In this interview with John Alechenu, former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, speaks about the recent Supreme Court judgment on the tussle for position of the National Secretary of the party. He also speaks on the proposed opposition coalition and other national issues.

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Excerpts:

With the divergent interpretations being given to the recent Supreme Court judgment on the tussle over the position of PDP National Secretary, will you say the crisis on this issue is over?

The position taken by the party has been expressed by the National Spokesman of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba who is the official mouthpiece of the party and whose words cannot be contradicted except when expressed at the National Executive Committee. I abide by his own analysis of the judgment which is that the court has recused itself from the internal affairs of political parties, the PDP inclusive. If we go by this straight forward analysis, then Sunday Udeh-Okoye is our National Secretary.

Prior to when the matter went to court, if you follow Article 47 (6) of the PDP Constitution as Amended in 2017, it states clearly when a vacancy exists. So, when Senator Samuel Anyanwu got our party ticket and went to contest the Imo State Governorship election, a vacancy was created in the office he occupied at the party level. It’s unambiguous. Part (b) also states that the party executive at the affected zonal level will nominate a replacement. The South East executive committee of our party duly nominated Udeh-Okoye and every other organ of the party approved of it. Let’s even assume without conceding that Anyanwu is the National Secretary but the Supreme Court by its judgment said, go and organize yourselves. The same organs that confirmed Udeh-Okoye’s nomination can come back and reaffirm their previous decisions by standing by them. As such, it still stands that Udeh-Okoye is our Secretary.

Senator Anyanwu’s supporters have a different view about this. He has said it many times that when he went to contest the Imo state governorship election, he wrote formally empowering his deputy to act on his behalf. Has the PDP constitution not made provisions for such a situation?

The Deputy National Secretary had already been empowered by our constitution to step in immediately. That is why the Deputy National Secretary is the only deputy that is a member of the National Working Committee. There is no other deputy that is a member of the NWC.

At every meeting of the NWC, both the Secretary and his deputy are recognized and so empowered to function in that office. The only office that can perform the functions of the substantive is that of the Deputy National Secretary. So, what happened to the National Secretary has no bearing on the deputy because that office exists alongside that of the national secretary. The moment he got our governorship ticket to contest the election, a vacancy occurred, this is clear in our constitution.

The appropriate executive which in this case is the South East zonal executive did the needful. This is the same thing with the position of National Chairman where Ambassador Umar Damagum is acting but sees himself as substantive. It is unfortunate that this can be allowed by those in authority against the provisions of our constitution.

There are members of your party who argue that the party constitution is not explicit as to how long an Acting National Chairman can act in that capacity.

It is not correct. This is because Article 46 (6) again is very clear where a vacancy occurs. What this means is that, once a vacancy occurs the appropriate zone will move in and fill that vacancy. In this case, the North Central ought to have since produced Damagum’s replacement.

But the North Central where you come from hasn’t made any attempt to do this, what is happening?

The ball has always been in the court of North Central but we are in a political environment where you find dirty machinations. That is why those who don’t operate in the political realm say politics is a dirty game because the players sometimes play dirty. It’s clear and unambiguous. Call a North Central zonal meeting, the chairman would not call.

Call a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and let us go and discuss, it hasn’t happened. We had a NEC meeting in April last year when they made a decision that the issue would be discussed at the next NEC meeting. As we speak, the NEC meeting has not been held till now. So, when they say the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain, can we say that in our party? It’s very unfortunate.

You covered the PDP at inception as a reporter before becoming a member. Is this what you foresaw the party becoming when it started off?

I must be honest with you, what we are seeing today has never happened before since inception in 1998. This was a party formed by leaders and elders who put their lives on the line and confronted the military. That is the party that is being tossed around today by those who played little or no part in its formation.

There are people out there who do not appreciate the enormity of sacrifices made by Nigerians from all walks of life who, out of genuine love for this great country and a sense of patriotism, risked their lives, families and livelihoods for the democracy we all enjoy today. Having laid this foundation, if the leaders of this party at the various levels today want this party to rise, get its acts together, contest and win elections, it is doable.

You were once quoted to have said if the Supreme Court ruled in favour of returning Senator Anyanwu to office as National Secretary, it would sound the death knell for the PDP. Is that statement still valid?

I haven’t departed from this. Whether we like it or not, the situation in the PDP today is not what any genuine lover of our party would have wished for. The party is at the precipice and until we take steps to get things right it will be sad. Take a look at our leaders, we are seeing those who are already working with the ruling party without apology, yet they are still card carrying members of our party. So, the convergence of what is needed to contest and win elections is amiss as we speak.

Do you see the proposed coalition being put together by opposition figures as a threat to the PDP?

Well, to me, from what I’m seeing, hearing and picking up, I cannot dismiss the coalition. We are in a political environment. Politicians will always be politicians, if you have followed a party, won an election and you are looking at some people in a government which you played a role in bringing to power doing well for themselves and you are left out in the cold because you were locked out, the average politician will say okay, we’ve finished this one, let’s wait for the next one.

And when they say let’s wait for the next one, the ruling party and the government they helped to form is no longer in the picture, this is a fact that we cannot run away from. Like I’ve said before, there is going to be an implosion in most political parties including the President’s APC. And when this happens nothing will be the same again. So, those who are saying the coalition will fail, they better watch it because nobody can say what anything will look like politically at this time. You think that everyone who is saying I’m APC, PDP, Labour Party is truly what they claim to be? No sir. Let’s face reality.

In two months from today, the President Bola Tinubu led APC administration will be celebrating its second year in office or midterm as some analysts would prefer to call it. Don’t you think the administration deserves some accolades for some of its development strides?

I take this as an attempt at satire. This APC administration was like the one before it came to power on the strength of scare mongering, propaganda and unprecedented compromise of some of our once cherished institutions. The administration has within the last two years failed in its primary duty which is to ensure the welfare and security of citizens. Under this government the cost of living has risen to levels economists never before contemplated.

Under this President’s watch, ECOWAS which Nigeria played a key role in setting up is at the verge of disintegration because we have a president who as chairman, has been unable to provide the requisite leadership to keep it together. If our Presidential system were to be one that allowed for midterm elections, I can guarantee that in a fair contest, Tinubu and his party would be roundly defeated. The reason is simple; Nigerians are today going through the worst phase in the nation’s over 60 year history.

Economically, our currency, the Naira which used to be our source of pride is the butt of jokes across Africa, at some point it was described as the worst performing currency. Should I also begin to mention the deterioration of our education or healthcare services? What is the cost of petrol today, what was it before the APC affliction befell our nation? In just 10 years, the APC ruined Africa’s number 1 and the fastest growing economy, is that what we should be rolling out the drums for?

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