DANIEL KANU, Assistant Politics Editor looks at endorsements by some political actors and organisations on some politicians in the run up to 2015 general elections
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Even with 2015 general elections some months ahead, Nigerian politicians are not leaving anything to chance. Among the issues that have become dominant is the regime of endorsements that seems to have become the order of the day.
From one geo-political zone to another, across board, from the presidency to the governorship level, even at the local government platform, there appears to be a gale of political endorsements all the way. It seems to have become a norm now in Nigerian politics that aspirants perhaps may need a sort of endorsement to facilitate their “imposition” and chances of victory.
For most political observers, it has become a matter of one godfather or group for endorsement or no ticket.
As the trend continues to generate greater public attention, some political observers have expressed worry on the development which they agree would impinge on the nation’s democratic growth.
Only recently, Nigerians, and particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, were rattled as former President Olusegun Obasanjo publicly endorsed the candidacy of Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, for the presidency.
Obasanjo, who made the statement after the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the take over Model Boarding Primary School, Kude, in Dutse local government area of the state on behalf of the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, said Lamido is more than qualified to lead Nigeria in case he decides to contest the 2015 presidential election.
Said Obasanjo: “Although he has not told me about his intention to contest, but going by his pedigree, exposure and experience, he is more than qualified to lead Nigeria. As of today, he stands shoulder to shoulder with anyone as far as the capacity to lead Nigeria is concerned. He has demonstrated that capacity here in Jigawa for all to see.”
There has been palpable tension within the PDP over the inability of its leadership to fully reconcile Jonathan and Lamido.
The pressure by Obasanjo, TheNiche learnt, is for Lamido to run next year against the possible bid of Jonathan to have a smooth victory.
The ex-president’s posture is assumed to be the abandonment of Jonathan to his fate with political consequences in 2015.
Lamido seems, for now, the only one so far who seems to be ready to vie for the ticket with Jonathan after many party faithful had taken it for granted that it would be only the president all the way. But how far the Obasanjo endorsement would go is another issue entirely.
However, while Obasanjo appeared to be dumping Jonathan, the Labour Party (LP) in the former Preident’s state, Ogun, endorsed the president, pledging to work tirelessly for his victory in his re- election bid. The party, in fact, urged him to declare his interest immediately to contest the 2015 presidential election.
Ogun LP secretary, Sunday Oginni, explained in Abeokuta that their support for Jonathan is total.
According to the party, it would be in the interest of the country if the president re-contests for a second term to enable him complete his unfinished works.
“We (LP supporters) have the freedom to support any candidate and, to us, the best president Nigeria has ever had is President Jonathan; so we will support and endorse him for 2015.
“Besides, he has been so good and magnanimous, even to the opposition. If not for him (Jonathan), Ondo State Governor (Olusegun Mimiko) would have been rigged out during the governorship election. Again, during the Anambra governorship poll too, he ensured free and fair election.
“Nigeria is blessed with a president who is fair to all. We must all work for him at the wards, local governments and state levels,” he noted further.
Ogun PDP, toeing the line of some other states, also made open endorsement on Jonathan’s candidacy for another term.
Similar actions resonate in other political parties. In Lagos, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu; and Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, against all political permutations, have endorsed former Accountant-General of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, as the next governor.
Despite criticisms from different quarters on the action, it is doubtful if anything will change in what appears to be the decision of the party’s godfathers.
Expectedly, Lagos PDP has said the endorsement of Ambode by the duo would have no effect, as Lagosians are more than ready to kick out the APC leadership in the state.
Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, Gani Taofiq, told TheNiche that the endorsement of Ambode would not have any effect because the people would resist the imposition of any candidate.
Said Taofiq: “They can go ahead to endorse anybody they want. That does not mean that the person will win Lagos governorship election. The years of imposition are gone, and the people now know better. They can go ahead to endorse anybody, but it is the people that will decide as far as Lagos is concerned.”
In similar vein, Vision for New Lagos (VNL) lashed out at Akiolu, insisting that his action was a ruse, adding that he lacks the power to impose a candidate on the state.
The group, in a statement endorsed by its leader, Bambo Akin-Johnson, said the assertion by Oba Akiolu was a grand illusion as, according to the VNL, the monarch was arrogating to himself the powers that he doesn’t have.
VNL said it would continue to insist that Lagos is not the property of anyone or group, but a collective heritage it is ready to protect.
An aspirant on the platform of APC in Lagos and former commissioner in the ministries of health and education, Dr. Leke Pitan, said such pronouncement negates the processes mapped out by his party to pick its governorship candidate.
In Enugu State, the endorsement of candidates by PDP stalwarts and prospective delegates ahead of the congresses for the nomination of candidates for the 2015 elections is raising dust within the party in the state.
