By HENRY UMORU, ASST POLITICAL EDITOR

The year 2014, like the previous years in the life of a people has come and will go in few days. For some, it is gone. It was an eventful year, with successes, trepidation on the political scene.

e7qf1qf12gg2It was a year of dirty deals, tough decisions and political hiccups. It was the year President Goodluck Jonathan trod what his predecessors could not have the courage to do by putting in place the National Convention, the year of verbal attack on a sitting president by former president Olusegun Obasanjo over the state of affairs in the country.

It was the year the the two presidential candidates of the dominant political parties emerged for the 2015 Presidential election. It was the year, the insurgency in the North East continued and extended to the Federal Capital Territory.

2014 was an eventful year, but it is gone and 2015 is here, when Nigerians will go into election to elect a President, Governors, Members of the National and State Assemblies. As Nigerians and Nigeria enter the year 2015, It is obvious that most of the issues that reared their heads in 2014 will shape 2015.

As the year 2014 rounds off, HENRY UMORU attempts to x- ray some of the major political events that occurred which shaped and defined the political landscape of the country.

 

PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, BAMANGA TUKUR OUT, MUAZU IN

 

The political atmosphere was first charged in the country with the resignation of chairman of the ruling political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The resignation of Tukur in January 15, 2014 was a carry- over from problems of 2013 and got to its anti- climax. The former Governor of Old Gongola State at the Special National Convention held in March 2012 became the PDP National Chairman.

The then embattled Bamanga Tukur had no choice, he was the last man standing and in a letter of resignation dated January 15, 2014, titled, “Resignation as the National Chairman and addressed to the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, he said, “Pursuant to Article 45(2) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), I hereby give notice of my resignation as the National Chairmsn with effect from Thursday, January 16, 2014.

“My resignation is in the overall interest of the party. I remain available to offer my contributions accordingly to the party, whenever it is needed. Thank you and please accept the assurances of my highest esteem always.”

Tukur’s problems started right from when he became the National Chairman and for irreconcilable differences during Bamanga Tukur in 2013, Governors Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto; Ahmed Abdulfatih of Kwara, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers and former Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa States left the PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC. Crises in the PDP under Tukur got to a climax when the party split into two parallel NWCs, as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and six northern governors staged a walk out at the convention ground during the Special National Convention held August 2013.

Tukur’s resignation opened yet another phase for the party as former Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Muazu took over January 20, 2014 from Tukur from the same North East where the position was zoned to at the 64th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting at Wadata Plaza, PDP National Secretariat of the party.

Muazu in his acceptance speech warned that “Those without work should stay off PDP secretariat, I am here to work, there is no doubt that all has not been well with our party. I will restore the lost glory of the PDP, with your total support.”

 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

 

One other issue that shaped the political landscape in 2014 was the convocation of the 492 member National Conference that sat from March to August. The very stormy, vibrant Conference with former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Idris Kutigi as Chairman, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi as Deputy Chairman, took place at the National Judicial Institute, NJI.

Prior to the setting up of the Kutigi led National Conference, President Goodluck Jonathan had in a nationwide broadcast to mark the nation’s 53rd independence anniversary, put in place a 13-man Advisory Committee with Femi Okurounmu as Chairman and Akilu Indabawa as the secretary. It was saddled with among others, the responsibility of establishing modalities for a national conference aimed at resolving issues that currently cause serious problems in the nation’s polity, just as the Committee was given the mandate to consult widely before developing the framework that will guide the proceedings of the dialogue.

After receiving reports of the Advisory Committee at the Presidential Villa, President Jonathan then announced the composition of the National Conference. Okurounmu’s committee submitted three reports with 18 volumes and over 4,000 pages to the president.

At the takeoff of the Kutigi’s Conference, it was like the entire process would collapse with some delegates pushing for ethnic issues, personal and not national, it became clear that the fight was the North versus the South, series of meetings both day and nocturnal, brainstorming exercises, but with the intervention of the 50- wise men put in place, peace was restored and the Conference achieved at least the purpose for which it was set up.

