By OMONIYI SALAUDEEN

The recent defection of some major political ac­tors from the main opposition party- All Progres­sives Congress (APC)-to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still one of the talking points in the polity. This is not unexpected as the scheming for the 2015 general elections gradually gathers momentum. Besides, the relative ease with which politicians move from one platform to another may not be unconnected with the lack of clear cut political ideology.

But even at, that,the recklessness with which they do this with little or no disagreement often raises the question of morality and why desperation for public office is so intense. Perhaps, it is part of the dynam­ics of the game! As they say, ‘there is no permanent enemy in politics but permanent interest.’ This is a new season of politics. The wind of defection wit­nessed so far may just be a tip of the ice berg.

However, tongues are still wagging over political antecedents of some state actors who have literally traversed all major political parties since the advent of the present political dispensation. These include, among others, Chief Tom Ikimi, former Governor of Kano State and now Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Rochas Okorocha, his counterpart in Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, Ali Modu Sheriff, Attairu Bafarawa.

Tom Ikimi

Tom Ikimi was Coordinating Chairman- Merger Talks of Major Opposition Parties (ACN), (ANPP), and (CPC). His recent defection to PDP came as a surprise to many political observers given the role he played in the merger process. With this devel­opment, the political career of the former National Chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) may have run its complete circle having tra­versed all major political parties in the country. Iki­mi was a foundation member and member of Board of Trustees of All Peoples Party (APP) between 1999 and 2001. On September 22, 2001, he aban­doned APP and joined forces with the PDP. Subse­quently, he became the Chairman of the National Convention Presidential Election Panel which con­ducted the primary election that returned Ex-Pres­ident Olusegun Obasanjo as the PDP candidate for his second term.

Between 2005 and 2006, he was the National Leader of the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD). He inaugurated the party in Edo State on February 21st 2006. Ikimi also played a leading role in the election of Governor Adam Oshiomhole on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) in 2007 and ACN in 2012.

On August 27, he withdrew his membership of APC. Explaining the reason for his action, he said: “I have not ignored the other political parties but in the light of the foregoing I must now search to real­ly ascertain where indeed my true political friends exist. I need to be, at this time of my life where I have friends who share a common vision with me and where my freedom, respect, honor and dignity would be guaranteed. “Notwithstanding my enor­mous contributions over the past 12 years or so to building the alternative platform, after very deep thought and the widest consultations I have made the decision to withdraw my membership from the All Progressives Congress from today, Wednesday 27th August 2014.”

Rochas Okorocha

Driven by ambition, Okorocha had associated with virtually all major political parties in the coun­try at one point or the other, in the course of his political career. In 1999, he was the chairman of the Youth Wing of the ruling PDP. In the same year, he contested the gubernatorial election in Imo State but lost the seat to Achike Udenwa. He was a presi­dential candidate in the 2003 general elections on the platform of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Thereafter, he was appointed a Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on inter-party affairs.

When he fell out with Obasanjo, Rochas found­ed the Action Alliance (AA) to further pursue his ambition. In the build up to the 2007 elections, he returned to the PDP fold and contested the party’s presidential ticket with the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

When in the run up to the 2011 governorship election in Imo State, the PDP Reform Group led by ex-Senate President Ken Nnamani suspended him from the party, Okorocha pitched tent with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Sub­sequently, he picked the party’s ticket for the Imo

State governorship election and and won.

Today, Okorocha is one of the arrow heads of the progressive governors on the platform of the emerging All Progressives Congress (APC). There are rumours that he is interested in the Vice Presi­dential slot of the party. Some of his critics have described his political activities as anti-Igbo. If this perception represents the popular opinion of the Igbo, Okorocha may, therefore, pay dearly for it in the coming election.

Ibrahim Shekarau

Shekarau, the immediate past Governor of Kano State and Minister of Education, recently dumped the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was elected for two successive terms on the platform of the ANPP.

Using the same platform, he contested the presi­dential election with President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. He played a prominent role in the merger of ACN, CPC and ANPP into the All Progressives Con­gress (APC). He, however, suddenly made a U-turn and decided to join forces with the PDP. Explain­ing the reason for his sudden change of mind at his Bompai GRA residence in Kano, he said his deci­sion to dump APC for PDP was to satisfy the aspira­tions of the people of the state who fell out with the APC. In his words: “We intended with the merger to form a solid foundation for entrenchment of democracy. The Legacy Group sacrificed all inter­ests for the merger, but for the past six months, all agreements reached by the merged parties hasnot being met. No clear leaders, no registration of APC members at any level. This shows a clear lack of commitment, transparency and accountability to all concerned.” He said he took the decision to de­camp to PDP due to what he described as margin­alisation by the leadership of APC.

