Ruling party gladiators in the North
Sule Lamido… Thorn in the flesh of opposition
Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido is not a green horn in Nigerian politics, having started as a member of the left-of-centre, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the Second Republic.
He became the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party in the aborted Third Republic and later got imprisoned by the General Sani Abacha government for criticising the late military ruler’s attempt to perpetuate himself in power.
When the General Abubakar Abdulsalam government announced a transition plan to return the nation to full democracy, Lamido joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform that he used to run for the governor of Jigawa State. He lost to the All Peoples Party candidate, Alhaji Ibrahim Turaki.
A strong ally of the ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, he was rewarded for his loyalty as the Foreign Affairs Minister. He later contested for the governorship seat of Jigawa in 2007 and won.
As a fall-out of the Governors’ Forum crisis in which the chairman of the forum and Governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi was pitched against President Goodluck Jonathan, he was among the seven PDP rumoured to have indicated to defect to the opposition party, APC. The other governors are
The other governors are Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto; Babangida Aliyu of Niger; Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara; the then Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa; Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano; and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers. Eventually, five of the governors defected to APC leaving Lamido and Aliyu back in PDP.
On his reason for not defecting to APC, he said it would be foolhardy for him to leave PDP where he is the founding father for another party. He said he would remain in the party to help build the party.
At the beginning of the race for the general elections, he was rumoured to have interest in running for the presidency under the PDP, a situation that saw him in opposition to the second term ambition of President Jonathan.
But he dismissed this in an interview saying, “Let me correct you, and I want to underline it: I have never, ever said I am gunning for the presidency. Never. Some Nigerians just thought I was good enough to be Nigeria’s president. They started promoting the idea, and it caught on, and people thought it was me. I feel flattered that some people find me worthy of being asked to run for president, and I thank my Creator, my Allah, for giving me that standing. I thank them, but it was not me who was running for president. Secondly, as a party man, I strongly believe in party culture and party tradition.”
He added, “There is no way a governor can beat a sitting president to the presidential ticket of the party. The same thing applies in the states.”
He was later appointed to coordinate President Jonathan’s campaign in the Northwest. Initially, he was lukewarm to this assignment. But in the last two weeks he became the arrowhead of the opposition to the Gen Buhari’s ambition.
It was rumoured that his newfound love for Jonathan was informed by his plan to evade prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Speaking on APC, he said the country is too big for the party to rule. In one of his visits to Aso Villa, he described APC as an “amalgamation of desperation.”
He went further “What is this opposition in Nigeria? You must know Nigerian history. Nigeria cannot be governed by an aggregate of pain, anger and frustration.
“And I have been saying those called opposition who are now abusing us, whatever might have been our crime, it was that crime that made them.
“We created that for them to become either governors, or legislators, we created room for them to emerge. So, whatever they think is our evil, they are the manifestations of the evil. Believe me, you don’t know Nigeria.
Babangida Aliyu: A ruling party’s loyalist
Babangida
Babangida Aliyu started his political career as a legislator when he was elected into the House of Representatives in 1983. His contributions on the floor of the National Assembly were the stuff by which one could measure depth in Parliamentary proceedings. The record of his articulate delivery, influence and clarity of thought made him a delight to watch on the floor and in the committees on Education and Foreign Affairs that he served on.
He joined the Federal Public Service as Acting Chief Political Affairs Officer in May, 1990. He subsequently held posts in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation and the National Council on Inter-Governmental Relations. From 1996 until April 1999 he was Director (Maritime Services) in the Ministry of Transportation. In 1999 he was appointed Federal Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating/Accounting Officer, and later served in a number of senior positions in different Federal civil service departments until 2007, when he reentered politics.
Aliyu was elected governor of Niger State in April 2007, running on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform. Soon after being sworn in as governor, he established up a Debt Verification Committee to look into a flood of claims for unpaid bills for the contracts awarded by his predecessor Abdulkadir Kure. The committee reported widespread misappropriations of the state’s resources. Speaking in October 2009 at a convention of the Association of Nigeria Authors, Aliyu said that over 90 percent of Nigerian politicians have criminal intentions, spending huge amounts to gain office for their own benefit rather than to serve the public. He was reelected on in 2011.
Now aspiring to the National Assembly, one can imagine how he would impact on the 8th National Assembly with the better education he has acquired, public service credentials and exposure to governance. Experience, they say, is the best teacher. Aliyu must have thought through the quality of representation given to his people before joining the race. Being a deliberate person, one is not in doubt that he opted for the Senate to further the interest of his people and provide nation-wide service to fatherland.
