The Nation Newspaper

Tag: candidate

  • I’ll back candidate who ‘ll lead Nigeria to Promised Land, says Obasanjo

    FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday declared that he is ready to support anybody that will take Nigeria to the promised land.

    The elder statesman spoke when former Minister of Special Duties and Inter -government Affairs  Kabiru Tanimu Turaki visited him at his Abeokuta home, the Ogun state capital.

    Turaki was in Abeokuta to intimate Obasanjo of his ambition to join the  2019 presidential race.

    Obasanjo said: “For me, I’ll continue not to rest until we get this country to where God wants this country to be. There is no permanent arrangement for the indivisibility of Nigeria. I share your concern but I believe that no one can do it alone.

    “And for me, anybody who will lead Nigeria to the promised land, will have my support.

    “We are in a position to do better than we are doing but in a situation of the world today, where whatever is happening can be seen instantly, we have to create a good image to the world. But some of the things we do inadvertently or inadvertently are not creating that good image.”

    According to the former president, those destroying the country were not necessarily the bad ones perpetrating evil, but people who being in a position to speak out, elected to remain silent.

    Obasanjo described such people as “Nigeria’s worse enemies”, vowing that he would not stay mute while bad things were being done,.

    The ex-President noted that God has endowed Nigeria with men and women who can stand their onions anywhere in the world, saying he would not relent in demanding good governance until Nigeria reaches  where God destined her to be.

    “Let me say that what is happening here today or what you’re making to happen with your delegation particularly gladdens my heart. You are firming up and stabilising our democracy. Democracy is not a destination but a journey and there is no nation that can claim to have reached the final destination.

    “It is good for us as a nation and our democracy. We have said a lot of things that we have identified about what we need to put right as a country.”

    According to him, Turaki’s presidential aspiration is  a pointer to the fact that Nigeria is not short of leadership that can perform if given an opportunity.

    Turaki, who spoke with reporters after the meeting,  described it as “fruitful and encouraging”

    “We have discussed openly, honestly and frankly about the current situation in this country and like always, Baba was of tremendous guidance to us,” he said.

     

     

  • Kogi East battle: Why Senate must swear me in, by candidate

    A contender to the controversial Kogi East Senatorial seat, Air Marshal Isaac Mohammed Alfa (rtd), has said the Senate has no reason not to inaugurate him as the rightful representative of Kogi East.

    Alfa, who addressed reporters in Abuja yesterday, said the judgment of the Federal High Court mandated the leadership of the Senate to swear him in as the Senator representing Kogi East.

    He noted that three judgments given in his favour were binding on the Senate to do justice to him by swearing him in without further delay.

    The Federal High Court in Abuja, on June 13, declared Alfa as the rightful winner of the Kogi East Senatorial seat.

    The court directed the Clerk of the National Assembly to “forthwith withdraw all the privileges, rights and perquisites of office which the third defendant (Senator Atai Aidoko) hitherto enjoyed as a member of the Senate, and shall convey to the Senate President, the decision of this court that he should forthwith withdraw further recognition to the third defendant as a member of the 8th National Assembly…”

    Senator Atai Aidoko, who the court asked to vacate the seat, told reporters that he has a pending appeal in the Court of Appeal which must be decided to know the rightful occupant of the seat.

    Aidoko faulted the judgment which directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to swear Alfa in. He claimed that the Clerk, not being a party to the suit, cannot be ordered to swear in a new comer.

    But Alfa insisted that Aidoko was only buying time by refusing to vacate the seat.

    He said: “The Supreme Court judgment referred the case to the High Court that it should determine the rightful person to occupy Kogi East Senate seat…”

  • 2019: ‘PDP will not choose its candidate on sentiment’

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom spoke to reporters in Lagos on a wide range of issues, including his achievements in the last three years, Ekiti governorship election and the preparations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 governorship election. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

    How would you assess the performance of your administration in the last three years?

    So far, I can say that we have done well. I will give myself an ‘A’, if I am to rate myself. We have done very, very well as an opposition political party leading a state that has no Federal Government presence; not even a kilometre of road. As the largest oil-producing state, there is not even a depot owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Akwa Ibom State. The corporation doesn’t even have a kiosk as an office in the state and you can’t point to anything to show that the Federal Government has interest in Akwa Ibom, which is an oil producing state.

