Editorial:The PDP/Ohakim Agreement Of 2007

On Saturday, the 25th day of July, 2009, the governor of Imo state of Nigeria, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim in a well attended ceremony in Owerri, capital city of Imo state, declared his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The ceremony was attended by notable PDP chieftains at the state, zonal and national levels. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Umaru Yar’Adua and the chairman of Board of Trustees of PDP, rtd. general Olusegun Obasanjo were present to add colour to the occasion.

The high point of the occasion was when rtd. general Obasanjo confirmed that Dr. Ohakim and the PDP had an agreement in 2007. The agreement, according to the PDP Board of Trustees chairman provided that the party would support Dr. Ohakim who was contesting the 2007 governorship election under the aegis of the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance(PPA), to win the election while Dr. Ohakim after assumption of office would decamp to PDP. Obasanjo concluded by alluding to the point that that Dr. Ohakim is a “gentleman”, having fulfilled his part of the “gentleman’s agreement”.

We at chidi opara reports would not want to go into the legality or otherwise of the PDP/Ohakim agreement of 2007. We are however, disturbed that a morally deficient action like the said agreement is being held up as an epitome of what should be emulated by a personality like Obasanjo, a former President of Nigeria and a supposedly elder statesman.

chidi opara reports believe that the PDP/Ohakim agreement of 2007 was, and still is, bereft of any iota of morality and so should not be held up as something worthy of emulation. It merits repeating that Dr. Ikedi Ohakim was in 2007 sponsored by the PPA to contest the governorship election of that year, he went behind the party as can be seen from media reports, to enter into agreement with the PDP. Ohakim’s action in this regard in our opinion, showcases him as selfish and desperate. The PDP on its part had no good reason to enter into such agreement, since it already controls the state and was already tipped to win the elections. The only reason the PDP had to enter into such agreement, it seems, was a desire to circumvent the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, to allow Mr. Ifeanyi Ararume to contest the election as the PDP candidate.

chidi opara reports believe that if we continue to hold up actions like the PDP/Ohakim agreement of 2007 as worthy of emulation, we will be pushing Nigeria further into the pit of national moral bankruptcy.

Northern Nigeria Sectarian Violence(News Release From MEND)

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) deplore the wanton destruction of life and places of Christian worship that is ongoing in the Northern part of Nigeria by Islamic fundamentalists.

MEND also condemns as well the executions by government forces of those men who surrendered.

Had such a senseless attack occurred in the Niger Delta region, the military machinery would have been called upon to sack and occupy whole communities after indiscriminate aerial bombings.

It is for Northern Nigeria that the military JTF terrorizing the Niger Delta region should expend its energy, resources, propaganda and operations because the JTF shares a similar mode of operation and language with the Islamic terrorists.

The threat in Nigeria as we reiterated before does not come from militant freedom fighters who want a better environment and equity for oil bearing communities, but from corrupt leadership, tribalism, Islamic fundamentalist terrorists, lack of federal character in political postings, unfair location of industry, institutions and amenities.

We use this opportunity to deny the statements from certain groups who we have no affiliation with that claim a team has been chosen to negotiate with the government.

Consultations is on going between Henry Okah and various camps and because our demands are not complex, the Aaron team will be limited to only two persons to avoid the semblance of a troupe of performers going to a circus.

Jomo Gbomo