Already, there is said to be a general discontent among his followers who were allegedly left in the cold after his decampment to PDP. In the new pow­er game in Kano, Shekarau will have to do a lot of work to install his political son as governor of the state in the 2015 election.

Attahiru Bafarawa

Bafarawa is one of the most politically unstable characters in the country. In 1999, he was elected governor of Sokoto State on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) for two consecutive terms.

At the expiration of his tenure, Bafarawa founded the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and became its presidential candidate in the 2007 presidential election. DPP led by Bafarawa included dissident members of the defunct AD, PDP and ANPP. His in­tention of floating the party was to regain control of the state from the incumbent governor Wamakko. But his anointed candidate, Alhaji Maigari Dingya­di, for the governorship election soon lost interest in the race. In October 2009, there was an attack on a convoy of Bafarawa and Dingyadi at the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute for Islamic Studies in Sokoto. Dingyadi alleged that the attackers were leaders of Area Boys of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and saw it as an attempt to assassinate him.

Bafarawa later joined forces with the defunct ACN and actively participated in the formation of APC. He has since abandoned the party for the rul­ing PDP.

Joshua Dariye

Joshua Chibi Dariye was elected as the Governor of Plateau State on May 29, 1999 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was re-elected for another four-year term in May 2003, and was impeached in November 2006. In April 2011, he was elected Senator for Plateau Central on the Labour Party platform.

On 27 April 2007, the Supreme Court ordered the reinstatement of Dariye with immediate effect. Following his reinstatement, Dariye’s term of office as governor of Plateau State concluded on 29 May 2007.

In April 2011, Dariye was elected Senator repre­senting Plateau Central on the Labour Party plat­form. He defeated Dawuda Gowon of the PDP, younger brother of former head of state Yakubu Gowon.

Dariye who had since abandoned Labour Party in favour of the APC is now back in PDP. With the latest development, Dariye may have to succumb and bow to the power of the incumbent governor, Jonah Jang, who is in control of the party. Address­ing Journalists in Jos, Dariye explained that his coming into the PDP was not to fight the current governor and his successor. Both of them had fallen out in 2007 when former President Olusegun Oba­sanjo caused the expulsion of Dariye from the PDP which compelled him to join the Labour party in 2011.

Ali Modu Sheriff

Ali Modu Sheriff was born in Ngala Town, Ngala Local Government Area, Borno State in 1956. His fa­ther was the business tycoon Galadima Modu Sher­iff. He attended Government Secondary School, Bama (1974–1979).

He attended the London School of Business, where he studied Insurance, Banking and Finance. In 1981, he joined his father’s construction compa­ny as a Director, later becoming Managing Director. In 1985, he registered his first company. His compa­nies include Meroil Organisation and Union Chase. [2]

In 1990, he became a member of the Social Dem­ocratic Party (SDP). In 1997, he joined the National Republican Convention (NRC). He was a member of the Constitutional Conference and chaired the committee on states and local government.[1]

Senate career

Ali Modu Sheriff was elected Senator represent­ing Borno Central on the platform of the United Ni­geria Congress Party (UNCP) during General Sani Abacha’s military regime. After democracy was restored, in April 1999 he was again elected Sena­tor, Borno Central on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).[1]

Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State, who is now in the eye of the storm for being declared as the alleged sponsor of the dreaded Boko Haram, was elected on the platform of the ANPP for two terms between 2003 and 2007. He defeated the PDP candidate Kashim Ibrahim-Imam.

His recent decampment to the PDP has further decimated the rank of the APC. Tongues are still wagging over his alleged role in the creation and sponsorship of Boko Haram. While the APC lead­ers have called for his prosecution, he insists that the accusation is based on his decision to dump the party.

The erstwhile chairman of the Board of Trustees of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, one of the parties that merged to form the APC, will have to contend with the new power game in Borno State. Political observers say he will find it difficult to install his anointed candidate as governor of the state in the next general election.


Source: Sun