In this interview by LEON USIGBE, the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Debo Ologunagba, maintains that the All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot go through the back door to seize Rivers State government.
What’s the official PDP stance on the Rivers State crisis between ex-Governor Nyesom Wike and incumbent Governor Siin Fubara?
There’s no crisis there. You are creating crisis by yourself. You generate crisis because that allows you to sell your newspaper. But I tell you this, we say this position all the time. We have itemized it in writing. We just said that the APC cannot go to the back door to take over government in Rivers and if you leave your position as a member of the House of Assembly, section 109(1)(g) kicks into the effect that you lose your seat. That’s what we’ve been saying. What else do you want to know? You know what we have said. It’s in the public domain, which you have reported before. And you can emphasize that by reporting what I said today.
Beyond the press statements you issued, what are the specific moves you are taking to resolve the crisis?
I’m not going to tell you my trade secret. That is the weapon of my party. I will not come and tell you that I am talking to my children or I am talking to my party members on the pages of Tribune. No, I will not do that. That is my trade secret. I’m not going to divulge it to you because your paper is well read all over the world. APC will read it. You might try to convince me. I’m not going to tell you that one.
Right. The world knows that the PDP has internal crisis in Rivers State.
That is your characterization
Why did you say that?
We have told you severally that a political party comprises people, and they have contending interests, they have contestation of ideas, they have interests – personal, group or whatever. In the sense of that, what makes the party different, and PDP is unique for that, is that we have capacity to reconcile those differences. They might be slow in your estimation but surely we’re getting there and we’re doing it. That’s exactly what happened at the NEC. Before the coming of the NEC meeting, there were predictions. I don’t know if your paper was one of those that said there would be Armageddon, we would fight, they will break heads. It didn’t happen. We came out safely, had a very successful NEC meeting.
But I challenge you to ask APC about their NEC. Why didn’t you do that? Why is this fixation on PDP? Why is it that you’re looking for…where there is no crisis, you’re generating one because, again, that is your own imagination. There’s no crisis in Rivers. There can be misunderstanding and contestation of ideas. Yes, it is that is arcane, and that is the character of a political party. So, there is no crisis there, sir.
What we have said, and clearly to repeat, is that APC should not go and foment trouble in Rivers with the hope of taking over our party from behind the scene. Okay? The will of the people must be respected in Rivers. We have a governor, a PDP governor in Rivers State and for the people that left the assembly, the 27 former members, the consequences of section 109(1)(g) kicks in. And it is self executory. That’s what we said. I’m repeating what I said in that interview, or in that press statement, in that press conference, which you attended and you asked a question at that meeting.
But how much support does the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, have from the national leadership of the PDP?
I don’t understand what you mean by support because you’re trying to say that two people are fighting. That’s your own characterization. You’re imagining a fight and therefore, whether we are supporting somebody. We are a party, we have a governor. We know that people who have violated the constitution have left.
In all of this sir, can we for a second just step back and say what is the purpose of the government? It is the welfare and security of the people.
Why don’t we, why don’t you promote this possibility of having a rapport in the interest of the Rivers State people and in the interest of democracy? If we want democracy to succeed, you have a role and you have been playing the good role, please double up and do more. What we need to do is ensure that Rivers State survives and that democracy survives and that our constitution prevails.
Are you not worried that the crisis may affect the fortunes of your party?
That is your characterization. I just told you what we do as a party, that we have capacity to get along with ourselves and we’re always doing that. We are a 25-year-old party and we’re counting and we are the most democratic party in this country. And we’re doing well in that regard. So, we are forging ahead. We’re very hopeful. Everything that we do is in the interest of the people and sustenance of democracy and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
Do you want to hazard the timeline for when you think all these issues can be resolved?
I don’t, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t… you see, you are doing supposition, I don’t do supposition. We work our way through that. And I do not do that. Where you’re talking about human interest. What we can do is to ensure that we go ahead, slowly but surely you get to a destination.
and then