Better Don't Ignore PDP Decampees Who Made The ‘Change’ A Reality – Dele Momodu warns APC

Let me be more specific. The APC has been
locked in a logjam over the zoning of the
highest positions in the land.

The way I see it is that CPC has already
produced the number one slot. ACN has
provided the number two. ANPP has secured
the boss of all bosses the National Chairman
of APC. The New PDP which came into the
union with five formidable Governors and a
multitude of National Assembly members is
yet to get any position.

Fellow Nigerians, this has been a very
interesting week for me. I finally made a trip
to Lagos and Abuja for the first time since
General Muhammadu Buhari and Professor
Yemi Osinbajo got elected as President and
Vice President respectively. Abuja, in its own
case, was an instant revelation as soon as I
landed. It was obvious right from the tarmac
that something has ostensibly changed about
Nigeria’s seat of power.

I noticed a huge crowd disembarking from
several planes simultaneously and spilling in
from different directions. I scanned some of
the faces and saw hope boldly etched on
many of them. I felt very much at home as
security agents and customs officers came out
to share in the festival of congratulations.
This is truly refreshing, I soliloquised.

The Transcorp Hilton Hotel was in its usual
effervescent mood with ubiquitous politicians
and esoteric entrepreneurs swarming the
whole place in search of new positions and
unmatchable deals as they always deem fit.
Getting a room was near impossible even as a
diamond card member. It took the
intervention of some benevolent contact to
find me a room to lay my head after some
strenuous meetings. The Buka Restaurant at
the hotel displayed a kaleidoscope of colours
with the array of assorted foods which
competed for the rich palates of some
members of the privilegentsia.

No doubt, something has changed in Abuja. I
was happy to meet many old friends, and
made new ones. The camaraderie between the
North and the South seemed more evident.
The artificial barriers erected by some voluble
politicians appear to have melted away. I
discovered that the social media has also
brought people closer than ever. Nearly
everyone I encountered was my follower or
acquaintance on Twitter, Facebook or
Instagram. They spoke generously and
eloquently about my audacious activities
during the Presidential campaigns. I was
made to take pictures as if photography was
going out of vogue. I sincerely thank in
particular my over 380,000 ardent and
engaging followers on Twitter and the over
57,000 followers on Instagram. Together we
rocked Africa and took the world by storm.
I’m now more confident than ever that
whether our hard-core politicians like it or
not, Nigerians will no longer tolerate
nonsense as business.The social media has
collapsed the world into an even tinier village
and any leader who tries to play God would be
shown the way to Golgotha. If the ruling party
PDP can be made to eat the humble pie then
no one is unsackable. The incoming
government should beware of falling into
grave temptations like the unwary
transgressors. The most important thing for
me is that it must not take our people for
granted. The next major key point to note is
that it cannot afford to be complacent. It must
avoid the attitude of playing politics the
traditional way. Some things have definitely
transformed and situations have shifted
drastically. The hawks of power must calm
down and cool temper. The old days of
oppressing fellow citizens must yield to a new
dawn of putting the people first as priority.

I will continue to plead with the People’s
General, President-elect Muhammadu Buhari,
and his brilliant Vice-President elect,
Professor Yemi Osinbajo, not to waste those
attributes that gave them power. They must
resist every attempt by control freaks that
litter our political landscape to mortgage this
landmark victory that has unified Nigerians
like never before. What Nigerians expect is
nothing other than performance. The
politicians can’t do jack if the Buhari/
Osinbajo Administration accomplishes its
mission. A good government would of
necessity step on the toes of anyone who
proves too difficult to manage. It is normal for
Nigerian politicians to seek to dump their
deadwoods on new governments but it
behoves a responsible leader to reject same
with automatic alacrity and let the dead bury
their dead.

The first point to note is that APC must
resolve all its power-sharing squabbles
amicably and equitably. The greed factor must
be jettisoned for fair-play. Every partner in
the greatest political merger ever in Nigeria
must be treated with respect and decorum. No
attempt should be made to treat anyone as an
inferior member of the union. Once that is
taken into consideration and settled pronto,
the Party would enjoy the bliss it deserves
after a most excruciating campaign. What kills
most amalgamations is egocentricity.I already
foresee a war of attrition if APC does not
immediately halt the present macabre dance
by some of its members. The Party and the
Government that it will establish at executive
and legislative level must not see itself as a
coalition of Parties with separate ideologies
and detrimental interests. Having fused into
one it must behave as such and cater to the
core doctrines embodied in its manifesto.
Let me be more specific. The APC has been
locked in a logjam over the zoning of the
highest positions in the land. The way I see it
is that CPC has already produced the number
one slot. ACN has provided the number two.
ANPP has secured the boss of all bosses the
National Chairman of APC. The New PDP
which came into the union with five
formidable Governors and a multitude of
National Assembly members is yet to get any
position. This appears to me as grossly unfair
and disproportionate. It is one of the reasons
many onlookers and none-party members like
me supported the candidacy of Senator
Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President.
We must learn to honour our heroes. Dr
Saraki with Governors Rotimi Amaechi and
Rabiu Kwankwaso risked everything to make
this Change Movement possible. They and
their other colleagues took the bulls by the
horns and took the battle to the doorsteps of
PDP. It is unfathomable how anyone would
say they don’t deserve any chunky positions
in this grand alliance. Haba!

