Mixed reactions Tuesday trailed the decision of five of the seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, welcomed the development, the presidency allayed fears that their movement to the opposition could hurt President Goodluck Jonathan's chances for a second term, when he makes up his mind.
Atiku, a member of the New PDP, in a statement by his media office, expressed his belief in Nigerians' rights to exercising their freedom of association, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
He said: "I also long for a day where we celebrate a multi-party system where political parties make improving the lives of Nigerians their top priority, instead of our current politics of corrupt cronyism and personal destruction. Today's news is a positive step in both directions."
Buhari, one of the national leaders of the APC, said the defection by the governors would boost the efforts of the opposition to unseat the PDP in 2015.
Noting that with the realignment of forces, PDP was finished, Buhari said all APC needed to do to ensure victory at the poll was to make sure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was equipped to deliver credible election.
Buhari said: "For the governors, they are in charge of their states and it is a very serious decision. As far I am concerned, PDP is finished. With the coming together of the governors, members of the New PDP and APC, there is nothing remaining to overrun PDP in 2015."
Tinubu, while reacting to the development, said he had no sympathy for PDP because the party was doomed.
Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, while explaining the reason for the party's decision to woo the New PDP members, said there was the need to expand the size of APC to improve its capacity to confront PDP.
Describing the development as a product of political necessity, Akande said it had provided a soothing balm for the pain from the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election.
"When a bad thing happens, it provides a chance for good people to make things better. The significance of the meeting we held this (yesterday) morning with the New PDP lies in the need to be bigger than we are in order to confront the monster, which only during the military era can one remember something like that. In a democracy, we have never seen a thing like this before happening in Nigeria," he said.
Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said there would be a level playing field for everyone, as there would be no discrimination. "There will be no joiners or founders, everyone will be on equal footing and every member of the party have the same right to vote and be voted for," he added.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, described the defection of the governors as a good sign for the development of democracy in Nigeria.
"The beneficiary is the Nigerian people. Democracy and democratic culture can never be the same again and our democratic institutions will be strengthened by implication," Dakuku said.
In his own reaction, a former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, said the action of the governors was a welcome relief, adding, "I have been advocating this movement for a long time, because I truly believe it is in the best interest of democracy and good governance in Nigeria, as well as the best interest of both the APC and the former members of the new PDP."
Tofa, in a statement, added: "Now, the hard work must begin. And, the best place to start is by making sure that level playing field and internal democracy are the main watchwords of the APC. Everybody must be allowed to aspire to any position he/she wishes, and no impediments should be placed on anybody's path. Zoning, especially of the presidency, must not be mentioned at all in the APC. Let every Nigerian feel free to contest any position he/she likes, and let the delegates be the judge."
Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, in his reaction, warned the APC to be careful in the way it handled the situation.
He said the defecting governors would be liabilities to APC "because they are not fighting for any ideological purpose. They are fighting for a narrow - personal - power hungry motive; to grab other people's resources. They will cause confusion in the APC. I think it is good riddance for the PDP and caution for the APC."
He however noted that there was no legal implication in the decision of the governors to defect to the APC as only lawmakers may not be able to cross to another party except in compliance with the condition stipulated by the constitution. "The governors have no such restriction. They have the right to cross at any time", he said.
Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), shared Sagay's perspective on the legal implication of the defection of a governor.
Falana, in a statement yesterday, said: "The action is legal. In the case of Atiku Abubakar v Attorney-General of the Federation the Supreme Court held that Vice-President Atiku Abubakar (as he then was) did not lose his post when he decamped from the PDP to the defunct Action Congress. On the basis of that judicial authority, the G-7 governors will continue to retain their positions. Ordinarily, they should have resigned and re-contested on the platform of the APC but the law recognises political prostitution for now.
"Now that the APC and the New PDP have merged the mega party should not transform into another largest political party in Africa without a commitment to democracy and rule of law. In other words, the APC has a duty to address the crisis of underdevelopment and poverty in the midst of plenty."
Another lawyer, Festus Keyamo, said the decision of the governors to leave for the APC would change the game ahead of 2015 and backed the submission that there is no legal encumbrance to their retaining their position.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, also described the defection as a good omen, noting that every Nigerian has a right to associate with any other person.
"There is no legal implication. The real issue is that the APC wants to strengthen itself and what Nigerians are waiting for is how the parties get our votes. It is good for our democracy. Let the parties be strong and fight to get our votes", he added. The Labour Party (LP), on its part, said the development might present a "balance of terror" situation in the polity ahead of the 2015 general election.
LP Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, said the latest move by the promoters of the splinter group in the PDP was a welcome development and part of the beauty of democracy.
Nwanyanwu said on the face value, the G7 Governors joining forces with the APC could muster a more serious opposition against the ruling party.
He, however, expressed doubts at the move, observing that there were cracks already in their ranks going by the absence of some of their members during the declaration that they had quit the PDP and joined the opposition.
"It is a welcome development. It will help democracy and that is if indeed they have agreed to join. They are using the word merger but there is no merger; they are not a political party but a splinter group from a political party. So the appropriate language they should use is 'joining' the APC not merging with APC because they have no certificate to return to INEC," he added.
The party leader condemned what he described as the over- bloated image of the G7 Governors and the APC, stressing that no matter the propaganda about their strength, the 2015 elections would be a litmus test for all political parties in the country.
The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) also hailed the exit of the G7 Governors from the ruling party, saying it is a vindication of its earlier position that there was trouble in the PDP.
Media Adviser to the PDM, Mr. Yusuf Alaba, said it was the same grievances that led its members to leave the PDP, adding that the latest migration of politicians out of the ruling party would strengthen the opposition and provide a viable alternative for the electorate in 2015.
However, Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the president, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, dismissed insinuations that the defection of the governors would spell doom for PDP and the rumoured second term ambition of Jonathan.
According to him, the presidency is not threatened by the five governors' defection.
"The presidency does not feel threatened; the PDP does not feel threatened. PDP is the party to beat. We have had it before, even people who occupied higher offices left the party and came back to the party. Outside, there is nothing, it's empty. PDP is the only party," he added.
He explained that it was good that the five governors and other leaders of the PDP faction had made their position known.
"PDP as a party will be focused to build up our party, because a lot of people are waiting for this moment. A lot of people even in the APC have contacted me that they want to come back to the PDP and were just waiting for what happened today. And to us, it is a good development," he stated.
He however said the party would not shut its doors against reconciliation, adding, "we are talking about peace, reconciliation is an ongoing thing. If they go outside there like those that went there before them and test that outside there is empty, they are always welcome back home like we did before."
Also reacting to the development, Rivers State chapter of the PDP said the defection of the state governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and others, was a vindication of its earlier revelation of the intention of the group.
A statement issued by the media aide to the state chairman, Mr. Jerry Needam, described the defection as a welcome development and a relief to the leadership and members of the PDP.
He said: "The PDP notes with satisfaction what it calls a welcome development and a big relief for its leadership and other genuine members of the party, who have continued to tolerate the rebellious and insubordinate behaviour and actions of Governor Amaechi and his allies over the period in the state and at the national level.
"With the formal defection of Amaechi and his associates, the party is now better placed and focused to deliver to the people of the state the much desired development and programmes which have been illusive following the internal ache which acted like a virus to the party by Governor Amaechi and his co-travelers."
The party said the defection of the governor would be inconsequential to its fortunes in the state, adding that rather than create adverse effect, it would further strengthen the party at all levels.
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