While the PDP, Labour Party, LP; the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; Accord Party were fully represented at the Conference, the APC did not only boycott it, but rejected it completely, describing it as diversionary, alleging that the Conference was designed to prolong the president’s tenure.

At the end of Kutigi’s assignment where every sector of the society, from the Elder statesmen, government functionaries, those in the business circle, the civil society, the academia, the market women, students and youth, over 600 resolutions with some dealing with issues of law, issues of policy and issues of constitutional amendments were agreed on . The Report and Annexures submitted to the President at the end of the day, was 22 volumes of approximately 10,335 (ten thousand, three hundred and thirty-five) pages.

 

RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CREATION OF 18 NEW STATES

 

Part of the recommendation of the 2014 National Conference was the creation of 18 new states with three per geo-political zone). Among them were Apa, Edu, Kainji, Katagum, Savannah, Amana, Gurara, Ghari, Etiti (South East zone), Aba, Adada, Njaba-Anim, Anioma, Orashi, Ogoja, Ijebu and New Oyo. Apart from the 18 proposed states, the Conference also recommended one new state for the South East to enable the zone have equal number of states with the other zones except the North West which has seven. It also recommended that states willing to merge can also do so based on certain conditions.

 

IMMUNITY CLAUSE

 

The Conference also recommended that the immunity clause should be removed if the offences attract criminal charges to encourage accountability by those managing the economy.

 

EMERGENCE OF OYEGUN AS APC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

 

Following the coming on Board of the APC, former governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, was elected National Chairman, 14 th June. At the National Convention where he was elected, former minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi was a very opposition to him, but Ikimi however shunned the convention having discovered that the coast was not cleared for him. Two other aspirants for the chairmanship position and former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Sam Jaja and ex- governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipire Sylva agreed to back down.

 

SEASON OF CROSS CARPETING

 

In the year 2014, cross carpeting was yet another major political issue that shaped the polity. Immediately after National Convention of APC produced produced Oyegun, Chief Ikimi who eyed the position and who played a major role during the Merger, dumped the APC and returned to his former party, the PDP.

Also in 2014, former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, formally resigned from the PDP and joined the APC to work towards the actualisation of his presidential ambition.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal after his months of romance with the APC and refusal to attend the PDP National Executive Committee, NEC meetings, formally abandoned the PDP for the APC and picked the party’s gubernatorial ticket for Sokoto State.

Same year, another former chieftain of the APC and former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, moved to the PDP, citing irreconcilable differences with the APC. Also former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, left the APC for the PDP, even as former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau defected to the PDP.

Soon after he completed his eight year term in office on the platform of APGA, former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, left his party for the PDP. In Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko also defected from the Labour Party (LP) and returned to the PDP. While former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel returned to the PDP, former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao- Akala joined the Labour Party when he failed to get the Oyo State Gubernatorial ticket for 2015, and same to former National Chairman of PDP, Senator Barnabas Gemade, immediate past Minister of State, Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom left the PDP for the APC, just as Prince Tonye Princewill joined the Labour Party.

 

EMERGENCE OF FORMER GOVERNOR OF CBN, LAMIDO SANUSI AS EMIR OF KANO

 

In the year 2014, former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria,Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who had a rough time with President Jonathan and the Presidency over raising an alarm he raised on missing funds from the oil revenue, became the 14th Emir of Kano in spite of opposition as alleged from the presidency. Before and after he became the Emir of Kano, the atmosphere was tensed and clouded in an intense political quagmire. With the backing of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Sanusi’s emergence was formally announced at the ante chamber of the Kano Government House by the secretary to the state government, Rabiu Bichi, and it took immediate effect.

