Mr Jimi Agbaje, the Lagos PDP gubernatorial candidate for April 11th
general election may have literarily lost his political deposit for
the post with his unguided and repulsive utterances in far away London
some time ago. Seen early as a buffer to counteract the less expansive
AD, ACN and now APC governance since 1999 in the nation’s commercial
hub, Mr Agbaje crashed his burning ambition on the utter of political
militancy.
Mr. Agbaje virtual call to the Niger Delta militias or any other to
arm in the event of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s win in a foreign land is
trajectory, if not anarchical to truncate the current spirit that has
liberated and permeated the political space. I have suggested in the
past that space ship could be purchased for the like of Mr Agbaje to
relocate to some other planets, where porpoise of sub-humanity
dominates.
The governorship hopeful had warned that if President Goodluck
Jonathan fails to win last month’s election, the South-South could
shut down the oil sector and this would affect the nation’s economy
which is oil-dependent. Agbaje, however, asked that if another part of
the country shuts down over the failure of its candidate emerging
President, would it have an equal effect on the economy since Nigeria
relies heavily on the Niger Delta for its foreign exchange earnings.
It’s no news Jonathan hails from the South-South while his major
contender, Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and the President-elect
hails from the North-West. Mr Agbaje purportedly made the statement at
a meeting in London organised by his supporters and the UK chapter of
the PDP. In the six-minute video clip posted on DiasporaPr.com, which
was sighted across the globe, Agbaje warned that Jonathan’s victory
was a do-or-die affairs.
“I was active in the politics of the South-West in 1999. The Afenifere
of which I was a very active member, did not support Olusegun Obasanjo
as President but in 2003, it was difficult for the Afenifere as an
organisation to go out and tell people that they should not vote a
Yoruba man into office and so what did they do? They said they would
not present a candidate because they had their own son (Obasanjo) who
was running for office. That is the politics of that country.
“Now, in 2015, we are saying that the South-South has presented a
candidate and we are talking about equity and some are saying that he
should not be given a second term. This is a very difficult thing. “In
argument, some have said ‘what will happen?’ Well, people will be
upset and they have shown that they have the power to shut down the
system. I am not saying it is justified but the reality is there. If
the system is shut down, where are we as a country?
“They say if the others don’t get it, they too could shut down the
system. Yes they can shut down the system but ask yourself which of
the two do you think we can survive with? And these are the realities
that we have to face. “These are the realities that we have to allow.
Now, Mr Agabaje’s calls to arm has gained traction.
Barely four days after Buhari was declared winner of the Presidential
election, beating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, suspected
militants blown up a major high pressure gas pipeline at Ighwrenene
Community in Delta State, reiterating Mr Agbaje’s incitement of the
militias group to sabotage Gen. Buhari’s government. The bombing
predates Asari-Dokubo’s threats to return to the creeks and resume his
war against the Nigerian state in response to General Muhammadu
Buhari’s election victory over President Goodluck Jonathan, his ethnic
brother.
In the same vain, a group of Urhobo youths under the aegis of Urhobo
Gbagbako a few days ago claimed responsibility for the March 22,
bombings of the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, oil pipe
lines in Ekiugbo, Ughelli Local Government Area “on a massive scale.”
It said that the aim was to give vent to their demand for pipeline
surveillance contracts.
In a statement, leader of Urhobo Gbagbako, Priest Omodjuvwu, said the
group carried out the latest round of bombing along the Afiesere and
Ekiugbo axis of the council area, during which it shut down all the
oil fields in Urhobo and Isoko nations. Omodjuvwu said, “We have
earlier warned NPDC and the Federal Government on the pipeline
surveillance contract to no avail.
“The contract is going on without the inclusion of the Urhobo, and
that is injustice being meted to the Urhobo, which we will resist to
the end. We need the pipeline surveillance contract now or the
bombings will continue. “We have now commenced bombings of oil and gas
installations in Ekiugbo/Ighrenene/Afiesere areas and we will continue
in an unprecedented scale, until we get the pipeline surveillance
contracts in our area.”
