Obasanjo cannot be sidelined in PDP– Oyedokun

Oyedokun

Mr. Shuaib Oyedokun is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party. In this interview with OLUSOLA FABIYI, Oyedokun speaks about the crisis rocking his party and the role of former President Olusegun Obasanjo

What is the situation of the Peoples Democratic Party in South-West?

Your question presupposes that there is crisis?

Of course, there is crisis.

Yes, like any organisation and particularly a political party, there is usually struggle for power and influence. There must be competition in form of rivalry and in such a situation; we are bound to differ on critical issues. There would be factions, interest groups, pressure groups and so on. When this is on, there would seem to be confusion, disagreements and what it takes is for good people to look into these various views and interest groups and see how a middle course can be contrived. This is exactly what is happening in the South-West PDP.

People are saying the party’s national leadership is anti-Obasanjo due to happenings in the zone?

People talking about sidelining Obasanjo don’t really know that Obasanjo cannot be sidelined in anyway. If you say some people disagree with him on some of his actions, that is legitimate. But he cannot be wished away. He is a father-figure, not only in politics but in all aspects of national life. His influence cannot wane like that.

When there are two factions there is no way people won’t make such insinuations. He might be a victim of cross-firing among his followers. That is all and that will be resolved.

It has also been said that the Federal Government is not helping your party in the zone by appointing only three politicians as ministers. Do you share this thought?

I am one of those who always advocates that real politicians, should be appointed ministers. When you talk of technocrats, there is no party in this country that does not have enough resources and people to perform as a minister. Call it technocrats, call it professionals, all the political parties have them abundantly. It is a disservice not only to the party but also to the nation to bring in people who have no connection to the system. A minister should be able to liaise between his official function, that is the presidency, and the people on ground like the party members. We did well in the beginning when we had Dapo Sarumi, who was a party man and a professional as a minister from Lagos. From Ogun, we had Jubril Kuye, a professional and a party man. In Oyo, we had the late Haruna Elewi, who was a businessman and an astute administrator as a minister. From Osun, the late Sunday Afolabi was a minister and from Ondo, Dr. Olusegun Agagu was a minister. In Ekiti State, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, a professional and a party man, was a minister. The advantage of this is that these people knew their people back home. They were also some of the people who formed the policy in the party and this brought alignment between government policy and party manifesto and this worked well. They used to hold fortnight meetings to share information and harmonise their views for the South-West and give government feedback. Today, the situation is not like that. I was in a plane with one of the ministers from the zone recently and the minister did not even recognise me.

When you say marginalisation, it is not necessarily in terms of number of appointees but their impact. It is only three of them we know and feel their impact. These are ministers from Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states. That is our opinion in the South-West.

Has this been brought to the knowledge of President Goodluck Jonathan?

Everybody knows.

Sometimes ago, Yoruba leaders complained about the marginalisation of their region to President Goodluck Jonathan. Is this being addressed?

It is being addressed. I was there when the President said some appointments he ought to have made had been delayed to allow for harmonisation and to put everything on the table, sort them out and see that no state or region is marginalised. Because we are complaining, other states and regions are also complaining. He (Jonathan) wants to see what he can do. He told us that.

If the President does not act on time, would this not have a negative impact on the ability of your party to win elections in the region, in 2014 and 2015?

Whenever it comes up, it is okay. What is important is that it must be done.

Of all the states in the region, none is being controlled by the PDP. Which of these states do you think that your party has the capacity of winning?

Let me make a correction. PDP is in control in all the states of the South-West, but we are not in government. We will take over the whole zone completely by the grace of God. It is possible. There is nothing beyond the powers of God. At the inception of this Republic, the Alliance for Democracy ruled the zone for one term, later PDP took over and ruled for eight years. Today, it is ACN, which is an offshoot of AD. They are having their second term. We will take over from them.

How?

It is two-dimensional. The first is the push effect and the second is the pull effect. The push effect is from the PDP while the pull effect is from the opposition itself in government. The opposition is doing many things that would pull them out of the government.

Like what?

You people say they are developing their states physically. But do you know that dividends of democracy and performance are not seen only in physical form alone? Those are tangible things you see. There are so many intangible things which you would only feel and not see. What you see in the zone is hunger, humiliation and destruction of property. On our own side, we are not relenting and we are getting prepared to work hard, settle our conflict and disagreement. When that is done, there is fertile ground to win the South-West. Attention should be focused on those things that would make people feel that they are human beings, not the humiliations they are facing now. For example, in Osun State, when you get there, you will see destruction of property here and there. They say they are doing urban renewal. Where are the contractors from? There are from Lagos. Where are the commissioners from? The majority of them are from Lagos.

And they are not indigenes of Osun?

If they are indigenes, there are many others there who have been working hard to sustain development in Osun and they have been sidelined. And even if they are indigenes of Osun, then whatever they get in Osun, they should plant it in Osun. They don’t. There is complete capital flight in the state now. I’m also talking about hunger, it is small now, but in future, it will be big. When people take a loan of about N600bn repayable in the future, that is where the problem lies, especially when the loan is used for social services.

Your party lost the last election, even in Ogun…

(Cuts in) My grouse with people in Ogun is that, that was a place they ought not to have lost. Everybody is there. The former president and others are there. If elders in this state cannot make sacrifices, it is a shame.

In other to bring all the factions of your party together in the zone, what role is former President Obasanjo playing?

Honestly, he would be in a better position to answer that. I had an opportunity sometime ago and I humbly and most respectively advised him to play the role of ‘Supreme Court’ among us. We would report to him when we fail to agree on issues and his words would be like a law. But in a situation whereby he will be playing the role of customary judge or court of first hearing, won’t help his image.

Even at the national level, there is crisis. What is the problem with your party?

The problem is struggle for power and that is the essence of politics. You know that in the PDP, like in the politics of Nigeria generally, when there are hue and cries and all sorts disagreements, it would look as if the whole thing would burst, but by the following morning, the whole thing would disappear. You can see the role being played by that eminent tactician, the political leader, with the support of members of the board of trustees.

Who is that?

That is Chief Tony Anenih, who is moving round the country now to find solutions to the problems of the party. The grievances are in three phases. There are some people who merely want to play political rascality and get noticed; there are some people who have grievances but instead of passing them through the party structures, they would go to the press and that is what you (journalists) people like and there are some, very responsible people, who have genuine grievances and who want these grievances to be looked into. Chief Anenih and his group are looking into these.