PDP Crisis ‘ll End Before June This Year – Bayo Faforiji

Dr Bayo Faforiji is the factional Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State.  In an interview, he bears his mind on current political developments in the country, crisis rocking the party, possible way forward, the forthcoming 2018 gubernatorial election in the state, restructuring as well as other issues of national interest.  CityMirrorNews was there. Here are excerpts from the interview:

What can you say about the crises currently rocking your party, PDP, at the National Level?

Our public entities and their affairs cannot be really shrouded in secrecy because the people need to know exactly what is going on in the affairs of those political parties. Although, not all of us are politicians but people know that the affairs of the politicians actually have impact on their welfare. So, everybody is interested in what is going on in political parties. PDP is not really an exception. More so that PDP has ruled this country for 16 years, so our people know that they have tasted PDP and currently they are going through whatever the APC offers and they now know the difference. So, people are interested in what is going on in PDP.

Dr Bayo Faforiji

Be that as it may, what actually is going on started before our national convention of May 21, 2016. The major issue that time was that we lost an election, a general election and after losing that election, the party became troubled and we started looking for ways of assessing what really happened in the party and the first casualty of that reawakening was the national chairman then, that is Adamu Mua’zu. After he left, the deputy national chairman, Uche Secondus, started acting as the chairman. This did not go down well with members of the party that came from the North East where Alhaji Muazu came from.

I know of particular interest that Alhaji Ahmed Gulak led the team, that went to court saying that the court should not confirm the acting capacity of Uche Secondus, that what our constitution says is that once the chairman steps aside like that, the next person that should be in acting capacity should be from that zone and he won that case. After winning the case, the stakeholders of the party came together and they said okay let us consider somebody from that particular region and that was how Sheriff became the national chairman.

And he (Sheriff) was given a particular mandate to serve out the term of Muazu and Muazu only had three months to go that time, so they said, you finish the term but we want you to conduct  a national convention within that period so that we can have another set of national executive. If it went that way, we wouldn’t be where we are today, but somewhere along the way, Alhaji Sheriff got interested in becoming the national chairman for a longer period. So, the NEC came together and fixed a date, 21st of May, 2016 for national convention. And one way or the other, he decided that he wanted to present himself for election. Meanwhile, some guys went to court asking that the court should not grant the PDP the honour of holding the national convention because they felt that by the virtue of the time they came on board, their tenure would not expire, some of them said their tenure would not end until 2017, some said until 2018, and at the end of the day, they got an injunction restraining the party from conducting election to three key posts; that is the National Chairman, the National Secretary and the National Auditor.

That court order was subsisting as at the time the NEC or the Stakeholders were meeting to consider what will happen during the convention. In their wisdom, they decided that they will not have any election at the convention but before that happened, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff presented himself to the screening committee probably thinking he was going to be screened successfully because he had no other person from the North East contesting against him, he would have become the undisputed and unrivalled chairmanship candidate from that zone. So, whatever happens at that convention, he will be the national chairman of the party.

But having been screened that night, what we were told because I was not there was that, he did not have the party membership card. He has not been registered at the ward level. He was screened out and cancelled it. He knew there was an injunction. What we argued about was the legality of the chairman to cancel the convention.

We had the convention and brought in a seven man caretaker committee to oversee the party after the cancellation. There were so many court judgments that were conflicting. Before the judgment, Sheriff had said he will abide by the court judgments but the caretaker committee did not.

All what all organs of the party believe now is that what the court judgment of February, 18, 2017 did is just a stamp on killing the party. All that happened raised questions on the instrument of the national convention of any political party to influence decisions.

The convention of every party is very sacrosanct. It is the highest decision making arm of the party. It did not violate any law. The Port Harcourt judgment is like just attempting to kill the party. The convention obeyed the court order. If the Port Harcourt ruling is allowed to stand, it is like finding an end to the Peoples Democratic Party. If any mistake in any convention, it remains valid till the next one.

It is important for the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land that can interpret the Nigerian constitution and the party constitution, let’s leave them to decide and if they said the decision of the national convention is not right, then, they have reduced its powers to the barest minimum. All parties must take note of it not to jeopardize the strength of the highest decision making bodies of our party constitutionally.

