that Buhari has been in office, it has said in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights: “Although [Nigerian] law provides criminal penalties for conviction of official corruption, the government did not consistently implement the law, and government employees, including elected officials, frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. Massive, widespread, and pervasive corruption affected all levels of government, including the judiciary and security services. The constitution provides immunity from civil and criminal prosecution for the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office. There were numerous allegations of government corruption during the year.”

The Buhari government has never contradicted this indictment. The truth is that to describe the impact of the Buhari administration merely as a “failure” is an act of self-deprecating generosity. The appropriate term for their work is “betrayal.” Former President Goodluck Jonathan did not perform as abysmally as this when Buhari demanded he resign.

In other words, concerning Nigerians, Osinbajo has not “stood where they stood and sat where they sat,” but with Buhari. If he wins the presidency, will he denounce the betrayal of which he was a part, as an honest starting point?

Clearly, it is because Tinubu knows how rotten Nigeria has become that he has found no reason why he should seize it as he has Lagos State. It is why he immediately dismissed Osinbajo as a bastard, declaring: “I have no son grown enough to declare [for president]”.

VP Osinbajo may never become President, but with Buhari to his right and Tinubu to his left, it is an act of courage for him to have determined he must run.

But if Osinbajo claims loyalty to God, he is the one who is now on trial.

This column welcomes rebuttals from interested government officials.

• sonala.olumhense@gmail.com

(Daily Trust)

•VP, Prof Osinbajo

2023 Presidency: Consensus moves crash in PDP, APC as aspirants rule out option

The consensus option being canvassed by some of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants appears dead despite spirited efforts by its protagonists to make it happen.

Further assault on the plan came yesterday from Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike who branded consensus advocates as insincere.

The Nation also learnt that the Pan-Igbo cultural group, Ohanaeze, and some presidential hopefuls from the Southeast are in the process of working out a counter move against the consensus option engineered by four aspirants from the North.

Sources in the All Progressives Congress (APC) completely ruled it out of consideration in the party.

Wike, it was gathered, currently has the support of five of the 13 PDP governors in his bid for the presidency while four others are rooting for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In the vanguard of the consensus option in PDP are former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed; and a former bank chief, Mohammed Hayatudeen.

Former Vice President Atiku is opposed to the plan because of what a source described as its ‘trickish nature’.

Atiku is said to be suspicious of the motive of the advocates of consensus who allegedly failed to update him on the concept after their initial visit to sell the idea to him.

“Since Saraki, Tambuwal, Bala and Hayatudeen mooted the idea, they have not been carrying Atiku along. The camp of the ex-Vice President is suspicious of these proponents of consensus,” a source familiar with the development said.

“With Atiku out of the consensus politics, all the PDP 17 aspirants would have to slug it out at the primaries.

“Even Saraki, Tambuwal and Bala are not on the same page on consensus. Apart from the fact that they believe they can go it alone individually, there is mistrust in each other.

“Tambuwal is still uncomfortable with Saraki over how he depleted his votes in the last presidential primaries.

“Tambuwal had banked on the support of Saraki until the former Senate President joined the race.

“Of the 17 presidential aspirants in PDP, only four have been very strong on consensus without the buy in of 13 others.

“And it is obvious that Atiku and Governor Nyesom Wike prefer slugging it out at the convention.

“So, as far as PDP is concerned, consensus is dead on arrival.”

Five PDP governors back Wike, four root for Atiku

Five governors elected on the platform of the PDP are believed to be supporting their Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, in his presidential bid.

Four others are queuing behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of next month’s primaries, The Nation gathered yesterday.

The PDP has 13 governors, four of whom are seeking the party’s presidential ticket.

They are Wike himself; Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).

The governors said to be backing the aspiration of the Rivers State governor are Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Duoye Diri (Bayelsa) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).

The pro-Atiku governors are Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).

Apparently left without support from any of their colleagues, Tambuwal and Mohammed have aligned with former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to intensify their campaign for consensus.

The pro-Wike governors have been insistent in their campaign for the ticket to be zoned to the South.

They are being joined in the clamour for zoning by other presidential aspirants from the Southeast, including former Senate President, Pius Anyim; former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; an industrialist, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and a United States based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze .

