Attahiru Jega
A week after party primaries were scheduled to have begun, there was uncertainty on Friday as most political parties were yet to start the exercise.
Investigations by our correspondents showed that political parties, including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, had not agreed on the timetables for their primaries.
It was also gathered that there was tension in states where there were factions of the PDP. In Bayelsa, Plateau, Oyo, Enugu, Delta, Kogi and Anambra branches of the party, there have been crises over their executive councils.
In many of the states, there are parallel executive committees of the party, with each of them having its sets of aspirants.
All efforts by the headquarters of the PDP to resolve crises in the factions have not succeeded, as there is ongoing litigation on the party’s previous congresses in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had, on Wednesday, written a letter to the PDP, warning that the party might be “negatively affected” by its failure to resolve the crises.
INEC, in a timetable released a few weeks ago, fixed party primaries for between November 26 and January 15, 2011.
According to the timetable, campaigns by political parties should begin on December 1.
But our correspondents gathered that major parties in the country were still working on their different timetables a week after INEC had released its own.
A member of the PDP National Working Committee, who pleaded anonymity, said the timetable for the primaries had not been approved by the committee.
“At the meeting held on Thursday, the committee could not agree on a proposed timetable. Another meeting may be held next week,” he said.
In the Congress for Progressive Change, our correspondents gathered that 5,000 aspirants nationwide were seeking the party’s tickets to contest the 2011 poll.
Explaining the delay in the party’s primaries, the CPC National Publicity Secretary, Dennis Aghanya, said, “The earlier timetable released by our party, stating dates, venue and programmes became invalid when INEC indicated the willingness to adjust its timetable.
“With the new INEC timetable, the National Executive Committee of the CPC has come up with a new programme of activities, which comprise sales of intent and nomination forms, sales of forms for congresses, dates for conduct of congresses at wards, local government, state and national levels.”
Another party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, has not announced the date for its primaries. However, the party has begun its congresses, where its officials would be elected.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Momammed, told one of our correspondents that the primaries would be held after the party’s national convention.
In some states, controversy trailed the ACN ward congress, held on Friday. In Kaduna State, a member of the ACN in Gidan Waya Ward of Jama Local Government Area, Zakarian Jatto, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that there was no election at the ward.
“Names of caretaker officers of the party were written and submitted to INEC. There were no elections. This negates internal democracy which our party preaches,” he said.
In Ekiti State on Thursday, the party held congresses in the 177 wards. Our correspondent gathered that the congresses were just an affirmation of the existing executive in the wards.
The ACN Chairman in the state, Chief Jide Awe, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents said, “The congress is just an affirmation of the executive of our party at the grass roots. That is what is going to happen in Ekiti and Osun states.”
The ACN’s ward congresses in Oyo State were not devoid of violence.
For instance, an alleged attempt by loyalists of one of the governorship aspirants in the 2011 election to hold a parallel ward congress reportedly led to skirmishes at Oke-Ado area of Ibadan, the state capital.
Weapons such as guns were reportedly used before security agencies restored peace to the area.
According to statistics made available to our correspondent by the ACN’s Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Wasiu Olatubosun, nine governorship aspirants, 10 senatorial aspirants and 33 aspirants for the House of Representatives have so far expressed their intents.
He also said that 65 aspirants had also expressed interest in the House of Assembly.
In Lagos State, 1,000 aspirants for federal and state parliamentary seats have submitted letters of expression to contest on the platform of the party. No aspirant has indicated his interest in the governorship poll.
The chairman of the branch, Otunba Dele Ajomale, said the submission of letters of expression was the first phase of the party’s preparation for next year’s election.
Also, PDP said a total of 93 aspirants have signified interest in the various elective positions in the state.
According to the publicity secretary, Dr. Wale Ahmed, 48 persons have indicated interest in the state House of Assembly, while 33 others have shown interest in the House of Representatives.
For the Senate, he said, seven persons have indicated interest, while the same number will be gunning for the governorship slot in the state.
The Director of Publicity of the ACN in Ogun State, Mr. Sola Lawal, stated that nine aspirants had obtained nomination forms for the governorship election.
For the nine seats in the House of Representatives, he said 25 aspirants had already obtained nomination forms.
According to him, 10 aspirants have obtained nomination forms for the three senatorial seats for the state.
For the 26 seats in the Ogun State House of Assembly, he noted that 78 aspirants had obtained nomination forms to contest the election.
In the state branch of the All Nigerian Peoples Party, the chairman, Chief Sunday Sowumi, said that five aspirants had already obtained nomination forms to contest the election.
For the Senate, he said four aspirants had obtained nomination forms, with two of the aspirants from Ogun Central, and one each from Ogun West and Ogun East.
He said that no fewer than 31 persons had obtained nomination forms for the 26 House of Assembly seats in the state.
Unlike many states, there was a lull in political activities in Niger State. One of our correspondents said voters were still patiently waiting for aspirants to various positions to emerge.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that apart from the PDP, which had earlier invaded Minna, the state capital with posters of various aspirants, other vibrant political parties such as the ACN, ANPP and the CPC were yet to parade their aspirants.
It was particularly found that voters were eagerly expecting aspirants for the three senatorial positions and seven House of Representatives’ seats, as well as the 27 seats in the state’s House of Assembly to indicate their interests.
Apart from the incumbent governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, who had earlier picked and submitted his nomination form in PDP, no such move has been heard from others aspiring for various positions on the platform of the party.
Apart from the ACN, which our correspondent learnt had begun skeletal activities ahead of the party’s primaries, CPC, ANPP and other parties, including the Labour Party, were yet to begin preparations.
The chairman of the ACN, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu, told our correspondent that the new guidelines of the party required an integrated exercise.
In preparation for the primaries, he said, the party had started holding its ward congresses, indicating that aspirants would begin to obtain nomination forms after party’s state congress scheduled to hold in December 11.
The ANPP, which our correspondents gathered had been torn apart by internal squabbles, was said to be attempting to put its house in order.
Though attempts by one of our correspondents to contact the party’s governorship candidate for 2007 elections, Mr. David Umar, proved abortive, it was gathered that the party was finding it difficult to galvanise for the elections in the state.
The National Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, said the party would hold its primaries in January.
He said, “By the end of December, we will have finished with all the party congresses in all the states of the federation. Our primaries will be coming up early next year. What is important is that we conduct it on or before the 15th of January.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com/
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