PDP confused as Jonathan buries Yar’adua’s regime

Written by Duncan Sunday, 21 March 2010

ShareAn evidence that Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, is flying at a height that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ‘powerful’ Governors Forum cannot comprehend was the hysteria at the party’s Wadata Plaza headquarters last Thursday morning.

“All the National Working Committee (NWC) members were angry,” a source told Sunday Trust at the weekend. “The party executives learnt of the cabinet dissolution on Thursday morning from newspaper reports. No member of the executive was consulted and they were agitated. It would be the third time the Acting President would shove aside the party in taking such a decision. The first was the removal of Chief Michael Aondoakaa, the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice. The second was when he constituted the Presidential Advisory Council. The third was the removal of the ministers.”

Three weeks ago, the PDP, acting in unison with the Governors Forum, thought they had clipped the wings of the Acting President when they told him in unequivocal terms that he should not expect to be president; he should not expect to contest the presidency in 2011, and that he should maintain the status quo in the federal executive council, i.e. he should not sack ministers. As acting president, Jonathan should have continued with the implementation of the programmes of ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, they claimed.

Is this the end of the Yar’adua administration?
To say ‘yes’ to this question sounds like making a sacrilegious statement. Though Yar’adua is still president, there are indications that Acting President Jonathan is actually beginning his own administration. On the day the Senate announced that he should act for Yar’adua, Jonathan rolled out a four-point agenda, apparently ignoring Yar’adua’s seven-point agenda. His four-point agenda included electoral reforms, security in the oil-producing Niger Delta, providing more reliable electricity and fighting corruption. Incidentally, there is little anyone, except Yar’adua, could do to stop him from carrying out policies that are not in consonance with what Yar’adua began. According to constitutional lawyer, Festus Okoye, only Yar’adua can reverse what Jonathan is doing at the moment.

Okoye said, “the Acting President has the powers to dissolve the Executive Council of the Federation. By the provisions of sections 142(1) and 145 of the constitution, he has the power to dissolve the Council. As Acting President, he has the power to exercise Presidential powers in the absence of the President. There is a presumption that his actions are in consonance with his brief as Acting President. If the donor of the power comes back and believes he acted ultra vires, he can reverse the actions of the acting president. The important thing is that the Acting Presidency is a stop gap measure designed to take care of the exigencies of particular circumstances.”

Why Governors, PDP leaders are frightened
Sunday Trust gathered that governors and the PDP leaders are not comfortable with the Acting President because his approach is a questionable. While compiling the list of his ministers, Yar’adua consulted the PDP hierarchy to the point that governors and their candidates lobbied the national secretariat of the party to ensure their candidates scaled through. But before last week when the cabinet was dissolved, the Acting President did not consult the party. “We don’t understand what he is doing,” an executive member of the party told Sunday Trust last night. “He has not consulted us in any way, but we think he should consult us.” Our reporter gathered that those who would want to be nominated as ministers are contacting former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Defence Minister, Theophilus Danjuma, Niger Delta elder, Edwin Clark, former Chief of Army Staff, General Andrew Azazi and former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe. It is not clear how influential two female former ministers, Professor Dora Akunyili and Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke are, but Sunday Trust said the Acting President may be consulting them while he compiles his ministers list. They have apparently been assured of places in the expected cabinet.

However, when contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Professor Rufai Alkali said there is good understanding between the party and the presidency on the issue surrounding the appointment of a new cabinet.

He added that, although, there as no discission as whether the party holds meeting to discuss the matter, “there are consultations between the party and the presidency on the matter.”

The fear among the PDP national executive, Sunday Trust gathered, is that, with the Acting President’s current posture, the speculation that he would dissolve the PDP leadership may be true. In the last few weeks, several faceless groups have bought pages of newspapers in which they accused PDP chairman Vincent Ogbulafor of alleged corruption and lack-lustre leadership. They have been calling for his removal. It is not clear who those behind the advertisements are, but there is apprehension in the PDP because if the Acting President is displeased with them, he could use the planned mid-term convention to call for another election to sack the current National Working Committee.

