On January 25, 2024, Mr Kamorudeen Toyese Ajisafe was affirmed as the new National Vice-Chairman (South-West) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the zonal executive committee meeting held in Ibadan. In this interview by WALE AKINSELURE, he speaks on his plans of action, why PDP has found it difficult to win Lagos, the G-5 and INEC conduct in the last general election in the country.
What should Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the South West zone expect from your emergence?
I will like to establish a fact that people should be able to have confidence in my leadership. The only way people can have confidence in your leadership is to show transparency and fairness, without any bias. The only way to do that is to be proactive, so that whenever you are tested, they will not found you wanting. I will ensure a level-playing field for all members irrespective of how they feel about issues. I will showcase what leadership is all about by being transparent so that people can key into my leadership knowing fully well that they will not be shortchanged and together, we will conquer. I plan to establish discipline from the local to the national level. Since the South-West is settled, you will see the transformation of the PDP. We have started seeing the good things begin to come. I want to make sure that the PDP is more formidable not only in the South-West but in Nigeria. As chairman of the PDP in the South-West, I am a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. I am going to make sure that they feel my presence in that committee by doing and supporting, initiating the right thing.
What is your trajectory in the PDP?
I have been a member of the PDP ever since. At one time or the other, I was a local government chairman in Osun State. Before then, I was an executive assistant to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, on Ecological Matters. I am the Special Adviser to the present governor of Osun State on Tax Matters.
You emerged from Osun State and your leader in the state is Governor Ademola Adeleke. But, you now have to manage many party members and leaders across the states of the South-West. How do you intend to share your loyalty across six states, knowing you still have to be loyal to your state leader?
I was nominated by the stakeholders in Osun State and the party ratified my nomination. It was a gradual process starting from the state to the South-West caucus. I went round the states and also met with leaders across states. It was an all-inclusive mandate given to me by all the states. There wasn’t any objection from any of our state chapters. Like any other party position, we have to start from somewhere. I can assure you that my loyalty is still to the party and I will not, in any way, compromise what is expected of the national vice-chairman (South-West).
Not every stakeholder in Osun State was home with your candidature as South-West Chairman of your party, wouldn’t that be where your work as chairman should start from?
I am not aware that some people did not endorse my coming in as chairman. There could be some people equally interested but some know that when you cannot have it, you have to subdue your ambitions. There may be some people interested but they did not show their interest. Governor Seyi Makinde himself said there was no other nomination or interest shown; that no one approached him overtly or covertly.
Sometime ago, there was a viral video of the Osun PDP chairman castigating some other members of the party, how are you dealing with that crisis?
If there is anything like that, it is just coming from frustration which some of us have known him to diffuse. It is a long story. Before it got to this level, there was a particular case that shook everybody and that is the Supreme Court judgment on the eligibility of the present governor, which Prince Dotun Babayemi was a party to. At the Supreme Court level, the tension was so high to the extent that not until after the judgment did things calm down. If we have to look at that situation, you might want to get to that level to start talking the way the chairman did. But as Christians, Muslims and democrats, we have to forgive each other. But they have to come clean. Honestly speaking, we are going to pursue reconciliation within the ambit of the party’s extant rules and regulations. Most importantly is the issue of discipline. If we do reconciliation without establishing discipline, you are just postponing disaster. There must be discipline; party is so supreme that you have to sort out things internally using the party mechanism.
When you say discipline and using party mechanism, do you mean sanctioning members perceived as erring?
No, I have not got to sanctioning. If there are infractions, you can’t be a judge in your own case. You have to establish the facts and let them face the disciplinary committee. Like any other human being, we are allowed to make mistakes, once you can humble yourself. There was a time I said something spontaneously and I said, it was a slip and I was forgiven. There could be a slip and you realise after that you should not have said something, you ask for forgiveness and that is the end of it. Those that feel that they have offended the party or feel that somebody has offended them, we are going to put in motion a machinery that will cure all those perceived or purported infractions. Let us forgive ourselves and move forward. The problem in Osun is that in the last election, those of our friends you are talking for did not even vote for the party. We are not telling them not to come. All those people are my very good friends. God has plans for everybody. People just decided on their own to allow some other people go in there, present themselves and win election. I am not too happy; those that are in PDP should come forward. I am looking forward to meeting them especially when they have somebody of my personality that is very liberal. If they want me to come and meet them in their comfort zone, I will come. I challenge them to call me, I will pick their call; I will talk to them. Let us find a common ground.
Aside from the issues in Osun, what is the plan to address the intra-party crises from state to state in the South-West?
I will have to tour. People need to see me at a very close distance. If you are not communicating with people, they would not believe in you. Let them see early that this is a humble person, coming from a very humble background. On the issue of nomination, it is time to start talking to our people in Ondo State. People are contesting and you start taxing them to bring this and that, they bring money, you take it. It is not the best way to go about it. People are just taking advantage of people. I am a grassroot person. I won’t be happy just taking money from people all in the name of that they want to contest. I just thank God that he has given me the opportunity to showcase all that I am telling you.
Presently, PDP has Oyo and Osun States, how do you intend to boost the chances of the party in the South-West to have more states in the next general election?
My prayer is we should be able to take Ondo State. And the only way we can take Ondo is to be transparent. We will be transparent, fair to all manner of people irrespective of their religion, sect or ideology. Ondo is the next target and we are taking Ondo by God’s grace. If we can leverage on the present situation, easily we can take Ondo.
What do you intend to leverage to take Ondo, as you say?
We will present a very good candidate, that is well-known to the people of that state. It is not somebody that I will pick from my room. You can’t say you know me hence I should impose you. There won’t be imposition. You have to go through the primary. We can intervene by providing a level-playing field and advise them to see how they can work together with me. It cannot be winner-takes-all, we will advise them on that.
PDP has never ruled Lagos State; do you see that happening anytime in the nearest future?
What is happening in Lagos is more than politics. It is a situation of coercion, thuggery. It is quite unfortunate. With time, we hope in God to help us on that. But the judiciary needs to help. We have a situation where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will do something that is malfeasance and tell you to go to court. If I have my way, the person who becomes INEC chairman should be by advertisement and that whoever will be chairman will have his salary raised. And if they are caught not doing the right thing, there will be constitutional provision on INEC operations, there will be sanction.
Please affirm, who is the leader of the South-West PDP?
By customs, tradition, Governor Seyi Makinde is the leader of the PDP in the South-West.
Do you still rue the G-5 crisis before the last presidential election as one that affected the chances of the PDP doing more than it did in the 2023 elections?
No doubt, the issue of G-5 was enormous in the way we lost the election. Most importantly is the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Cumulatively, you cannot put the G-5 aside. They were part of the problems faced by the PDP and its presidential candidate.
When does your tenure as Chairman expire?
The tenure expires sometime next year, 2025.