 Regarding the controversy surrounding the party, some of your members are calling for out of court settlement of peaceful resolution, do you share that view?

As a politician and as a human being, even when nations go to war, everything is later resolved amicably at a round table conference. No matter what is happening in the party, there is still room for reconciliation. What everybody should know is that whatever happens, it goes beyond the party just reconciling. Even if they will still sit down and resolve the issues, that question must be put on what is the worth of the national convention of a political party as to be proclaimed by the Supreme Court. Not for the PDP alone, but for other political parties to learn from.

Are you suggesting that if the court says otherwise, will it make a permanent dent on the role of this arm of the party with respect to other political parties?

All what I know is that the constitution of most political parties in Nigeria are similar to that of the PDP from Ward to State and National Level but for other organs of the party are not in the constitution. If all these several organs like caucuses, the Governors Forum, and others take decisions, though, they are recognized it’s not always superior to the decision of the National Convention.

What has happened has ridiculed the convention. I will like to see what happens in the APC, I know something will happen there. And if it goes on like this, if anything goes wrong, the Port Harcourt judgment will be referred to and if it goes on like that, it will amount to tampering of the laws creating or making political parties.

Do you suspect the crisis of the PDP coming from the APC because some people are insinuating that?

Well, I’ve also heard that, they say Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is an in-law to the President. Blood is thicker than water they say. Many of us have been wondering how things will not go in that line because of the many things we have heard, seen and told. Muhammadu Buhari is the President today and the head of the opposition who can only unseat him is his In-law, I do not know why they would not be working for the weakening of the party. For example, like in 2019 now, that bond will make everybody think that the party will not have a vibrant opposition then to contend with. Its true and that’s what the people believe. Fortunately for the PDP, there is iota of truth in every lie and you see what Okorocha of Imo said the caretaker committee should respect the court ruling. That seems to tell everybody that the APC has a hand in the PDP crisis (Laughs).

Do you see your faction opting out of the PDP if the Supreme Court affirms Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff as the party National Chairman?

All what I know is that I remain a loyal and committed member of the PDP supporting the Ahmed Markarfi led caretaker committee, and if there is a steady political solution to this issue with the support of all members and organs to let us have Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of our party, so be it. All we want at this moment is moving forward and it is only by amicable resolution that that could be reached.

My own stand is that with the majority of all organs of the party where we have the Youth Wing, Senate and House of Reps Caucuses, the Governors forum among others are with Senator Markarfi and if they feel they should move out of the party, it will be unfortunate but I tell you, if they are leaving, I will also follow them.

Do you see the caretaker committee then illegal with the court ruling?

Well, If the Supreme Court pronounces Sheriff as the legal chairman of the PDP, Markarfi cannot be chairman again and if he feels It is uncomfortable to work with Sheriff, he may decide to leave.

Do you foresee the idea of another political party coming up?

If that is the option, then why not? If the majority feels the Markarfi PDP will not be vibrant anymore, I may not join them but if there is the need for a new party, and feels they won’t be able to work with Sheriff ahead of the 2019 elections. Personally, I don’t see Sheriff leading us to victory in 2019, that is my own opinion because I know that by that time, our National Chairman would be invited to the Buhari family and they will tell him do you want to destroy the government of your in-law? They would then negotiate, I suspect things may be wrong. I would not want to follow Sheriff

In the South West, only in Osun State, there are 2 factions, in all of the states, what is happening?

As far as I am concerned, I know that there are 2 factions in all the six states of the region. We don’t really have the time to be fighting. I know all these crises won’t go beyond June this year because I know the lawyers of the Markarfi group will apply for accelerated hearing at the Supreme Court to make a pronouncement before long. I know this crisis must end because of the Ekiti and Osun elections, I know Anambra has elections in November this year, so that even put them in more critical condition, So, I believe that this crisis must end before June or at utmost June ending.

I learnt that there are Two factions in Osun and there are aspirants already coming up for the Party ticket in the elections?

