by Godwin Akpovie
Mohammed said 2015 will be issue-based. This is a challenge PDP is glad to accept. But it is not what you say that matters because talk is cheap. It is the facts on ground that count… Lai Mohammed or any of the other wolf’s criers have not faulted the facts contained therein.
On Thursday, 15 August, 2013, the First Lady in conjunction with the National Council of Women Societies, NCWS acknowledged the role of women in the peace initiatives of government and celebrated the unprecedented attainment of highly-visible positions at all levels being occupied by women in the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. But instead of celebrating with the women, the interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has not only dampened the mood of the women with the insinuation that there is nothing to celebrate, but went on to accuse the First Lady of starting early campaign for the 2015 presidential elections. Hear him: “While one of the PDP gong-bearers, Okupe, was telling Nigerians that President Jonathan has not informed anyone that he will contest in 2015, his wife was coercing hundreds of hapless women, including those in uniform, into a show of shame tagged a “Peace Rally”, but in essence a campaign for President Jonathan ahead of 2015”. He then called on INEC to sanction anyone responsible for the event.
For the records, let’s examine the ‘shameful’ show the First Lady is accused of. According to Mohammed, it is ‘shameful’ for Mr. President to have fulfilled the 35% representation in his cabinet he promised the women during his 2011 electioneering campaign. The 13 women ministers in the 42-man cabinet are holding sensitive ministries like Finance, Petroleum, Aviation, Information Communication Technology, Defence, Power, Foreign Affairs among others.
To Lai, it is ‘shameful’ for the women to celebrate the elevation of one of them as head of the Judiciary arm of government and the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Jonathan and approved by the Senate. It is ‘shameful’ for the women to celebrate the unprecedented appointments of women permanent secretaries both at the federal and state levels. It is ‘shameful’ to jubilate about the elections of higher number of women into the Senate, House of Representatives and the various States Houses of Assembly. According to Lai, all these and many more are ‘shameful’ acts that are not worth celebrating. The Nigerian women have never had it so good and they have every reason to roll out the drums as far as many of us are concern. Am sure Nigerian women are waiting for him and his party at the polls to show their displeasure at being disparaged when the time comes.
And talking about early campaign for 2015. Can Alhaji Lai Mohammed extract any political statement uttered by the First Lady at the rally? As everybody knows by now, the First Lady used the occasion to call on the Legislature to insert in the Nigerian Constitution the 35% affirmative action for women which will then compel any administration to adhere to this provision and free the women from the fancy or otherwise of successive presidents. Would that not be a lasting legacy if passed by the National Assembly? That is what Lai calls campaigning and wants INEC to sanction the First Lady for.
If there is any group that should be sanctioned, it is Lai Mohammed and his party because they have refused to stop campaigning since the end of the 2011 elections. The defunct ACN, CPC and ANPP tried to hoodwink Nigerians by staging rallies round the whole country in the name of a so-called consultation on merger. That took forever. Now that INEC has approved the merger into APC another round of campaign is going on right now in the country under the guise of launching the party. Rallies have been held in Ibadan, Abeokuta and Lafia, where President Jonathan administration is being lampooned and vilified. APC posters adorn the streets of Lagos and major capitals in the country with messages like ‘change’. Everyday, the media is awashed with what APC calls its manifesto. If this is not campaigning, Who is fooling who?
Mohammed said 2015 will be issued-based. This is a challenge PDP is glad to accept. But it is not what you say that matters because talk is cheap. It is the facts on ground that count. It is three-months now since President Jonathan published his mid-term report. Lai Mohammed or any of the other wolf’s criers have not faulted the facts contained therein. The report detailed government’s achievements on railways, aviation, education (including the almajiri education), agriculture, power, roads, economy, etc. Because the report cannot be faulted, instead of commenting on the report and acknowledge the modest progress President Jonathan and his team have made in the last two years, Lai Mohammed and his cohorts continued to disparage the office and person of Mr. President.
This is one President who has deepened the gains of democracy by allowing the will of the people to prevail in elections to the detriment of his party. This is one President that is committed to the rule of law. Lai Mohammmed delights in demonizing the PDP and portrays APC as the messiah Nigerians have been waiting for. He can continue to live in a fool’s paradise. He and his party will be shocked by Nigerians in 2015. This is not the time to enumerate on this. We will cross that bridge when we get there.
– Godwin Akpovie is Special Assistant, Political, in the office of the Political Adviser to the President.
Mr Godwin why are you so economical with the truth? I don’t expect you to feign ignorance to that colossal waste of our scarce resources tthat was cynically designed 2ignite your principal’s intention come 2015. I would appreciate if you maintain your status quo as an unknown adviser cos we know those controversial spokepersons who already had lost their moral conscience for always spiting bile and hurling insults @the President’s perceived oppositions within and outside the self acclaimed largest party in Africa. It is well with you
Mr Adviser u re so economical with the truth. Lai was right sequel to the fact that those women attires indicated GEJ come 2015. We know GEJ's controversial mouthpiece n don't be part of that group cos they are no longer respected for always spiting bile n hurling insults @every perceived oppositions of your principal. It is well with you that is if you if you maintain your status quo as an unknown political adviser
Don’t mind d raging dog;he has just highlighted d cosmetic achievement of his Mumu president called Jonathan with high rate of unemployment,collapse of industries,crisis in PDP initiated by him because of his do-or-die stance to come back in 2015.Kidnapping,ritual killings,industrializing corruption,sectional politics,Profligacy within d political class feeding fat on our our collective patrimony hence,leaving our educational sector comatose with ASUU on strike,only God knows when the strike will be called-off.Health sector has just suspended its strike now yet,Jonathan can still globe trotting with close to 10 private jets,with some of his cabinent`s members spending billions to maintain private jets all in this fragile economy.The puppet special Assistant has said it,2015 elections is around the corner,we shall see whether Nigerians are fools to relishing in woe and tragic administration PDP led govt has brought upon this Nation.Clueless and disastrous govt with bunch of obsolete people parading themselves as leaders.
He work for the president indirectly so what is sycophant about his opinion,
“Special Assistant (Political) to the Political Adviser to the President”????
OK. I am getting you.
Just listen to the shameless sycophant. And he had the temerity to advertise such an office.