Chief Ishola Filani, a lawyer, is the former Vice Chairman (Southwest) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He spoke with Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the zoning arrangement, the crisis in the Southwest PDP and how peace can return to the party.
As a PDP chieftain from the Southwest, what is your reaction to the zoning of the national chairmanship to the North?
I have always advocated zoning to the North because between now and mid 2018, when the presidential candidate of the PDP will emerge from the North, the North needs a father figure that they would look up for leadership. It should be noted that the North of 19 states has only two PDP governors. The President, Mohammadu Buhari, is from the North. Our party, therefore, needs a distinguished personality who can together with the two governors and other leaders coordinate the party in the North. Secondly, we should remember that Buhari is from the North and he is the President of Nigeria. We need somebody who would mitigate his influence so that members of our party will not go in disarray when there is nobody of substance to look up to. In my opinion, this arrangement should be in the interim, between now and the time a presidential candidate will emerge from the North. Ordinarily, the position should have come to the Southwest and I advocate that the position should come back to the Southwest after the convention in which a presidential candidate is selected. The situation now, should, therefore, been seen as an emergency situation whereby tradition should be put aside and whatever we can do to satisfy the emergency situation to sustain us should be what we should do now.
What gives you the impression that Senator Modu Sheriff is fit for the leadership role at this time?
People have expressed diverse opinion about him to the extent that some leaders are calling on him not to contest. Some are even saying he is not qualified to contest. I do not share that opinion. The chairmanship was zoned to the Northeast four years ago. Any officer occupying any position can serve for two terms. It is the same term that was started by Tukur through Muazu that he is still serving. he, therefore, like any other officer at the national level, can re-contest. Some people are saying that he has not stayed long in the party to contest for a position in the national executive. I do not agree with this also because, if that is the situation, the Northeast zone will nominate him to succeed Muazu and will not now wholeheartedly support him as it was reported in the newspaper today. The Northeast has, at its congress yesterday, presented him as the sole candidate from the zone to contest for the national chairmanship. As to his person and capacity, Sheriff is an asset. He has capacity. he is experienced, having served as a two-time governor and two-term senator. He has a strong personality. He possess a fighting spirit. That is what the PDP needs now to supplant the APC. He is the kind of personality the PDP needs to squarely face the Buhari in the North.
What is your reaction to the threat by some party chieftains to hold a parallel convention, if Sheriff insists on contesting?
There is no justification for anybody to say that Sheriff should not contest.There is nothing in the PDP constitution to disqualify him from contesting. He has just finished a term alloted to the Northeast and they are entitled to two terms, notwithstanding that he will be the thirs person that will occupy the post from the Northeast. There is nothing personal about it. He was not a caretaker chairman. He was not an acting chairman. He was nominated the same way Muazu was nominated. Those referring to him as the acting chairman are wrong. He is still the substantive chairman that is entitled to a second term. Judging by the personality of the people making that call, there must be some other reasons they are making the call. I appeal that these our brothers and sisters should take into cognizance the fact that the congress of the Northeast has nominated him as their sole candidate. I also appeal to Sheriff to reach out to those leaders for unity.
Some elders of the party are saying that Sheriff has an agenda to become the presidential candidate in 2019…
Is there anything wrong about that? Anybody can have an ambition or serial ambitions for as long as he is not disqualified, either morally or by the law. Anybody should be allowed to follow his instinct and ambition. We should leave that to him and the leaders of the party in the North where the presidential candidate will come. If he is not qualified, it is the party and the INEC that will pronounce that he is not qualified.
Does the zoning crisis has anything to do with the crisis that has polarised the Southwest PDP?
Initially, the leadership of the Southwest were divided on the zoning arrangement. But, it is gratifying that at the leadership meeting in Akure, the two governors and most of the leaders in the Southwest took a common position and conceded the chairmanship to the North. I must appreciate the coming together of Governors Mimiko and Fayose. Whether we like it or not, Ondo and Ekiti state governors are the only governors the PDP has in the Southwest. That they are working together is a good omen for the success of the party in the Southwest and in Nigeria. They are the co-leaders of the party in the Southwest zone. And the two of them working with the elders and youths of the party in the zone, is a good development that will herald a success of the PDP in the Southwest in the coming election between now and 2019.
What is responsible for the crisis in the Southwest PDP?
Having resolved the issue of zoning of the chairmanship to the North, the latest issue of contention is the congress that was held in Akure yesterday. I do not see any controversy in it because the timetable of the congress was drawn by the national secretariat of the PDP. The personnel, including the chairman of the congress committee, were sent from the national secretariat of the party. It means, like all such zonal congresses are organised, it the national secretariat that organised it. Before the congress, leaders of the party in the Southwest met and zoned the positions to the various states as appropriate. To my mind, I do not see how the congress can be faulted. The two governors, partly leaders and representatives of the national secretariat were there. I do not see how the congress can be faulted. All the states were represented. Oyo, Osun and Ogun have two parallel executives.
But, what about the court injunction that purportedly stopped the zonal congress?
There are claims and counter-claims about the service of the court injunction. The National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, was talking about the court injunction while the national chairman was saying that no injunction was served on the party. He said as a law abiding citizen, he will obey any court injunction that is served. To the public knowledge, it is neither here nor there.
Is reconciliation foreclosed?
No. In fact, the reconciliation as it affects me are in two stages-my zone and the national. I appeal to the Southwest leaders, particularly the two governors, Bode George, Oyedokun, Buruji Kashamu, Ebenezer Babatope, Bode Olajumoke, Mulikat Akande, Ogunlewem Doyin Okupe, Jumoke Akinjide and other leaders to rally round and ensure unity in the party. The new zonal executive should ensure that it brings all the party leaders together to forge a common front. At the national level, all the organs of rhe partt must be united. The founding fathers, the National Assembly caucus, the caucus of ex-governors and ex-ministers and the present governors must come together to checkmate the APC by taking advantage of their unsettling situation and division in the APC.
