Criticism Trails Planned Defection
From Godwin Ijediogor, Lagos, Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri and Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia
AS President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua visits Imo State for the second time since assuming office today, the decamping of Governor Ikedi Ohakim to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is taking the shine off the other programmes of the President during the one-day trip.
Ohakim, who was elected on the platform of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) is being rumoured to be nursing a return to the PDP, of which he was a member until he lost to Chief Ifeanyi Araraume in the party's controversial governorship primary in 2007.
His decampment to PDP, like his colleagues, Governors Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamfara) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), continues to attract comments bordering on morality and principle.
A university don, Prof Kayode Soremekun described politicians who dump their parties to join the ruling party, for the reasons they adduce, as "cheap prostitutes,' under whose leadership Nigeria cannot progress.
Soremekun, who teaches Political Science at the University of Lagos, said their action is "perfidious" and capable of nailing the country's democracy.
His colleague, Mr. Tayo Popoola believes it is morally wrong for a governor or lawmaker to defect to another party without resigning from his office or his membership of the other party. He reminded the nation that a similar action by the late premier of the Western Region, Chief Ladoke Akintola precipitated the crisis in the region that finally truncated the First Republic.
"If they resign from their office first, ahead of 2011, and defect to another party, that would have been a morally upright, decent and civilised approach to it. To defect because you want to keep winning is a gross violation of principle of morality," he stressed.
Mr. Baba Agan, chairman of the Benue State chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) said the defections "are a grand design by the ruling PDP to decimate the ranks of the opposition and therefore perpetuate itself in power."
According to him: "The plot to depopulate the opposition, to me, is another form of rigging. They are ensuring that there is no dissenting voice in our polity."
He added: "What the politicians are doing by decamping is creating a negative impression in the minds of the people, that there is no democracy and the politicians are only there to serve their selfish interest."
He warned that this is a dangerous trend that could consume the entire polity, attributing the trend to lack of ideological base in the polity.
"However, most of these politicians are forced to decamp to the ruling party, because they have really not performed, hence they have not earned the respect of the electorate, who fought tooth and nail for them in the first place. The general belief is that the electorate would not support them in their old parties, since they have disappointed them by their performance," he reasoned.
In the same vein, Prof Clement Dakas of University of Jos noted that defections are occurring because Nigeria's political system is not ideology-driven. He, therefore, blamed politicians and the political process for the yet evolving trend.
Insisting that it is more a question of morality and principle, Dakas stated: "Anybody who looks at a political party simply as a platform, through which he or she can get the meal ticket does not even understand the relevance of politics or what governance entails."
To Mr. Kalla D. Wuni of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, personal ambitions and interest are at the root of the growing number of defections of governors and lawmakers to the ruling party.
"Why are they not defecting to other parties but the PDP alone?" he asked, especially as most of the decampees are first term office holders aspiring for a second term in 20011 elections in a country fast turning into a one-party state.
The Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Amanze Obi, who addressed journalists in Owerri said the President would commission some projects, adding that markets would be closed in the town in his honour.
He disclosed that on arrival at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport about 11am, a brief airport ceremony will be held in his honour, after which the President will commission the dualised Owerri-Umuahia Road, as well as street lights and beautification projects along Mbaise Road.
He will later commission the new Court of Appeal building along Okigwe Road, Owerri.
According to Obi, Yar'Adua will also commission the new PDP office, digitised Imo Broadcasting Corporation's (IBC) transmitters for the television and radio, all in Owerri.
On whether Ohakim would defect to the PDP, as widely rumoured, Obi said: "There is no point pre-empting anything. Let us go to stadium that day and hear the governor."
Meanwhile, Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, who arrived Umuahia, the Abia State capital on Thursday on official visit has advised the Igbo not to present for the presidency of Nigeria any of their kinsmen who sees himself/herself only as an Igbo .
The governor, who spoke to reporters after he was received on arrival by Governor Theodore Orji, also advised them not to push the Igbo factor too hard in their quest to produce the President of Nigeria, pointing out that after all, such person would be President of all Nigerians and not that of Ndigbo alone.
The visiting governor, who debunked the insinuation that he was in the state to woo his host governor, Orji, of PPA into PDP, said Orji is free to return to PDP, to which he formerly belonged, at will.