Well, Omisore is the leader of our own group. Hmmm, presently I know that there are some aspirants those who have come out openly, we have Prof Aworeni, he is from Ejigbo. Political parties have organs, not a single organ of the party has declared its support for the Ali Modu Sheriff faction. All the powerful organs are pledging allegiance for the Markarfi group. All what we have for the Sheriff groups are solidarity groups coming out to pledge their support

With the way things are going, there seems to be crisis within the APC and the PDP as well as other parties, what do you think is the possible way out of this quagmire?

I do not really borrow the idea of the multi-party system where we have many political parties and I know if political parties are aligned strictly by their ideologies, we should not have more than three political parties in this country. The capitalist on a side, the socialist on the other side and another one reflecting the pros of the mentioned ideologies. I believe that the more political parties we have in Nigeria, the more problems we have. Many people think that the only way to make money is to go into politics and grab power especially at the center with committing many atrocities to get there. If you feel that there is a person holding on to power for so long in your party, you will feel like it’s time for other people to come up like what is happening in the APC.  Last year you heard many people clamouring for the removal of Oyegun as the National Chairman.

You have many people who have their several views, having discovered that their interests have been sidelined by the leadership of their party.  It’s also happening now in the Labour Party and also the PDP where it is the center of focus.  Even in obscure political parties, you have crisis there too, they have problems among others. This is politics. If you have people who leave APC for PDP today and join Labour party tomorrow, its either they don’t have principles, or they do not know the meaning of Party Ideology. And in situations where you have that, I don’t think it is really politics the way it should be.

All those who left PDP for the APC have been absorbed. If they feel that’s where they can get what they want, then, they go for it. And if you see the way they have been absorbed, you will know that there is no difference between the APC and the PDP.

Are you moving to the APC if the court ruling does not favour you?

Well, I won’t rule that out, but one thing I can tell you is that I joined this party when it had no name. I was at the Ladi-Kwadi Hall on the 31st of August, 1998 when the G-34 joined other splinter groups to form the Peoples Democratic Party. I was also the only PDP Chairman from the State when we had elections in 1999 from Atakumosa East Local Government.  I have worked for PDP, I have also had occasions when I was persuaded to join the opposition.  I did not join then, because I felt the PDP was a one big family. The only thing that can make me move out of the PDP is that when the people I am following leave the PDP.  All of us who are following Omisore in the state are leaving irrespective of the party he is going to. If I really don’t like that party, I may decide to retire from Politics, but if other people want to go, definitely, I cannot stop them.

We learnt that you worked with Oyinlola when he was Governor, how will you compare his style of leadership with that of the APC?

Quite unfortunately, my Oga is now with the APC, if the truth be said, Oyinlola is a better manager of human and material resources. He is a team player, very transparent; he will never do anything without consulting with his execo members. At the end of the day, he always listens to superior arguments on so many things. Let me tell you, there were things done by Oyinlola which the present administration is priding itself to have done by him which is quite wrong. I as a commissioner for education then, I created Oyin Corps, these Oyin corps, I made a recommendation to the Governor that I had a view of graduates that we can employ as we don’t have sufficient teachers in our schools to add to what was obtainable then. Oyinlola agreed with me then when I brought it up at the execo level, we were giving them a token of #10,000 monthly, these people were very happy with us and they went to all the nooks and crannies of the state serving meritoriously.

When Aregbesola came in, he started his own O’YES, copying our Oyin Corps. He attributed to himself, the feat of giving food to primary school pupils.  That is incorrect.  This thing was initiated by Oyinlola, at that time quality food was being served at the primary schools level.  We did not call it O’meal, but we said we wanted to make public schools attractive, that was what we did. The guarantee of one meal per day made a difference. Before the end of that session, our public schools were jam-packed; parents discovered the government could assist to feed their children.

Aregbesola came in and took that action and said the World Bank has done this, has done that, the copy of that Oyinlola did, he did it. Talking about the handling of materials, we all know that the Gbongan-Osogbo road is a federal government road and that we thought it should be dualized, but Oyinlola said that the traffic between Gbongan and Akoda is not that much and that the one between Akoda and Abeere where the secretariat is gradually building up, we decided that we should divide it into three and that was why we did it from Ajegunle to Akoda where there was huge traffic.

The one between Ajegunle to Kwara State boundary, we thought that there was no huge traffic on the road. We also divided it into three; we sought the permission of the Federal Ministry of Works, which was why we got part of the money back from the Federal Government then before I left the Ministry of Works.

