2015: Presidency, APC Fight In America

The war between the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition parties led by the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, took a different twist as both parties took their arguments to far away Washington D.C., in the United States of America.

A forum held under the auspices of the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS in preparation for 2015 elections nearly boiled over as both parties engaged in war of words with the opposition leaders pointing accusing fingers at President Jonathan over his failings in government and his sincerity towards free and fair elections.

Dr. Doyin Okupe who led the presidency and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, delegation had warned opposition politicians not to bring the personality of the president into the forum, saying he would not wash the country’s dirty linen in public. But he however exploded when Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the All Progressives Congress, APC, spokesman hinted at the administration’s failure to address transparency issues including the alleged missing $20 billion oil revenue and indiscretions by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as failings of the government.

Ms Jenniefer Cooke, Director of the CSIS Africa programme who moderated the discussions from that point intervened as both sides tried to showcase the failings of one another. She was forced to intervene after Okupe raised issues on Mohammed’s assertion of the administration’s failures to address the spate of insecurity inspired by the Boko Haram Islamic group.

Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye in his summary of the discussions, however, praised the two sides saying that the articulation of the two parties was reflective of the high level of political discourse in Nigeria. He nevertheless warned the two sides not to wash the country’s image in public even as he raised questions about Nigerians coming to discuss their country in the United States.

Okupe had a Senior Special Assistant to the President, Sanya Awosan and Fred Majemite, Political Adviser to the Governor of Delta State on the panel. Besides Mohammed, the APC was represented by Senator Babafemi Ojodu, APC, Ekiti Central. The event was attended by Nigerian professionals, American specialists on Africa and state department officials among others. Among others present at the event were Dr. Usman Bugaje, former senior aide to the vice-president in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration; Mr. Oma Djebah, senior adviser to the governor of Delta State on foreign relations.

The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu was excused on the basis of a caucus meeting in Abuja and Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State was similarly excused following the killing of more than 100 persons in the state, last weekend.

Sessions would also be held today with other democracy building institutions based in America and meetings with senior officials of the Barack Obama administration.
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