National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Debo Ologunagba in an informal chat with members of the PDP Press Corps at the party secretariat in Abuja on Thursday dismisses claims that the party is heading for the broke over a protracted crisis, rather he says the ongoing reconciliation process by stakeholders is gradual and that it is yielding results. He said the party cannot toy with the idea of changing leadership at this crucial moment making reference to constitutional provisions.
There are different views on happenings in the party but the leadership has not been talking. A chieftain of the party, Chief Bode George called for the resignation of the national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu. What would you say to this?
We are a party that allows conversation, we are a party that allows members to speak. We don’t allow autocracy in the name of the running of a political party like the APC, where somebody says something and it becomes the party says. Because we are a democratic party, we allow for views and for different views and this is the whole essence of democracy. You express your views, you go to vote and you either win or lose but then anybody is entitled to speak. And with all due respect to Chief Bode George who was privileged to hold very high government and party offices in this country and we expect that he knows more, he understands the importance of the unity of the party and party politics. The requirement for that unity is actually now as to when the party was in near crisis in our country apart from our constitution. What should be more germane is the exigency of times. Because the constitution is for man not man for the constitution.
Are you saying the party does not respect his views?
Why will you expect me to respect his view if he is not going to respect my view? And his view may not be the majority of views in the PDP. We respect his view as he is entitled to that, he can say what he believes in but he can’t hide from the facts. Back to your comment about more people, in view of members of the party, no matter how highly placed doesn’t equate to the opinion of the party. Because the party is a culmination of divergent views and interests, every member of this party must recognize the importance of the unity in this party at this time and in the interest of Nigerians.
Will this not bring further disunity to the party?
The level of disunity in the country is so accelerated and it’s our responsibility particularly the leaders of the party to recognize the need for unity. All organs of the party are working almost over time to ensure that this family is going in the right direction, we expect to have little issues as it is inevitable but because we have a system described severally as a robust defensive resolution mechanism, we don’t want an eruption and that is why you can’t get what we do elsewhere. We are setting out on what we are doing and slowly we are getting to our destination, which is fixing the party and then address the issue of the country, particularly the issue of insecurity and the need for unity.
But there is insinuation that the process is not becoming feasible or slow?
We are slowly going there and as I said, reconciliation in such a big party as ours Is not a 100 metre race, it is a marathon so it takes a process, it might be slow but be sure, it will get to its destination.
Reconciliation is a process, it is a marathon, it is not a dash, in reconciling people, the tendency is that you might be frustrated with the process just like democracy. Democracy is not particularly a quick fix but in the end, it is like justice, you might have a murder case, the trial might take another four years, they would probably have forgotten the victim because it goes slowly so that all aspects of it is respected, people might become frustrated. Nigerians have a right to expect, why, it’s because they have been under a government that has consistently abused them in the last seven years so we are eager to get out of the wood but we know that PDP has a structural process and policies to ensure that Nigerians get out of the woods.
PDP organs at all levels are actively involved, I know that behind the scene, discussions are ongoing at multiple levels, of cos they are not issues to put on pages of newspapers. The important thing Nigerians need to know is that we are engaged constantly and consistently on this because we know that the future of Nigeria is hinged on the success of PDP. We recognize the burden, we know the responsibility and we can’t afford to fail. Every aspect of the party is working towards achieving this goal. I can assure that we are doing well by our assessment, we are increasing our tempo in that regard and slowly we are getting there. More importantly, we are focused on the Nigerian project, we need to get away from where we are, the insecurity, lack of unity that is completely getting worse every day, the disregard for life experienced daily, the fact that the economy is collapsing and our index depreciating every day, that should concern us as a party, and this is the front burner of our decision process.
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What is your take on the alleged defection plan by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike?
I am happy you used the word alleged, I am not aware of that. Gov Wike is a registered member of this party, he is a man who has invested much in this party and has harvested so much from this party, the party has promoted him and he has also expressed his passion and commitment to the party. The latest of his passion was at the convention where he declared that he is a committed member who has never left the party since 1999. He is a patriotic party man and he said all that to the whole world. As at this moment, we have no evidence or statement that he has changed his mind or position from what he said. As a man of honour who has invested so much in this party and a man who rose to the position he is today from the platform of the party, being projected as limelight to the whole world using that opportunity to display his capacity, a man who can manage resources and men to the point that he was nicknamed “Mr Project”, it is only under the platform of the PDP. At this moment, we believe and know that he is a man of his words, most fearless, most forthright who is committed to what he believes in, we have no reason to believe the rumours.
