Our APC group in court to challenge last charade called congress—Oki

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Honourable Fouad Oki speaks to LANRE ADEWOLE on recent developments in his party and the polity, among others.

Your group is left out of consideration for offices in Lagos State chapter of the party. You are in court in a landmark constitutional matter. What are your expectations going forward?

Our group is not bothered about the shenanigans going on, on the issue of party offices. It is very clear that the charade called congresses cannot stand. We are in court on these constitutional breaches and basking in the triumph of the court’s earlier decision in the matter of 20/57 local governments.

In some state chapters, there was power sharing arrangement for inclusion. We thought that would hold for all states with factions. But Lagos chapter was given solely to the Senator Bola Tinubu group. Is the national leadership discounting dissenting voices in the state?

My brother there is nothing like power sharing arrangement anywhere. It is just a way to deceive people and play on their gullibility. No state was given to anybody. Those who are laughing now will regret where they will find themselves when the time comes. In just a few weeks from now, you will come back to tell me that I was right.

At a time like this when APC has driven itself into a hole that may collapse on its head, which of the men jostling to lead the party would you say ticks the rescuer box, going by their records?

The party has shot itself in the leg by the way it conducted the last congresses. It is very obvious now that implosion is imminent in our party and unless well-meaning leaders of the party urgently move in to save it or a repeat of the 2013/2014 experience of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) will play out.

Have you foreclosed the possibility of peace in Lagos APC, even now that the leader of the party in the state, Senator Tinubu is seeking the presidency?

There cannot be peace where there is no justice. Equity and fairness precede peace.  You don’t foreclose possibility of peace in any environment where people are concerned. However, those who are playing god in Lagos are not willing to have peace in the political spectrum of the state, including the governor.  He has forgotten to learn any lessons from the past. We are here to watch them dissect themselves in due course.

I do not want to put you on the spot, but you are a major political force in Nigeria and I am compelled to ask who your presidential pick is among Tinubu, VP Yemi  Osinbajo and Ekiti governor, Kayode Fayemi?

I do not have any yet. Let us wait till they all publicly declare their interests in the office. I don’t count my chickens before they are hatched.

Lagos ruling establishment, which you used to belong, is being derided as being poor in vote delivery, always returning less than a million presidential votes in every election cycle. Why is this so?

The results of elections delivered over the years have been so due to many factors which I won’t go into now. This is not the time to discuss the issue, else some people would think that I am trying to patronise.

I know you are still in APC, but the 2023 gubernatorial election in Lagos is going to be beyond political party platforms. If it ends up being Jide V Jide, I mean Jandor in PDP V Jide Sanwoolu of APC, please speak on their individual chances?

Again, I won’t discuss that. It is a bridge, when we get there we shall cross it. My prayer is for them to test our will. They will know who the master of the game is. Just wait and see.