    There are series of coalition talks aimed at strengthening the opposition and unseating the ruling APC-led Federal Government in next year’s general elections. In your view, how feasible is the idea?

    Most of the things going on now are human tactical approaches to what people think can give them an edge in the election. But, at the end of the day, what matters most is result. Everyone is hoping to carry the day in 2019, so any tactical approach that you think will give you the result is what you are going to employ. And, let me say something, no two elections have ever been the same and will never be. So, the 2019 elections will be completely different from that of 2015. So, if somebody thinks that there is a formula to it, it might not necessarily be. Above all, no matter what anyone does, it is God who determines who gets power, as all power on planet earth belong to Him and He gives it to whoever He wishes. There are situations where people have ruled without anyone casting the ballot for them; what coalition would you call that? So, I believe that these things are just human approaches to actually see what result they can get.

    You said that there is not even a kilometre of road constructed by the Federal Government in Akwa Ibom State. Could that be as a result of party differences?

    It did not start today and it is not because of party differences.

    What could have been the reason?

    I cannot explain and I stand to be corrected, if there is any. Even the so-called federal roads that we have spent money to reconstruct, we are still waiting for reimbursement of the funds that we spent. Even at that, the Federal Inland Revenue Service is telling us to pay tax on money that I am still being owed.

    How would you respond to the Water Resources Bill, which seeks to establish a regulatory framework for the country’s water resources?

    I am completely against it, because it is counter development. It also violates the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Take for example, my area, the whole life of our people is on water and the constitution does not separate the land from water. So, how can you now say water on the surface and water beneath? What happens to those of us who we live on water, survive on water and do everything on water? Does it mean that those that have land, live on land and do everything on land, their governors have control, while governors of riverrine areas where the peoples’ entire life is on water should not control anything. Is that not a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? So, it is a total rejection not just by me, but by the entire people of the Southsouth and Southeast of this country and we just want to believe that at this time that our democracy is still fragile, we should put in things that will make the country stronger and not those that can call so many things to question. Let’s do things that can move us forward and not backward. Such a bill can take us several thousand miles backwards. Believe me, we reject it in its entirety, because it is against the constitution and it is an indirect way of saying that we are not Nigerians, because everything about our life in the Niger Delta is on water.

    Is there anything that the governors of the Southsouth are doing to ensure that this bill is not passed by the National Assembly?

    We have a chairman of the governors of the Southsouth and to be fair to him, he has been speaking on the issue, so I don’t want to make any comment that would be contrary to the statement he has made.

    What is your relationship with your predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who is alleged to have claimed that some key officials of your government loyal to him were sacked due to the perceived rift between you and him?

    Let me ask the question: Which key official have you ever heard was sacked? If I run the government and there was no key official that has been sacked, then the alleged claim is a big surprise to me. No official has been sacked from government. I am not aware of any, because the highest official through appointment is commissioner and no commissioner has been sacked. At times people misinterpret certain things. You know that it takes two to be in love and it also takes two to fight. So, in this case, I will give you a straight answer; there is no rift, because the second party is not available. You don’t play a football match when you don’t have an opponent.

    You have a big task in Ekiti State as the head of the PDP governorship campaign committee. What are you doing to ensure that your party retains the state, because there is likely to be a clash of powerful forces?

    The role of my committee is simple and straight forward; our voting units are not in Ekiti, so we are not going to vote during the election. But, because two good heads are better one, what we are doing is see how we can mobilize the people at the grassroots, because election is about numbers and allowing the people to make their choice. That is why we are appealing to the media to help us to emphasize the imperative of the authorities allowing for a free, fair and credible election. At the end of the day, once the election is free, fair and credible, whoever wins, everybody goes home rejoicing. It is only when the poll is not seen to be free and fair that there will be issues. Our appeal is that every election in this country, not only in Ekiti, let’s try and ensure that it is free, fair and credible. It is not only in Nigeria; even in the so-called developed democracies, there are certain states you call blue states and red states, while there are those referred to as battleground states.

