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Ahmadu Ali: PDP's political proselyte
By Levi Obijiofor

IN the past two years, I have written at least three essays on Ahmadu Ali, the grumpy chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). On each occasion, I promised myself that I won't write any more on the man. But, like a bad headache, Ali has refused to go away. He keeps making public statements that expose his political immaturity and his personality flaws. Most of his statements raise questions about his ability to serve as an unbiased umpire in a party torn by intra-party squabbles.

Last Saturday night, Ali made an extemporised comparison of the fate of the party during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and current President Umaru Yar'Adua's government. In Ali's judgment, the PDP has faired much better in so short a time under Yar'Adua than the party did over the eight years that Obasanjo ruled. Ali's unpleasant commentary on Obasanjo has not come as a surprise. And this is why. Ever since Obasanjo vacated his presidential post on May 29, 2007, Ali has found a new energy to snap consistently at Obasanjo's heels at regular intervals. Ali seems to have fallen out of favour with Obasanjo, his former boss. As they say, a day makes a hell lot of difference in politics. Ali is the quintessential PDP political proselyte.

Everything Obasanjo does is now a source of irritation to Ali. If Obasanjo coughs, Ali would find reason to complain. If Obasanjo speaks, Ali would say the man is speaking too much. If Obasanjo remains silent, Ali would whinge that Obasanjo is too silent. If Obasanjo chews fresh corn, Ali would grumble that Obasanjo is chewing too loud. Nothing Obasanjo does, it seems, would satisfy Ali. If Obasanjo does nothing, Ali would revisit history to compare Obasanjo's achievements as president with Yar'Adua's accomplishments in the first 100 days of Yar'Adua's four-year term.

ThisDay newspaper reported on Monday this week that, at a dinner hosted last Saturday by the PDP for its national working committee members who were appointed ministers in Yar'Adua's government, Ali poked further needles into Obasanjo's skin. Ali told his audience that the PDP is better under Yar'Adua's presidency than it was in Obasanjo's eight-year tenure. Would Obasanjo ever escape Ali's growing criticisms? The contradiction in Ali's criticisms of Obasanjo is that when Obasanjo was in power, Ali lacked the courage to say then what he is now saying about Obasanjo. Is that evidence of Ali's spinelessness? There is no doubt about it. Obviously, Ali wakes up each day and decides rather mechanistically who would be at the receiving end of his tantrums. It is a strange kind of behaviour.

Ali's adverse commentary on Obasanjo would have carried more value if Ali did not glorify Obasanjo in the past two-and-a-half years, following his (Ali's) appointment as party chairperson. When Obasanjo was president, Ali praised Obasanjo as a special gift that God dropped on Nigerians. Obasanjo was the best, Ali muttered frequently to his close aides. Keep in mind that it was Obasanjo who insisted on the appointment of Ali as a replacement for former PDP chairperson -- Audu Ogbeh. Now that Obasanjo has been castrated finally, in a political sense, Ali has jumped ship and started to sing the praise of the present power wielder. Ali's inconsistent behaviour must be watched closely. Men who are quick to jump into bed with their current boss are also capable of jumping out of bed when their boss loses power.

In the past three months, Ali has been openly critical of Obasanjo's education and agricultural policies, among others. Is Ali a noble politician, a rabblerouser, a trouble maker, an inexperienced mediator or just a meddler? Just about anyone who answers the question would find instances that justify the classification of Ali as a genuine carbon copy of any of the above. Ever since his appointment as party chairperson, Ali has established a reputation as the PDP sheepdog. He barks more often than he bites. In the past two years, Ali has been barking rudely at everyone who disagrees with him. He has hurled verbal abuse at politicians, lawyers, high court judges, students, including former and current respected members of the party. Among the victims of his verbal assault are Solomon Lar, Audu Ogbeh, Atiku Abubakar, Muhammadu Buhari, Ken Nnamani, Chris Ngige, and D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha.

In early June this year, Ali described former Senate president Ken Nnamani as a "rebel". He even said Nnamani became senate president by default. Nnamani's offence was that he advised the new batch of senators not to allow the presidency to interfere in the appointment of senate leaders. This was enough to elicit the following acerbic comments from Ali. He said of Nnamani: "He is a typical rebel, so there is no point worrying myself about what Ken said. He is a rebel. What happened in his own case was a totally different kettle of fish;... The rule is, to become the Senate president, you must be somebody who had been there in the Senate before,... so the Senate regulations had to be flouted to allow a fresher like Ken to come in."

On paper, Ali cuts the image of a man whose suitcase is loaded with a record of achievements in politics, public service, medical practice and military training. He is a retired army colonel, a former director of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a former federal commissioner for education, a trained medical doctor, and a former senator. But, you see, paper qualifications and years of experience count for nothing if you cannot articulate your views properly in the public arena. When Ali speaks, many people duck for cover not because of grammar problems but because of lack of verbal etiquette on his part.

Ali has a way of turning logic on its head. For example, when Lamidi Adedibu, the so-called "strongman of Ibadan politics" consistently undermined and threatened former Oyo State governor, Rashidi Ladoja, the nation was entertained with Ali's unique but troubling idea about how to douse the political conflagration in Ibadan. Here are Ali's recommendations on how to solve that political problem: "Ibadan is a military garrison, you must obey orders. If you are not going to take orders, don't join the forces. So, the present strongman in Ibadan, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, is no exception. He has come, it is his turn, Ladoja should be able to take command from him. If that condition is not acceptable to you, don't accept the job. This is the way I see Ibadan politics".

Strange things happen in Nigeria. Here is Ali, the chairperson of a ruling political party, a man who claims to be a democrat, advocating in an illiterate fashion that an elected state governor should take orders from the disreputable leader of an unrefined group of political thugs.

