political parties is to attain power for service
delivery. However, when such interests run
in opposite directions, crisis is the end
result.
The Peoples Democratic Party, which is arguably
Nigeria's largest political party, is a clear example
of how vested and opposing interests within a
party, could lead to its ultimate destruction if not
properly managed.
It is no longer news that several influential
members of the PDP, who felt that the
umbrella can longer contain their interests as well
as those of their supporters, have defected to the
opposition All Progressives Congress.
Initially, the party felt invincible. But the defection
of five of its serving governors, which was closely
followed by 37 members of the House of
Representatives, has greatly unsettled the party,
forcing it to begin deft moves to stem further
breach of its dominance in the polity.
Without a doubt, conflict of interests is an inherent
part of the evolution of political associations,
especially political parties, but the management of
these interests defines the extent to which they
can succeed or fail. It is in this light that some have
predicted that the going vessel of the newly
formed APC will soon hit an iceberg; this is given
the fact that the party is a union of politicians with
huge as well as strange diversities.
Recent developments have proven that the conflict
of interest is not restricted to the PDP and the APC.
The Labour Party is beginning to experience its
share of crisis. However, unlike the big political
parties, the crisis threatening the LP is beginning to
manifest in Ondo State, which is the party's
national stronghold.
A flash of skirmish between members of the House
of Assembly and Governor Olusegun Mimiko,
precisely on December 31, 2013, just before he
presented his administration's N162bn 2014
budget, gave voice to a hitherto subdued crisis
within the party which was once considered
impregnable.
The Ondo State House of Assembly has been
described by the opposition as a rubber stamp.
Some even argued that it was famous for praise
singing the Mimiko-led administration and acceding
to any request the governor forwarded to it.
The LP controls not only the executive branch; it
also enjoys a comfortable majority in the
legislature with about 98 per cent of its members.
This has, over the years, guaranteed a smooth sail
for Mimiko. This is even more so when he was
sworn in for his second tenure last year. The
Labour Party, with an overwhelming majority in the
House, certainly has no choice but to give its
unflinching support to the ruling party.
Recent developments suggest that the honeymoon
appears to be over. The governor made public his
intention to make the budget presentation in line
with the provisions of the constitution, just before
the close of the 2013 fiscal year. Surprisingly, a
majority of members of the Assembly failed to
make themselves available for the governor to
make his presentation. The event was held up for
several hours in the guise that efforts were being
made to reach the members to report to chambers
from wherever they were.
By the time the business eventually commenced,
only nine of the 31 members of the House were
seated, with the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Dare Emiola,
presiding.
Just before the House received the details of the
budget, Majority Leader of the House, Akinsoyinu
Ifedapo, explained that majority of the members
were away on holiday within and outside the
country.
This, he added, was responsible for the failure of
the House to give the governor the rousing
welcome he was accustomed to, for the event.
This notwithstanding, Mimiko, went ahead to make
his budget presentation.
Events, which followed, have since revealed that
there was much to the budget presentation session
than meet the eyes. It was gathered that most of
the lawmakers did not attend the session on
purpose. It was learnt that their absence was their
own way of registering their displeasure with the
manner the governor was running the affairs of the
state.
It is noteworthy that of the 31-member Assembly,
only one is not a member of the Labour Party.
Akpoebi Lubi, of the PDP, is the only member of
the opposition as well as the Minority Leader.
Therefore, developments within the House can
safely be said to represent the state of the party in
Ondo State.
A source close to the State Executive Council told
our correspondent that the governor and his
government worked hard for the election of all the
members of the party in the House. "The governor
supported all of them and worked hard for them to
be elected. They virtually rode on the platform of
the governor financially and politically on their way
to the House," he said.
Unconfirmed reports have it that the quarrel
between the lawmakers and the governor
stemmed from the failure of the latter to meet the
financial demands of the lawmakers. The
lawmakers have since rejected this claim, noting
that their grouse with Mimiko bordered on his
failure to effectively implement the 2013 budget.
The theory of the demand for money gained some
credence given the fact that none of the
committees of the House raised the alarm over the
alleged poor implementation of the budget during
several oversight visits. The boycott of the budget
presentation was interpreted in government circles,
as an attempt to blackmail the executive into
acceding to the financial demands of the
legislators.
The government was also concerned that the
lawmakers did not consider the fact that it was the
very last working day of the year, which made in
imperative for the document to be submitted that
day.
Although, some of the lawmakers have yet to
openly confront the governor after the standoff,
they have tried to unofficially vent their spleen by
speaking to reporters. One of the legislators, who
pleaded anonymity, said, "We are not happy with
the level of development in Ondo State. Projects
have been moving at a snail speed and the
governor has failed this year."
But the Minority Leader, Lubi, who obviously has
nothing to fear, did not hide his feelings over the
crisis. He rated the 2013 budget implementation in
the state as 30 per cent. He added that the House
rejected the governor's request for a review of the
2013 budget in December.
Lubi said, "The budget presentation ceremony was
illegal," submitting that the governor needed a
two-third majority of the members of the House to
present the budget.
The state Commissioner for Information, Kayode
Akinmade, while reacting to the charge, said the
budget represented the hope for the development
of Ondo State and its people. He argued that the
people could not be kept waiting and their
yearnings threatened by any form of politics. He
argued that there was no need to overheat the
polity, because the governor was in a hurry to
deliver projects that would transform the lives of
the people.
Akinmade explained that the seeming conflict
would certainly be resolved, but the state would
need stability for robust politics.
But the crack has expectedly created a feast for
the APC. It has been waiting for an opportunity to
lash out at the ruling Labour Party.
One of the party's leaders, Ade Adetimehin, was
full of commendations for the lawmakers for daring
Mimiko. He accused the governor of mismanaging
state funds and urged the lawmakers to
immediately commence an impeachment process
against him.
He said, "Ondo State people are regretting that the
governor still found his way to the Government
House. We are not happy and our people are
suffering. I will like to commend the lawmakers for
standing against continuous illegality, which this
present administration led by Mimiko built its
foundation upon."
Whereas the standoff could be described as
unprecedented in the Labour Party-dominated
state, some observers have called it a flash in the
pan effrontery. Those in this school of thought,
argued that it would soon fizzle out in the face of
the prevailing incumbency powers of Mr. Governor.
This they predicate on the inability of the
lawmakers to go to town with their allegations
rather than speaking in hushed tones.
In spite of the feebleness of the reaction of the
lawmakers, the record of perfect harmony of the
ruling party had been dented. The fear that things
may begin to fall apart in larger pieces is endemic.
The burden has, however, been transferred to the
leadership of the party and the governor himself to
ensure that suitable balm is promptly applied to
the ailing parts of the Labour Party in the state.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
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