No other candidate for Oyo North senatorial seat matches Akande-Adeola —Aolalubarika

Alhaji Taofiq Sakariyya Aolalubarika is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Special Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara. In this interview with Bolatito Abolade, he speaks on the 2019 election and the chances of PDP in Oyo State, among other issues. Excerpts:

What is the state of PDP in Oyo State, especially now that Senator Rashidi Ladoja has dumped the party for ADC?

Well, Senator Rashidi Ladoja is a former governor. At the same time, he is a grass-roots politician. He, however, left the party for reasons best known to him. He left and other people came into the PDP and more are still coming. Now, we have peace in the party and the party is waxing stronger everyday by God’s grace. We have our target and we are planning for 2019 general election. In a nutshell, we have peace in the PDP.

Is the PDP viable enough to wrest power from the ruling APC?

Yes. Going by factors that determine success in elections, one can see that people are tired of the All Progressives Congress (APC), not only in the South-West but also nationally. Cases of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, attest to the fact that APC would be defeated at all levels in the 2019 elections. The electorate have even pitched their tent with the PDP and they are looking forward to the party in presenting popular and acceptable candidates for various elective offices in 2019.

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If you sample opinions, the electorate will prefer PDP to APC in all ramifications. If I am to score and predict the chances of APC and other parties in the next election in Oyo State, I won’t give more than 29 per cent to the APC. I will give 25 per cent to all the minority parties, including the ADC, while the remaining 46 per cent will go to the PDP.

It is interesting to note that some of the minority political parties will still join the PDP. In a couple of days and weeks, PDP will welcome parties and politicians from the ruling APC into its fold.

An alarm was recently raised over imposition of candidates for PDP primaries. Do you see this as a threat to the chances of the party in Oyo North senatorial district?

PDP is known for a transparent internal democracy. The constitution stipulates that where you can have a consensus candidate, then go ahead. Again, where opinions vary as a result of dissatisfaction with consensus candidature, the primaries is the last resort. In the light of this, there is nobody that can impose any candidate on the party. The worst that can happen is for all the aspirants to exercise their franchise by going to primaries. Whatever we get out of primaries, we know such candidates are those we are presenting at the general election.

There is the allegation that the party has a preferred candidate for the Oyo North senatorial slot. Is this true?

Anyway, that is characteristic of human being. We have permanent interest. My leader, Honourable Mulikat Akande-Adeola, is contesting for the Oyo North senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP. There is no doubt about that. What you said is not far from reality. It is non-negotiable to say that Honourable Akande-Adeola deserves the ticket. She has been a loyal party member. She joined the PDP in 1998 and she still remains in the party, even after 20 years. Unlike many politicians who could be likened to chameleons, her story is different. Her opponent in the primaries, Dr Salawudeen, just joined the party in February this year, perhaps he’s only coming out for awareness, as he has never been into politics before. Our party is strategically planning for the general election and we must not fold our arms because the electorate are watching the credibility of all the likely candidates.

Our state chairman, Chief Kunmi Mustapha, I believe, will stand right and show no favouritism to any of the aspirants. This is the party he also suffered for before he became the chairman so he will not want anything to destroy the party. No member of the executive, including the chairman, will work against the victory of the party in 2019. We are together and resolute to wrest power from the APC.

Do you think Honourable Akande-Adeola is qualified and competent to be a senator?

Honestly speaking, I am not talking about PDP alone. Generally, in Oyo North Senatorial District, I have not seen any other candidate that matches Honourable Akande-Adeola. Her political antecedents really speak for her. She was in the House of Representatives for eight consecutive years. Her performances at the National Assembly, her achievements at Ogbomoso South, Ogbomoso North and Oriire Federal Constituency, among others, stand her tall among the other contenders within and outside the party.

In fact, she is not going there as a senator alone. She will, indeed, be one of the principal officers at Senate. I don’t want to be specific about which office it is going to be. She will not be an ordinary member of the Senate. Above all, she is a consummate lawyer of repute.

What is your message to the statutory delegates of the PDP preparatory to the primaries and the electorate ahead of 2019 general election?

My message to the delegates is that they should open their eyes very well. They should not go by money politics. They should go for acceptable and popular candidates who will be marketable to raise the PDP flags. Though the APC has disappointed Nigerians, our success still depends on the  credibility and acceptability of candidates presented by the PDP. I mean the candidates that can really deliver.