Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview, he explains the reasons behind his action to AUGUSTINE AVWODE.
You have joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). What informed your decision?
There were a number of issues. As far I am concerned, the most important thing is that we need to ensure that this country is set on the right track and that the fortune of Nigeria must be restored. And I have lost confidence in the ability of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to restore the fortune of Nigeria. I know what was in the kitty and what we left while we were in power up to 2007. I know what has happened in the last five years. It has been a disaster. Whether we are talking about the economic situation, or talking about the security situation or you are talking about unity in Nigeria. Today, you have greater divisions in terms of tribes, regions and religion than any other time in our history, except, perhaps, just before the civil war. That is something I find very frightening and I don’t want to be among those who are pretending that all is well, and that we don’t need a change. I think it is time for us to join hands with the progressives as they try to move Nigeria forward. And there are many progressives within the PDP, who are too frightened to come out, but after a while, you will find them. They will break ranks with the cult that the PDP has become and they will come and join the forces that are trying to effect a change in 2015.
Would you say the breaking of ranks is already happening in the PDP given recent developments in the party?
Yes, of course. If you look at what happened during the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), that is an indication of things to come. How could you have a situation where 35 people held an election and one got 19 votes while the other had 15 votes and the person with 15 votes claimed victory. This was a secret ballot that was filmed, it was free and fair, these are all distinguished and honourable men and a winner emerged. But all of a sudden, the person that lost told the whole world that he won, split the NGF into two and got the backing of Mr. President. That is the logic of the party. That is the way it operates and the only way for that matter. It operates like a cult than a political party. For me, that was the final straw. I just have to publicly part ways with it and let the world know that I cannot be part of a group of people that behave in such a way.
You have described the PDP as a sinking ship. Is this an insider’s unbiased assessment or just pure exaggeration?
It is not an exaggeration. It is actually an understatement, if you want to know the truth. The situation is worse than a sinking ship. I don’t have to insult anybody or be disrespectful to anybody but I believe that we should all follow our minds wherever we want to go. If you have a conviction to do anything, you must be courageous enough to go ahead and do it. If you are comfortable with what is happening in the PDP, by all means stay. I feel strongly convinced to leave the PDP and I think it would be most irresponsible of me to participate with a group of people who cannot even acknowledge that they have lost an election. For me, that is what has happened in the NGF election. Besides, look at what they have done to former President Obasanjo and so many other leaders within the party. They have marginalized them, humiliated them and they no longer listen to them. Just a few people are running the show, and I think that is not the way forward. And that is the precise reason why I left. It is not an exaggeration, I can assure you. There is serious trouble in the party. And I can tell you that up to eight of their governors, today, that I have interacted with, are very unhappy with the party leadership and what is going on there. And once President Goodluck Jonathan emerges the flag bearer of the party, whether by election or selection, because I am aware they want to change the rules, something that happened only in Nazi Germany and only happened in Communist China, where you don’t have primaries in an election. You just select, that is what they want to do now. I am sure when that happens, or when President Jonathan emerges, it will spark a revolt in the PDP and will make more people come over to the APC.
What would you say is the attraction in the APC that you have chosen to pitch your tent with it?
First of all, I have always been part of the wider APC family. The reason why I joined the government at the centre was because of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and not because of PDP. It was the late Chief Bola Ige that asked me to come back from exile in Ghana to participate and eventually, joined the government which I did. And again, I believe that Obasanjo needed to be supported because he was doing a good job. But, if you look at my antecedent before then, I learnt at the feet of people like Prof. Adebayo Williams, all the real people that could be considered as the great progressive stars. Throughout the years of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), I was one of those who were really supportive of the struggle. I was very involved with that and that is where I am coming from. For me, it was a strange thing to be with Obasanjo, anyway, but I thought that he was doing a good job and needed to be supported and I have done my time with him. I believe he is a wonderful man, but I believe that now we have to move on. We left government in 2007, that was about five years ago, and we have our choices to make now and so you go by your choice. I think that the fortunes of Nigeria would be better served in the hands of progressives represented by people like Asiwaju Tinubu, General Buhari and other people, too many to mention.
Would you tell us some of your experiences while in government?
