The South-West Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe, speaks with ISMAEEL UTHMAN on the November convention of the party and why it is tolerating the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike
What is your assessment of the last two by-elections across the 12 states, including Oyo?
The by-elections showed that PDP is not a carcass because we won in Oyo and came second in almost all the states where elections were held. That shows PDP will bounce back. By the time we finish our national convention, everything will take shape. PDP will never die; I have said that several times. We are on course.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dissociated himself from the convention. How do you want to handle that?
He (Wike) said he was not invited to the convention. But there is documentary evidence confirming that he was invited to both the National Executive Council meeting and the convention on the 18th of July, a few days after the previous NEC meeting. He has always been invited to PDP activities. I don’t know why he is doing all that.
Do you think he is capable of disrupting the convention?
No. It is like trying to stop a moving train. Already, the train has moved because the Independent National Electoral Commission was present when we picked the convention date. So, nothing will stop it from holding
The minister had earlier given conditions for peace to reign in the PDP finally…
In democracy, the majority will have their way while the minority will have their say. There is nothing bad in the minister letting us know his position, which we can accommodate if it is something we can accommodate.
Wike’s camp also dissociated itself from the zoning meeting you held in Lagos. What was the meeting about?
The last meeting we held in Lagos was not statutory. It should be a meeting of the governor, and the party doesn’t recognise such. But our party respects the governors, that is why they will meet and tell us where we are going. This time, we decided to expand the consultative mechanism by inviting one state chairman per zone. We have three zones, and there are 17 chairmen in the southern states.
We had the likes of Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Senator Ben Obi, Chairman of the zoning committee, among others in attendance at the Lagos meeting. The National Working Committee members were not invited because you can’t be discussing their matter in their presence. They were technically excused. All the recommendations would go to the NWC for approval.
Those who criticised the Lagos meeting were not properly briefed before rushing to the media. They just wanted to do a yeoman’s job for their sponsors and heat up the system. But as we are now, the PDP is above anybody who wants to sabotage the party.
Basically, the meeting was that of the zoning committee. They briefed us on how far they had gone on the assignment given to them. They told us about their recommendation, which was that positions in the North should remain in the North. At this point, when the party is working to unite its members, it would be cumbersome to start reassigning offices.
What we decided was to let whatever is in a region remain there — positions in the South stay in the South, and those in the North remain in the North. We were able to agree on that, and it is commendable. I have to credit my party for this decision. There was no tension. We also agreed that we should go back to each region to carry out what is called macro-zoning.
By that, the presidential candidate of the party comes from the South. What we need is to stabilise the party and everything will follow. As a party man, I pray for peace and harmony in the nation.
Many people believe Wike has exhibited enough anti-party activities that should have warranted him being suspended or expelled from the PDP. Why is the party yet to discipline him?
It is good for people to know and be saying that. But one thing I don’t understand is how some powerful people think they can subdue all opposition parties to the extent that they won’t be able to present candidates. The Labour Party is in shambles. The only party that is not divided, that doesn’t have a division in the NWC, is the PDP. It is only Samuel Anyanwu (the secretary) who wants to stand alone. Why do you want to disturb a moving train? The press has a lot of work to do by supporting democracy.
Part of the press’s job is to probe why your party has yet to take a decision on the FCT Minister. Why?
That is another area of concern that needs to be addressed. By now, the man would have been struggling to upturn the expulsion instead of feeling comfortable. Let us refer him to the disciplinary committee, and they should invite him. He might not want to come, and that would be a very substantial ground to take a decision on him.
It is obvious that the minister is overstepping his bounds, but I can also understand that the PDP, like any other party that is not in power, will want to tolerate and accommodate as many people as possible.
However, we are appealing to all tendencies that feel the party has wronged them in one way or the other to forgive the party and come together to form a united front.
Given the defections of PDP governors, national and state lawmakers in the southern part of the country, do you think your party will have a meaningful showing in the South come 2027?
Politics is dynamic. Let’s see how it ends. I can tell you that PDP is very strong in the South, irrespective of what is happening. We still have governors, lawmakers and leaders who are very committed to the party. We have millions of members who still believe in the party.