How do you think members in the south will feel when party officials only come from the North. Your presidential candidate is from the north, national chairman from north, chairman BoT from north?
I am excited each time these questions come to our party, it means Nigerians are interested in what happens in the PDP because the hope is in PDP, it gives the feeling that we are in the right track because Nigerians are looking up to us and if they are looking up to us, it means they are watching what we are doing.
But again, we must compare like to like, the APC today has a president who is from the north, the chairman of that party, from the north, they don’t even have Board of Trustees, all positions in the government, particularly in the security sector, they are from the north, which means Nigerians know that APC is a failure. I mentioned earlier something about exigencies that you don’t want an election with a constitutional crisis, we recognize this as a party and I can assure you that as a party conscious of its constitution must equally be conscious of the exigency of the tribe. We have less than six months to the elections, by our Constitution, when a position is vacant, a replacement must come from that zone, assuming the chairman goes today, which of course is not going to happen because this NWC is working together, the urgency of now for Nigeria requires stability in the party, even if he does, what we will be having is that the deputy national chairman (North) will constitutionally be the next person to take that position. If the presidential candidate is from the Northeast then if that happens, the acting national chairman will be from the Northeast, so what are we talking about, the exigency of the fact that we are having an election makes it a different scenario. When Late President Umaru Yar’adua became the presidential candidate, Mohammed Aliyu was the chairman but because of the elections coming, the party because of the exigency of time allowed that because you can’t replace a chairman except you have another mini convention, that is the constitution. Can this country with the urgency of now or can this party afford the constitutional gathering and the logistics required to have a larger convention or mini convention? Again, people spewing out this only to create a semblance of crisis in the party. This party with the backing of its member wants Senator Iyorchia Ayu to remain as chairman of the party for this period, when the party is consistent with its review process, we look at things and say we need to do this at this time, so that serves some balancing so far it is within our constitution and the country federal character. We are not in a cloud of doubt, those are the issues, all those spilling now are people that are trying to make us look in disarray, of course not, we are united like I said, people can say what they believe in, we respect it but your view doesn’t reveal the position of the party, a party comprises of people and not of one man. Our party organs have been meeting and at the last NEC meeting, the NEC confirmed and expressed its confidence in Senator Iyorchia Ayu led NWC, which is an organ of the party.
Most recently, about two weeks ago, another very important organ of the party at the interactive meeting between Zonal, States publicity secretaries and major stakeholders of the party came into this premises and they issued a communique, there can be no one way to make communication, the fact that there are multiple organs of the party expressing confidence in the leadership of Ayu tells you that this is going on, that we have not issued a press statement doesn’t mean the confidence is not there.
The fact is that the NWC is united, the organs of the party and other stakeholders are with the NWC, they are for the party to be united and serve because elections are here and we don’t need any crisis or distraction not just for the party but because the Nigerian people are looking up to us.
NPS, a critical member of the party has placed destination as a condition for peace and full reconciliation and with your stance that the National Chairman is going nowhere, does it mean you have closed the door for peace?
We won’t toll the line of not talking about negotiation, then we work on what we call “give and take” and this can’t destroy the whole, you can’t destroy the whole for a part, it is not about being hard on them but being realistic. My point is this, we respect people’s interests, we salute their courage and need to request for anything but there must be negotiation when people say this or nothing, it means they don’t want negotiation and I don’t think it is in this party, I am not privileged to be in the meetings but I know that in this party there is no such as this or nothing, we are a family and that is why we are in a democracy and that is going on. I know that the overall interest of the party is in line and in tune with the expectation of Nigerians and the country and am sure every member of the party has keyed into that position which is survival of the party in the interest of the party and in the interest of our country Nigeria.
What will happen after the election?
What is constant in life is change and it will be hard for me to project what will happen in 2023 but I will tell you one word, this party is very sensitive, will review its constitution, look at ways to improve the constitution and so the right thing which is the unity of the country, the unity in the party, recognition of diversity in the country and the need to do balancing, we will review a lot and do that which is right in line with its constitution.
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