The surprising merger of the PDP and the APC

THE sudden decision to merge the PDP and the APC has caught everyone by surprise. When the announcement first came up last night, I thought it was a big joke. But then I saw it on BBC and CNN and quickly had a rethink. When I also heard it announced by Reuters, I concluded that what we are experiencing in Nigeria is nothing short of a miracle. Just when you think they are going to drag the country into the ditch, Nigerian politicians pull back from the brink and come up with the most unexpected solutions.

Same old, same old

Many of us have always maintained that these politicians are all the same. It does not matter what party they belong to, they are the same disreputable lot. That is the reason they are able to cross-carpet with amazing ease. Take Atiku Abubakar, for example. Yesterday he was PDP; today he is AC. Tomorrow he is PDP again; the day after he is APC. Only God knows what he will be in the future.

Under normal circumstances, if one of the arch-enemies of your party decides to cross over and join you, you would be wise to be suspicious of him. He could very easily be a Trojan horse. He might be joining you in order to gather inside-information about you and hand it over to the other side. Therefore, you might not be inclined to accept him into your ranks. Or if you did, you would make sure he is excluded from the main organs of your party.

Not so in Nigeria. A PDP member joins the APC and he immediately takes over the party’s political machinery in his state; no questions asked. The PDP president decorates APC Buhari with some medal of honour, and Buhari bows and smiles in loving admiration. The irate Obasanjo, who lampooned Goodluck Jonathan in a public letter, comes to Aso Rock to shake hands with the same Goodluck Jonathan. Suddenly, you realise that these people are not just friends pretending to be enemies. As a matter of fact, they may actually be members of the same family. Buhari might actually be a distant cousin of Obasanjo, while Obasanjo might actually be Jonathan’s uncle on his mother’s side.

PDP/APC merger

This kind of conclusion has been proven right by the announcement that the PDP and the APC have decided to form a grand coalition ostensibly in order to lay the foundation for the rebirth of Nigeria in this centenary year. Who would have thought it? Frankly, there were already some tell-tale signs. The first one was when some PDP Governors who had hitherto excoriated members of the APC, decided to cross over to the APC. The second was when the APC big-wigs went cap-in-hand to invite former President Obasanjo of all people to join their ranks. The third was when members of the APC also started migrating back to the PDP. And now these Tweedledee and Tweedledum parties have decided to merge.

Just listen to these hypocrites. In announcing the merger, President Jonathan said: “This new mega-party shows that the leadership in Nigeria is forward-looking. We are practitioners of politics without bitterness. Nobody can now say we don’t have the interests of the Nigerian people foremost in our hearts.” What poppycock! Even Muhammadu Buhari chipped in with his own white-wash: “Our various followership can see that we are now determined to forge a one Nigeria. One Nigeria united in vision and purpose. One Nigeria that will create a great Nigeria that will be the envy of nations around the world.”

Who is going to believe this kind of pious balderdash? Even former President Obasanjo, at whose residence in Otta the merger was announced after barely three days of intense negotiations, declared: “I am glad to have midwifed this rebirth of Nigeria. It can only be appropriate that as we are celebrating one hundred years of Nigeria’s amalgamation, we begin the next one hundred years with truly a new beginning. All the doubting Thomases should now know that God truly loves Nigeria. Long live one Nigeria!” Long live Nigeria indeed!

Strange bedfellows

What are the implications of this merger for Nigerian politics? Is it not likely to make us into a one-party state? With these monstrous PDP and APC parties now becoming one, will there be any viable opposition now in Nigerian politics? Have we not opted erroneously for the South African one mega-party model which is increasingly proving to be misguided?

I am of the opinion that those who conducted this strange marriage don’t have the interest of Nigerian at heart. They are only interested in ensuring that, whatever happens; the different strands of the Nigerian political class will partake in booty-sharing after the 2015 elections. As a matter of fact, this merger has made the forthcoming elections next year politically irrelevant. Of course, the billion naira question is who will be the presidential candidate of this new mega party?

There is no doubt in my mind that the decision about this must have been made before this merger was announced. Otherwise, the entire project will collapse in the acrimony that will arise if that is to be decided at an open convention. My understanding is that a decision must be been taken to sacrifice the current Vice-President, Namadi Sambo. In short, Buhari will become President Jonathan’s running-mate and thereby he will become a shoo-in as presidential candidate in 2019.