    Take our area for example; it is a blue area, because the only development the people know had been done by the PDP. So, what new ideas are you going to bring that have not been implemented and people have seen the result? On the other hand, there are areas that are pure red states and areas that are battlegrounds. So, a state like Ekiti that has always been a blue state, you should just expect the PDP’s victory in a free and fair election. Members of my committee are not going to vote in Ekiti, as we will not even be on ground on election day; but what we are doing is to see what the PDP in the state has as its penetration strategy and contribute ideas to strengthen it. That is why we are about 40 in the committee and all PDP governors are members. We want to bring to bear the different experiences we had in our respective elections, so that the best come out.

    You mentioned that Akwa Ibom is a blue state, but given what transpired during the recent congresses of the APC, it seems that leaders of the party in your state have shelved their differences probably to give the PDP a run for its money in the 2019 elections. Are you not threatened by this development?

    Let me tell you something. There is a difference between the APC in Lagos State and the APC in Abuja, and also the APC in Akwa Ibom State. Personally, I don’t mention names of political parties, but because you mentioned a name, that is why I am doing so, though I don’t know whether the name you mentioned is a political party or whether it is Armoured Personnel Carrier, if I may borrow your words. Look at what happened on May 29 in Akwa Ibom State. Does it a show a state where you have another political party? I want to say it clearly that the PDP in my state is like a religion. I told people three years ago that if someone is coming to conduct praise and worship in a church in Akwa Ibom State and happens to make the mistake to say PDP, people will answer. Akwa Ibom is purely 100 per cent a PDP state and it is a state that the people have seen development done by the party. So, what colour of another political party are you bringing to the people of the state and what will the party do new for them? On May 29, the people came out in their numbers to say this is where we belong. Where have you seen such a thing before? Mind you, Akwa Ibom is 99.99 per cent Christians and if these people from all the 31 local government areas, led by the former National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church worldwide, have come out to say that there is no vacancy in the governorship office until 2023 and that it is Udom Emmanuel they want, which other political party are you mentioning?

    What did you do to deserve this kind of endorsement?

    I will answer you the other way round. What would you have expected from me as a governor, which I have not done? What that means is that whatever my people have expected from me as a governor, I have done and that was why they have endorsed me for a second term.

    There are so many aspirants eyeing the PDP presidential ticket for the 2019 elections and it seems the governors have theirs, while the founding fathers of the party also have theirs. How does the party intend to harmonise these interests?

    Is there anything new with that? The answer is no. If there are no aspirants at the national level, where else will you have people indicating interest? The constitution is clear that as far as you are eligible to contest, you can indicate interest. Different people aspire for different positions, but at the end of the day it is the will of the people that will prevail. And no matter the number of people aspiring for the ticket, what matters is that we must have a candidate as a political party. If people don’t aspire, it means that the party is not alive. So, the number of people aspiring on the platform of the PDP shows the strength of the party and I welcome more to join. In fact, let’s have more than 100 aspirants, but like I said, at the end of the day, the will of the people will prevail when we go for the convention.

    What is your take on the issue of campaign fund for the 2015 elections, which some chieftains of the PDP are being prosecuted for, although some people are asking about that of the ruling body, which is not being questioned?

    We thank you for providing an answer. What else do you want me to answer? But, let me tell you something which you don’t know. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, so if you hold power, you can do whatever you want to do. This thing we call power, I don’t want it to sound like a tautology, but as the name implies, anything called power can shock; it can bring light; it can burn; it can do something else. So, depending on who holds power and how he wants to play with it. What do you define as money laundering? If I contest election right now and I try to buy face-caps and I buy them from you; what offence have you committed? I think it’s something that we might not be able to answer totally right now, but the future should be able to provide answers to some of these questions.

    How prepared is your party ahead of 2019 general elections, to ensure that you win the presidential polls?

    We can only do one thing; we will make sure that we have a credible candidate. You see, anywhere in any developed nation of the world, election at that level is won and lost based on the economic policy you put on the table, because any nation that is strong economically would be strong democratically too.

    That is why democracy is wobbling in Africa, because the economy is not strong. So, whoever can come with a strong economic policy that we know can drive the economy of this country, certainly that is the person the PDP should actually put forward to be its candidate. I know politics is also about popularity, but believe me, at the national level, it is not just on the point of popularity alone, because popularity at times could be out of sentiment. If you think Udom Emmanuel is popular or I can stand somewhere in Gombe and people would clap for me, how many people in Gombe had actually had personal interaction with me and how many of them actually know me? I think Nigerians can decipher and put it straight who would govern this country, and who among those aspiring has deep knowledge of the economy. Again, the person must trend. I think you know what I mean by trend. You know those who are in that category. The person must trend; he must have adequate understanding of the economic issue that can make an impact. I am from the private sector, I know how I feel for somebody who was holding hundreds of millions of naira investment and of no offence of his nor has he done anything wrong, even with that investment in his hand, he has lost more than 50 per cent value of his investment. These are things we need to look at, because the country is bigger than an individual.

