2007 POLLS: WHERE ARE THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES?

POLITICS in Nigeria is increasingly assuming a newface. By the day, political actors are being programmed to operate at the fringe of political events in which only those at the helm of government prefer to call the shots.
By this time in 1999, at least political activities were at their raving best. Presidential candidates for different politcal parties had emerged and all had been neckdeep in heated campaigns for votes. The electorate were conscious and hopeful that the transition to civil rule programme would offer the right choice among the array of presidential hopeful .
But today, political activities are at a low ebb. The only thing that seem to keep hope alive about the government programme for 2007 general elections in the nation is the creation by INEC of three new political parties.
Towards the closing chapter of last year, at least four prominent political figures from the Northern axis and one Southerner were seen putting things together as part of their preparations to contest the 2007 presidential polls. Those believed to be interested in the coveted seat include, the incumbent Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, General Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Buba Marwa, General Muhammed Buhari, Governor Uzor Kalu of Abia State and to some extent Alhaji Sanni Yerima,s governor of Zamfara State.
While the aforementioned contenders are believed to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) others are believed to be seeking the position on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). However, when Nigerians were expecting more fireworks from the aspirants in terms of campaigns and public pronouncements on their ambitions, the nation was suddenly caught by the ‘third term bug’. Since the past two years, the issue of the third term agenda at the instance of the present civilian government has become a national discourse while other issues of national significance are increasingly being pushed to the background.
Apart from the third term bug, the activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the last few years have not helped matters. The presidential hopefuls who had earlier declared and oiled their political machines for the task ahead have all retraced their steps in the race for the presidency in 2007.
At present, one of the very last aspirants, Governor Uzor Kalu, has had his account frozen by the EFCC operatives and this it was alleged, is to make him drop his presidential ambition. However, the presidential ambition of Governor Sanni Yerima, has been limited to campaign posters and bill boards with no concrete structures on ground for the actualization of his dream.
The rumoured third term agenda of the incumbent president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to recontest the 2007 polls, if the 1999 Constitution is amended to suit the plan according to political observers, has constituted a major hindrance to the declaration of some aspirants for the job.
Before the emergence of the third term agenda on the political scene, most of the aspirants were said to have put down their structures in virtually all the 36 states with state and zonal coordinators appointed for the task ahead. Top on the list of those highly rumoured to be interested in the 2007 polls is the former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. General Babangida’s interest in occupying the Aso Rock dated back to the pre-2003 general elections, when the rumour mill was agog that the Minna General would square it up with his boss, President Obasanjo in the 2003 presidential contest. However, Babangida’s touted aspiration remained a rumour till the end of the contest, as President Obasanjo returned to office in 2003.
Few months into the current term, General Babangida’s name, expectedly resurfaced as one of those seeking to succeed President Obasanjo in 2007. Several political groups said to be working for the presidential aspiration of the former president equally sprung up in all the states with the slogan ‘Vision 007’. At a point, most of the groups had to fuse into one, when it was evident that it was going to cause more of division than unity among the groups and individuals working for the Minna-born general.
Despite the media hype which accompanied the rumoured declaration of interest by IBB, little or nothing is now heard of his ambition. The vigour and commitment which was the hall mark of the support for him have since fizzled into thin air.
Two things are said to be responsible for IBB’s change of plan. One, the controversial third term agenda while the other hangs on the yet to be released Okigbo panel report. Sources disclosed to the Sunday Tribune that, the thinking in the anti Babangida presidential camp is that “at the appropriate time the much touted Okigbo report believed to be missing would be finally released for Babangida to answer the question raised in the report, which bordered on his activities as the number one man in the country then”.
It was further gathered that, the reported presentation of the report to the last constitutional conference for debate was the beginning of the steps towards the dismantling of the presidential structures of the Minna General. Since that epic presentation, nothing has been heard from the Vision 007 offices spread across Nigeria, even as the IBB campaign offices at different locations in Nigeria have been abandoned.
General Buba Marwa’s interest in the presidency, before now , was the talk of the town among political pundits. A school of thought had it that, the former Lagos State administrator was the joker to be used by President Obasanjo as far as the 2007 presidential polls is concerned. To others, General Marwa was only being used to cause division in the Adamawa State chapter of the PDP having hailed from the state with the incumbent vice president, Atiku Abubakar, while others believed he was all along fronting for Gen. Babangida.