 

THE OBASANJO/ JONATHAN VERBAL ATTACK

 

The year 2014 cannot be discussed without looking at the rift between President Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The latter made scathing remarks on the performance of his estranged godson, Jonathan which Reuben Abati, Dr. Doyin Okupe, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, among others, replied to. In a controversial manner, with court stopping him, former President Obasanjo released his memoir titled “My Watch” . In the book, the former President chronicled the period he was in office, his relationship with people as well as his uncomplimentary remarks on some prominent Nigerians, like his former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

 

ELECTIONS

 

In 2014, there two governorship elections were held in Ekiti and Osun states respectively that many political observers and Nigerians looked up to because they formed the first true test of the popularity between the two major political parties, PDP and APC. It became a case of one victory and one defeat for the parties when during the July 21 Ekiti State Gubernatorial election, the PDP’s Candidate, Chief Ayodele Fayose defeated the incumbent, Dr. Kayode Fayemi having polled 203,090 votes as against that of Fayemi’s 120,433 votes. But at the end of the August 9 Osun State Gubernatorial election, the incumbent, Rauf Aregbesola of the APC defeated the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

An election was also fixed for Adamawa State following the impeachment of the then Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, Rtd, but the process of conducting the election was stopped by the court.

 

INEC’s PVC AND CVR

 

As Nigeria prepares for the 2015 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC commenced the distribution of the Permanent Voters Card and the Continuous Voters Registration exercises. While the commission carried out the exercise in phases across the 36 states, it however ran into problems in some states like Edo, Lagos which led to high level criticisms especially from voters who could not replace their cards or get registered.

 

PRIMARIES AND MINISTERIAL LOSES

 

This was also the year of primaries by the political parties to get their candidates for next year’s election, based on the guidelines and timetable provided by INEC. While the PDP had a more intense post primaries crisis with petitions everywhere, that of the APC did not over heat the polity.

During the year under review, President Jonathan was given right of first refusal by the PDP, he was first endorsed by all the organs of the party, voted for and ratified at the Special National Convention held at Eagle Square, Abuja, in fact, he was the sole Presidential candidate.

 

For the APC, former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari emerged as presidential candidate at a Convention held in Lagos. Buhari defeated governors of Kano and Imo States, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Rochas Okorocha, alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and chairman of Leadership Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah. In getting their running mates, Jonathan immediately at the Convention ground announced that he was running with Vice president, Namadi Sambo for the election, but Buhari after six days of intrigues, manoevering, political backstabbing, compromise, display of power by the gladiators, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Yomi Osinbajo, finally emerged as his running mate.

For the PDP, it held some of its primaries in Abuja. While that of Borno where Gambo Lawan emerged was held at the Presidential Villa, that of Taraba which produced Ishiaku took place at Wadata Plaza, PDP National Secretariat, that of Adamawa where former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu emerged took place at the Old parade ground, Area 10, Abuja, that of Yobe where Waziri Maina won took place at the PDP Presidential Campaign office, Legacy House, Abuja.

It was a minus for ministers and Special Advisers to the President who had resigned hoping to get the Governorship tickets for 2015. Except for former Minister of State, Education and former Minister of State, Niger Delta, Nyesom Wike and Darius Ishyaku who emerged respectively as Rivers and Taraba Candidates, other ministers like Labaran Maku; Emeka Wogu, Musiliu Obanikoro; Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu; Samuel Ortom; Prof. Sylvester Monye, among others failed to get tickets.

 

YEAR OF GALE OF IMPEACHMENT AND NEAR MISSES

 

With the impeachment of Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State who had dumped the PDP for the APC, there were also such moves to remove some governors in the opposition, but Governors Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa; Adams Oshiomhole of Edo; Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo also survived impeachment moves.

In Enugu State, the deputy governor, Sunday Onyebuchi was ruthlessly kicked out of office by his boss, Sullivan Chime ostensibly for rearing poultry in his residence. The speakers of the Ebonyi and Ekiti States Houses of Assembly were impeached in circumstances linking their governors to the plot.