    So, whoever wants to contest, I am not contesting, Southsouth is not contesting for president; almost all the major political parties say the presidency goes to the North. It is a total agreement, because if brother chop and another brother chop, e no good but the PDP will win, because if you check Nigeria today, every single thing you can call development was done by the party. Mention GSM, it is PDP. So, technological revolution was brought to Nigeria by the PDP.

  • I’ll not sponsor any candidate in 2019-Al-Makura

    Governor Umaru al-Makura of Nasarawa State has said he will not sponsor any candidate as his successor for next year’s elections.

    He spoke when Permanent Secretaries and Chairmen of the 13 Local Government Areas (LGA) paid him a Sallah homage in Lafia.

    He said that though he was not going to sponsor any candidate, the state needed someone that would maintain the existing legacy.

    “But in supporting anyone, I will be very, very careful and I will do so without any sentiment,” he said.

    “So, all those contesting would be scrutinised to make sure we have the best that would continue to work towards maintaining peace and progress in the state.” The governor challenged the council chairmen to be prudent in managing the resources of their respective areas.

    He explained that Nasarawa State, under his leadership, has conducted the second LG polls in his seventh year in office.

    “We are among the few states in the country to conduct our second LG election.”

    He said that was because he so much believed in democracy.

    He, therefore, promised to use the rest of his time in office to continue to better the live of the people of the state.

    Earlier, Aminu Maifata, Chairman Lafia LGA, who spoke on behalf of others, expressed gratitude to the governor, as the leader of APC in the state, and opportunity to serve.

    He promised to emulate the achievements of the governor in their respective areas.

    He appealed to the governor to answer the call of the people by accepting to contest for Senate seat of Nasarawa South Senatorial zone in 2019.

     

  • ADC elects Adesua as candidate

    The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ekiti State yesterday elected Mr. Ayodele David-Adesua as its governorship candidate for the July 14 election.

    David-Adesua was affirmed as the flag bearer by delegates at the state congress held in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    The candidate described the ADC as a better alternative to the Peoples, Democratic Party (PDP) government which, he said, has unleashed hunger and poverty on the people.

    David-Adesua said the party’s popularity has soared since it has been adopted as a political platform by the Coalition of Nigeria Movement (CNM), led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    He said the door of the party is open to people who desire positive change and development, adding that it will form the next government.

    He said the party is on a rescue mission to bring Ekiti “out of the woods” and revamp its ailing economy.

    David-Adesua said the ADC administration, led by the party, would provide economic empowerment, skills acquisition for the youth and women, and creation more jobs.

    He said Ekiti has large deposits of minerals, which can be exploited to generate more revenue and make the state less dependent on federal allocation.

    He urged party delegates and members to go back home and sell the manifesto of the party to the people at the grassroots.

  • Agboola is ad candidate

    The Alliance for Democracy (AD) Ben Agboola as its as flag bearer.

    Three other aspirants: Mr. Akin Fasogba, Mr. Victor Osekita and Pastor Babatunde Omotoso, stepped down for Agboola at the primary held at D’Bliss-Tit Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    The AD shadow poll was observed by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    In his acceptance speech, Agboola promised to diversify the state’s

    economy through investment in integrated agriculture.

    He described AD as the most consistent party since the nation’s return to democratic rule in 1999. He added: “This is the party of leaders in Yoruba. What is today known as Egbe Afenifere.”

    Agboola said: “When you look at the history of political parties in Nigeria since 1999, you will discover that AD stands out. We have been consistent and the time Nigeria probably enjoyed enjoyed true dividends of democracy.”

    Agboola said the health care sector would be revitalised to meet the current challenges. He also promised to use community policing to tackle security challenges.

    He added: “Research has shown that most mortality occur during surgical operation. So, our plan is to introduce Information Communication and Technology (ICT) into Health Sector.”