Aregbesola came in and just jumped into it. Why do we need an overhead bridge at Gbongan?  We don’t need it. If I were in his shoes, I would have done the Osogbo-Iwo road so that we can have alternative to Ibadan other than Gbongan always, we have other roads begging for concern in the state, and so, I will say Oyinlola is the best manager of resources.

Also, Oyinlola is not somebody that behaves like a sole administrator. He had a full cabinet. He instituted the due process office which handled all projects through a transparent process. We saved a lot of money. He was an ex-soldier who performed well than the civilian successor who jettisoned that idea. If you put Aregbesola and Oyinlola on the same pedestal, definitely, Oyinlola would weigh far far better.

 Did Oyinlola consult you or any other members of the Executive Council before he left the PDP?

He had left government before he took that decision. He was not in government anymore. He felt bad the way he was removed as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic and felt the only way he could revive his political career was to leave the PDP for the APC which was what he did. He went because he wanted to go, he had the right to go to wherever he wants. I did not follow him because I thought it was not good for me to go then. He’s there right now.

It seems like all of you didn’t love President Buhari because people believe you show less concern about his health since he left the country?

It is not true. Every time we have meetings, the party meets and takes decisions. Recently, the caretaker committee wished the President very well. We don’t have anything to gain from his death. If the untoward happens to him, his deputy will take over. But we wish him well to come and take over the affairs of the office which he was voted for. We are all praying for his recovery..

Taking you back to the Oyinlola Aregbesola Leadership style, what do you make of the present situation in the state?

In fact, with what is going on, I feel that Aregbesola is running the government at a great risk. I know of a law which states that the Governor of a state cannot append his signature on expenditure higher than #50 million, it is not beyond that. The law is that the Governor and his Deputy will sit with the Secretary to the Government and the Chief of Staff together with all Commissioners to decide on issues, contracts and the activities of government. What is happening now has contravened the financial guidelines. As long as you are in office, you are immune but after you leave, you will be called to question on how and what you did when you were in the office. When I said it, he replied me that I did not take part in robust discussion at the state Execo council meetings when I was a commissioner. He did not address the issues I raised.

Oyinlola though he is in the APC today can bear me witness of the immense contributions of my intelligence quotient to his administration. Examples are being the mastermind of Oyin Corps I brought up, I resuscitated the P.T.A in the state when I was the education commissioner, I reinstated inter house sports in schools. When I was commissioner for works, I initiated the honeycomb scheme between the state and local government which Aregbesola is now celebrating, I started all of them.

He came and said we have not done anything, whatever he is doing is a repeat of what we have already put on ground.  Oyinlola laid foundation of what Aregbesola is building on today. It is just unfortunate that Oyinlola is no longer with PDP, otherwise we have a lot of things to say against the present administration but and I don’t want to say anything bad against my Oga because when he was there he gave us good leadership. He provided solid foundation for the takeoff of whatever Aregbesola is doing today .There is a lot of things to say against Aregbesola

A lot of projects that Aregbesola is getting himself involve they are not as important to the nooks and crannies of the state. if you go to some areas in Osun today some people don’t know that the government exist at all, they had no good road, they had not feel the presence of government in anyway, yet you said you unusual governor, you are doing unusual thing then unusual thing would happen to you when you leave the office is as simple as that.

What of your position to the regular defection here and there?

We have politicians who have principles and we have politicians who are just interested in their belly. Politicians  that have principles will join political party as a matter of principle and they believe that what they stand for is going to be protected by the ideal and tenet of that political party but there are some that are only look for criminal factors, so that can leave progressive today and join retrogressive tomorrow.  These people are just looking for where to butter their bread, not where they can better the lot of people that they are claiming they are fighting for. If you really when I was the chairman of my local government still go to Atakumosa today you will still see the landmark of what I achieved. In 2012 they still there if you enter the headquarters of my local government, the achy that I did the last time I went them I saw the achy I thought I would been destroyed, they are now decorated it that is something those people canner forget me for. Many people that are going to politics now they would say ok don’t let us be many in this party so that whatever that comes in if would enough for them to share. They would prefer to and register and prefer to keep the certificate, they would share their position within themselves, the husband is the party chairman, the wife is the secretary so that kind of political party you have people now moving from one political party to another not because they want to do what would better the lot of the people. Any serious politician jumping from one party to the other without having cogent reason, except there is crises and feel very cheated in your party I can blame you if you decide to leave that party, may be you feel that this party is no longer satisfy my interest hyou can decide to leave the party but just because you that this party is not making enough money for you, you just said, well our party has just lost power let go and join the party that is in the power, that is just petty politics.

