A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ogun State, Senator Adegbenga Kaka, is a former deputy governor, two-time commissioner, acting state chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). IN this interview with DARE ADEKANMBI, he speaks on the convention of the party, the zoning controversy, the rift between Governor Dapo Abiodun and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, among other things.
You and other former legislators from the South-West were in Ibadan on Thursday to discuss a few things about your party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). What was the gathering about?
As former legislators, we believe the bedrock of democracy is actually the legislature and as a result, we believe we still have to make into input into what is going on. So, we decided to meet as we used to do and the issue of the coming convention of the party was examined. You can assume that, yes, we are former legislators both in the National Assembly and of course the principal officers of the state assemblies from the APC. So, if and when we are through with the convention , we will still come together and see how we can veer into the future for the best of the country. We had former legislators form all the six states of the South-West, without exception, in attendance at the meeting.
Looking at the way things are in your party now, are you hopeful the convention will still go ahead without forms being sold, zoning of offices not done and crises from congresses still unresolved?
To be straightforward with you, you used the word ‘hopeful.’ For me, hope is always alive. In politics, one hour may be too long a period of time and at the same time; it may be too short a period of time. Let’s hope that maybe those who are directing the affairs have a magic wand which they will use to quickly let us know what are the positions available, which zone is producing what position, when the forms will be out so that prospective candidates can sort themselves out within their respective states. If it turns out that those in Abuja have the magic wand and the people are ready to comply, fine. Before you go to your next question, I am also hearing there is the likelihood of the convention being pushed forward. And since this will not be the first time they will push it forward, it won’t be a surprise to many. So, we are hopeful that things will go the normal way.
What implications will it have for your party if the convention is postponed again?
If it to achieve the best of outcome, there is nothing I can do. I am just one of the members of the party. I believe that before we put any other day, we should do our homework properly so that we don’t just continue putting our people on the edge.
Considering that electioneering is kicking in already, there are fears from some of your members that further postponement of the convention will eat into the time the party will have to prepare for the elections?
When you talk of strategy, it is not supposed to be a public property. I believe that those at the helm of affairs know what they are doing. We will wait for the outcome of what their efforts will be like. Don’t let me jump the gun or start talking for the interim executives.
In Ogun State where you hail from as well as Oyo, Osun and a few other states, the disagreements trailing the congresses in those states are yet to be resolved. The national leadership has recognised factions loyal to the governors and in some states handed over the structure to the minority in the party. What implications do you see these having on APC’s outing in 2023 elections?
The general belief of people is that politics is about management of intrigues and when you talk of intrigues, some people jettison the issue of moral. What you are trying to extract from me may not be striking the right cord in the sense people like me who believe there must be entrenchment of morals in everything we do are often accused of mixing religion with politics. I have said it times without number that the fear of God and loyalty to the people we want to serve should come in that order before even the leadership. So, this time round, we just remain hopeful, praying we will do things the right way and we don’t over play the intrigues associated with politics. The position of the president, governor or even chairman of the party is usually one seat. But with proper understanding, with team spirit deployed and moral allowed to take its own stand, I am sure we let go and operate as members of a family. I hope that the elders can still do something that will iron out those rough edges that you have identified. We know there are rough edges. Since we are trying to manage whatever prevailing intrigues, then we will have to gird our loins and ensure things are done the way they should be done.
You have been in the progressive fraternity for decades, studying and applying principles of the Awolowo progressive politics. Given what you know a progressive party properly called should be, would you say APC is being run as a truly progressive party?
I will be deceiving the people if I say all is well with us in APC. Like you have rightly said, I have had four decades behind me of active politicking. I was privileged to be in strategic positions so to say. From being Commissioner twice, to being the vice chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and I was fully in charge of AD in Ogun State as acting chairman for three months. Thereafter, I was elected the deputy governor and later a Senator that represented Ogun East nationally. Sincerely speaking, the issue of godfatherism is putting a lot of sand in our gari of our politicking and until we learn to really make things inclusive whereby if the minority must have their way, they should allow the majority to have their say. A situation whereby we lock out the majority, we are bound to have problems on our hands.
This is not only peculiar to APC. It is in all parties and I don’t know why we are made this way. As a developing country, we should not be toeing this path, otherwise development will be far away from us. Where there is no justice, there is no way we can have peace and if there is no peace, you can’t have unity. Without unity, development and progress will be far away. With all the challenges confronting us, I think we should be more serious. In fact, I must tell you that we are overplaying politics. We ought to be talking about developmental efforts, what we want to do and deliver to the people. By the time Chief Obafemi Awolowo during his time would come out to say this is his political party, he was coming with all the programmes he wanted to implement for the betterment of the people. To say the least, we in deficit of what is expected of those of us playing politics.
Some leaders of APC are worried that with President Muhammadu Buhari not going to be on the ballot in 2023, APC won’t have it easy? Do you nurse such fears too?
