The Drift At NASS: Restoring And Consolidating The Progressive Mandate Is A Task That Must Be Done.

Judging by the current development, or lack thereof, at the Presidency as well as the ongoing show of shame at NASS over the selection or election of its leadership, one is at liberty to conclude, and rightly so, that what we have now is not a Progressive dispensation after all. In similar vein, President Buhari, though in the eyes of the general public and his admirers is perceived to be a tough and frugal-minded retired General, is not by any stretch of the imagination a progressive political thinker - has never been, and may likely not be. Pragmatic? Yes, to a considerable degree. Therefore, when you have a full blooded aristocrat - a quintessential PDP adherent in APC gown as the new President of the Nigerian Senate and an unrepentant conservative, Senator Ekweremadu, as the Deputy Senate President, the real Progressives should rest assured that the populist battle that they so strenuously waged in the past two years, which culminates in the election of President Buhari, may, God forbid, not evolve consistent with their well-crafted progressive manifesto.

I am a student of government, and I solemnly espouse the doctrine of separation of powers and checks and balances. I support unreservedly a robust national assembly that is not subservient to the high handedness of an all powerful and all domineering Presidency. Be that as it may, it is worth noting that the drift at the 8th Assembly is an aberration - a rebellion in pursuit of goals that sync with greed and opportunism. Reasonable minds can candidly distinguish the rebellion from a purposeful pursuit of the concept of separation of powers. Because it is certainly not. That thinking informed the theme of this piece.

First, some APC members, acting on the usual misinformation or just sheer disdain for a known target, and intent on diluting his alleged hold on the party structure, succumbed irretrievably to the intrigues of turncoats, and voted into office candidates that are anything, but progressives.

Here is the deal: Nigerians who voted for “change” are certainly not naive; they know quite well what they voted for or why they voted out the last government. Therefore, any attempt to impose on us through the back door, non-progressive political elements or socio-economic policies that are not by any stretch of the imagination true resemblance of the "change" sold to the electorates will be met with unqualified resistance. And the third force that was avoided, thanks though to a peaceful election and transfer of power, may not be afar after all.

So, manipulate the electoral process, if you wish; hijack the leadership structure, if you wish, but the people will always remember the promise: in “change” we do solemnly swear and we do solemnly stand. 

(Please don't get me wrong; I am not holding brief for Chief Bola Tinubu or any individual political leader, but to warn Nigerians that the leadership crisis rocking the National Assembly has more to do with securing and retaining power for vested interests than rescuing the legislative arm from Chief Tinubu's hijack as they want Nigerians to believe).

You are either for change or you are for something else. You cannot profess change and egalitarianism, and at the same time, be openly resistance of change and stubbornly subversive of the enumerated egalitarian principles of your party. 

I want to point out at this juncture that this short paper does not subscribe to the notion or the general arguments on the street that it is the responsibility of the political parties to choose the Senate President, the Speaker of the House or the Principal Officers of their respective parties in the National Assembly. They don't have such power. 

The power of a given political party lies in the hands of the members of the party in the national assembly - the Parliament - not at the party Secretariat. Legislators chose their leaders, without interference from the leadership of their own political parties. And they do so adhering strictly to age-old standard; specifically, supporting candidates who best represent the interests and values of their respective parties. 

However, in the instant case, there is a genuine ground to grant the leadership of APC an exception and excuse their involvement in the selection process. APC is a brand new party - a contraption, contending dangerously with insurrections. Therefore, the need for unity of purpose must be seen to override personal interests or regional objectives.

The Progressive mandate is bigger than anyone. The involvement of the party in the selection process is, in my humble opinion, designed to inject sanity into the process and civility into the affairs of the party, with a view to ensuring peace, purposeful governance and sustainable implementation of progressive economic programs of the party nationwide.

Therefore, this unethical product being marketed as checkmating the influence of Chief Tinubu or restoring the dignity of the legislative arm of government must be rejected by Nigerians. Because it is a dummy - a euphemism for the stultification of the progressive agenda by the newer generations of PDP, ably aided by Obasanjo, Atiku, Arewa Conservative Forum, and a Presidency that is tacitly non-committal. Paying homage to President Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku! What for? Is Nigeria a single-party system? 

Progressives and Progressive Commentators in the print and social media should not sit on the fence; the war at the National Assembly is not a war against Chief Tinubu, and it is not a struggle aimed at restoring democratic process or ensuring legislative supremacy. It is a perpetuation of an oligarchy that the voters soundly rejected at the polls.