Merger problematic

Such a decision will create a number of problems in my view. In 2015, Buhari will be way too old to be an effective president. He is now 71 years old. In 2019, he will be 76 years old. That means, should he be elected and should he contest for a second-term, he would be still be president at the age of 80. That is way too old. The kind of president Nigeria needs in this new dispensation is a man half that age; one that is vibrant and open to new ideas.

The second problem I envisage with this new merger has to do with the presidential aspirations of the Igbo. Any deal they may have come up with must have entailed the sacrifice of the Igbo. Eight years of a Buhari presidency from 2019 means the Igbo will have to wait until 2027 before they can get a realistic shot at the presidency. How can this be acceptable to them? Did they really approve of this merger or are we going to see their imminent withdrawal from the PDP and from this new mega-party? My forecast is that the withdrawal of the Igbo will be in a matter of weeks as opposed to months.

Then there is the question of Bola Tinubu. Was he really part and parcel of this merger? Why was he not present at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding? Why has he not made any statement about it? What is in this new mega PDP/APC party for him? The only benefit I see for him is that he can now be secure in his South-West stronghold. There will now be no PDP candidate fighting to dethrone him in the states he is currently controlling. Beyond that, it means Tinubu is now irrelevant politically. Nobody really needs to bother about him again at the federal level. He has been effectively nullified.

Unending good luck

There can be no doubt that the principal beneficiary of this PDP/APC merger is President Goodluck Jonathan. Contrary to all expectations, it seems the man’s good luck is never-ending. By this merger, he has secured his primary ambition: an easy passage to another four years come 2015. He has made all those who say the country will go up in smoke if he even contests to eat their words. Now his arch-enemies will have to deal with him for five more years. There is no guarantee that the fears of the de-camping nPDP Governors of being handed over to the EFCC will not now come to pass, unless if their non-prosecution is an integral part of the merger deal.

There is also no guarantee for Buhari that the merger will not collapse in 2019, even if at that time he is sitting Vice-President. By agreeing to defer his ambitions for another four years, Buhari is taking a big risk. After four years as Vice-President, will he still be seen as the Teflon anti-corruption crusader he is now touted to be? Will his grassroots talakawa supporters in the North not come to regard him as a sell-out? One thing is for sure: the Buhari who is vice-president in 2019 will not have the same allure as the Buhari of today, even to his die-hard supporters.

In the meantime, there is opposition already emerging against this new PDP/APC merger, although it is not likely to amount to much in the context of the next elections in 2015. Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, a man who is determined to be president of Nigeria at all costs, is already a declared opponent of the merger. As a matter of fact, he has announced that he will be seeking recourse in the courts to declare the merger null and void. Atiku’s position is that the merger is a blatant attempt to truncate democracy in Nigeria. But what is more self-evident is that the merger is yet another nail in the coffin of Atiku’s presidential ambitions.

As can be expected, the APGA and Olu Falae’s newly formed UPN are also implacably opposed to this PDP/APC merger. However, there seems to be nothing they can do about it.

Prognosis

It remains to be seen if this merger will survive until the 2015 elections. A major landmark will be the National Convention at which the new officials of the new mega-party will be announced, and the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the party will be ratified. Then such questions as the role of Bola Tinubu in this new merger will be answered.
By Femi Aribisila

I accept forgiveness by Obasanjo—Atiku

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness as exhibited by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who has “forgiven him,” just as he declared that he wholeheartedly accepted the olive branch extended to him by his former boss. According to him, even if one disagreed with Obasanjo, no one would doubt his firm commitment to the unity of Nigeria. In a statement, Atiku who noted that if national unity must be achieved in all its ramifications in Nigeria, forgiving others who had offended one must be the watchword, said: ‘’Forgiveness is divinely inspired and is an oil that lubricates the wheels of continued human interactions and engagements.” Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar while commending his former boss for taking this bold step in the interest of the nation and humanity, stressed that the process of national healing and reconciliation should advance to a new level and extend to other citizens of the country who might have had grievances against one another. Urging politicians to learn from the words of Mahatma Ghandi that an eye for an eye would make “our nation go blind. “When I made a similar effort few years ago, it was on the conviction that it would not be beneficial to me before Allah, if I went to the grave with bitterness. Let us forgive one another so that we can team up for national rebirth.” It will be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had last Sunday while responding to the demand of Northern Youth Leaders Forum, NLYF, to forgive his estranged former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said; “I have forgiven him.” Abubakar was Obasanjo’s vice, between 1999 and 2007, and was believed to have scuttled the third-term ambition of Obasanjo in 2006.