Check the states where the governors and lawmakers have defected; PDP still maintains a stronghold. It is incorrect to think that because certain people defected to the APC, PDP will collapse in such states. We have our people on the ground, and we will strengthen them.
But one of the governors, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, has declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s second term.
Isn’t it the same President that is withholding Osun State local government funds? Let’s see how it goes. The people of the state are not fools. If not that the Adeleke family is strong morally and financially, and the governor is committed to good governance, how would the state have survived the blockade?
Adeleke is depriving himself of many things to make the state better. He is not taking security votes and has been travelling on his family’s private jets. He has been saving money to do all the projects in the state. Adeleke has also been paying the half-salary the APC government owed workers, despite the LG funds seizure. He has also been paying pensioners across the board. Let’s give him credit.
If Nigeria was a nation you and I expect it to be, nobody would have been able to seize the LG funds. You are depriving a lot of people of their fundamental rights to funds and welfare because of politics. That is an offence against mankind.
Many people believe Governor Adeleke didn’t act rightly by adopting Tinubu for a second term despite the seizure of the state LG funds. Do you disagree with them?
I wouldn’t blame him for that. It is clear that the governor means well for them, but they don’t mean well for him. Lagos State local government funds were seized many years back, but the state got it back. Today, the Lagos State governor then is now the President of the country. We don’t have to go to the Quran or Bible to preach righteousness. Let’s leave everything to God Almighty.
Do you think your party can defeat APC in the South-West in 2027?
Definitely. PDP won the by-election in Oyo. We even won the polling unit of the All Progressives Congress candidate. If you observe the elections, you will know that APC cannot win a free and fair contest. It is obvious.
Another example is the governorship election in Ogun State. The world knows we won the state in 2023. But I have to accept the fact that the Supreme Court said otherwise, which I’m not contesting. However, in public opinion, we won. That is why they still have sympathy for our candidate till now.
Are you saying your party will defeat President Tinubu as well?
Don’t worry, don’t let us go into that. I have an answer, but don’t let us go into it. Let’s build our party first, then all other things will follow.
What is your assessment of the last two by-elections across the 12 states, including Oyo?
The by-elections showed that PDP is not a carcass because we won in Oyo and came second in almost all the states where elections were held. That shows PDP will bounce back. By the time we finish our national convention, everything will take shape. PDP will never die; I have said that several times. We are on course.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dissociated himself from the convention. How do you want to handle that?
He (Wike) said he was not invited to the convention. But there is documentary evidence confirming that he was invited to both the National Executive Council meeting and the convention on the 18th of July, a few days after the previous NEC meeting. He has always been invited to PDP activities. I don’t know why he is doing all that.
Do you think he is capable of disrupting the convention?
No. It is like trying to stop a moving train. Already, the train has moved because the Independent National Electoral Commission was present when we picked the convention date. So, nothing will stop it from holding
The minister had earlier given conditions for peace to reign in the PDP finally…
In democracy, the majority will have their way while the minority will have their say. There is nothing bad in the minister letting us know his position, which we can accommodate if it is something we can accommodate.
Wike’s camp also dissociated itself from the zoning meeting you held in Lagos. What was the meeting about?
The last meeting we held in Lagos was not statutory. It should be a meeting of the governor, and the party doesn’t recognise such. But our party respects the governors, that is why they will meet and tell us where we are going. This time, we decided to expand the consultative mechanism by inviting one state chairman per zone. We have three zones, and there are 17 chairmen in the southern states.
We had the likes of Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Senator Ben Obi, Chairman of the zoning committee, among others in attendance at the Lagos meeting. The National Working Committee members were not invited because you can’t be discussing their matter in their presence. They were technically excused. All the recommendations would go to the NWC for approval.
Those who criticised the Lagos meeting were not properly briefed before rushing to the media. They just wanted to do a yeoman’s job for their sponsors and heat up the system. But as we are now, the PDP is above anybody who wants to sabotage the party.
