ANPP Crises in Perspective By Festus Okon
“It’s not to offer a monkey in
captivity a cup of water, but how to retrieve it and intact” – late Oyi
of Oyi The Rt. Hon. Dr. Chuba Okadigbo.
The above quote reflects the
current happenings at the headship of the supposed main opposition party
in the country, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). It is on record
that the duo of Admiral Augustus Aikhomu and Chief Don Obong Etiebet
were received into the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) family in 2002
and accorded the greatest hospitality any political party on earth could
offer a personality no matter his status or class. I recall that the
scenario was the National Convention – Cum – Presidential primaries of
the party terminating the tenure of Governor Attahiru Bafarwa of Sokoto
state as Caretaker Committee Chairman. The idea was to raise a
formidable team that would ensure the party clinch the highest political
office in the country, the presidency. Since the support of every zone
in the country was required to achieve the desired goals political
arithmetic, as the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo would say, was applied. While
General Muhammadu Buhari, from the North-West emerged as the party’s
presidential candidate with the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo from the
South-East as his running mate, the South - South, which has always
been a political ally of the North, came in with some of their leaders
as a faction from one of the then newly registered political parties –
the United Nigeria People’s Party (UNPP). In order to ensure national
spread and Regional representation in the quest to wrestle power from
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the duo of Admiral Aikhomu and
Chief Etiebet emerged as the party’s Board of Trustee’s Chairman and
National Chairman respectively. It was envisaged that since both men had
held exalted positions in the past, hence commanded some degree of
respect from their zone, they would increase the fortune of the party.
Don Etiebet, it was assumed for instance, had been a Petroleum Minister
and therefore would not mismanage the party’s resources but rather add
value to it. That, however, wasn’t the case as the chap threw dignity
and accountability to the wind and ran the party’s account without fear
or finesse. The Annang Chief, it was further alleged, created bogus
salary and allowances for himself and his chains of real and
non-existing aides. He single-handedly collected and expended the
hundreds of millions of naira allocated to the party by the Independent
Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC)without recourse to the party’s
decision making organ - the National Executive Committee (NEC). It is
on record that ANPP accounts were never properly kept, nor were they
ever audited according to the rules. This, no doubt was what prompted
the A NPP Senators and Members of House of Representative to withdraw
their monthly contribution for the running of the party as there was no
explanation as to how monies accruing were being spent. Chief Don
Etiebet as ANPP Chairman to say the least was an unmitigated disaster,
who allowed the party lurched from one crisis to another, progressively
lost relevance and potency as a viable opposition party and virtually
became a rudderless, sinking ship. Also, Etiebet’s leadership style cost
the party influential and respectable members. Indeed, rather than woo
new members, re-assure old ones and amicably settle rifts, Etiebet
thrived in stirring up crises and sowing seeds of discord. He
unilaterally dissolves state Executives whom he perceives as not being
loyal to him and replaces them with Caretaker Committees. It goes
without saying that his single minded objective was to destroy the party
- a brief handed to him by the opponents of the party (ANPP).
What is more disheartening is that
some ANPP Governors who by virtue of their offices are supposed to be
custodians of the party, have been the ones actively aiding and abetting
Etiebet’s treasonable deeds. If not, how on earth can you support an
opposition leader who sat on the high table of a presidential forum and
said “whoever says the administration of president Obasanjo has not been
good to Nigerians should have his/her head examined”.
How can you support a man who
summons an illegal NEC meeting and declared that ANPP should pray that
the much touted “third term” becomes a reality as according to him the
ANPP would be saved the trouble of fielding a candidate. What do you do
with a party chairman who preferred to join president Obasanjo and the
Queen of England for diner instead of attending the burial of his
party’s vice presidential candidate.
It is very unfortunate that a
group of ANPP Governors could sit at Jigawa Governor’s lodge, prepare a
script for Don Etiebet to present at their February 10, 2006 illegal NEC
meeting and shamelessly ask him to make a u-turn after sensing the
reaction on “their third term declaration”.
There is no gain saying that the
ANPP Governors supporting Etiebet have concluded plans to render the
party impotent as a condition to selfishly serve another term in office
either through the 3rd term arrangement or by being awarded
automatic ticket. This, they intend to achieve, by getting the party and
their state Assemblies to support the unpopular constitutional
amendment, installing Governor Ali Modu Sherif of Borno state as
Caretaker Chairman to replace Chief Don Etiebet who will subsequently
ensure the emergence of an unserious presidential candidate (a walkover
for pre-Obasanjo).
Be that as it may, it’s now
obvious that the ANPP has now been divided into two factions. Faction
‘A’ is led by General J.T. Useni and has Governor Attahiru Bafarawa of
Sokoto State, ANPP leadership and members from both chambers of the
National Assembly, most of the state chairmen, and NEC members in the
line-up. Faction ‘B’ which is easily third term group, with Chief Don
Etiebet and the six (6) governors as well a coterie of hand-picked
“caretaker” officials.
If the ANPP must remain relevant
and assume the role of the main opposition party, I think it is high
time all patriotic and faithful members Nationwide resisted the
continued perpetuation of Etiebet and his Co-travelers.
If the ANPP must survive – and it
must then Etiebet must be kicked out, otherwise the proverbial cup could
not even be retrieved.
Festus Okon
97, Sabon Layi, Gangare, Jos.
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