  • ‘We’re yet to endorse any candidate’

    Ahead of next year’s election, Otunba Dengel Anifowose, Chairman Conference of APC LGA Chairmen, Lagos State, has put a lie to a raging rumour that the leaders of the party in the Lagos East Senatorial District have anointed a particular candidate for another term.

    In a statement issued by Gbotifa Olakunle, the media assistant, said there was no truth in the report that some leaders have anointed a particular candidate for the coming election.

    ”Our attention has been drawn to a report in a newspaper (not The Nation) that some leaders have endorsed a particular senator from Lagos East Senatorial District for another term.

    ”I want to tell you that I have got in touch with those claiming to have endorsed the incumbent senator have denied doing so when I contacted them. There is nowhere the leaders sat with Ashafa and endorse him for another term. If we want to endorse a candidate, we must all sit together at a meeting and look at the pros and cons but a situation whereby someone will just go behind us to purportedly support a candidate on our behalf is bad and I see it as a cheap blackmail.

    “You can’t endorse anyone through democratic process without the knowledge of the leadership of the district such as Alhaji Akanni Seriki Bamu, Alhaji Lanre Rasak, Rt Hon Yemi Ikuforiji, Hon Seriki Oshinowo, Chief Kaoli Olusanya, Chief Olowu and all the local government chairmen and state officers.

    “We cannot do anything meaningful on the issue of contest of this nature without the approval of our national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.”

  • Adeyemo: Oke-Ogun to present single candidate

    Oyo State Deputy Governor Moses Adeyemo has said there will soon be a consensus governorship candidate from Oke-Ogun.

    Adeyemo spoke at the weekend in an interview on Southwest Political Circuit, a political programme on Ibadan-based Fresh FM.

    The power shift to Oke-Ogun in 2019 is gathering strength.

    Adeyemo, who hails from Igboho in Oke-Ogun, is one of those aspiring to succeed Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    Other aspirants from the area include Communication Minister Adebayo Shittu; Commissioner for Lands, Ajiboye Omodewu; Prof. Adeolu Akande, and Aderemi Olaniyan.

    Indigenes are pushing for power shift to Oke-Ogun. Ajimobi has backed their aspiration.

    The governor has described them as loyal and appreciative, adding that they contributed greatly to his re-election in 2015.

    But about eight aspirants from Oke-Ogun have signified their intention for the top job.

    Asked if he was not worried about the number of aspirants and the difficulty of having a single candidate from the area, Adeyemo said the leaders were meeting with all aspirants.

    The deputy governor assured the people that a consensus candidate would be chosen to represent Oke-Ogun.

    He pledged to support any aspirant the leaders choose.

    Adeyemo added that the interest of the area is more important than his personal ambition.

    Asked to explain the reason for the agitation for power shift, Adeyemo said the principle is practised to prevent domination.

    The deputy governor noted that rotation also applies at the federal level for peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship.

    He said: “A candidate will soon be presented among the aspirants. That’s what we are working out. But I will not tell you how the candidate will emerge. Just expect our candidate soon.”

    Adeyemo berated the opposition, saying only the blind will fail to see the impact of the Ajimobi administration.

    He said the administration, which restored peace, was also rebuilding infrastructure and transforming the economic landscape.

  • No anointed candidate in Ekiti APC, says Ojudu

    No anointed candidate in Ekiti APC, says Ojudu

    Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Babafemi Ojudu spoke with Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the political situation in the country, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s struggle to displace the PDP from Ekiti State Government House.

    How united is the All Progressives Congress (APC) as it warms up for 2019 elections?

    We are determined. If you look at what happened in Kano few weeks ago when the president visited the state, you will know that we are ready for 2019. The president is as popular as ever.

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has left your party and he said some chieftains will soon defect…

    Atiku has left. No other person has followed. We don’t envisage other persons joining him in the PDP. Atiku has the right to take whatever decision he thinks is right as a person.

    So, the defection will not affect your party in any way?

    We would have loved to have him. In a democracy, the more, the merrier. Many other people will also join us. Many people are leaving the PDP for the APC and many more will come to the APC after its convention.