Preparing for the canonisations of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II

Vatican City, 31 March 2014 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office to present the initiatives forming part of the preparations for the canonisations of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II, to be celebrated on 27 April. The speakers were Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar of His Holiness for the diocese of Rome, along with Msgr. Giulio Dellavite, secretary general for the Curia of Bergamo, Msgr. Walter Insero, head of the Office for Social Communications for the Vicariate of Rome, and Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office. The initiatives will include a digital platform, the aim of which is to enable the faithful and pilgrims to have access to news and information regarding the ceremonies as well as a series of spiritual reflections on the life and teachings of both popes. Indeed, the official site www.2papisanti.org is an almost-completed portal which offers contacts, sections for press offices, information, videos and images as well as biographical documentation on John XXIII and John Paul II. It will be available in five languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish and Polish. The application entitled “Santo Subito”, which may be downloaded free in both Android and IOS formats (in Italian, English, Spanish and Polish) and whose title draws on the famed saintliness of both Popes even during their lifetimes, will offer logistical information, as well as access to the main news on the canonisations, and will allow material relating to the various liturgical events to be downloaded. Existing media include: Official page of the Postulation with content in five languages: https://www.facebook.com/PapaGiovanniPaoloIIpaginaufficiale Official Twitter page with content in five languages: https://twitter.com/santowojtyla YouTube channel for the Postulation: https://www.youtube.com/user/adminkarol Portal: www.karol-wojtyla.org This latter, developed in 2011 for the beatification of Karol Wojtyla, gives a detailed illustration of the stages in the canonical process leading to the recognition of the saintliness of John Paul II and is available in several languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Romanian. The parallel project #2popesaints, realised in collaboration with the students of communication sciences from the Roman university LUMSA involves a series of networks enabling young people to get to know the lives, teachings and testimony of faith of the two new saints. There will be a Facebook page entitled 2popesaints; on Twitter, the account @2popesaints; on Instagram, #2popesaints; and on YouTube, 2popesaints. Every day each one of the above will propose a theme relating to both popes in the media, starting from 16 April until the canonisation, and each event will be transmitted live on each network. On Google+ there will be the possibility of following in a “hangout” the daily briefings during the week leading up to the canonisation. A QR code will also be created to allow rapid access to the site 2popesaints.org. The initiative “Rome connecting to the World”, a form of “twinning” between the faithful arriving in Rome and the young people of the city, will make it possible to get to know the most important locations in Rome along with the history of John XXIII and John Paul II, providing information on the Facebook page. In the diocese of Rome, on 22 April in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Cardinal Agostino Vallini will preside at a meeting addressing young people, with the postulators for the causes of both saints: Msgr. Slavomir Oder (John Paul II) and Fr. Giovangiuseppe Califano (John XXIII). On 26 April, starting at 9 p.m., there will be a “White night of prayer” and the churches throughout the centre of Rome will remain open for prayer and confession in various languages. Similarly, the diocese of Bergamo will pay homage to XIII with the initiative “Le Opere Segno”, a series of activities dedicated to charity, human development and solidarity which affect daily lives. They include an aid project for Haiti to guarantee three years' education in the John XXIII school; an invitation to priests to contribute a month's salary and all the alms collected by the parish communities on 27 April to a fund set up in aid of families afflicted by the economic crisis; and the commemoration, on 12 April, of the publication of the encyclical “Pacem in Terris”, to be attended by ambassadors representing the countries where Angelo Roncalli carried out his diplomatic mission as an apostolic nuncio (Bulgaria, Turkey, Greek and France), and which will be presented by Jacques Delors, former president of the European Commission.