Well, so many experiences. While I was in Public Affairs, I learnt a lot. It was a very difficult job. Then, I was interacting with your colleagues everyday. For me, it was the most difficult job I have ever done in my life because I made so many enemies simply because I was standing in defence of a man that I believed was doing a good job. Curiously, even old friends, misunderstood me. But those who knew where I was coming from, knew I was just doing my job and I wanted to do it properly, that was it. When I became a minister, I learnt a lot on the job. I was minister of two separate ministries – Culture and Tourism and Aviation. Now, let me say this, to be in government, if you want to be serious about it, it is a very difficult thing. You have to get up very early in the morning, we worked extremely hard, and because we had a good President, who was virtually a workaholic, you cannot but be up and doing. And having left government, I believe I have paid my dues to the PDP and it is time for me to now feel free and try to do what I believe is right for this country. PDP is no longer what it was; PDP has derailed totally and we all must join hands to save this country.
You probably heard of the mid-term report, especially by the President Jonathan Administration. He asked Nigerians to assess him based on their own scheme. If you were to assess the administration’s performance, how would you score it?
It has been a dismal failure. That is number one. Anybody that is celebrating, I mean I saw what I would describe as a show of shame on the night the PDP gathered and they were clapping for themselves, they were all saying the President should stay on and whatever. The truth is that, Herod, the night before Rome started burning, clapped for himself. Czar Nicholas of Russia, the night before the Russian Revolution, clapped for himself. This thing happens all the time. In Nazi Germany, Hitler clapped for himself, up until the time when the Russians knocked on the Bunker, and he had to kill himself. The most important thing is to appreciate is that, never expect a ruling party that has lost touch with reality and is delusional, to score itself in an equitable and in a fair way. They will give themselves, if it is out of 100, they will give themselves 110 over 100. But I challenge them to tell us what they have done to improve on what happened up till 2007. Every single sector has degenerated since 2007. The fact and figure are there to prove what I am saying. First, 80 per cent graduate unemployment and 70 percent of Nigerians are living below the poverty line. In terms of power generation, we were into 4,500 megawatts daily in 2007, today, we are lower than that. Foreign Reserves in 2007 was US$47 billion, today we have about US$45 billion. It has not progressed in spite of the crude oil sales. Excess Crude Account, in 2007, we had US$24 billion, today we have just US$7 billion. We talk about foreign debt, it was zero foreign debt. It was paid off from US&30 billion to US$zero in eight years. Today, we are now back in debts to the tune of US$9 billion and we are still borrowing. The economy is not growing as much as it was in 2007. They are claiming five or six per cent, fine. Then, it was growing at about 8 or 9 per cent. It is the same Ministry of Finance; she would confirm what I am telling you. So, what are they celebrating? Four or five years later, we have gone backwards, we have not progress. Now, if you want to tell me you have progress, look at your foundations and tell me how you have built on it. They had a legacy, a foundation, which was quite a solid one in 2007. Whether you like Obasanjo or not, his performance, was a pretty good one, the records speak for itself. Did they build on it? The answer is no. Everything has degenerated since then and I believe we need a change. The PDP’s ambition to rule Nigeria in 2015 is like an iceberg approaching the tropics; the closer it gets, the more it melts. They are not going anywhere. They will be removed in 2015. You know why? Because God loves Nigeria and he alone determines the fate of the country. Not any individual or money or power from the Villa or who you know or what you have. And He will show them that He alone is God.
If you were to look into the future, what does the Nigeria political future hold?
If President Jonathan continues post-2015, Nigeria will be worse off than the Republic of Zaire within a year and we will never recover from it again. This will be in terms of the economy, in terms of security, in terms of safety, Nigeria will be worse off. Already, under his watch, more civilians, innocent people that is, have been killed than any other time in our history, apart from the civil war. About 6,000 people have been killed in the last two years by Boko Haram. And up until a year ago, he was saying that they were Nigerians whom he could not hurt. Up until three months ago, he set up a committee to dialogue with people who were determined to establish a Muslim fundamentalist state in Nigeria and had actually taken over part of our country and he was still trying to give them amnesty. Of course, they told him they were not interested in amnesty. It is only now that he realised that he has to be hard with them. He declared a state of emergency in part of the North, which I think is the right thing to do, but it is far too little and far too late. We cannot leave Nigeria in the hand of those who are not sensitive to our security situation and under whose watch many are being slaughtered on a daily basis, under whose watch the North has been literally on fire, and under whose watch Christians and Muslims are now very suspicious of one another, under whose watch the economy is crumbling by the day and we have so many people that are unemployed and suffering in our country. We must not allow that to continue to happen. If it happens after 2015, it may become irrevocable.