    The PDP has alleged that you are fueling the crisis of zoning and micro-zoning in the party…

    What is happening in their party is their internal affairs. We are not interested in what is going on there. It is a very analysis on their part to be accusing us of being behind whatever happens in their party. We are not interested. Our focus is on making sure that we fulfill all the promises we made to Nigerians before the term ends. We are busier in the APC than to be thinking about them.

    Is your party not moving at a snail-speed in the course of fulfilling its promises to Nigerians?

    We took our time to plan. We took our time to lay a good foundation. And we are executing now. We are making a difference. We came in and we were confronted with recession. We were to bring that recession to an end. There is nothing like snail speed. We think that this time around, we should put some things on ground and what we put on ground should last. That is our concern.

    What is the political situation in your state, Ekiti?

    The place is agog. Many people are coming out to vie for governor next year. They are realising that Fayose is not good for their health. Some of us are also working to unite members of our party, to see that we can only be victorious when we are united.

    If 50 people are struggling for one job, will that not spell doom or disaster for the party?

    No. I think what is happening is a certain kind of strategy for some. Some want to be councillors, House of Assembly members. Some want to be commissioners. Some want to become House of Representatives member. Someone wants to become the Secretary to Government. They need to be noticed. They need to be seen to be contesting for the bigger office. That will then give them opportunity to negotiate when the time comes. Seriously, the serious aspirants are not more than four.

    Who are the four?

    I wouldn’t want to mention names. But, I know I am one of the four.

    It is being speculated that the national leadership of your party and indeed, President Muhammadu Buhari, have an anointed candidate in Ekiti APC…

    Anybody who knows President Muhammadu Buhari will tell you that he is a very fair person. He is not a kind of person who will want to impose somebody. That tells you that it is a big lie from the pit of hell. Even, in matters involving the APC and the PDP, President Buhari has not been partial. He has said that anyone contesting should go out there and canvass, make his viewpoints known; go there and sell yourself and your programmes. The electorate will then decide. Buhari can only support the candidate after he has won the ticket of the party at the primary. If anybody tells you that Buhari is sponsoring him, or he has endorsed him or the national headquarter of the party has endorsed him is lying. I do not believe that. I am in a position to know. I am not a baby in the party. I am in a position to know. The president has not discussed this with anybody. He has not endorsed anybody.

    The president is a political animal. Why would you say he will not be interested in an aspirant?

    I am telling you this. All of us are members of this party. We are like his own persons. What he wants us to do is: go out there and sell yourself. And let the party members choose the person that is better, or the best as the flag bearer of the party. After that, the president can say, as a party man, as a leader of the party, he will support the candidate that will emerge. Anything other than that is not true.

    What has led to that speculation in the first instance?

    It is the people who are weak on the ground, people who are not self-confident who are peddling rumours. I do not know why any member of my generation will say that he needs crutches, that he cannot go out there on his own to say that he is capable; and say, I understand the problem of Ekiti people. And then, he markets himself. Now, you are saying you need to be imposed; you need somebody to come and hold you and lead you to the people. It is uncalled for. It is unnecessary. Go there and contest. Anybody that is above 30 years is qualified. So, you want to go and govern a state and you are now lying to the people that the president has endorsed you; that it is the president that is sponsoring you. I think that is unfair to the President of Nigeria.

    As we prepare for 2019, is Ekiti that very critical to the APC?

    It is very critical because the progressive viewpoints dominate in the Southwest. There was an aberration, which is the PDP controlling a state. The state has to be taken back to the progressives. We are working very hard to take the state back.

    The primary will hold around April next year. What are your expectations?

    My expectation is that we must conduct ourselves very well. There would ba a level playing ground. We will eshew violence. We will go out vigorously to market our people and let our party members decide who will be the winner. At my age, my engagement, my experience in this country, nobody is sponsoring me. I am sponsoring myself. I am working within a collective of Ekiti people who feel that things are going wrong in Ekiti State and they need to be corrected. I am first among equals. We are going out there to fight. We are going to fight in a decent way.

    What are the lessons of the 2014 poll, which your party should learn and the pitfalls that should be averted in next year’s election in Ekiti?

    We have conducted a study. We have set up a committee to study why what happened then happened. We are studying the document. We are studying how we can apply ourselves to the act of wining Ekiti. We are communicating with the people, engaging them. We will not look down on them. We will study and find solutions to their problems. Ekiti knows who can stand up to Fayose and drive him out of the place, who can say no, Fayose will not have his way again. We don’t want a surrogate Fayose next year. We want somebody who will plan well, execute well and restore the glory of Ekiti State.

