As one of the several aspirants angling to become the boss of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Taoheed Adedoja has his plans laid out. The Oyo State politician spoke with Deputy Editor, LEON USIGBE, on his vision for the party and more. Excerpts
How would you describe the state of the PDP in Oyo State at the moment?
Oyo State PDP presently is trying to come together on a common front and if you recall, there was a meeting last Wednesday of stakeholders in Oyo State at Wadata Plaza (PDP national secretariat). From the feelers we got from the meeting, there was a way forward in terms of coming together to form a cohesive party. And I think we are on the way to that and that is a prelude to what the national secretariat is doing. I think we are on the way.
There are speculations that former Oyo State governors Rasheed Ladoja and Alao Akala may be returning to PDP? They were represented at the meeting you spoke of. Can we attach seriousness to that speculation?
Naturally, if there’s a meeting and somebody sends a representative, the body language is there, there is a signal that the person is interested in this thing, the overtures being made and also attaches seriousness to it. Also, remember that these two persons are not being wooed to come and join the party. The party is wooing them to come back to join the family they belong to. So, there is that thing that you know is right. And I believe that they will consider the move. But all I know personally is that if such a thing is happening, it shouldn’t be given too much prominence as it is because it is under discussion. Remember these people belong to their parties and the party is wooing them at the same time. The parties they are in are also saying they want them to remain. At the end of the day, I am sure they will take the right decision. And I believe strongly that the right decision will be for them to come back to the fold that they belong to.
How do you avoid the sort of thing that gave rise to their exit from PDP this time if indeed they return to the party?
Remember some of the challenges that the party had were the issue of impunity, the issue of injustice, was the issue of imposition of candidates and I believe that with the (Ahmed) Makarfi’s caretaker committee, that is the kind of repositioning it is working on, that is the kind of repositioning that the party aims at in the next convention of the party. I strongly believe that we have learnt our lesson and that lesson is that if we do anything that is contrary to the constitution of the party, if we do anything that is contrary to the wishes of the people, the wishes of members of the party, the forefathers of the party, those that built the party from when the party was established, then we are in for it. And you know when you are beaten twice, then you learn a lesson. It is not just once beaten, this is twice beaten. And twice beaten? I think that is serious enough for the party to have learnt a lesson. And I believe that at the next national convention of the party, there is going to be a level playing ground for all contestants for any of the executive positions in the party. I strongly believe that we look forward to our convention that everybody will exercise his or her right to vote, his or her right to contest for any election that he or she desires.
Both former governors left PDP to further their governorship ambitions elsewhere but they did not realise the ambition and were left out in the cold. Do you think they too have a lesson to learn from jumping out of the PDP in the first place?
No, I don’t think so. Overtures are being made to them and they are considering the overtures and that is what the stage is. By the time they made up their minds, they a going to make it public for Nigerians to know.
You don’t believe that they made a mistake leaving the party because they failed to achieve their ambitions in their new parties?
Their leaving the party was not a mistake at all. Remember politics is about circumstances, it is about circumstances of that time. New circumstances will dictate their coming back and when they do, they will now re-examine their positions in terms of membership of the party. I want you to know that joining a party, building a party is not necessarily about personal ambition. It’s about serving the people through a platform. Once you want to serve the people through a platform, then the situation that time will determine what positions you will key into. And I think that’s exactly what is happening about their case. It’s not a question of they being angry and leaving the party, but the circumstances at that time, compelled them to do so.
Now, these are two strong characters, individuals that are strong willed. They have not rejoined the party. If they do, do you think they can work together to have a cohesive party?
Definitely. PDP has been a cohesive, united, one strong party in this country, but like I said, mistakes were made, we are trying to correct the mistakes. PDP will come out stronger than when it went into the crisis. You can see the clamor for people who left the party wanting to come back into the party and that is going to make it an even more cohesive party than the pre-crisis period.
The national chairmanship post has been zoned to the South, but the South West seems to say it must have it. Why should it go to the South West when it is meant for all South?
Well, personally, as a respected member of the party, I don’t want to jump the gun because nobody has announced that any position has been zoned to anywhere. There hasn’t been anything official from the party and I want to go by what is official. But I want you to know that in terms of permutations, in terms of arrangements, in terms of what is on ground, that there is every likelihood from all indications, from body language from political arrangements, political permutations that the national chairman will be zoned to the south. If it is zoned to the south, it is natural that the party has made that right decision because the party wants to win election. And if it goes to the south, naturally, we know that from history that the South West had never produced the national chairman. But that doesn’t mean.
If by the wisdom of the party, the party believes that it should go to the south, anybody interested there should go and compete for the position. That is my own position. Go round the country and test yourself. If a position is zoned to the south and you believe you are qualified, eminently qualified, go to the 36 states of the federation and convince them. If I am from the South West, I am able to convince them that I am from Oyo State, I am from the South West, they should come to me for two reasons, I will say they should come to me for two reasons. One, it should come to me as Professor Adedoja that is qualified, I should occupy the position from the South West because South West is in the south, I should also occupy that position because I have fulfilled the constitutional requirement of the party because it is zoned to the south.
But I tell you, we have to be very serious about this position in this country. If the position goes to the South West and it is announced blanket just for South West, there is a possibility that I may not even go to the South or South East to canvass for votes. This is a national position. Anybody that aspires to that position should be encouraged to see it as a national position in terms of political calculations. Because, first of all, we want to get the best from any of the zones of this country. And remember, naturally, without prejudice to the constitution that will be approved because there is a proposal for two national deputy chairmen, when the proposal is ratified, it is going to come with two deputy national chairmen, one from the north, one for the south. So, if a position of the chairman is zoned to the south and the deputy chairman is in the south, it is left to the discretion of the leaders in the south to say “look, in order to rationalise this, this will go to this.” And we also have to be very careful in terms of zoning and sub-zoning because we want the best in that zone.
I’ll be happy if this position is zoned to the south, let anybody in the South go and compete for the position if you are sure of yourself. It is the people that will determine that this position is desired by the South West because it has not had it. But you need to convince people. You don’t get it on a platter of gold. So, you need to convince people. Everybody knows.
Even at the national convention, I want to assure you that it is not possible, it is going to be a Herculean task for any delegate to vote a national chairman that is outside South West. But it is open. Let people go out and compete. Personally, that is my position and with this, also, whenever, it is zoned, I feel very qualified to contest and I am going to contest for the position.
What are the qualities you are bringing into the race.
PDP at this level has been involved in a lot of scheming, a lot of challenges, a lot of problems and I have never been part of the problems of PDP. PDP requires a person that is visionary, that is energetic, that has not been involved in…all the places I have worked in the public service, as a teacher, as an administrator, as an academic, as a scholar, I have not been found wanting in terms of responsibilities. And I believe that the PDP as political party in order to reposition itself, will require a leader that is accepted and acceptable in all parts of Nigeria and that is where I stand out. I am from Ibadan, I am from Oyo State, but I have lived substantial part of my life in northern Nigeria, substantial part of my life in the South South, particularly in Delta State where I schooled for four years. So, I see myself as a kind of new breed, as a bridge builder that the party needs at this time. Even when I have been a member of the party for years, I have not been known to violate the party’s constitution. I have been a party person. I have been a team leader in the party and I have very good grass root support. So, that’s why I see myself qualified to occupy that position.
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