Politics

As Nigeria’s main opposition parties explore merger, a look at similar efforts in Nigeria and the rest of Africa

Published

1 year ago

November 16, 2023

Opposition parties in Nigeria may have begun plans for the next general election in 2027, as the Labour Party has applauded the call for a united opposition force by a former Vice President of Nigeria and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar.

The Labour Party described Abubakar’s merger proposal as a good one that should be considered, while the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) which had former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso as its 2023 presidential candidate, gave its conditions for possible merger.

The reactions of the LP and NNPP followed a call by Abubakar on Tuesday, while hosting the National Executive Committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, that opposition parties should enter a merger to dislodge the APC from power.

The former vice president warned against the likelihood of Nigeria slipping into a one-party state. “We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party. If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn,” Abubakar warned.

LP’s acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in an interview on Wednesday, described Atiku’s call as a good proposition that should be considered by every Nigerian.

Ifoh said, “Atiku’s call is a proposition, and every Nigerian will consider a good proposition that is meant to remove the Octopus in power because they are not democrats.

“Every Nigerian is interested in having a true democracy. What we have now is far away from democracy. So, if there is a preposition by opposition elements to ensure that democracy is installed, why not? That proposition must be given some thought. Anything that will make Nigerians witness democracy is accepted.”

On its part, the NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Yakubu Shendam, said any merger being considered must be to support Kwankwaso towards becoming president; otherwise, the NNPP was not interested.

Shendam said, “This is like medicine after death. If there is any future collaboration, it should not be as a result of emotions. We are going all along because we have a gladiator who can take over Nigeria.

“We believe that there is a need to canvass for support from people to win the election, from all sides. However, we believe that Kwankwaso can deliver Nigeria in 2027”.

Atiku’s call for opposition parties to unite against the ruling party, however, did not move or threaten the ruling APC, according to the party. “How and why should we be threatened?” asked Bala Ibrahim, the party’s director of publicity. “Both the public and the legal system have denigrated Atiku. What kind of resources do Atiku and his party possess to make the ruling party feel threatened?”Ibrahim queried.

“The PDP, as far as Nigeria is concerned, is inconsequential. Atiku and the PDP do not have the power to instill fear in the ruling party, especially a party that is progressive”, he added.

Historically, ruling parties have hardly been dislodged in elections at all levels of government because of
what is loosely called “the power of incumbency”. Abubakar’s call may be deemed apt by watchers as the current ruling party emerged only after being able to dislodge the then-ruling PDP through the 2013 merger of four political parties: the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Outside Nigeria, the merger of opposition political parties seems like a favoured strategy. Only on Wednesday, major opposition parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that consideration was on for the best approach to displace President Felix Tshisekedi in the forthcoming elections and have begun talks in Pretoria with a potential joint candidate to challenge Tshisekedi in the works.

While political mergers have yielded desired results like in the case of Nigeria in 2015, victory is not guaranteed. An instance was the last Gabonese presidential election earlier this year in which major opposition parties adopted a single candidate and consented to support a former minister and university professor, Albert Ondo Ossa but failed to end the 56-year grip of the Bongos in power; although incumbent Ali Bongo was later removed in a military coup as part of the fallout of the election.

Related Topics:APC Featured LP Nigeria NNPP pdp Political Party

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Politics

Mali: 7 Russian mercenaries killed

Published

6 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

An al Qaeda offshoot in North Africa has claimed responsibility for the attack in central Mali, killing at least seven mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner private military contractor company.

Wagner earlier lost a battle in July with mostly Tuareg rebels and Islamists close to Mali’s Algerian border, exposing the perils faced by mercenaries used by military juntas in the Sahel area of West Africa.

The separatists and strong branches of Al Qaeda and Islamic State, which have taken over large areas of the Sahel over the past 12 years, are difficult for Mali and its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger to control.

The al Qaeda offshoot JNIM claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack, according to a statement from SITE Intelligence Group, which keeps an eye on extremist activity in the area. According to SITE, JNIM captured several weapons and killed seven Russian Wagner mercenaries.

Following an attack, the bodies of at least five white males wearing army fatigues were seen laying near a military truck in a video obtained by Reuters. The validity of the footage could not be confirmed by Reuters.

SITE Intelligence posted images allegedly from JNIM that showed many crates of weapons and ammo together with the dead and bloodied bodies of troops.

Although two local officials acknowledged the incident, a Malian army source claimed to have seen seven dead bodies, including Russian fighters. Five Wagner warriors were slain, according to one of them.

At least six Russians have been murdered in the attack, which was carried out by Katiba Macina, a division of JNIM, according to a consultant working on security in the area.

The expert referred to the Russians as Africa Corps warriors, a paramilitary group under Kremlin leadership that has taken Wagner’s position in Africa throughout the previous 12 months.

Mali has previously said that Russian servicemen trainers are assisting local troops with Russian-purchased weaponry rather than mercenaries.

Politics

Mauritius’ Prime Minister to double as Finance Minister

Published

2 days ago

November 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In an effort to maintain a tight eye on the economy, Mauritius’ Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, who took office this month following a resounding election victory, said on Friday that he would retain the position of finance minister for himself.

“We are doing an audit of the economy to see to what extent the outgoing government has destroyed it,” Ramgoolam told reporters in the capital Port Louis after he presided over the swearing-in of other ministers.

Ten years after he stepped down as prime minister, the seasoned politician returned to the position when his Alliance du Changement (ADC) alliance won 60 of the 62 seats in the national legislature.

The 77-year-old Ramgoolam said earlier this week that he would be auditing governmental finances. Before this, he was prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.

Ramgoolam started a campaign in 2006 to streamline taxes and reduce bureaucracy to diversify the $10 billion economy beyond exports of sugar, textiles, and tourism.

Since then, the 1.3 million-person nation, which positions itself as a bridge between Africa and Asia, has developed into a major offshore financial hub and has been rated by the World Bank as the easiest location to do business in Africa regularly.