The embattled chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Honourable Isaac Kekemeke, speaks with HAKEEM GBADAMOSI on the controversies surrounding his alleged suspension by some members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party.
You were alleged to have abandoned the party secretariat and the activities of the party…
Well, in the first place, I haven’t seen any of these allegations. Nobody has communicated with me, but it is not true that I abandoned the party secretariat. The last time that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and I were at the party secretariat was when he went to pick his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Thereafter, I have been at the party secretariat many times to do some administrative work. The party secretary is always at the secretariat.
But the difference between those making the allegations and I is that I have a second office; I have a job, I have a second address. I have something else to do; I don’t just go and wait at the party secretariat. I have told them that the essence of a political party is to capture power. We worked day and night; I left my practice and we worked hard to get power. At the federal level, we got 54 per cent in the presidential election, as against the expectation of the party that all they needed from us in Ondo State is 25 per cent. We won in the National Assembly election and we stayed and worked to win the governorship election.
Of course, naturally, when government assumes office, party activities slow down because the job of a political party is to capture government, but they don’t understand. That is not to say that we are not doing the skeletal activities needed in the party, but once a political party captures power, the concentration, the attention shifts and focuses on the government. They don’t understand it, but I understand it. There is no political party that acts as if it is an institution that goes on to perform daily functions when it has government. Of course, they should go and see what is happening at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Two, they want me to call a meeting so that we can fight this same governor they are protecting, for not giving them appointments. I said ‘no, you cannot use me to fight the governor’. This is the same governor you are projecting; you are promoting. You now want me to call a meeting to say that he must look for offices for you. I won’t do that. Three, this is the same governor that knows some of them that he is dealing with. So, why would you want me to lead a fight? Why would you want me to provide the avenue and platform for your fight?
What about the other allegation that you expended some money without due process?
Which money? The records are there. For almost two years, I didn’t touch One Kobo of the party money for my transportation to party functions. As I talk to you, I don’t use party money to fuel car; I don’t use party money to buy newspapers; I don’t use party money for phone calls; I don’t use party money for entertainment. As I talk to you, I don’t use party money for anything. The only thing the party does is to repair its vehicles. The accounts are there. I am not the only signatories to the account of the party. I don’t keep party money; party money is not kept in anybody’s house. Under me, party money is not available to anybody to be used for personal things. In fact, the secretary of the party comes here from Akoko and gets no pay. All the party’s working committee members get no pay. As a matter of fact, I am the only party executive who does not collect transport allowance when we come for meetings. If they want to know how much money we got through our own initiatives for the election, the records are there.
They don’t understand that this party in this state solely sponsored the primary election; the national secretariat did not give us one kobo for the primary election. We paid over N7million for the Dome; over N750, 000 for diesel for the Dome. All the security arrangements were made by us; all the media arrangements made by us; all the printing arrangements made by us; all the accommodation arrangements made by us. That is the money. We paid N3million also for the Democracy Park. We paid also for the other two venues at Ondo Road and Ijapo for the primaries. It is from such money because I didn’t want anyone to accuse us as a people who wanted the primary to fail. During the election period, making the voter’s registers, paying this and that, we did from the party funds. They do not understand that the balance of such money is not spent; it is there in the bank account of the party. They want me to share money, but I’ve got no money to share.
There is also the allegation that since the inauguration of the governor, you have not attended government events, including the defection of some prominent politicians to your party in recent times?
I do not go to functions that I am not invited to; I’m not a lay about. I’m sorry if this sounds proud but, sincerely, I don’t go to places where I am not wanted, where I am not invited. On two occasions, the governor invited me and on those two occasions I honoured him. On one occasion, after he became governor-elect, he invited me to be part of the team to collect his Certificate of Return from INEC and I was there. Thereafter, we went to the party secretariat. On another occasion, the governor invited me to be present at the handing over ceremony and I was there. On a third occasion, the governor invited me late in the night to be part of a meeting with the outgoing governor by 10am and I apologised to him that I was already in Abuja and would be unable to attend.
Ever since, I have gotten no invitation to attend any government event. How do I go to a place where I am not invited? How do I know that such functions are taking place? People are defecting into the party, I only get to see it on television, hear it on radio or read in newspapers. Do they want me to be crawling in the Government House? I can’t do that. I do not ridicule myself; I do not make myself to look funny anywhere. Once people don’t want me, I keep my peace.