We fought for a Progressive agenda, and we secure a progressive mandate. We must not fall captive to vested interests. And we must reject the 'saving the legislative arm from Chief Tinubu' narrative that heralded the emergence of new leadership at the National Assembly few days ago. This is the moment we have been waiting for, and this is the moment that we must take whatever measures reasonably necessary in the process to rescue the mandate from the stranglehold of unwilling converts and interlopers parading the corridors of power as statesmen and progressives. I beg to move.

Undermining Bola is Tantamount to Unmasking APC and Eroding Buhari's Clout!

As a caveat, APC and the Presidency should resist any impulse, obscure, latent or full-blown, to undermine Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu's leadership status within the progressive caucus. Take it or leave it, without his enigmatic resolve to end - albeit, by any means necessary - the leadership vacuum at Aso Rock, there would not have been a President Muhammadu Buhari. And the "change we want mantra" would still have been nothing, but a sheer delusion of grandeur. 

So, as we celebrate Senator Saraki's masterstroke of political sagacity - I must give it to him - let's not forget the events of the last eleven years. None of the power-brokers presently salivating and making waves at Senator Saraki's corner survive President Obasanjo's dictatorship and intrigues. Bola did. And that's a fact the new Presidency should be mindful of as it braces for the usual adolescence related error of judgment, imaginary enemies, and misplaced priorities. 

Therefore, and with all due respect to all the new and emerging President's Men, undermining Bola's influence, or trivializing his command and control prowess is a suicidal mission - the fastest way to eroding President Buhari's clout and dampening the budding strides of the new progressive dispensation. This is DEMOCRACY, not 1983. I beg to move. 
Alex Aidaghese!

Saraki’s Election Is A Reality, Says Oyegun

Saraki’s Election Is A Reality, Says Oyegun

"THE National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday declared that having been elected by his colleagues, the Senate Presidency of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is a reality the party must live with."

The Coup at the Nigerian Senate - A Commonsense Analysis!

In politics, betrayal of trust, especially one safely ensconced on the collective wisdom of the majority is simply a moral failing. It cannot be equated with constitutional infraction or breach of contract, no matter the magnitude. The conduct of Senator Saraki and his collaborators is a high-stakes game of political maneuvering - chicanery unprecedented in modern day global politics. Call it disloyalty, if you wish, but it is certainly not actionable per se. 

Senator Saraki, aided by the Presidency and PDP, did everything by the book to emerge as the new Senate President. So, as events unfold rapidly, unless Senator Saraki willingly step down or is impeached, there is nothing Chief Tinubu or APC can do, legally, of course, to undo his new mandate. 

A quorum, once formed (meeting the constitutional benchmark) is not subject to judicial review. However, in circumstances where those eligible to attend the meeting, vote at the meeting, or be voted for at the meeting were physically restrained from attending the meeting, or restrained by other deliberate acts recognized by law as unlawful, the aggrieved parties are within protected rights to proceed to law court for redress.  

Suffice it to add at this juncture that in a political setting a quorum is not defined on the basis or with respect to the percentage of the members of the ruling party, or any party for that matter, present when the vote was taken. On a lighter note, a quorum is color blind - it does not recognize party label or affiliation. 

Therefore, those contemplating lawsuit or other drastic measures to deal with Senator Saraki and annul his election as the new Senate President, should think twice. The law is in his favor, in spite of everything. Yes there was an understanding within APC membership to vote for a particular candidate for the exalted position - an understanding that was, nevertheless, inequitable, but certainly not unconscionable. 

So, it is near certainty that the Supreme Court will not hear the case, if ever one is filed. Because a quorum was duly formed; thus, satisfying the requirements of the constitution. In addition, the vote was duly taken, without any form of coercion or intimidation on the part of those present and who actually voted at the floor of the Senate.

And given the fact that Nigeria is not a one party state, the members of APC who heeded the alleged call of the President and proceeded to the International Conference Center as instructed, and therefore, sacrificed their constitutional right to be present on the floor of the Senate at the designated time to cast their vote for a candidate of their choice for the office of the Senate President of Nigeria, did so at their own peril. They did not suffer any redressable harm or injury regarding the decision that was taken (outcome of the vote) in their absence. 

They were betrayed and outmaneuvered. And once again, real Progressives suffered another knockout blow as a true blooded PDP member emerged as the new Senate President. (Senator Saraki was a former PDP Governor, but presently a Senator under the platform of APC). So, as things are presently, unless Senator Saraki willingly step down or is impeached, there is nothing APC can do, legally, of course, to overturn his new mandate. 

Alex Aidaghese June, 10, 2013