PDP remains the best option to rescue Nigeria —Adekola

Honourable Segun Alexander Adekola represents Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1 in the House of Representatives. In this interview with BODE ADEWUMI, he speaks on the developments in Ekiti State and in Nigeria generally. Excerpts:

 

WHAT would you say about the developments in Ekiti State, especially the upcoming governorship election and the allegation by Governor Ayo Fayose said that former Governor Kayode Fayemi and a former commissioner were blocking the money that was supposed to be paid to the state?

Let me make it clear that Ekiti is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state and we are going to come out victorious. Fayose has done so well and he has the grass-roots support base. He has done well for the people of Ekiti State, such that if election is held today, we will win by a landslide. If anybody is ranting, it will only be in futility.  It will become a futile effort for them [All Progressives Congress] because there is no tangible thing they have done in Ekiti State that can make them win election. Is the APC on ground in Ekiti? The answer is no.  And Fayemi blocking the money meant for civil servants by going to court on an issue that affects the welfare of workers and others is an act of sabotage. He is an enemy of progress. Because he has failed, he cannot come back to Ekiti State and say he wants to contest. If he comes today, he will meet his political waterloo. He is just looking for cheap popularity or a way to drown the state, since he knows he cannot come back to govern the state again.

 

Governorship aspirants in the PDP have been kicking against the endorsement of the deputy governor of Ekiti State, Professor Olusola Eleka, as party’s candidate for the 2018 governorship election. What is your view on the chances of the deputy governor?

Talking about the candidature of Eleka, he is going to win by a landslide. Talking about all the contestants, he is the best. I am in total support of Eleka, a man without blemish, a very intelligent personality and a young, vibrant man. He is going to propel the wheel of Ekiti to greater heights.

 

What would you say about the allegation that Fayose deliberately didn’t want to pay the workers in the state?

You have said it, it is an allegation. That is a fallacy and a fictitious story cooked up by enemies of progress. Fayose is always thinking of how to ameliorate the suffering of the people of Ekiti State and how to improve on their welfare. If Fayose had the opportunity of borrowing money anywhere, he would borrow just to offset the salary arrears of the workers. He has said he will not go out of government as a debtor and I believe him for his word; he will not go as a debtor.

 

Recently, Obasanjo wrote Buhari as well as APC condemning both PDP and APC. He called on the president not to constest the 2019 presidential election. How do you see the statement and the reactions that trailed it?

Any reasonable person will not take Obasanjo seriously. The same Obasanjo when he was the president of Nigeria wanted to truncate the constitution by seeking a third term. If he had succeeded, he will still be the president of Nigeria till date. But he failed and he saw the legislature as the reason behind his failure, which is why he has always been at loggerheads with the legislature since that time. You remember he said we are the highest paid legislative arm in Africa. What did he do when he was there? Let me tell you, no sane person will take him seriously, because he brought [Umaru Musa] Yar’ Adua, [Goodluck] Jonathan and Buhari. Even though people complained about the health of Yar’ Adua, he brought him and said he was the best. The same OBJ brought Jonathan and when he couldn’t achieve his objective, he became his enemy and he said he was not for Goodluck again. The same OBJ tore his PDP card and supported Buhari and because he couldn’t realise all his objectives, he is saying he is not for Buhari again.  Let him go and rest and leave the stage for younger men.

But aside Obasanjo’s meddlesomeness, everything he analysed in the statement was germane, because the ruling government has failed Nigerians and every right-thinking person knows this. The life of an average Nigerian is worse off now than at any other time. What the former president said in the statement are things everybody is aware of. In any case, what he did was to give it a wider proof that Nigeria and Nigerians are in trouble.

But he maligned the PDP, said the APC was not holding sway and said that the two parties are no longer good. The question, however, is where he will get the people for the third force? Is it not the same people that are migrating from the other two parties? Are they not the same politicians that have been ruling Nigeria? APC, as of today, has 80 per cent of those defecting from the PDP, even their ministers are mostly people that were formerly in the PDP and that also include the Senate President and governors. If any party is formed tomorrow, it is still the same people from APC and the PDP that will be there, so will that change anything? In my view, the devil you know is better than the angel you have not seen. This PDP that we have known, which ruled Nigeria effectively and efficiently, is the best. We implore all and sundry; the good citizens of Nigeria that they should put in their cards for the PDP. PDP is still the best party in Nigeria. They should abandon APC, the party has failed us. When you compare what we have five years ago and what we have now, that of five years ago is still better.

You can imagine how the party has been deceiving Nigerians over the war against Boko Haram. One day, they will say the sect has been defeated; the next day, they will say it is a technical defeat. The party is inconsistent. That is why I back the recent position of Governor Fayose that the Federal Government should not remove $1 billion on the pretense of wanting to fight Boko Haram. The same Boko Haram the government claimed had been defeated. It is all a ruse; they want to spend that money for other things; so, I support Governor Fayose’s position that we have Hunger Haram in Ekiti, so we need money to also fight hunger.  The Federal Government should give Ekiti State its share of that $1 billion; we can use it judiciously to arrest hunger in our state.

 

Are you not afraid that INEC will not conduct a free and fair election in 2019 and even the Ekiti  and Osun elections; are you not afraid they will be partial?

They may choose to be fair or partial, but any how they do it, we are going to win the election in Ekiti State. They can only rig where they have the majority, but we have the majority in the state and we are ready for them. The people of Ekiti are much ready for them; they cannot rig us out. We are watching and the international community is watching, observers all over the world are watching and the Ekiti people are very much alert.

 

What would you say about the general election?

PDP is going to be at the helm of affairs in 2019, because people are tired of the APC. In 2019, we are going to have a PDP member as the president, PDP governors all over the states and a majority in the National Assembly.

 

Let’s talk about Fayose’s desire to contest for the presidency in 2019, which the PDP has zoned to the North. What do you think will happen?

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria supercedes any zoning arrangement. The constitution of Nigeria says anybody from any part of Nigeria, who has what it takes and meets all the constitutional requirement can contest. Fayose meets the entire constitutional requirements, so he can contest. The onus now lies on the people or the party to put their votes where appropriate. He is qualified to contest and I am backing him up.

 

Will you update us on the activities in the House of Representatives, particularly your committee, the assignments you have undertaken in the past few months.

My committee is doing well. Being the chairman of the House committee on Youth Development, we are working assiduously to ameliorate the sufferings of our youths. We are working tirelessly to make sure that the welfare of the youth is catered for.

 

You have said as a politician and a human being that you will still aspire for a position. Can you tell us the direction you will be going in 2019?

I am a political animal. I am in the National Assembly now; I will still come back or even go higher.