Federal Lawmakers queue behind Jonathan
Since the political diatribe orchestrated by the president’s ailment broke out, some members of the National Assembly have played roles that some Nigerians found and still find suspicious even when the actors in this game are consistent in their claim that the entire action is premised on the nation’s interest.

In the Senate, a group known as National Integrity Group, led by Senator Bala Mohammed from Bauchi State, was a strong advocate for the invocation of Section 144 which connotes a declaration that the president is no longer fit to rule. Though that did not happen, the Vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, got the acting presidency and they relaxed.

And when it appears Jonathan has fully consolidated, another caucus by name Nigeria First Forum (NFF) under the leadership of Rep Abbas Anas Adamu from Jigawa State, emerged in the House of Representatives, drumming support for the acting president. The group’s major outing was last Thursday when it endorsed the sack of ministers appointed by the ailing president.

The group said it was a master stroke as the cabinet was polarised and something was needed to steer the ship of the nation out of troubled waters.

The forum said: “our dear nation, Nigeria, will particularly be indebted to the acting president if he will give unqualified priority to the perennial problem of power which has so much impeded on our economic progress.”

According to them, since his empowerment as Acting President, Jonathan has taken positive steps which deserves commendation like appointing a new and veteran National Security Adviser, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Gusau; the setting up of a Presidential Advisory Council, the spontaneous response to the lingering Jos crisis, the initial minor cabinet reshuffle and the final dissolution of the hitherto polarized Federal Executive Council.

Besides the group, some lawmakers told Sunday Trust that the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, literally interpreted his constitutional powers when he dissolved the Federal Executive Council last Wednesday.

To these lawmakers, the action clearly answered the question of how much of the constitutional powers the acting president has.

Rep Leo Ogor (PDP Delta), said as an acting president, Jonathan has the powers of the president as enshrined in the constitution, hence he can hire and fire, adding that the action of the president was within the limit of the law.

According to him, presiding over a divided cabinet where loyalty was divided, would definitely impinge on effective governance; hence Jonathan had no option than to do what he did to allow for the composition of a more purposeful council.

He said the only credible thing to do now was for Jonathan to bring on board technocrats and credible individuals who have the passion, capacity and ability to perform. Ogor said Nigeria has such personalities in abundance, hence Jonathan need not go far to get them.

Rep Yusuf Shitu Galambi (PDP Jigawa), simply said the sack of the ministers was a welcome development, saying that some of the ministers failed woefully in their official mandate.

According to him, their sack will give the government the opportunity to bring in credible persons who will help take the country from the present level to the next level.

Speaking on the position of the pro Jonathan caucus, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media, Labaran Danbata (PDP Kano), said the House is one on the matter, hence their action could not suggest any division in the House.

He said the group have the right to exercise their democratic freedom by associating and taking decisions that are allowed by law.

Jonathan might have done the easiest part. The harder aspect is getting replacements who will make a difference for the good of the country. It is not expected that he would sweep everyone away, but he has a great opportunity to ignore most of the political jobbers who would want to replace this cast with one worse than the departing lot.

The battle for the slots for states
One constituency that is interested in grabbing some of the slot is the National Assembly. Surprisingly, lawmakers who ordinarily should be satisfied with their stable and sure seats in the National Assembly, are indicating interest in crossing over to the executive arm. Sunday Trust gathered that not less than 10 lawmakers are eyeing the possibility of grabbing opportunities to serve in the new cabinet.

“We heard that the Acting President is going to pick some of the old ministers and then mix them with some members of the National Assembly because he does not want to have a delay in security clearance. You know, if old ministers are picked together with members of the National Assembly, there would be no problem with security clearance and Senate screening. The old ministers have been cleared not long ago and for members of the assembly, there would be little or no problem getting through security and when they get to the Senate, it is ‘bow and go’, a source told Sunday Trust.