Have you been able to meet with the governor after his inauguration?
I have spoken with the governor to say ‘let me lead the party executives to meet with you’. He has promised that when he has time, he would give us an appointment to see him. So, what about that?
Is this not an indication of a rift between you and the governor?
Well, I do not fight the governor. The governor is a product of the party, I don’t fight him. But I also do not go to a place where I am not invited. Whatever I am not invited to, I don’t participate in. I heard some people say I didn’t congratulate the governor, but I did. I have a copy of the letter and also the congratulatory messages made in the media. What else am I supposed to do?
Do you have an idea of why the governor is refusing to relate with you?
I don’t know.
Does this have anything to do with the governorship election in which some people alleged that you were not committed to the victory of the party’s candidate?
One thing is clear to me, as the chairman of this party, I led others to build this party and into victory. I was sure in my heart and my mind that I could not destroy what I laboured to build. This was the same party for which I still went to dance, two weeks after my wife passed on before the 2015 general election. This was the same party which I still worked for when my mum passed on in November, last year. Two days after my mum passed on, Akeredolu called me and I was at the airport to receive the chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum. I worked for this party with everything that God gave me and if anybody thinks otherwise, too bad.
With the government of your party in power, are you not supposed to be in a position to protect the interest of party members in terms of appointments and opportunities?
The people of this state have elected a governor. The governor emerged through a platform. If the governor does not want to relate with you, do you force yourself on him? I will not.
But some members left the party shortly after the governorship primary election. What are you doing to bring these members back on board?
You will recall that in my maiden statement, I did say that I am going to redirect the party and make sure that the party gets back its vibrancy. So, I am appealing to all of those members who left the party in protest or anger to return to the party. We are also appealing to many people in the party who have been sidelined and alienated to come back to fully participate in the activities of the party in their units, wards, local government and at the state level. This is because the victory that we had at the last election was precedented by hard work and early planning and for us to win again as the election approach, we must also work harder. That is the reason I said that all those people who are, for one reason or the other, inactive in the party should come alive and join hands with me to ensure that we take back our party and prepare for elections.
By the constitution of the party, the governor is the leader of the party and he has said those who have left the party cannot come back through the backdoor. What is your view on this?
I am guided by the constitution of the party and the constitution of the party says I am the Chief Executive Officer of the party in the state and that the working committee, which I chair, is the highest organ of the party at this level .
You said the decision of those SEC members to suspend you is not binding. What is the position of the party’s constitution on this issue?
First, who conveyed that meeting? Did it have my authority? Did the secretary of the party convey the meeting? Two, who were those people that attended the meeting? Three, do they have the power and authority to do what they did? I am the only elected officer of the party during the 2014 congresses. All others came through adoptions and consensus; I don’t have any problem with that and we have been working together. I am a member of the Zonal Executive Committee and a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party. By implication, I am not just chairman of the party here; I am an officer of the zone and an officer of the national executive. So, nobody has disciplinary powers over me at this level. If you have any complaints, you make them to the zonal executive who looks into it and then forwards it to the NEC which looks into it and then comes to a conclusion.
By the provisions and letters of our constitution, only a higher level of authority can discipline a particular officer of the party. That’s why I laugh at them; it is laughable. This same people have done it a number of times. You remember the one that woke up one day and declared himself the chairman of the party; you can see Abayomi Adesanya who has been defiant from day one. This is a boy who speaks for the party without consulting with anyone and you remember, at one time, he said I have been removed. So, it is the same ignoble path they have trodden all the time; it’s not new. Always, they will meet their waterloo. In fact, I look forward to the day when I will never work with them as members of my team. Never!
A new congress is supposed to be held this year, but the national secretariat of the party has not given the go-ahead. Are you interested in re-contesting to stay on as chairman of the party in the state?
May God forbid! When I was running for chairman, a number of my close confidants did not understand why, having been SSG in the state, having been pioneer national chairman of NECO, having been the Attorney General, having been Commissioner for Works and having been the Minority Leader of the Assembly of the old Ondo State. They didn’t understand, but I said I had a feeling that I have a duty to do and God has helped me to do that duty. Sometimes, I feel I put myself into this trouble and I can’t wait for time to run out so that some other people, whose lifetime ambition is to become the chairman of the party, can go on and do that. I look forward to when new congresses would be held so that we can hand over to a new set of people.