Basically, the meeting was that of the zoning committee. They briefed us on how far they had gone on the assignment given to them. They told us about their recommendation, which was that positions in the North should remain in the North. At this point, when the party is working to unite its members, it would be cumbersome to start reassigning offices.
What we decided was to let whatever is in a region remain there — positions in the South stay in the South, and those in the North remain in the North. We were able to agree on that, and it is commendable. I have to credit my party for this decision. There was no tension. We also agreed that we should go back to each region to carry out what is called macro-zoning.
By that, the presidential candidate of the party comes from the South. What we need is to stabilise the party and everything will follow. As a party man, I pray for peace and harmony in the nation.
Many people believe Wike has exhibited enough anti-party activities that should have warranted him being suspended or expelled from the PDP. Why is the party yet to discipline him?
It is good for people to know and be saying that. But one thing I don’t understand is how some powerful people think they can subdue all opposition parties to the extent that they won’t be able to present candidates. The Labour Party is in shambles. The only party that is not divided, that doesn’t have a division in the NWC, is the PDP. It is only Samuel Anyanwu (the secretary) who wants to stand alone. Why do you want to disturb a moving train? The press has a lot of work to do by supporting democracy.
Part of the press’s job is to probe why your party has yet to take a decision on the FCT Minister. Why?
That is another area of concern that needs to be addressed. By now, the man would have been struggling to upturn the expulsion instead of feeling comfortable. Let us refer him to the disciplinary committee, and they should invite him. He might not want to come, and that would be a very substantial ground to take a decision on him.
It is obvious that the minister is overstepping his bounds, but I can also understand that the PDP, like any other party that is not in power, will want to tolerate and accommodate as many people as possible.
However, we are appealing to all tendencies that feel the party has wronged them in one way or the other to forgive the party and come together to form a united front.
Given the defections of PDP governors, national and state lawmakers in the southern part of the country, do you think your party will have a meaningful showing in the South come 2027?
Politics is dynamic. Let’s see how it ends. I can tell you that PDP is very strong in the South, irrespective of what is happening. We still have governors, lawmakers and leaders who are very committed to the party. We have millions of members who still believe in the party.
Check the states where the governors and lawmakers have defected; PDP still maintains a stronghold. It is incorrect to think that because certain people defected to the APC, PDP will collapse in such states. We have our people on the ground, and we will strengthen them.
But one of the governors, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, has declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s second term.
Isn’t it the same President that is withholding Osun State local government funds? Let’s see how it goes. The people of the state are not fools. If not that the Adeleke family is strong morally and financially, and the governor is committed to good governance, how would the state have survived the blockade?
Adeleke is depriving himself of many things to make the state better. He is not taking security votes and has been travelling on his family’s private jets. He has been saving money to do all the projects in the state. Adeleke has also been paying the half-salary the APC government owed workers, despite the LG funds seizure. He has also been paying pensioners across the board. Let’s give him credit.
If Nigeria was a nation you and I expect it to be, nobody would have been able to seize the LG funds. You are depriving a lot of people of their fundamental rights to funds and welfare because of politics. That is an offence against mankind.
Many people believe Governor Adeleke didn’t act rightly by adopting Tinubu for a second term despite the seizure of the state LG funds. Do you disagree with them?
I wouldn’t blame him for that. It is clear that the governor means well for them, but they don’t mean well for him. Lagos State local government funds were seized many years back, but the state got it back. Today, the Lagos State governor then is now the President of the country. We don’t have to go to the Quran or Bible to preach righteousness. Let’s leave everything to God Almighty.
Do you think your party can defeat APC in the South-West in 2027?
Definitely. PDP won the by-election in Oyo. We even won the polling unit of the All Progressives Congress candidate. If you observe the elections, you will know that APC cannot win a free and fair contest. It is obvious.
Another example is the governorship election in Ogun State. The world knows we won the state in 2023. But I have to accept the fact that the Supreme Court said otherwise, which I’m not contesting. However, in public opinion, we won. That is why they still have sympathy for our candidate till now.
Are you saying your party will defeat President Tinubu as well?
Don’t worry, don’t let us go into that. I have an answer, but don’t let us go into it. Let’s build our party first, then all other things will follow.