Even when he was widely touted as a presidential hopeful, the Niger State governor never acceded to pressure to run for the nation’s highest office. It is therefore unlikely that he has inordinate ambition. Yes, he has a pan-Nigerian vision of equal opportunity, welfarist existence and justice. For him the only way to bring about change is not by merely mouthing it. It is by the choice of practical platforms of action to bring them into fruition.
For sure, Aliyu has always been a nationalist. He rallies supports across a wide spectrum of issues and is not someone limited by ethnic, religious and pecuniary considerations. In and out of office, he has an idea of how to better the country and improve the circumstances of the Nigerian. A seat in the Senate will help him articulate a model of governance that will engender development in all spheres of our national life and living.
Governor Aliyu is an accomplished bureaucrat who understands the rules of public order. He has in the last seven and a half years left development imprints that are difficult to ignore. His chosen areas of priority, namely Education, Health, Agriculture, infrastructural development and social security have seen progressive achievements.
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22 Comments
The countdown begins. Let us continue to have hope for CHANGE for better future.
But if the PDP changes her ways. It may be a good thing.
PDP would never change, Chief Emmanuel. They are more like a secret society. A cabal of unimaginable proportion. They are every where in Nigeria: North, South, East and West. Some of them have passed the mantle of leadership to their wives and children. Their objective is to rule Nigeria forever and whosoever attempts to stop them, would face dire consequences. They don’t care whose ox is gored in so far as they continue to loot the treasury.
Remember Faroukh Lawan’s case? In any civilised society such individual would never be allowed to contest election again. But not in Nigeria, not under the watch of PDP. Everything goes.
After 16 years of despotic rule by the PDP, Nigeria does not have regular electricity supply. After 16 years of exploitation, graduates cannot be gainfully employed.
No good roads,
No quality education in public schools [with lecturers sending their wards to Ghana and other African countries for study]
No proper medical services
No prosperity in Agriculture
No security to lives and property,
Lecturers went on strike for almost one year,
Doctors embarked on indefinite strike also until well meaning Nigerians intervened
The situation is pathetic, Chief. So we must chase them out of Aso-Rock..
It is not about President Jonathan. It is about the cabal as a whole. After 4 years, they will install another President from Northern Nigeria and our suffering will linger.. Yes, we must change them today
APC, DPN, Labour or whatever party that can, should get them out today!
Your post is filled with inaccuracies and unfair commentas. Are you aware that a sizable percentage of the APC is former PDP???
Mr Plan and How I advice you to read history in order to understand how the human society functions. Moses was raised in the palace of the Pharaoh but turned against him because he was evil. Jesus Christ had redeemed what the bible referred to as ”the lost sheep of Israel” and most of them abandoned their former religious rites and embraced Christ as saviour to humanity. Abubakar, Usman, Umar and many companions of Prophet Muhammad were initially idol worshipers. They abandoned the old ways and accepted Islam.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was made successful only after some members of the ruling class joined the struggle. And in recent times, the revolutionary movements that swept across the Arabian Peninsular, the Asian Tigers, recorded successes because part of the people that participate in exploiting the ordinary people suddenly realised that enough was enough.
Mr Plan and How I advice you to read history in order to understand how the human society functions. Moses was raised in the palace of the Pharaoh but turned against him because he was evil. Jesus Christ had redeemed what the bible referred to as ”the lost sheep of Israel” and most of them abandoned their former religious rites and embraced Christ as saviour to humanity. Abubakar, Usman, Umar and many companions of Prophet Muhammad were initially idol worshipers. They abandoned the old ways and accepted Islam.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was made successful only after some members of the ruling class joined the struggle. And in recent times, the revolutionary movements that swept across the Arabian Peninsular, the Asian Tigers, recorded successes because part of the people that participate in exploiting the ordinary people suddenly realised that enough was enough.
Good point. Some Nigerians will do anything just for the sake of money. Such is the case of those canvassing for GEJ in several online platforms like this using different mushroom names. They want the evil to continue as long as their pocket is filled. They failed to realize that the will of the people cannot be suppressed for long. When the time for change comes, the will of the people prevails and the perpetrators of evil can only expect the unavoidable consequence just like GEJ’s wife has been running from pillar to post accusing GMB of planning to imprison her when he gets to power! God will give Nigeria a resounding victory over this comatose government and usher NIgeria to a new phase of peace and progress. Long live Nigeria!