Also aligning with Wike is former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose who is a presidential aspirant himself and personal friend of the Rivers State governor.

The agitation for zoning has thrown up a fresh contest between the Southeast and the South-south, with stakeholders in the two zones competing for attention.

But the two zones are being challenged by the pro-Atiku group which continues to canvass open contest for the party’s ticket.

It was gathered that Tambuwal, having failed in convincing some targeted PDP governors to buy into the consensus idea, is pushing ahead with Saraki and Bala Mohammed.

The position of PDP leaders in states not under the control of PDP on consensus is not clear yet ahead of the primaries.

Wait for NEC decision on zoning panel report – BoT chair

While the aspirants continue to push for their preferred options, the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, has said the final decision lies with the National Executive Committee (NEC).

Jibrin, in a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday, urged the aspirants to wait for NEC to come up with the way forward, even as he advised the contestants to go ahead with their consultations without acrimony.

Jibrin said: “The zoning committee, set up by NEC and chaired by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, has just submitted its report.

“As I speak, the NWC is in possession of the report, which they will table before NEC for deliberation after which an official position will be adopted.

“We are aware that some aspirants want consensus, some are calling for zoning while others want the ticket thrown open for all contestants.

“As the BoT chairman, I have no personal opinion as to which option to adopt because NEC has the final say on the matter.

“So I urge all our aspirants to wait for NEC to come up with the party’s official position as they continue with their consultations regarding their aspirations.

“We have 17 aspirants contesting for our party’s ticket, which I consider very healthy and encouraging. All the 17 aspirants are well qualified to lead the country.

“But I must add that only one of them will eventually get the ticket, and I would urge all of them to come into terms with this reality.”

The NEC comprises all the critical organs of the party – National Caucus, National Assembly Caucus, the BoT, the PDP Governors Forum, State PDP Chairmen, NWC, among others.

The 37-member zoning committee, which was set up by NEC about three weeks ago, had its members drawn from each of the 36 states of the federation, and one from the Federal Capital Territory.

Chaired by Governor Ortom, the committee submitted its report to the leadership of the PDP last Tuesday.

The party is expected to call the NEC meeting anytime this week to table the committee’s recommendations for deliberation and to take an official position on the recommendations.

PDP rakes in N646m from 17 presidential aspirants, extends nomination deadlines

Meanwhile, the PDP has generated N646 million from sale of presidential nomination forms to the 17 aspirants contesting for the ticket.

Sixteen of them who are males paid N40 million each for the form while a lone female aspirant among them paid a discounted amount of N6 million, in line with the PDP constitution.

The party has extended the timelines for the purchase and submission of all nomination forms.

With the latest adjustment, the last day for the purchase of all forms has been extended to Tuesday, April 19 while the last day for the submission of already completed forms has also been extended to Wednesday April 20.

In a statement issued by the spokesman for the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party said the shift in dates was to enable the party make up for the Easter public holidays, as announced by the Federal Government.

Advocates of consensus are not sincere — Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike in a fresh assault on the consensus idea yesterday dismissed its advocates as insincere.

Wike, speaking in Minna to woo delegates for his ambition, said consensus was alien to the party’s constitution.

He said the only condition under which he could accept consensus was if it was based on fairness.

“I will agree on consensus if it is based on equity, justice and fairness, because as it is, those who are talking about consensus are not sincere and there is nothing like consensus in our constitution,” he said.

He promised to tackle the festering insecurity in parts of the country to allow farmers return to their farms and grow the economy.

He said: “The day you give me the ticket is the day we will start to form the government, because by giving me the ticket, I know I’ve won the election already.

“It is only when you’ve given me the ticket that I’ll make sure that I present, put together the best of professionals that will help me to run the affairs of this country.”

He slammed the federal government for pardoning former Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye and former Taraba Governor Jolly Nyame, both of whom had been jailed for corruption.

He said: “They turned around to release from prison those people that they said are corrupt. What a country and what a government!

“Doing it for political reasons because the elections are coming and they want (Joshua) Dariye to help their party in Plateau State. They want (Jolly) Nyame to help them in Taraba State. Why don’t they give pardon to James Ibori for example?”