Atlanta archbishop apologizes over $2.2M mansion

ATLANTA (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta apologized Monday for building a $2.2 million mansion for himself, a decision criticized by local Catholics who cited the example of austerity set by the new pope. Archbishop Wilton Gregory recently moved into a nearly 6,400-square-foot (595-square-meter) residence. Its construction was made possible by a large donation from the estate of Joseph Mitchell, nephew of Margaret Mitchell, author of "Gone With The Wind," the Civil War epic that made his family wealthy. When Mitchell died in 2011, he left an estate worth more than $15 million to the archdiocese on the condition it be used for "general religious and charitable purposes." Gregory said that he has received criticism over the spending in letters, emails and telephone messages. "I am disappointed that, while my advisors (sic) and I were able to justify this project fiscally, logistically and practically, I personally failed to project the cost in terms of my own integrity and pastoral credibility with the people of God of north and central Georgia," Gregory said in a column posted on the website of the archdiocesan newspaper, The Georgia Bulletin. "I failed to consider the impact on the families throughout the Archdiocese who, though struggling to pay their mortgages, utilities, tuition and other bills, faithfully respond year after year to my pleas to assist with funding our ministries and services," he added. The Catholic leader said he will discuss the situation with several diocesan councils, including a special meeting of its finance council. If church representatives want the bishop to sell the home, Gregory said he will do so and move elsewhere. The purchase of the sprawling home was part of a real estate deal made possible by money from Joseph Mitchell's estate. In his will, Mitchell requested that primary consideration be given to the Cathedral of Christ The King, where he worshipped. The cathedral received $7.5 million for its capital fund and spent roughly $1.9 million to buy the archbishop's old home, according to tax records. Cathedral officials are planning to spend an additional $292,000 to expand Gregory's old home so its priests can live there, freeing up space on the cathedral's cramped campus. After selling his home, Gregory needed a new residence. The archbishop said that he made a mistake while designing a home with large meeting spaces and rooms for receptions and gatherings. "What we didn't stop to consider, and that oversight rests with me and me alone, was that the world and the Church have changed," Gregory said. He demolished the one-story home on Mitchell's property, which was donated to the church, and replaced it with a Tudor-style mansion. In January, a group of local Catholics met with the archbishop and asked that he sell the large home and return to his old residence. They cited the example of Pope Francis, who turned down living quarters in a Vatican palace and drives a simple car. "The example of the Holy Father, and the way people of every sector of our society have responded to his message of gentle joy and compassion without pretense, has set the bar for every Catholic and even for many who don't share our communion," Gregory said

Cardinal Onaiyekan: "Boko Haram insurgency is an anomaly in the socio-religious environment of the Nigerian nation which does not truly reflect the Country’s Muslim/Christian relationship"

Abuja - Nigeria is "the greatest Islamo-Christian nation in the world" where the two major religions in the Country live in harmony with each other and with the faithful of other religions. This was stated by Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, in a paper presented during a seminar on religious freedom organized by the German Bishops' Conference, recently held in Muenster. As a result, says Cardinal Onaiyekan the Boko Haram insurgency is an anomaly in the socio-religious environment of the Nigerian nation which does not truly reflect the Country’s Muslim/Christian relationship. "Because of our occasional and sporadic outburst of ethno-religious violent clashes, there is the unfortunate tendency to overlook the very important fact that in the normal lives of our people, there is a commendable measure of peaceful and harmonious living together across religious lines" the Cardinal added. According to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the answer to the violence carried out by Boko Haram cannot be just military, but must also include political and religious dialogue. The policy, according to the Cardinal, has its share of responsibility because some political parties have facilitated group actions or have deliberately refused to assist the central government in dealing with the situation that has arisen in the north-east, Boko Haram’s land of action. "But it seems that the situation is changing," said the Cardinal". "All the political forces have now realized that we are facing a common menace and all need to join hands to deal with it".The Nigerian authorities have announced that in the first three months of 2014 more than a thousand people have been killed in attacks carried out by the sect, and in the same time period, 249 446 people have fled their homes. culled from news.va

Lewis Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix with a pole-to-flag victory...