Marwa’s followers, before the hammer fell, could be said to have cut across the six geo political divides. He was savouring the opportunity to raise his profile by taking traditional titles from across the country. Gen. Marwa’s declaration for the PDP cum presidency no doubt caught the attention and interest of international political watchers particularly, Nigerians in the diaspora. It was a carnival like occasion in Yola, Adamawa State capital, when the public declaration was made, even though, his state government was said tohave been opposed to the declaration and ensured that the ceremony did not take place at the publicised venue.
Soon after the Adamawa declaration, the Marwa camp went full throttle drumming support for the ambition of the former military administrator. Vehicles were brought, numerous posters were pasted all over the country while Marwa suddenly became the “aspirant to beat”. But from the blues, came a major obstacle on the way to Aso Rock for General Marwa. Largely unexpected, the EFCC went after the Albarka chief, on allegation that some funds looted by the late Head of States, General Abacha found its way to his (Marwa) personal foreign account.
Marwa, according to media reports, spent some days in the cooler with operatives of the EFCC, and after days of gruelling interrogation, the Adamawa politician was left off the hook and by now the campaigners for Marwa’s presidency in 2007 are to say the least, no where to be found.
Vice President Atiku Abubakar, political analysts argued appears to be the most vilified of all the presidential aspirants. Atiku’s political travails is said to have started immediately he indicated interest in contesting the 2003 PDP primaries against his boss, President Obasanjo. It was further gathered that, it took high tech political lobbying, horse trading and last minute manipulations by Chief Tony Anenih, and others to save President Obasanjo from being disgraced by his deputy, Atiku Abubakar before the 2003 presidential election.
Since that development, which sources disclosed shook President Obasanjo to his marrow, Atiku with his dream to rule over Nigeria has continued to plunge headlong albeit into the river of uncertainty. Atiku is currently in the eye of the storm in the PDP since efforts are being made to either send him out of the party or force him to resign from office.
The Vice President would have been a guest of the EFCC by now if not that, his office guarantees him immunity from arrest. Recent media reports have continued to link the vice president with the newly registered MRDD and ACD. Apart from the above, Atiku Abubakar’s stance against the alleged third term agenda of his boss and his alleged sponsor of anti-third term campaign most especially at the just concluded zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution is one sin too many against Aso Rock and its agents.
Governor Uzor Kalu of Abia State, many believe, is a pretender in the contest for the number one seat in the country. He is equally seen in political circles as an Atiku supporter despite his declaration of interest in the presidential race against 2007. Kalu’s recent acerbic comments on the rumoured third term bid of President Obasanjo and his resolve to ensure that such does not see the light of the day, has caused more problems for his own ambition. The EFCC, it was gathered, is currently running rings round the Abia State governor. .
General Muhammed Buhari has never made pretenses about wanting to rule Nigeria. He contested the presiential election in 2003, and after losing out, he resolved to challenge the election result in a law court. Buhari had hoped to prove a point by challenging the victory of President Olusegun Obasanjo in court and had shown sufficient seriousness in pursuing the litigation till when the final ruling was made.
All the same, Buhari has not renounced his presidential ambition. Since the past two years, he has been parleying with different political forces from across the geo-political zones and has been active in fighting the alleged third term bid of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Like other presidential aspirants, Buhari has not formally announced his intention for the 2007 presidential election. The third term agenda and the uncertainty surrounding the terminal date for the present government ae the main reasons why his plans are being put on had now.
Meanwhile, the crisis within Buhari’s ANPP is another reason the ANPP former presidential candidate appears for now to be incapacitated. On newspaper pages and bill boards, the presidential hopefuls are making impressions, but on the political turf, there appears to be no one on ground, as would-be aspirants have been run aground by forces believed not to be comfortable with their activities. The EFCC, through its anti corruption crusade against past and current leaders have sort of, reduced the presidential tussle to a one man show whereas the incumbent President Obasanjo if allowed by the constitution remains the only candidate against himself.