Ohanaeze, S-East presidential hopefuls plot counter move over consensus

Stakeholders in the Southeast, including Ohanaeze, are understood to have launched a counter move against the consensus option being canvassed by four PDP presidential aspirants.

Teaming up with Ohanaeze are traditional rulers, PDP presidential aspirants and some other eminent personalities from the zone, with one of the presidential hopefuls coordinating the counter move.

Part of their strategy is to prune down the number of presidential aspirants from the zone to improve the chances of those that are left in the race from area.

Sources said the decision to counter the consensus move was mooted last month by the pan-Igbo cultural organisation.

A participant in one of the meetings of the stakeholders said they are fully aware of the threat posed to the chances of the Southeast aspirants by the consensus arrangement.

The Nation learnt that the stakeholders also resolved to constitute a pressure group to intensify agitation against the recent decision of the PDP on the zoning formula, which they perceived to be skewed against Ndigbo and their interests.

Our sources claimed some PDP presidential hopefuls from the zone have shown interest in the move, agreeing to subject themselves to the screening of a committee to be instituted soon by the stakeholders.

Named as PDP presidential aspirants willing to be part of the arrangement are former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi; former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim; businessmen Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and Nwachukwu Anakwenze.

The Nation gathered that some leaders of the group will be meeting the governors of Enugu and Abia states during the week to discuss the arrangement.

The meetings will take place immediately after the Easter holiday.

A source said: “We had discussions with one of the governors in Abuja last week. But the planned meeting is important because there are so many things to clarify.

“We are hearing that one or both governors have interest in the presidential ticket of the party.

“We have also heard that they may be working for some other aspirants.

“We need to know the truth. That is the reason for the meetings.”

On the plan to throw the presidential primaries in PDP open, the source said: “The last has not been heard on the zoning matter in PDP.

“We have resolved to kick against it vehemently henceforth.

“Zoning is part and parcel of the constitution of our party, the PDP. It has been practised ever since the return to democracy in 1999.

“For the party to be planning to jettison the arrangement now is unacceptable.

“We have resolved as stakeholders in the zone to insist on justice and fairness, and that is what we are going to do going forward.”

No place for consensus in APC

None of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirants seems to be disposed to the consensus option, party sources said yesterday.

It was learnt that apart from the differences between the APC presidential aspirants, the provisions of the Electoral Act on consensus are difficult to comply with.

None of the presidential heavyweights will step down, one of the sources said.

He said the party has seen the sign clearly.

“In addition to the fact that consensus is not in the APC Constitution to elect a presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari underwent election at the primaries in 2014. It will be a moral burden for him to preach consensus in 2022,” one of the sources said.

“It is very clear that the PDP and APC aspirants cannot meet up with the conditions spelt out in the Electoral Act 2022 for consensus.”

The Act says: “A political party that adopts a consensus candidate shall secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the position, indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of the consensus candidate;

“Where a political party is unable to secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the purpose of a consensus candidate, it shall revert to the choice of direct or indirect primaries for the nomination of candidates for the aforesaid elective positions.

“A Special Convention or nomination Congress shall be held to ratify the choice of consensus candidates at designated centres at the National, State, Senatorial, Federal and State Constituencies, as the case may be.”

Emefiele’s chances fade

The chances of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele joining the presidential race have got slimmer.

It was learnt that he is constrained by the law in coming out at this time when the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 (as amended) requires him to give a three-month resignation notice to the President.

The party primaries must be concluded not later than June 3.

Section 11(3) of the Act says: “The Governor or any Deputy Governor may resign his office by giving at least three months’ notice in writing to the President of his intention to do so” and any “Director may similarly resign by giving at least one month’s notice in writing to the President of his intention to do so.”

A source said: “Technically, Emefiele is out. There is no provision for a retroactive resignation. Except if he has resigned under the table.”

“With the APC presidential primaries slated for May 30th and 31st, he cannot fulfill the legal basis for resignation.

“Giving a waiver to Emefiele may plunge the party into crisis.”

