Dr Eddy Olafeso is the former National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-West. He speaks with Hakeem Gbadamosi on the preparedness of PDP for the next month presidential election, endorsement of candidates among other issues.
The Presidential election is less than 50 days and with the division and crisis within your party (PDP), how far do you think your party can go in this presidential election?
You call it crisis, I call it a process of redefining the future of the party in terms of reforms and what should be done. I call it a clear view of respect for the constitution of the party and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While that misunderstanding is going on, the party, its presidential candidate and all its top echelons have actually moved themselves to campaigning. We have done more than two-third of the states of the federation and soon, we will be completing the rest. I can tell you that we are very impressed at the level of reception given to our presidential candidate and the level of acceptance of his programmes for the Nigerians if elected, because the last seven and a half years havebeen very challenging for Nigerians and their general expression now is that enough is enough; this government must pack up, so that the country can be rebuilt again. There’s need for us to rescue this country and that’s exactly what the man stands for. Atiku’s five points’ agenda: security, education, economy, and development are his major focus now. For me and generally, with the reception given to our party, we are very ready for the election slated for February.
Even with the unyielding stand of the integrity group? What do you think will happen if they finally decide to work against the party?
If the G-5 governors are unyielding, Nigerians are yielding and you can see that the unyielding tendency of the Integrity group governors has appeared like a stagnation and I don’t know why we have to beg the issues. If there are certain challenges in the party, its leadership and the G-5 should be able to settle and make sure that the party move on. It’s like sucking your mother’s breast and trying to kill the woman, because you felt certain things happened.
For us, the party is already moving on, you saw what happened in Oyo State, and let me tell you that the opinion of the governors are not the opinion of the people in their own states. One thing you can be sure of is that they too will have moment of reckoning when the people that they have governed for the past four years will ask questions about their tenure and their stewardship and that is what they need to manage. For us, it is never too late to return to the fold and let us work together. These people are actually being blessed to have been given leadership positions in the party and I think they have to be cautious not to destroy exactly the same vehicle that brought them this far in life. I am of the opinion that our party, the PDP and our members have actually gone far where they stand and they have recognised the fact that what is important to Nigerians today is not what they are demanding, but they want freedom from poverty; they want security for their people and quality education; they want a better life for the younger generation; they want employment and general development for the country.
So many people are not on the same page with them as far as their demands are concerned. The priority of our party today is salvaging and rescuing Nigeria and not about the party’s chairman, which has no impact on Nigeria people and what they are going through. The best they could do is to sit down and create templates for most of these problems to be resolved, that is if they want to understand the fact that this is not about what party does in their positions but what they can actually achieve by better government or better political party taking affairs of the country after this seven and half years of harrowing experience under the APC.
But the Integrity group still have a grip in your party assome of your supporters are sympathetic to their cause…
There had been no time in the history of man that you are going to have a hundred percent vote for yourself; some people will defer, while some people will agree with you, but what I have seen today is the fact that majority of our people in all the states, including Benue, Oyo, Enugu, Abia and Rivers states are still with the party. If their decision is that the party must do something, they too should lend their voice, so that we can have the opportunity to sit down and discuss. Many times, we have made efforts to reconcile this group, but they have appeared irreconcilable, because of what they said they wanted which is not what Nigerian people want. So, as far I am concerned, we have to just go through it and ensure that we continue to address our people and have connections with them. It was our connection with Oyo people that brought about the shout of Atikurenting the air when they thought they want to announce their own presidential candidate. The power of the people is far more than the power of a single person, be he governor or president. Power belongs to the people, but the danger in it is that you too will want to sympathise with them.In the end, they (G-5 governors) may be the most injured out of what they are trying to do, because I believe their fight is not for Nigerian people, but for themselves.
The APC presidential candidate said your candidate, Atiku should not be trusted, what is your take on this?
He (Tinubu) has no programme for the Nigerian people. He has no agenda and he is not even coherent enough for us to understand what he is looking for. If you understand the meaning of market economy, which is the base of our economic advancement, you will know that if you have assets that are not functional, dormant and no longer productive, your best bet is to evaluate and review.