 

COURT CASES

 

In the year under review, there were also court cases as the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2015 election was put to test at the courts. Also, a federal high court in Abuja struck out a case instituted by the PDP seeking to sack five of its governors that defected to the APC.

PDP national chairman, Adamu Mu’azu however survived a move to sack him from office in court, over the manner of his emergence as chairman of the party. Immediate past national chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur was involved in the case filed by another PDP member.

Upon squashing of the case, Tukur was suspended by the party for engaging in that, but Tukur denied having knowledge of the suit, it was a case of medicine after death.

 

TEAR GAS AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

A new twist was introduced into the new nation’s democracy as a case of jumping the fence by members of the National Assembly carry out their legislative duties took place. In fact, the National Assembly complex was thrown into a state of despondency as the police and other security agents battled unsuccessfully to stop the Speaker, House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal from entering the chamber following his cross carpeting to APC and still sticking to the position of the speaker despite the call by the PDP on him to do the needful. Efforts by the speaker and other lawmakers to enter the complex were resisted by security forces, mainly the police, led by the Commissioner of Police, FCT, Wilson Inalegwu.

The policemen were in combat gear and fully armed. With them were hooded Department of State Service (DSS) personnel. At the end of the day, Lawmakers removed their shoes and climbed the iron fence to make their way inside the chamber. Teargas fumes choked the environment, drawing tears from the lawmakers’ eyes. Many were shouting and screaming and Senate President David Mark was not left out in the imbrioglio.

Not happy with the development, the lawmakers launched an impeachment battle against President Jonathan and by evening, no fewer than 130 of the 360 members in the House had signed a register to back the Jonathan-must-go move. There were also insinuations that Senators were also out to move against the president, but the Senate Spokesperson, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe denied that there was any such move. The impeachment talk, like other ones before then, was a mere joke.

BUDGET

 

The executive arm has always blamed the legislature as being responsible for late passage and poor implementation of successive budgets, but who should be blamed now when the 2015 budget was presented by the Executive to the National Assembly few days to their recess and with elections for February, when will the law makers look at the budget proposals critically and when will it get to the president for final approval.

INSURGENCY, CHIBOK GIRLS

It would be difficult to discuss issues that shaped the political landscape in 2014, without the menace of insurgency. The insecurity in the North, particularly the North East, due to the unrelenting onslaught by members of the Boko Haram sect has remained a sore event in the nation’s political development. Perhaps it is part of the determination of the group to destabilise the country that made the Presidency, in its budget, to put security on its priority list, yet cases of bombing offices, parks, Mosques, Schools continued unabated.

According to reports, not less than 5,000 people have lost their lives between July 2009 and June 2014 while over 650,000 persons were displaced with increase of 200,000 since May 2014.

 

As the year ends and the country moving into the year, 2015, one sad thing that has happened in the nation’s history was the Kidnap of well over 200 students in April by members of the Boko Haram from Government Girls’ Secondary school, Chibok. About seven weeks after the incident, precisely on 4th of May, President Goodluck Jonathan who spoke publicly about the kidnapping for the first time, said that the government was doing everything it could to find the missing girls and blamed parents for not supplying enough information about their missing children to the police.

Protests by bring back our girls were carried out in the sun and during the rains with no results and political colouration brought into it.

Questions that beg for answers are if these girls are still alive, it is possible that they must have been put into family way, they must have been raped and sexed by the insurgents or with cases of ladies being used to carry out bombings at the parks, Mosques, are will not sure that these girls must those school girls, we pray that they return and join their families as we enter 2015.

As we enter 2015, how far Jonathan’s government can confront this deadly group, Boko Haram, how the party will engage on issue- based campaigns, who will win the elections, the implementation of 2015 budget, implementation of recommendations of 2014 National Conference, free and fair conduct of the elections by INEC will also be factors that will shape the nation’s polity in 2015.