Sunday Trust gathered reliably that at least, four senators have indicated interest to become ministers and are leaving no stone unturned to realize their ambition. Sources revealed that former Kaduna State governor and now Senator, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, is jostling to make it to the new list. The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, it was gathered, is attempting to cross over to the ministry which he presently supervises.

It was also gathered that Senator Abubakar Gada representing Sokoto South is interested in becoming a minister. A reliable source in the Senate, said Gada wants to succeed Aliero as FCT minister. “His own is very clear because he is close to senators from Bayelsa State and he is using them to get close to the Acting President. He wanted to be Vice President when attempts were made to make Jonathan substantive president. Now, since that has not happened, he is scheming to get a ministerial position.” Sunday Trust learnt that some of Gada’s colleagues in the Senate, especially those who are members of the National Interest Group (NIG), refer to him as VP. His strong point is that he gave his support to Jonathan during the days of the struggle to recognize the Acting President as the man in charge in the absence of Yar’adua.

There is also Senator Bala Mohammed, leader of the NIG. Sunday Trust gathered that because of the turbulence in his constituency over his role, the Acting President may consider him for a ministerial role. At least, he will be sure to play a key role in the administration. Our source said

“The only odd against his nomination is his governor, because they don’t see eye to eye. You know, the governor sees his role as leader of the pro-Jonathan in the Senate as an affront to his personality being one of the son-in-laws to the ailing President. But the senator has the support of his colleagues, especially those from the South South zone and Bayelsa State in particular, who can help him secure a place in the cabinet.”

From the House of Representatives, there are members who are interested in going to the Federal Executive Council (FEC). One of the members believed to be making moves for ministerial position is Rep. Farouk Lawan from Kano state. A source said the member is interested in order to boost his political credentials towards contesting the Kano state governorship election in 2011. Rep Lawan is said to be eyeing the Education Ministry.

The battle for the slot from Kogi State may be between the former Minister of State for Commerce, Barrister Humphrey Abah and any candidate that the leaders of Kogi West Senatorial District may suggest to the Acting President. A source close to Governor Ibrahim Idris told Sunday Trust last night that there is no evidence that the Kogi State chief executive officer would submit a different name. The source said, “the governor does not have any problem with the retention of Barrister Humphrey Abah. The man did not show any sign of ambition while serving as minister. He was not in any way controversial. Also, considering the fact that he was the last minister who was sworn-in in the defunct cabinet, it is fair to allow him to continue to represent the state in Jonathan’s cabinet.” However, Sunday Trust gathered that the Kogi West senatorial district may insist on producing the minister this time around. It is not clear if they have sought the support of the governor, but the leaders of the region may be in touch with the Acting President to present their case.

The fight to make Jonathan’s new list from Borno State may be contested by heavy weights in the party. At the end, three names may be forwarded; one from each of the three senatorial zones i.e. Senator Sanusi Daggash from northern Borno; Ambassador Saidu Pindar from the southern part of the state and for the central zone, either Alhaji Kashim Imam, the party’s governorship candidate in 2003 and 2007 or Senator Abba Aji, the current Presidential Adviser (liaison officer) on National Assembly matters may make the list. The acting President may choose one out of the three names.

In the case of Yobe state, the Acting President may not leave it to the party to select; he may re-appoint Adamu Maina Waziri who was State Minister of Agriculture, before he was sacked along with 19 others by President Yar’adua in 2008. Waziri was one of those who started the clamour for transfer of power to Jonathan soon after Yar’adua left for Saudi Arabia for medication. In addition, Waziri is believed to be close to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, while his sack as minister was said to have been due to a  of disagreement he had with Dr Abba Sayyadi Ruma, a member of Yar’adua’s kitchen cabinet when they served in the same ministry.