By Danlami Nmodu
The conduct of Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko with regards to the crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum ,NGF is a source of embarrassment to members of the Labour Party and the Labour Movement in Nigeria.Comrade Issa Aremu, deputy secretary, Labour Party and vice president, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) made this remark in a statement made available to Newsdiaryonline.com on Tuesday.He called on Mimiko to urgently return to the path of social democracy.
“As a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party, I am constrained to call on the Labour Party’s Governor of Ondo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko to urgently return to the path of social democracy which is the proclaimed ideology of the Labour Party (LP) and stop his current unacceptable open patronage of anti-democratic forces within the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF)”Aremu said .
Aremu who is the vice president of Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC said ,“Members of the Labour Party and labour movement (which formed the party) have been grossly embarrassed with the recent exhibited role of Governor Mimiko in the election of the Forum’s chairman and the eventual factionalization of the NGF.”
He pointed out that “It is an open globally acknowledged democratic fact that Governor Rotimi Amaechi won the NGF election. Labour Party members are therefore shocked that Governor Mimiko (who just emerged from a similar free and fair election based on secret ballot) would be party to an unacceptable disputation of a simple majoritarian election by 36 governors. Labour Party’s Governor of Ondo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko must urgently refill his democratic account which has suffered huge deficit by his uncritical association with governors who are no respecter for simple majoritarian outcomes.”
Mimiko has remained one of the pillars of support for Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang-led faction of NGF .At the NGF election, Amaechi won by 19 votes to defeat Jang who polled 16 votes.But Jang has continued to lay claim to victory with the support of Mimiko and other members of his faction.
Aremu’s statement is an addition to the voices of reason that have been insisting that Amaechi should be the legitimate NGF chairman.Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa said the party’s decision to suspend Amaechi was a blunder just as he insisted on Amaechi .An equally powerful statement in defence of Amaechi’s mandate was made on Monday by Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso who said only Amaechi has the mandate of the governors to be called NGF chairman.
Read the full text of Aremu’s statement below:
June 18, 2013
GOVERNOR MIMIKO MUST URGENTLY RENEW HIS SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC CREDENTIALS
THE PROBLEM
As a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party, I am constrained to call on the Labour Party’s Governor of Ondo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko to urgently return to the path of social democracy which is the proclaimed ideology of the Labour Party (LP) and stop his current unacceptable open patronage of anti-democratic forces within the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Members of the Labour Party and labour movement (which formed the party) have been grossly embarrassed with the recent exhibited role of Governor Mimiko in the election of the Forum’s chairman and the eventual factionalization of the NGF.
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY
Social democracy is the official ideology of the Labour Party. It among others, asserts that the only acceptable constitutional form of government is representative democracy under the rule of law, the bedrock of which is one person one vote. It is an open globally acknowledged democratic fact that Governor Rotimi Amaechi won the NGF election. Labour Party members are therefore shocked that Governor Mimiko (who just emerged from a similar free and fair election based on secret ballot) would be party to an unacceptable disputation of a simple majoritarian election by 36 governors. Labour Party’s Governor of Ondo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko must urgently refill his democratic account which has suffered huge deficit by his uncritical association with governors who are no respecter for simple majoritarian outcomes.
The NEC of Labour Party held on the 11th of April. One of the key resolutions of the National Executive Council (NEC) was commitment to ideologically driven politics, unity and indivisibility of Nigeria. NGF is a pan-Nigerian forum. Any attempt to undermine the Forum through anti-democratic posturing further stresses the Federation at this critical period of national security challenges.
Labour Party cannot and should not be enlisted on the side of reactionary personality conflict that unnecessarily (atomises) the nation. Lastly LP is expected as a progressive party to constructively encourage President Goodluck Jonathan to act at all times as a statesman who should be above partisanship, look at the bigger picture of the nation and not marginal preoccupation of some partisan governors. The President came in through pan-Nigerian mandate, he should not be pushed to the politics of the margins.
President Jonathan has commendably respected the outcomes of elections in states where even his party lost including Ondo state under Labour Party. We should encourage the President along this path of respect for democratic outcomes and not diminish the President from statesmanship to crude partisanship. Certainly an LP governor should not be party to anything less than democracy and statesmanship! It is never late for Governor Mimiko to redeem himself and the LP. At best he must respect the outcome of the NGF election just as the world respected the outcomes of our party’s election in Ondo state.
NATIONAL UNITY
All the governors must work together to foster the unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and engage more in policy ideas on good governance and national development and not divisive politics of gangs.
Issa Aremu mni
Deputy Secretary, Labour Party and Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