At the dinner last Saturday, Ali repeatedly taunted former members of the PDP who are now being asked to forgive and to return. Ali teased: "If not for the Dr. Alex Ekwueme's committee, they ought to re-apply before they are re-admitted back to the party. But for the Ekwueme committee, we shall re-admit them free of charge. We are sending to them, to our enemies, an olive branch." With comments like these, it is clear that the PDP, under Ali's leadership, is living up to its reputation as a dysfunctional "family". In one breath, Ali describes former members of the PDP as enemies of the party. "They have been shamed by the victory of the PDP at the polls... Those of them that left the party have been shamed. They are now begging to come back." In another moment, Ali says the former members of the PDP "ought to re-apply before they are re-admitted... We are sending to them, to our enemies, an olive branch". What a load of contradictions!

Ali's comments undermine the current efforts of the PDP peacemakers, led by Alex Ekwueme, to bring back to the party former members who left because they were persecuted, threatened and harassed under Ali's chairmanship and under Obasanjo's presidency. Ali's irritable behaviour underlines the difference between experienced politicians and former military officers who dabbled into politics. A party leader is expected to serve as a peacemaker, not as a hothead.

Robot  Villager

# 1 Welcome to NVSAhmadu Ali: PDP's political proselyte ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 14.09.2007 08:20

edoji  Villager

# 2 There are people I don't talk about, not necessarilly because they are not newsworthy but because talking about them gives them unnecessary prominence and a waste of precious saliva; Alli is one of them, so also is Ette - the current speaker of the House of Reps. A goup gets the leader they deserve. A certain gentleman I knew probably lost his senatorial dream because he cannot imagine himself sitting together with another thug from his area in 2003. If Nigerian politicians allow colleagues of low/sub-human intellect to be imposed on them, that is their own palava! Alli and Ette are same products of Obasanjo-crazy! I hated Babangida but I respect him - When Babangida was manipulating and dictating Nigeria agenda, one has to look at the calibre of people that mounted the political rostrum to see what stuff the man is made of: Baba Gana Kingibe etc. Now compare that with the mediocres empowered by Obasanjo - How neausating, comparable perhaps to Abachas. PS: Meanwhile, may I say wellcome to nwanna Obijiofor. NVS needs more of you. Posted by edoji| 14.09.2007 10:28

dem  Villager

# 3 1st off; welcome to Obijiofor. Being reading him a long time in the Guardian. Typical of him to open up with a word that sends you scurrying for the dictionary!:D Ali clearly is looking for something from the current Yaradua Administrattion. You create a monster, inevitably, it consumes you as well. So no sympathy for OBJ. For some yet unknown reason, OBJ tried to stick it to Ali in the dying days of his regime - hence his houses in Abuja were being demolished. (Or maybe that's just how OBJ thanks people after faithfully serving him) I suppose Ali thinks he is getting his own back. If it comes to fisticuffs between those two, I wonder ..... Posted by dem| 14.09.2007 14:40

udokaamah  Villager

# 4 This article represents a wasteful exercise of a commentary. It exhibits a vexing naivity of partisan politics. Ahmadu Alli is the chairman of a political party. Hello!! His job description, for want of a better language, is to piss everyone off and make his boss and party seem invincible. He is not a mediator or an arbiter. He is not expected to represent dissenting views. He is not a statesman. He is not an elected state official. He is a hired gun. An attack dog. For whatever it is worth, he has done his job well. He served OBJ well. That explains why Yar-Adua kept him. His verbal attacks against OBJ, that the writer alludes to, is nothing more than controlled confusion. He has perpetuated his party, not OBJ. Except the other political parties put their acts well, Nigeria is headed for a one party state. That is what i consider a greater risk; the absence of a credible opposition. PDP has become a well oiled and well financed political machine. Thanks to Ahmadu Alli. I have seen this movie before; Alex Ekwueme plays the good cop. Ahmadu Alli plays the bad cop. Perfect act. Posted by udokaamah| 14.09.2007 16:04

JAGA-JAGA  Villager

# 5 OBJ is reaping what he sowed. Ali is supposed to be one of his right hand man since the days of "Ali must go". It is just like the Frankenstein Monster that consumed it's creators. One thing is known about Ali's recent criticisms of OBJ, he is trying to curry the president's favour regarding the ambassadorial post he is billed to occupy very soon after vacating his current PDP chairmanship position. I pity Nigerians in such country that will come across his way. You know, political jobbers have no shame, since they can't fit into any other trade and be successful. It is sycophancy unlimited!:):) Levi, you are highly welcomed into NVS fold! Bye-bye-oh. I be una broda, Jaga-jaga Posted by JAGA-JAGA| 14.09.2007 16:19

akuluouno  Villager

# 6 I think I will vote along with Udokaamaah in this matter. There seems to be a method in Ali's proselytism. That method is what makes him a quintesssential Nigerian politician and chairman of the largest pol party in the world. Other politicians who want to survive in the Nigerian political terrrain might find it prudent to copy Ali's proselytism. After all it also comes with a vintage kind of gara gara akin to that of the newly certified mad man who went about chasing people and running all over the market square, unlike the old coaster psychotic who stands akimbo laughing off the whole drama and having memories of when he was newly mad.:D:D:D:D:D That is why the man is 100 per cent anti Abachanjo so that UMYA may retain him in office. Who does not want his bread to be buttered by the holder of the bread and butter to boot. Even if na you. Baba Ali, carry go after Baba destroyed your house in Abj via friendly fire and denied madam chance to be a senator of FGN. Posted by akuluouno| 15.09.2007 12:44