Different groups in the country continue to drum support for President Goodluck Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari, ahead re-scheduled presidential poll, Assistant Editor (North), CHUKS EHIRIM, writes.
Before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) threw its bombshell in the late night of Saturday, February 7, 2015, rescheduling the dates for this year’s general elections, the polity was already getting charged by persons and groups in pursuit of political agenda.
Two groups emerged very distinct in these ‘war’ for votes. One of them is a group comprising largely elder statesmen from southern Nigeria – Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA). The second group, consisting of relatively younger political elements, also emerged – Southern Nigeria Professionals. Both groups are battling for the control of votes of the electorate from the South.
The former parades such names as the former Information Minister, Edwin Clark; former Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife; former senator and leading member of Afenifere, a Yoruba socio- cultural organisation, Femi Okurounmu, as well as another erstwhile Information Minister, Walter Ofonagoro; among others. Members are well-known campaigners for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The latter group, which parades the likes of National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Rotimi Fashakin; former National Legal Adviser of the party, Okoi Obono-Obla; as well as Osita Okechukwu and Chidia Maduekwe – all members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) – are supporters and promoters of the presidential ambition of the party’s candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
Shortly before the postponement, the groups had taken the centre stage of campaigns to improve the chances of their principals. The Edwin Clark-led SNPA had taken a swipe at the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, accusing him of working against President Jonathan’s chances at the polls. It demanded immediate sack of Jega, perhaps, as a way of improving the electoral fortunes of the president.
It had also alleged that Jega directed the release of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to Emirs, district heads and top politicians in the North, stressing that the action was responsible for the near 100 per cent distribution rate recorded in the North compared to 50 per cent in the South.
The group also called for the postponement of the general elections. Okurounmu, who spoke on behalf of the Assembly, said the postponement would allow for the re-constitution and repositioning of INEC that will conduct credible and acceptable elections. The Assembly threatened that in the event of the federal government failing to take decisive action on the issue, it shall mobilise people to ensure that there is no election in any part of Southern Nigeria.
Said: Okurounmu: “We authoritatively gathered with unassailable and incontrovertible evidence that the INEC chairman, who was away in Lagos for an official engagement, through one of his national commissioners that represented him, met with select leaders of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), led by Prof. Ango Abdullahi, on August 20, 2014 where strategies and modalities for enthroning a president of Northern extraction through vote rigging, were discussed and agreed upon.
“The meeting was sequel to an earlier meeting of Northern Elders Forum held on August 16, 2014 at Arewa House, Kaduna, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Sule where it was resolved that all avenues must be explored towards enthroning a president of Northern extraction in the forthcoming 2015 elections.
“In addition, Jega reportedly directed the release of PVCs in their catchment states to Emirs, district heads and top politicians, and not necessarily to the voters themselves, a situation that culminated in some voters being in possession of two to three PVCs.”
A day after the debut of the SNPA, the other group took the stage, disagreeing with them on virtually all the issues raised. At a forum in Abuja on Friday, February 6, Fashakin, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues in the Southern Nigeria Professionals, claimed that the SNPA doesn’t have the mandate of the people of Southern Nigeria.
“The shameful outing by this group (SNPA), which cannot be said to have the mandate of Southern Nigeria people, however, failed to answer certain salient questions,” Fashakin said.
Some of these questions, according to him, “was Professor Attahiru Jega, also an ethnic bigot when the INEC under his leadership conducted the 16 April, 2011 Presidential election and returned Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as validly elected, an election in which General Muhammadu Buhari was also a candidate? Was Professor Attahiru Jega also responsible for ensuring that General Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 10, 2014?”
Fashekin described the SNPA chieftains as ethnic jingoists who are trying to rebuild their stomach infrastructure. He added that “we are equally ashamed that these latter-day ethnic jingoists had once occupied enviable positions in this country, from which they preached national cohesion. They have now preferred to heed the calls of the stomach more than the calls of true patriotic service to the fatherland.”
He said that rather than help Jonathan’s ambition, the SNPA has made him become a sectional president.
With the eventual postponement of the polls to March 28 (national) and April 11 (state), it is expected that the arrowheads of the groups will move in and intensify their activities in ensuring that their preferred candidate emerges victorious.