Ngige set to declare for president on Tuesday

Labour and Productivity Minister Chris Ngige confirmed yesterday in Enugu that he would formally announce on Tuesday his decision to contest in the APC presidential primaries.

Ngige told members of the APC Southeast Progressive Forum at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, that he had concluded his consultation on the matter and God had given him the green light to proceed.

“I have said before now that after the spiritual season of Lent, I will talk. This is to enable me consult my God, angels and archangels,” he said.

He added: “Easter is tomorrow and Easter is the resurrection day. We shall rise with the resurrection. And after Easter Monday, I will make a declaration on my journey to the presidency.

“So, we have done the consultations with the mortal and immortal beings. And we’re going to speak on Tuesday in my home town, Alor in Anambra State.

“God has spoken to me. We are now going to wait for resurrection morning which starts this midnight. I want to assure you people that I won’t disappoint you. I’ll speak with you in the language you’ll understand and like.

“You’ve sent me on errand before. You sent be to be the governor of the state for 34 months. But what we did in 34 months, those who stayed eight years have not done them.

“When they compare me with Obi or Obiano, they’re making a mistake. I used the 34 months to lay the foundation for New Anambra. I didn’t only lay the foundation, I also built houses, edifices, roads, schools, pension paid, agriculture, restored hospitals.

“So I want to go and be your ambassador in Nigeria. We’ll work the way we did in Anambra, Senate and Minister of Labour, labouring in the labour room if Nigerians give us the chance.”

He said while the APC had zoned the Presidency to the South, the PDP remained undecided.

His words: “Make no mistake about it. It is us the Southern part of Nigeria that the presidency is due. It is also a truism that of all the three zones in Southern Nigeria, it is only the Southeast that has not tasted the presidency. That gives much weight to the demand you are making now.

“In PDP, they are still doing whether it will be North or South. But in APC, as gentlemen, we have said it is going to the South.

“In a family of six, where we have six pieces of meat, what causes a problem is when one person takes two pieces of meat thereby denying a member of the family the meat.”

He said the issue of option had not arisen in the APC.

“The issue of consensus candidate has not arisen now. You have to wait until when all the declarations have been made. Not only the declaration, the buying of forms, when the forms have been bought and expression of interest. That is the official first step on declaration.

“So, after declaration of interest the people will buy the forms and fill. Some people will buy form for some people too. But that’s when the question for consensus will arise. So until we get to that bridge, we will cross it.”

Speaking earlier, leader of the group, Comr Tony Chime, said the call for Ngige to contest for the number one post of the country was predicated on his track record in governance.

Chime said that though so many people have queued for the position, none of them had met their criteria for the position other than Ngige.

Adamu Garuba joins race, vows to create 10 geo-economic zones

A chieftain of the APC, Adamu Garuba, yesterday declared his intention to seek the party’s presidential ticket.

Garuba, who is the Chief Executive Officer of IPI Solutions Nigeria Limited, made the declaration in Abuja.

He promised to among other things establish 10 geo-economic zones as opposed to the current six geo-political zones in the country.

He said his vision was to transform Nigeria from a politically divided unit to an economically integrated unit.

Garuba said: “At independence in 1960, Nigeria was divided into three major regions of North, West and East. And that is where we found the problem that is affecting us up till this very moment because from that very moment, we had a division that there were agitations that pushed us into 12 other regions, then to 19, then to 24, then to 30 and currently, the 37 regions that we call states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“What are the results of this division? Many children cannot go to school. Many mothers cannot go to hospitals. Our roads are now blocked.

“We cannot travel. Our businesses are closed. Our youths are becoming restive; carrying arms. They are killing fellow Nigerians.

“This is not the country we wished for. Why have we found ourselves in this situation today? We did that simply because we missed the foundation of establishing a state and the foundation of a state is building a united, prosperous, greater society that will benefit the children that are born today and the person that is being buried today.

“That is why I, Adamu Garuba, do solemnly stand in front of you here at the centre of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to declare my solemn oath to you in the holy month of Ramadan, while I am fasting; in the holy month where we have the sacramental resurrection of Jesus Christ, to declare my intention to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming 2023 elections.” (The Nation: Excluding headline)

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