If the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC can be awarded N9 billion pipeline
surveillance contracts by President Jonathan’s government, why should
anyone objects to Urhobo Gbagbako request to be awarded one? After
all, it’s a ‘Banana Republic’ where state institutions like the Police
and Civil Defence Corps, to mention a few, are reduced to mere
symbolism! The economic sabotage came about a week after some former
leaders of the Niger Delta militants threatened to return to the
creeks and resume their war against the Nigerian state in response to
General Buhari’s election victory over Jonathan.
The Federal Government under President Jonathan reviewed its new plan
on March 16, to safeguard the waterways and oil pipelines by allegedly
directing the Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence
Corps, NSCDC, to quit the job for some companies, which had been
signed on by the government.
The companies were reportedly owned by some former Niger Delta
militants and prominent citizens including Government Tompolo;
Mujaheedin Asari-Dokubo, Chief Bipobiri Ajube (aka Gen.
Shoot-At-Sight) as well as the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, led by Dr.
Frederick Fasehun and Gani Adams.
How else can Lagosians and Nigerians come close to having a near
nihilist as an aspiring governor who couldn’t evince a single economy
policy that will take the state he hope to govern from depreciating
oil economy? How else can Mr Agabje demonstrate his ignorance of the
Nigerian rich economy history that led to the development and
stability of each region without oil in the First Republic? Was it
power that push him into letting his naïveté get the best of him into
advocating Nigeria’s death warrant?
The pure bluff of the harried governorship hopeful, occasioned perhaps
by imminent defeat at the poll had not been taken lightly by the Lagos
electorate. Mr Agbaje has been victim of the rough and tumble
politics, which had damaged this fine, notable Lagos politician. He
now capitulate to violence politics and wanton aggression which has
left a residue of unresolved doubts among Lagosians and observers
about his capabilities to hold on in times of crises.
If Mr Agbaje has meant to administer humiliation to the APC
Presidential candidate then, it only give insight into his foggy
negative political thoughts in 21st century. His deference to militias
groups like the OPC, which inflicted maximum horror on the state;
setting alight perceived enemies houses, looting people’s property,
roosting innocent people alive in broad day light and, charred bodies
littering the entire streets of Lagos as experienced between 1999/2003
could easily resurface.
How can Mr Agabaje convince Lagosians that OPC militants will not be
given a prime of place in his cabinet should he find his way into
Alausa, since they have already been recognised by the PDP? The major
deficits of our political parties experiment is the celebration of
individualism, instead of political parties. One can only hope that
this week Saturday’s Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections
will settle that.
Erasmus Ikhide, A Public Affairs Analyst write in from Lagos, Nigeria
Follow me on twitter @Erasmus_Ikhide
Visit: www.freepress.com.ng
I sure know lagosian shall rejoice at the end of elections. Nigerians are rejoicing, and God name for ever be praise
APC all the way. We cannot afford to lose out now that APC is going to control the Federal. Lagos has not really benefited from the PDP led federal government. This is our chance we must not allow it to slip away.
It is only commonsensical for Lagosians to vote APC and Ambode as Governor as PDP & Mr. Agbaje has nothing absolutely to offer. They have stirred the most uncomfortable hornets net of Ethnicity and set Lagosians against themselves. Mr. Agbaje is severely lacking in experience or bold ideas he claims to have to improve on the performance of the APC led government in place. The performance of his flagship business Jaykay Pharmacy after 31 years in business is a sad testimony of his ability to manage an SME talk less of an extensive bureaucracy like Lagos.If truly, PDP and Mr. Agbaje loves Lagos, why is it that we only see them at election times,throwing millions of dollars at us in a no-holds barred battle to win the coveted Alausa gubernatorial seat. Mr. agbaje should point to one community development project he has initiated in Lagos since he ever indicated the wish to govern Lagos.Lagosian should not make the mistake of putting Mr Agbaje in the saddle of governance in Lagos. Like BRF advised, lets hold on to what we have which is unfolding beautifully before our very eyes rather than the Eldorado Mr. Agbaje and PDP is promising which has never been delivered anywhere else under the many PDP governments we have had in Nigeria.
Anybody that has been supporting and voting for Fashola these past 8 yrs that now feels they are going to jump to PDP at this critical point that Lagos will receive high level federal patronage with potentially billions of dollars worth of infrastructure that will boost business, boost land and property values of all the residents no matter how old that person is he or she is a highly foolish child.