A part of Atiku’s mandates to the Nigerian people is to put up a government that will be very efficient in terms of economic advancement and provision of quality education that will make the younger generation relevant in the 21st century and ensure that they are gainfully employed. But when he (Tinubu) came here, he said nothing understandable. Apart from the gibberish rendition, nobody seems to know exactly what Tinubu stands for. When he came, was there anything he said he would do for the Ondo State people? Apart from the cocoa seedling plantation, nothing; the man said nothing. If you want to criticise an opponent, criticise them constructively and then provide an alternative.
The man brought in APC to destroy Nigeria. There is nothing he can say now; it is too late in the day to want to change the narrative, because they have destroyed Nigeria beyond what anybody can ever imagine.Our most important responsibility at this moment is to continue to engage the Nigerian people to know exactly what they want. We are sure we are in partnership with them. They came here since 2015 and said they were fighting corruption. Have they won any war against corruption? They are fighting insecurity, have they won against it? They are fighting unemployment, yet it has risen to over 30 percent. They are fighting inflation, but it is beyond 22 percent. So, exactly what have they accomplished? It is so shameful; it is only in this country that party like APC will go round campaigning without people stoning them, because they said if they cannot provide electricity, they should be stoned. It is high timewe stoned them, because they have failed the Nigerian people. They are going nowhere and they know it. We that have somewhere to go, we must focus on our campaign and our message to the Nigerian people, which is employment, security, fighting corruption and making sure that this country stands again; it has been destroyed completely.
As one of the leaders of the PDP, are you not worried about the endorsement of Labour Party candidate by former President Olusegun Obasanjo?
No, how can I be worried? He is an individual, this is democracy, freedom of choice, negotiation. He took that decision and history is our guide. He brought in ADC a couple of years ago. What exactly happened to ADC? It has been thrown into the dustbin of history and there was no sympathy whatsoever from his side that he misled a lot of people. Baba has served this country, he has done his bit and he is gone. If the Nigeria people resonate with his opinion, so be it. But in this circumstance, I doubt if he is going to actually make any different. But it is his right, like I’m supporting Atiku, nobody can challenge me for supporting him and the reason I’m supporting him is what I can tell you. All he spoke to the youth is that they must be careful and they must vote right. The youths have listened to him and they will vote right. They will vote Atiku for the presidency of Nigeria, mark my word. I’m not worried at all.
In 2019, PDP won the presidential election in Ondo, do you see your party repeating the feat in February 2023.
I can tell you, no two elections are ever the same. The issue at hand, the challenges people will face and the position of the party. We are not resting on our oars, because we won the election in 2019. Before you can talk about victory, you have to apply hardwork, total commitment to your goal and focus on victory. So for us, it is hardwork as usual. Twenty four hours is a long period in a political setting and I know fully well we will get there. For us, we desire peace and unity. We want to work with everybody. We have made enough effort to bring people together and I’m sure we are going to do very well in the February election, I can guarantee you that. Atiku owns this Ondo State; all we need to do is to bring out the votes and that is exactly what we are going to do.
I want you to remember that we are in opposition and we don’t have the privilege of using salaries to print posters and build billboards like they did when they came and they turned the city into a world different from what it is; the headquarters of poverty, non-payment of salaries, the pensioners are languishing for a very unfortunate Christmas and festive season.
But there seems to be no campaign from your party and candidates in the state. What is happening?
While agreeing with you that things could be revved up better, twenty four hours is a very long time in a political setting and we have almost 50 days to prepare ourselves. The year is just beginning, the headquarters is just revving up in Abuja. I give you one week or two and you will see that things has changed completely. That you have not seen things doesn’t mean they are not going on and I can guarantee you, we will continue to work better and harder to ensure we achieve a better result.
Recently, INEC gave the hint that election might not hold due to insecurity, what do you think about this?
If that is the poly of the APC to remain in power, it will end in vain, there is nothing they can do, this election must hold and we must hold them accountable. The question is to be directed to all of them in Abuja, while they claim on television and newspapers that they have defeated Boko Haram, they have done this, they have done that. They want to leave a legacy of Buhari, God forbid. Then suddenly, the country cannot hold a general election, it is their disgrace and the world will hold them accountable. It is just a joke, we are going to hold this general election. It is about time they ship out.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