    Why is your party not participating in the local government elections?

    If you look at the local government elections across the country, it is like chasing after a mirage. The figures are written in governors’ offices. In particular, Fayose is intolerant of the opposition. He is the one appointing candidates for the elections. The electoral officers are his leg men and women. So, why waste your time? We are preparing for next year’s election, which will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission. We are more confident about that, unlike what is conducted by the state electoral commission. For me, although I don’t know what the party will do tomorrow, I think it will be foolish to participate in the local government polls.

    If the PDP governorship candidate is coming from Ikere and his running mate is coming from Ado-Ekiti as it is being proposed by Governor Ayodele Fayose, will that affect the calculations and permutations of the APC?

    The only thing that will do for the APC is that, if the PDP is picking its candidate from Ikere, the APC should pick its candidate from Ado-Ekiti. As you know, Ado-Ekiti, of all the local governments, has the largest electoral vote. It is almost three or more times bigger than that of Ikere. It will be foolhardy for our party to leave Ado-Ekiti and go and pick its candidates from other places. Ado and Ikere hasve the largest electoral votes. So, if Fyose picks the PDP candidate from Ikere and his deputy from Ado, and the APC picks its candidate from somewhere, it means you are leaving it for the PDP. But, if Fayose picks his candidate from Ikere and his deputy from Ado, and the APC picks its candidate from Ado, you know you are on the path to winning.  It is a logical calculation. In Ekiti State, Ado determines who wins and becomes the governor of the state.

    What is your chance at the primary?

    It is very bright. We are working very hard. We are not there yet. But, we are going to be there. We have our strategies. We have set up structures. There is no structure now on ground than our own. We are everywhere that we have to be. Nobody comes to us because he wants to chop. All those working with us are committed. We have fanatical supporters because of our agenda. We have a strong agenda. I am the only one who had defeated Fayose in the whole of Ekiti. I led the push for his removal when he was maltreating our people. I am the only one who can stand up to him to say, what you are doing, we are not going to tolerate it. I am the only one who can vchase him out of that state. We are mobilizing efforts in Ekiti, Nigeria and outside Nigeria that will sent him packing in July next year.

    Individual aspirants are nurturing their structures. Why are they not collectively building the party?

    I can talk about myself. I have been moving around preaching unity; to pacify people. I have been visiting our leaders. A couple of weeks ago, I went to see the Elders’ Forum. I had a passionate discussion with them on the need to bring everybody together. We need to come together to end Fayose’s  bad governance. My group does not attack anybody. We are canvassing our position. We are offering our agenda to the people. We are everywhere trying to enlighten people.

    Generally, what is your message to Ekiti as the state warms up for the election?

    There are few aspirants trying to offend one another. That should stop. One person will represent us in the election coming up next year. And all of us have to queue behind that person. If we make enemies of ourselves now, it will affect our push to get the PDP out. So, I am calling for unity, purposefulness of action, patriotism on the part of members of the APC so that our votes, our energies and strength will not be divided. In unity, we can win that election. If we are united, taking Fayose out will not be difficult for us. So, we must stand up in unity.

  • PDP convention: ‘Southwest may have consensus candidate’

    PDP convention: ‘Southwest may have consensus candidate’

    A national chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Tunde Adeniran, yesterday said the Southwest may produce a consensus candidate ahead of next week’s convention of the party in Abuja.

    The former minister of Education told party members and delegates at the PDP secretariat in Akure, the capital, that candidates from the region had been talking with one another.

    This, he said, could pave the way for aspirants to agree on one person.

    Adeniran said: “We are talking among ourselves and I believe one way or the other we will get it right. I also believe that God will step in.”

    On the rumour that he was sponsored by the senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, the former PDP national secretary described the report as the handiwork of his political detractors.

    He said some people carried a similar rumour that former military leader Gen. Ibrahim Babangida was sponsoring him.

    According to him, others pointed at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as well as former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Adeniran said the rumour was aimed at pulling him down.

    Ondo State PDP Chairman Clement Faboyede said there was need for the party to elect a better candidate to lead the party to victory in the 2019 presidential election.