Aside from working assiduously for the new
party, these influential and energetic leaders
deserve the best of positions on sheer merit.
They are among the brightest stars of APC
who must not be compensated with the type
of chicanery being witnessed in APC at this
moment. What is the essence of hard work if
the rewards would go to those who did less or
little? Success breeds many relatives but we
must never forget the gallant men and women
who made it happen. Kwara State had always
been disadvantaged. That State suffers greatly
from its ambidextrous nature. It is not likely
to produce a President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria soon unless our country can
change its current configuration by whatever
stroke of miracle.

Kwara is geographically in Northern Region
but tribalistically seen by some as a an
integral part of the Yoruba nation. But its
influence stretches to Kogi State and both
were powerfully delivered through the
quintessential leadership of Dr Saraki without
any shade of doubt. As a prominent member
of the North Central, often considered as one
of the minority regions in Nigeria, it has
always been marginalised and solemnly
oppressed by others. This is a great window of
opportunity for the Kwara/Kogi axis to feel a
true sense of belonging in the scheme of
things and APC should not bungle it for God’s
sake. Benue has produced Senate Presidents
and Party Chairmen endlessly. Niger State has
produced two Heads of State, Generals
Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami
Abubakar. Plateau had Chief Solomon Lar
while Kogi Chief Sunday Awoniyi and Colonel
Ahmadu Ali, as party Chairmen. Benue
produced many Senate Presidents, Ameh
Ebute, Iyorchia Ayu and David Bonaventure
Mark. Benue also produced Audu Ogbeh and
Barnabas Gemade as PDP Chairmen.

The North West has been the luckiest of all
the regions in Nigeria. It has produced
General Murtala Muhammed, President Shehu
Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, General
Sani Abacha, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
and now back to General Muhammadu
Buhari. The North East has produced Tafawa
Balewa as Prime Minister and Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar as Vice President.

The South West also has benefitted immensely
with Ogun State alone producing President
Olusegun Obasanjo, first as military Head of
State and twice as civilian President. The
same Ogun State nearly produced President
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola before it
gave birth to the contraption known as the
Interim National Government which was
headed by Chief Ernest ‘Degunle Shonekan,
another prominent Ogun son.

The South East produced the first President
and Governor-General of Nigeria, the great
Owelle of Onitsha, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and
Nigeria’s second Head of State, Major General
Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, as
well as Second Republic Vice President, Dr
Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme. The zone has
also produced a long list of Senate Presidents
namely, Senators Nwafor Orizu, Evan
Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo, Pius Anyim,
Adolphos Wabara and Ken Nnamani and
Speaker House of Representatives, Rt Hon.
Anakwe Agunwa.

It would probably have produced the next
Senate President had the zone not committed
some form of political hara-kiri by choosing to
place all its eggs in the PDP basket. The zone
has also produced Deputy Senate President
and Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives. The South South has not been
so fortunate. It only managed to get a Senate
President in the Second Republic, Dr Joseph
Wayas, from Cross River State and also a shot
at the Presidency by a whisker after the
unfortunate death of President Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua. Sadly, the zone lost the Presidency
after its first tenure for reasons I won’t have
the space to explain here.

For a region that is seen as the goose that lays
the golden eggs, it would be preposterous not
to do everything to compensate it for losing
power in such a jiffy. And the strongest men
who worked hardest from our zone are
Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Rotimi
Amaechi. Since my Governor still retains his
job beyond May 29, 2015, Amaechi should be
the biggest beneficiary. The post of Secretary
to the Federal Government should be offered
to him on first acceptance or refusal basis.

No right thinking person would deny the
strategic role of the Captain of the winning
team as Director-General of Buhari/Osinbajo.
His incredible victory as Chairman of
Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum provided the
platform and impetus for this monumental
victory in the Presidential election. Amaechi
had stoutly stood in front of a moving train
that the Federal is in Nigeria and he
conquered. Let no one dismiss such a man
with a lion heart as not deserving our
accolades. I wish to reiterate that such
stupendous talents like that of Governor
Amaechi must always be rewarded not as an
act of patronage but out of appreciation for
his effort, devotion and ability.

In my recent article on the same subject
matter, I mentioned those who should be in
the next cabinet but didn’t assign portfolios to
most of the names. I shall do so today for the
outstanding ones. Governor Babatunde Raji
Fashola is always a man after the heart of
those who appreciate quality leadership. The
most important task before the next
government is how to solve the intractable
problem of power.

I can’t think of anyone better to take on this
enormous challenge than Fashola. And I’m
not saying this for the fun of it. I’ve taken
time to study the State driven power projects
in Lagos and would wish to see such
replicated nationwide. Fashola is one man
who is so resolute about the modernisation of
our country and the way that Lagos State has
slowly been solving its power problem without
Federal Government assistance commends
Fashola to anyone who believes that the
problem can be solved.

I will love to see Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso
as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory
so that he can weave his Kano magic in
Abuja. He not only deserves the position on
the merit but also because he worked
tirelessly and assiduously to ensure victory for
the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket notwithstanding
the fact that his hopes were dashed at the
Presidential primaries. He succeeded in
garnering the largest number of votes for the
Party and the votes in Kano practically
accounted for the margin of APC over PDP in
the Presidential elections.

Now one of the frustrations Buhari/Osinbajo
would encounter is the process of selecting
cabinet members which is usually
cumbersome and fraught with the danger of
godfatherism. The Capos of Nigerian politics
are never happy unless they can find one of
their lackeys to put in power, whether
qualified or not. But General Buhari would
have to set very high standards for those who
wish to be considered for appointments. If he
allows the godfathers to dump their dregs on
him, it would be disastrous for the nation.
These are the calibre of men and women that
we need at this time and age in every sector.
May God help Buhari/Osinbajo in this difficult
task.