“Change” is a stolen slogan from Obama. Today, Americans are highly disappointed. Obama’s party, the Democrats, cannot win any election in many years to come. People used the slogan “Change” to mesmerize Americans. Thy have recovered from that slogan and faced reality. They have regretted Obama. JONATHAN is the one winning 2015 election. I prefer a corrupt man to a tyrant. I assure you that the BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT THAT HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTERED THROUGH BUHARI’S INCITEMENT IN 2011 WILL SPEAK AGAINST BUHARI AT THE POOLS TOMORROW. DONT WASTE YOUR VOTE FOR HIM. HEAVEN IS AGAINST HIM. HE WILL FAIL.
sai buhari
sai GEJ ;SAI humility
US has recorded unprecedented success in employment rate, health care for all (through obamacare), revival of corporations – GM, AIG…, reduction in gas prices, liberal immigration policy, reduction in crime rate among other issues under democrat and obama administration. The only challenge is the republican legislatures (congress and senate) who for reasons known to them are heady on ensuring obama records are dented….STOP SPREADING LIES. Change has come to Nigeria and whether you and other like it or not, you will be changed!
change is not achieved through propaganda and lies,it is achieved through change of policy and legacy it must be done in courage and patient,jonathan has legacy and policy to transformed nigeria,pib and local content policy will improved factory in nigeria and employ stable job for nigerians,national confab report will stabilized and put peace in nigeria political system because it addressed marginalization and create regional autonomy this were you can say nigeria is a nation, but for now nigeria is a fake nation.so change is in structure not in person,APC are liars.
Buhari, the next president of FR of N
SICK MAN that will die in power
Not compared to Jonathan the 24/7 drunk, whose health challenges are more a phobia to himself and the citizens; considering the impact of alcohol on one’s health. We should learn from history, when late elder stateman K. O Mbadiwe’s political detractors filtered rumor he is dying and eventually declared him dead, he emerged and announced his beign healthy and a live and told those insinuating his death they will die before him, and lo and behold, it happened, he lived and buried the so call younger politiciance who wishd him dead. So Fayose et all watch your uttereances on wishing Buhari dead and calling him brain dead!!!
Legacy indeed!
How many projects did Mr President implement in your area [within the time frame of his incumbency]? What manner of social or economic aspects did he successfully execute within these periods? How can you explain the massive increase of youth unemployment in Nigeria, which culminated in the loss of several lives during the immigration employment saga? How can you justify the increasing dwindling supply of electricity which effectively led to the collapse of the small scale businesses and disappearance of the middle class in our economic structure.
Stop using sentiments in analysing the political economy of the nation that so many credible Nigerians toiled to keep together.
IF YOU ARE CHANGING A DECENT MAN TO A WICKED AND BLOOD SUCKER WHO NEVER SHOW REMORSE FOR EVIL ON NIGERIANS,IT IS BASELESS AND A CHANGE TO GRAVE..SAAAAAIIIIJONAAAAA
You don’t change from good to bad.
While people are fixated on tomorrow march 28, the battle for Nigeria’s real future is in 2019. May the best candidate win tomorrow , but there would be little difference whoever wins. Either one of them would work to change either their way of doing things or the functional structure of governance but little would change. Because of how and the people who helped them get or stay there. Either ways, Jonathan and Buhari would never be on a ticket again after tomorrow. And make no mistake, Nigeria will be one after this election despite all the naysayers. Watch between Aliyu and Lamido,one likely to be Nigeria’s next president in 2019. But please cast your vote tomorrow. And when you hold that ballot, only vote who your inner guts tell you to. Forget the mudslings of the past 12 weeks.
I wish Goodluck goodluck
Clearly anyone who hasnt experienced Terror, Lost a loved one due to Govt incompetence, or been a victim of circumstance in Nigeria, will be the ones Happy with the current situation!!…so it took 4yrs to muster up the will for the Army to fight BH?….after thousands of lives have been lost?…where have all the Billions been going?…where are the missing Billions of dollars?…where are the Pensioners funds?…so Stealing is not Corruption?, where are our girls from Chibok?, what is going on in the Oil sector?, whats happening to electricity?(ive not had light for 1week now!), what happenned to our foreign debt that was forgiven?, why is it borrowing Nigeria is doing now?, whats happening to the Naira of recent?….please i could go On…but we have a reference point of how things were 4years ago, so anyone not complaining needs to be properly reminded!….those of us complaining are tired of the Incompetence…we need a change!, if after 4years it doesnt come, we boot the leaders out again till we get what we want……………….Yes!!!…CHANGE!!!…its a word, not an American Democrat slang as someone alluded here!!
Not until quest for power is driven by the zeal to better the lot of the people and reposition our society as platform for socio-economic renaissance, growth and development, Nigeria will continue to lag behind. Whoever becomes President, Governor or Senator should know this. The patience of Nigeria has run thin with our leaders. Let the politicians know that there must be a paradigm shift and Nigerians are ready with resolute determination to force goodness, accountability and responsiveness on politicians whose sole intention of seeking power is to sink steely fingers into State treasury. Enough is Enough.
We will review and take appropriate action.