The endorsement of candidates, especially for senatorial positions, has created tension in the state chapter of the party, with some aspirants for National Assembly positions already sourcing for alternative political parties, in case their chances in the ruling party were traded off.
Going by reports, the leadership of the party, which had been polarised on account of the endorsement of some candidates for the Enugu East and Enugu West senatorial slots, has expressed concern that the development could jeopardise the chance of the party in the coming elections.
The endorsement and counter-endorsement of Governor Sullivan Chime and the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, by different groups in the five local government areas of Enugu West for the 2015 senatorial contest and a similar endorsement of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, as the sole candidate for Enugu East senatorial slot, have caused a sharp division among the party members.
Some party stakeholders, who sensed that the development could cause serious animosity among PDP faithful in the state, had cautioned the Vita Abba-led party executive to put a stop to the gale of endorsement and counter-endorsement of candidates ahead of the party congresses, to forestall intra-party feud that could lead to mass defection of the members to other parties.
In Bauchi State, the National Concerned Professionals has endorsed the governor, Isa Yuguda, to contest the presidential primaries of PDP in 2015.
A statement, signed by Dr. Muhammadu Chindo on behalf of the group, said the endorsement and call for Yuguda to contest the PDP presidential primaries is prompted “by the general quest for the furtherance of a wholesome, visionary and responsive leadership in Nigeria”.
In Kano State, the North East Youth Progressive Forum (NEYPF) has adopted the state governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to contest the 2015 presidency of Nigeria.
NEYPF national co-ordinator, Mohammed Salisu, said the group endorsed the governor because he remains the solution to the current problems plaguing the country, describing him as “a man of purpose and foresight”.
Salisu said: “We unanimously adopt Engr. Kwankwaso as our presidential candidate due to his efforts and contributions made towards the total transformation of Kano as one of the highly populated states in the country. Also, his efforts in the execution of hundreds of developmental projects that have had a direct bearing on the lives of the people of Kano and Nigerians.”
The NEYPF coordinator said Kwankwaso was “a mentor of men and women, a dynamic Nigerian, an advocate of justice, a consummate administrator and master strategist”.
Some observers still believe that there is nothing wrong with political endorsement, as it has remained part of politics over the years.
Bassey Maxwell, a lawyer, told TheNiche that “there is nothing wrong with political endorsement as far as I am concerned because you cannot shy away from it, given our level of political development and culture. If the person is good, there is nothing bad for a group or a strong personality to give the person massive support to win the election.”
Vitus Okwara, accountant and president, Concerned Imo Professionals, said the development is a sad one, as it will not help in the development of the nation’s democratic process.
He observed that most people that have been endorsed were not as a result of performance, but one based on perhaps ethnicity, religion or other political bias.
“What is happenning, I mean the gale of political endorsements, is not good for our democracy. Majority of those that are being endorsed have done nothing to better our democracy. I see it as praise-singing, and that does not help our political development.
“Nobody gave the former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi, any chance when he came on board; but you can agree with me that he performed. When he came in, people saw him as an unknown quantity; he ended up being referred to as the ‘stone’. Some people are endorsing Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, and I ask: what has he done? We cannot advance Nigeria democratically through this process,” he said.
Endorsement is a normal culture in a democracy, analysts argue.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, defines political endorsement as the action of publicly declaring one’s personal or group’s support of a candidate for elected office. The action, political scientists argue, is usually based on the candidate’s pedigree or what he is considered to represent. It is, ideally, not procured nor borne of sycophancy or coercion.
In Nigeria and other developing countries, however, the fear among those kicking against the option is that, if not well handled, it has the tendency of working against growth of democracy. They also see it as having the potential of stifling opposition and, in the process, creating room for dictatorship.
A quick recall is made of the late General Sani Abacha’s ill-fated transition programme, where the then five political parties that had adopted him as their sole presidential candidate commenced with endorsing him as their presidential aspirant before his final adoption.
Abacha was to have consummated the controversial offer before he dropped dead on Monday, June 8, 1998.
Curiously, while the obviously government-engineered endorsement/adoption train roared in its way, other Nigerians that had intentions of running for the presidency were hushed out of contention.
“That is the danger of unprincipled endorsement. This is our fear with what the governors, APC godfathers and Jonathan’s henchmen are doing. If they are allowed to have their way, the primaries of the political parties at all levels would be mere charade – a mere assemblage of hapless members to give a stamp of authority to their unprincipled action,” lamented Ismail Abbas, a public affairs analyst and APC chieftain in a chat with TheNiche.
Political observers insist that endorsements may only be useful when those that earn it have shown proven records of performance.