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This day
Dateline: 25/07/2001 06:04:16

Afenifere Dumps AD, Forms New Party

NEPU, NF, UMBC, UND, UNDF also members
To file papers with INEC
From Chukwudi Nwabuko in Abuja and Kola Ologbondiyan in Lagos

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere may have finally dumped the Alliance for Democracy, AD, as it teams up with other political groups to form a new political party to be known as National Democratic Party, (NDP).

The new party, NDP, is anchored on a breakaway faction of the National Frontiers, NF, led by its protem chairman, Alhaji Habu Fari, after it had parted ways with the Chief Sunday Awoniyi-Edwin Ume-Ezeoke group over merger talks.

The decision to transform the NF into a political party came after a meeting held last Monday in Abuja in which Afenifere was a key player. Other groups represented at the Abuja meeting included the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC), Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), Union of Niger Delta (UND), National Frontiers (NF) and United Nigeria Development Forum (UNDF).

Representing Afenifere at the Monday meeting were Senator Femi Okurounmu, Chief Ayo Opadokun and Hon. J.F. Adeyemi.

The UMBC team was led by Mr. Paul Unongo, Brig. Gen. J.M Madaki and Rado Barde. Leading the team of UND were Chief Kingsley Ndedu, Dr. Ibiwari Ikiriko and Pedro Egbe. From NF were Chief Kenny Martins, Alhaji Habu Fari, Chief Chudi Chukwuani and Architect Kabiru Gaya, while Col. E.J.B. Nyan (rtd) represented UNDF.

An Afenifere chieftain, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, confirmed to THISDAY last night that Afenifere was part of the Abuja negotiations, but declared that the group still awaits the outcome of the negotiation and the reports of its delegates which would then be ratified by the Afenifere leadership.

However, another leader within the Afenifere group confirmed to THISDAY that the moves by Afenifere may actually signal the end of its relationship with the Alliance for Democracy, which it was widely believed to have formed in 1999.

Although, Afenifere leaders have always insisted that the association and the AD are in fact two sides of the same coin, other party members, especially those outside of the south west and the younger elements within the party, as represented by the six AD governors have contended that the party must be removed from the pan-Yoruba group.

The contention played out sourly last year when the party held two parallel conventions in Abuja, which produced two separate leaders for the party; Alhaji Abdulkadir Ahmed, backed principally by the governors and Alhaji Yusuf Mamman, backed by the Afenifere group. In the end, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, recognised the Ahmed Abdulkadir leadership. Since then, the Afenifere elders had battled to regain control of the party with little success.

Therefore, the decision to team up with other groups to form the NDP indicated that the Afenifere elders have finally given up in the power within AD and gone on to new grounds.

Another highly placed Afenifere source defines the new move this way: "For 40 years, the Yorubas have been marginalised. We have always been in the opposition. We have never been in the mainstream of power control in the country. But now, we are deciding, for the first time, to join others in building a formidable national alliance that will position us to negotiate as stakeholders at the centre," he said, referring to a statement once credited to Chief Abraham Adesanya, that if Afenifere could form AD, it could also form another party.

On modalities for the emergence of the new party, he told THISDAY, that the new National Democratic Party would be built around the core values of Afenifere.

And in a major departure, he told THISDAY that the new political group would be launched in Kano where the NEPU group had agreed to make available a crowd of supporters that would not number less than a million while the core of retired military officers, especially in the UNDF, is expected to provide logistic support that will drive the new party.

Already, the party has indicated its readiness to commence registration formalities with INEC next week, after it has agreed on a logo, slogan, emblem, colour and other insignia that are prerequisite to registration.

Rising from a meeting of members of the national coordinating committee, members of the negotiation Committee and other party chieftains of the erstwhile National Frontiers, which held at ALGON Guest House in Abuja yesterday, the meeting presided over by the national Chairman, Alhaji Habu Fari, took far-reaching decisions aimed at positioning the party on a solid foundation, preparatory to immediate registration with INEC.

In a release, Alhaji Habu Fari, Chairman and Chief Kenny Martins, national publicity secretary, stated that the meeting resolved to establish a national harmonization committee to harmonize all matters and pending issues in relation to the fusion of all organizations from the ward to the national levels.

Other decisions taken at the meeting include:

the establishment of a committee on INEC registration;

formation of committee on mobilisation of voters register across the country and the formation of a committee on national mobilization and assessment;

another highlight of the meeting was the resolution that the negotiation committee under the auspices of the new political party should undertake further consultations and discussions with other groups and associations.

IN this encounter, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi relives the events of the Abuja meeting which informed their forming a political party. The former Minister of Foreign Affairs and chieftain of NADECO represented Afenifere in the meeting.

It was reported that Afenifere has agreed to merge with six other political groups to form a political party and you represented the organisation in the talks?

I would not call that Abuja meeting a merger. If journalists from different media houses get together to form an association, would you call that a merger? Afenifere still remains Afenifere. It cannot lose its identity in any organisation and so also the other groups. They are still independent groups even though there was an agreement to form a party.

What we have done is that we have agreed to form a political party. However, the party had to be ratified by each of the political organisations, for them to sign as agreement. Presently, each organisation is now going through its own process and in the next two weeks Afenifere would have decided whether to ratify it or not.

So for now, It’s only an agreement in principle?

Yes. An agreement in principle to form a political party, an agreement in principle to adopt a name, a logo, a flag, a constitution and a memorandum. We are now bringing it home to be ratified by our leaders. It is like a young woman meeting a young man and the two of them deciding to get married. The blessings of the parents would be required.

The new party to be formed is National Democratic Party...

Of course, it already has a name. A name had been agreed on. A flag has been agreed to. A logo has been agreed to. A constitution has been agreed to. But they have to be ratified by these organisations.

Afenifere has been known as a socio-cultural organisation...

Afenifere has said a million times that it is a political organisation. Afenifere does not organise cultural shows. Afenifere is not into cultural dances. It does not organise masquerade shows. Afenifere is into politics.

What happens to the marriage between Afenifere and AD with this new development?

I wouldn’t know

You wouldn’t?

Young lady, I said I don’t know. I don’t answer something I don’t know.

Did Afenifere consider the fact that there is crisis in the leadership level of National Frontiers before going into agreement with the organisation?

Well, we have appraised that situation and made our own judgement. We have reached that judgement and we have negotiated with them.The merger talks between Afenifere and other groups will benefit democracy because you have many people with same vision coming together.

What are your expectations for the new party?

If the new party is ratified by Afenifere and all the other organisations, I am confident it will be ratified. Look at the organisations that were there; the core North is represented, the core West is represented. The Middle Belt is represented. The core South-South is represented. Why would INEC not recognise it?

Ohanaeze was supposed to be part of it. What happened?

I cannot speak for Ohanaeze. I don’t know why Ohanaeze was not there.

Has the party started thinking of 2003 elections?

One thing at a time. We are following our plans one after the other. I think we should form a party first, then get registered. After that, we can think about the elections.

Do you have political ambitions. This is the first time you are being linked with formation of party?

I was given a job to do by Afenifere. I have completed the assignment. I did not go of my own initiative. Afenifere sent me on an assignment and I have completed that assignment. I just did the job for Afenifere.

I asked you earlier, where would Afenifere’s decision leave AD?

Now, AD Governors twist from Afenifere, Move to Strike Deal with Aremu. Does Pa Adesanya still know what he is talking about?