Briton's Lewis Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix with a pole-to-flag victory ahead of Nico Rosberg yesterday in a first Mercedes one-two since they returned to Formula One as a works team in 2010. The 2008 Formula One world champion easily pulled away from his rivals on a dry track with a three-stop strategy to win the race by 17.3 seconds, his 23rd career victory and first in Malaysia at the eighth attempt. "Incredibly happy, it's my eighth year here (at Sepang) and finally I got that win," the Briton told reporters after taking the chequered flag for his second win for Mercedes since he joined them last year and first points of the season. "It's quite special to get a one-two, I haven't had many in my career, so that makes it even more special. A great day," added the former McLaren driver. Rosberg, who won the season opener in Australia two weeks ago, started in third place but squeezed past quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel into the first corner and was able to keep the Red Bull at bay and stay top of the driver standings. It was Mercedes' first one-two since 1955, their last year as a works team before 2010. Rosberg almost touched the wall as he took Vettel at the start and struggled to manage his rear tyres in the early stages as the two Germans remained close before the Mercedes driver pulled away over the closing laps. Second The second place finish moved him on to 43 points in the standings, 18 clear of Hamilton with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso third on 24 points after his second fourth of the season. Mercedes took the lead from McLaren in the constructors' standings. "I had a really good start.. got away well and I thought Sebastian was going to put me into the wall but he stopped just before so thank-you for that," Rosberg said. "My heart skipped a beat a little bit but it was OK. I was trying to chase Lewis but he was a bit too quick today." Vettel finished third, 7.2 seconds behind Rosberg, for his first points of the season following an early retirement in Australia as he struggled to make an impact on the Mercedes pair without the rain that helped his qualifying bid on Saturday. Having endured a tricky time during off season testing, Vettel was delighted to make the podium. "Congratulations to them, they are bloody quick, the package they have is very, very strong," Vettel told reporters. "For us there is mostly positives. It's much better than what we expected during the winter." Alonso was involved in a tight battle with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg in the closing stages before finally overtaking the German although he will be disappointed that once again the Ferrari looked well short of challenging the Mercedes duo. McLaren's Jenson Button was sixth with Felipe Massa of Williams seventh just ahead of team mate Valtteri Bottas after the Brazilian refused to yield to his Finnish team mate despite team orders to do so.

Djokovic beats Nadal to win 4th Key Biscayne title

Novak Djokovic stretched like a rubber band to hit a backhand. He sprinted into the other corner and scooped out forehands as if he was wielding a shovel. He ran forward to slice a ball off his shoetops. And he flicked a difficult half-volley past a weary Rafael Nadal for a winner. With superior offense and defense, Djokovic earned his fourth Key Biscayne title, while Nadal failed again trying for his first. Djokovic took charge midway through the first set Sunday and closed out the victory by winning a remarkable exchange to beat Nadal 6-3, 6-3 in the final of the Sony Open. "This tournament has been perfect from the beginning to the end," Djokovic said. "The matches that I have played I played really well, and I elevated my game as the tournament progressed. The best performance of the tournament came in the right moment on Sunday, against the biggest rival." Nadal fell to 0-4 in finals at Key Biscayne, one of just three ATP Masters 1000 events he has yet to win. "No frustration. That's tennis," he said. "I tried everything. I tried my best. It was not enough. The opponent was just better than me, and when the opponent is better, he's better." As for Djokovic, only six-time champion Andre Agassi has won the men's event more. Djokovic erased the only break point he faced, committed just 15 unforced errors and won a scrambling, 30-shot rally on the final point with a series of improbable saves. He then dropped his racket, threw up his arms and collapsed on his back as the crowd roared. He completed a March sweep after beating Roger Federer in the final at Indian Wells two weeks ago. Even so, Nadal will remain ranked No. 1 and Djokovic No. 2. Either Nadal or Djokovic is the reigning champion in all nine Masters 1000 tournaments. Is Nadal glad to have Djokovic as a rival? "No," Nadal said with a smile. "I like challenges, but I am not stupid." Djokovic had a different take on the rivalry, and credited Nadal and Federer for helping him to become a six-time Grand Slam champion. "Because of Rafa and because of Roger, I am what I am today," Djokovic said. "All the big matches I lost to these guys, not winning the big matches, they made me understand what I need to do on the court." Nadal and Djokovic have played 40 matches, the most of any men's pairing in the Open era, and few have been so lopsided. "I didn't have any letdowns throughout the whole match," Djokovic said. "I was in a very high level — serve, backhand, crosscourt, forehand. I have done everything right, and I'm thrilled with my performance." Nadal stood six feet behind the baseline to return and often remained on the defensive from there, with his shots lacking their normal depth. Djokovic was quick to step into the court and even won a point playing serve and volley. Chasing down shots Nadal usually counts as winners, Djokovic won the majority of long rallies. Serving well, Djokovic also won most of the short points. Nadal said he felt fine physically, and his problem was Djokovic. "He was having too much success with every shot," Nadal said. Nadal's lone break-point chance came in the opening game, and he failed to convert. Djokovic broke in the sixth game, hitting three consecutive winners before Nadal put a backhand in the net. Djokovic broke again in the opening game of the second set by winning a 22-shot exchange, and he held serve the rest of the way. "I did not want to lose focus for a second," Djokovic said, "because I knew that Rafa is a kind of a player that if you allow him, if you give him a chance, he's going to capitalize." The clay-court season looms, and the result might be different when the rivalry resumes on Nadal's favorite surface. He still leads the series, 22-18.