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A case for a PDP President from the 'South-South' in 2007 By One of the lingering political issues since 1966 has to do with the politics of oil, which has come to be called the agitation over “resource control”. Nigerians love to control their resources since the time the British created Nigeria. But when oil came to the equation, the Nigerian politicians started making a distinction between natural resources and mineral resources. Even within the mineral resources, there is a further distinction between solid mineral and non-solid (oil) resources. All these distinctions are forced on the political system by the powers that be. They are usually to the disadvantage of the so-called minorities in the south where oil comes from.
One would recall when President Obasanjo told the south-south that the issue of oil should be resolved through the political process. What this meant for the President since 1999 was something else. Unfortunately, the political class in the south-south failed in the past to use oil as a political instrument within the PDP. Up till now the PDP as a party failed to adopt a policy on oil. This is why since 1999 the President adopted a personal policy on oil. He dribbled the south-south with his off-shore-on-shore issue and on derivation issue. He defied all federal principles and forced on the Niger-Delta the federal take over of development of the oil producing areas through the NDDC.
The future of the south-south lies in its political leaders. They should work together on a common platform within the PDP. Our problem in the past is our inability to articulate a political program based on the Blessings of God, human and natural resources within the politics of Nigeria. This is an appeal through this column to the south-south leaders within the PDP to right the wrong of many years.
The contributions of the people of the south-south are sometimes ignored or taken as given. Maybe we should identify some areas of the life of Nigeria where the south-south made tremendous contributions.
When Nigeria is in search of some one who would be fair to all, it is the south-south. That is why the south-south produced most of the Chairmen of the Electoral Commissions and the Chairmen of constitution making bodies since independence. We should not forget the contribution of the south-south to the unique notion of ‘geographical spread’ that today guarantees the minorities in the north and in the south power and relevance in the election of President.
We are glad that for the first time in Nigerian history a south-south son is the current Chief of Defence Staff, thanks to the PDP President. I am referring to the appointment of General Alexander Ogomudia by President Obasanjo. One recalls some profound statements made by General Ogumodia during the reception organised for him by the Governor of Delta State.
General Ogumudia said, “God wants to make a point in my life”. That he should become the Chief of Defence Staff is only possible under a democratic order that wants to reward commitment to democracy. If God can do this in a democracy in the armed forces, God can do it in the political realm and produce a south-south President in 2007.
Consequently this is the time an indigene of the south-south should be on the presidential ticket. This is the time when this should be actively articulated and pursued in preparation for 2007. I am using this column to call on the Governors, the Senators and other political leaders of the south-south in the PDP that the time had come when one of them should step forward and lead. This is the time when they should tell the Nigerian people in the PDP that a south-south on the presidential ticket in 2007 is an irreducible minimum in the politics of 2007. This is the time when they should from today convince Nigerians that a President from the south-south could lead Nigeria come 2007.
It is an insult on the people of the south-south for the President from other parts of Nigeria to tell them how their God-given resources would be exploited. They have been denying the south-south its control over its resources especially since 1975. If the President and the Federal Government should know that the denial of the south-south from the ownership of oil is at the root of the restlessness in the Niger-Delta. The youth, as they are called would not set out to vandalise the oil sector, if they are part of the owners of the oil industries. How to use it as the basis of political liberation is contained in the plan I developed for the south-south in 1999 called the AGENDA OF LIBERATION. ‘Oil should therefore be used as the Highest Common Factor (HCF) for the south-south within the PDP in preparation for the 2007.
The Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori and his colleagues in the south-south successfully articulated the Vision of ‘Resource Control’ since 1999 even though their party, PDP refused to make it a PDP program since then. They should not stop here. They should now sell that Vision to the country as an ‘Agenda of Liberation’ for the people of the south-south. Before 1999, there was no political jargon called ‘resource control’. Nigerians only knew of ‘derivation’. Thanks to Chief Ibori, the articulator of resource conctrol, Nigerians now know ‘resource control’. As an element in the political discourse, Nigerians would learn to appreciate it as a political agenda, if it is used to articulate an electoral platform for the 2007 presidential election. Who can or would be willing to translate this Vision into a program of action? Certainly such a person would not be from the names we are reading about from north or from the current leader from the southwest. From the records of these two areas that had since 1966 ruled Nigeria and dominated the oil resources, the south-south would not get fairness and justice in the politics of oil in 2007.
A person from the south-south within the PDP on the ticket in 2007 is the one who can translate resource control into a program of action. Hence the future of the south-south is in the hands of its leaders. They should wake up and tell the country that they have presidential materials.
To facilitate their plan, they should advocate for open presidential nomination primaries for the PDP. This would begin from the local government areas through the state to the national level. Now that all the zones including the southwest are seriously thinking of fielding candidates in 2007, the south-south should not be left out. Who finally gets the PDP ticket in 2007 should be determined by the interplay of democratic forces.
The sons of the south-south noted for fairness and justice from their track record as election managers and constitution makers should go to the Nigerian people with their programme on oil. They should convince the Nigerian people that they could produce a President who can make oil a boom for all Nigerians.
September 2003
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