There should not be any problem. In Yorubaland, we say if we release a ram to a masquerade, we should let go of the rope. But if you don’t, as the masquerade is pulling the rope, you will also be pulling. As a statesman that everybody believes President Buhari is, once he allows justice to prevail a lot of things will the right way. So, that Buhari is not going to be on the ballot shouldn’t be a problem. The party does not belong to a particular president or governor or an individual. It is a collective responsibility of all of us to see that we develop the party and make it to be alive. We should not continue to allow the party to revolve around an individual. Individuals will contributions, but running a party is a team work. We should have a collective focus that will assist us in getting to our destination. That is my candid view.
Where do you stand on the controversy over zoning? Should the presidency be zoned or should the parties look for a competent person from anywhere to run the country?
Naturally, we ought to go for the best at any point in time. But when it was convenient, some people used zoning to their own advantage and until it goes round and we no sit down and say enough is enough, then we just have to respect zoning. There is no where it is written that zoning must be applied. It was a gentleman’s understanding. Whereas, when we talk about quota system and federal character, this same set of people who are now saying zoning should not be respected got quota and federal character inserted in our constitution. They are now sabotaging the whole thing, not making them to work. But some people had used the two principles to their advantage.
I believe we are not sincere with ourselves and that is the basis of the problem we are facing as a country. Where there is justice, naturally trust will be there and in the course of me trusting my brothers from Borno or Igboland, we will be able to sit down and resolve issues. So, if they want the best, they should allow zoning to go round, come back to the South first and after eight years, then we can throw it open for the best.
Talking about the South, questions have been asked about what part of the South it should come. Are you saying that for equity, it should go to the South-East, since South-West and South-South zones have produced two presidents?
I am not saying so and will not say so.
Why?
The reason is that even the South and North dichotomy, we have different political parties. Party A can go to a left direction and party B, the right direction. Then the people will have to wait to see what the parties are offering them. Forget not that it is the politicians and the elite that are making this noise about zoning for selfish interest. The common man, whether the talakawa in the North or in the East of South-West don’t know the difference of what zoning is all about. They only want food, jobs and peace and good security for the system, electricity and water. Those are their concerns. So, we may start de-emphasising all these things gradually.
Coming back home, it is not possible for some people to have worked and then you expect another person to just walk in and take the ticket. When PDP was there under Obasanjo and Jonathan, the East had adequate representation and cannot claim to have been excluded. It is not being at the top that is the issue if we are serious. Obasanjo was at the top and there was no special benefit for South-West. Jonathan was at the top, there was no special benefit for the South-South, If I am not wrong. And the North which is there now, we all know what is happening. Once it is zone to the South, let the best come out from the three zones and whoever is lucky to have the ticket, good luck to them,
As far as what we did in Ibadan on Thursday, February 17 was concerned, we former legislators are standing by Senator Bola Tinubu as a presidential standard-bearer. That is what we have pledged to work towards, looking at his antecedents. Good a thing, he is still the only one who has made overtures to us.
There is a proposal to even shut those of you who are ex-lawmakers as statutory delegates from taking part in the convention. Is this target at eroding Tinubu’s support base?
We can’t be shut out except they want to slaughter democracy. We are the bedrock of democracy. If some people are trying to maneuver, there is nothing bad in trying. I am so sure majority of the party members won’t allow such a proposal to say through. The latest information from the national headquarters is to the effect that the proposal is being put in abeyance or even cancelled. But again, we are waiting for the direction they want to go. We heard of the proposal. There is no problem if anybody is dreaming. Whether the dream will come to life or not is another thing.
Do you see Tinubu emerging your presidential candidate, given the fact that in the South-West where he holds sway, there is division?
There is no way everybody can speak with one voice. We have different tastes and assessment of what we want, even within the same family, you will find out that the preferences of the husband and the wife are not the same, yet they remain under the same roof as couple. In this case, whoever wants to contest is free to come out. I told you earlier that the only aspirant who has approached us is Tinubu and he is being considered. If others want to join, we will listen to them.
With the division between Governor Dapo Abiodun and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, there are concerns by your party members that APC may lost the state if the two don’t reconcile.
To the best of my knowledge and statutorily speaking, we have a Mai Mala Buni as the national chairman and from their own judgment, Chief Yemi Sanusi has been given the mantle of leadership in Ogun State APC and as a leader, all the factors you are mentioning are supposed to be with him. As a leader and personally, all of them are welcome. We are all party members. Until there is another congress, then we are almost stuck with what is on our lap. So, those who wanted to protest have protested and the protest has been iron out. I don’t know what is left. So, if there are still skirmishes here and there, I think the elders will sit down and resolve it before the time of primary or election.
Do you see Amosun working with Abiodun in APC in 2023?
Anything is possible now. If they are in the same party, except they want to do anti-party, which I don’t believe either of them will attempt to do, there is no reason why they should not work together.
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