Does your party still support restructuring?

Enh, I think restructuring is no longer limited to party in Nigeria any longer, pressure groups are saying that all over the place even members of APC at least I know that Alhaji Abubar has been saying it, yes he is a member of APC, almost every yoruba have said it they came collectively and said look let go for restructuring but any right thinking Nigerian know that it is only restructuring that can safe this country. Concentrating power at the center has not paid us there was a time I was arguing that let us go back to the parliamentary system this pedestrian system is too expensive we cannot continue like this or may be if the of corruption level is lower but I believe that if we go to parliamentary that was what we  practiced when I was election as the chairman of Atakunmosa Local Government during the GDF there was under Abacha I had 11 counselor I picked four so far out eleven it was limited with ourselves myself, my vice the eleven of us we give them the post and it minimized the cost I think we have to go back to those days. Where you are going to pick minister from the parliament, the prime minister it would reduce the cost in this country. That can only be done if go on regional arrangement. Let go to the region, yes it is true that some people have resources than the other, some people would suffer, I think Yoruba will suffer for sometimes because we are going to import 90prcent of our food items from the North but I don’t really think that it sill just that hopeless, after suffering for a year or two year, nobody will tell them to back to the fam. They start making all those things instead of importing them if we do that then our resources we can start managing them that was what happen in Western Region when Awolowo was the Prime Minister the premier in the Western region you know what he did. Everything that Awolowo did that time if we have been building upon it as a nation instead of going to center looking for power I t would be a different thing. During that time roads were in the nooks and crannies of this state up till today if you go to Atakunmosa roads that were constructed by the region, Etioni area they are still there today. They about 100 metre or 200 metre up till today they are still there. I know that the problem we have is that Northerners don’t feel secure about that restructuring but I just praying that we discover efficient crude oil in the North I know that if that is done, if they are able to get crude oil I am very sure that Northerners would be the first that would be shout for restructuring.

Going by your disposition, you are absolutely in support of Restructuring?

If you follow the outcome of the confab, the one that was assemble by Jonathan you discover that these are Nigerians who came together genuinely to talk about the shortcoming of our amalgamation and they said look the only way out is to do this to do this. If genuinely you look at it is like saying let us restructure this country. Let us follow our heart and you will love this country let us have a loose federation, let have weak centre, let us have very strong  structure, even if it is a state level let the state at the federating unit let them be stronger than the center it would no longer be attractive to anybody to became president of this country if they get there they are just going to be lived on the peasant of the state, it is for the state to say ok we have made 1million naira this month and were are going to give you 100 thousand naira. The power would now revolve on the state and you will that the states are supreme in the country. Going back to the report of that confab I  think that Nigeria will be better off if we can, the political will is not there, that is way I see it some people say let us restructure let us restructure but some people are saying no way. Whose business is it if anybody want to shift in this country, if that is only way they can achieve their own deviliate for God sake let them go, I would say nobody should go, the rest of us who feel we can work together let us work together. You cannot bind people together by force; it is not possible it is going to cause a lot of fracas. If we have the OPC in the West, Arewa in the North, in the East everybody is agitating for their regions it would get to a point when we would not be able to stop all this agitation. I don’t see anybody stopping the agitation of Biafra it may lead to another civil war. And I will warn Nigerians that we should not underestimate the resolute stand of the people who are looking for Biafra, if there is another Civil war today it wouldn’t end the way the last one ended in 1970, it may not end that way because, they are more resolute and more determine to drop dead to the last man. I think we have to manage them some of their leaders spoke recently and I felt a little bit apprehensive if people of this caliber are joining their voices in the agitation for the independent of Biafara then Nigerian should be better be very careful.