Yoruba presidency can only materialise if —Karounwi, APC South-West spokesman

Honourable Oladapo Karounwi, a former deputy speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and current publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-West, tells ’YOMI AYELESO, in this interview, the situation in the party in the zone, politics of 2023 election and othery issues. Excerpts:

Recently, some leaders of the party in Ekiti State raised an alarm which suggested a deep crisis in the party. What is happening in the state chapter of the APC?

If we look at all the structures of the party in all the 36 states of the federation, I doubt if there can be one or two states that have a more unified system than Ekiti State. I want to tell you that there is no crisis in the Ekiti APC. I am the publicity secretary of the party in the region. We know states with issues; there was no any issue in the Ekiti chapter brought to us as executives of the zone. There are no factions but there are camps which, I believe, is normal in politics. For the purpose of emphasis, I will like to differentiate between faction and camp. When you have parallel structures, for instance during convention when you have different executives in ward, local government and state levels like we have it in Ekiti PDP now, that is faction. But now, we have a single structure in APC in all the 177 political wards in the state. We have only one structure in the local government and state executives. So, our party in Ekiti is cohesive, united and harmonious. However, there are camps, there are tendencies and this is common in all the political parties.

But, will you agree with me that there are leaders who are aggrieved and uncomfortable with the running of the party and government in the state?

There will always be aggrieved groups in any political parties because the very nature of politics is about contest for power and space. This is about contestation of ideas, camps and tendencies and don’t forget that when there are no contest, there is no political party. But, those out there who are not politicians, when they see tendencies and groups, they blow it out of proportion. Tell me any political environment that you will not have camps and tendencies, it is just normal.  For instance, if I want to be governor in 2022 and I feel that the present structures might not be favourable to me, I will be making moves to neutralise the structure to pave way for my people to be in the key positions so that I can realise my ambition. When Dr Kayode Fayemi purportedly lost the 2014 election, a set of people ganged up against the party executives across board under the aegis of the Ekiti  State Action Group of Nigeria. The same agitation they were putting out now were the same agitation they put out then, but they were not able to create parallel executives and at the end of the day, they bowed to the party supremacy. Perhaps, some of them want to contest in 2022 and they are doing everything to take over but I can tell you, they will bow to the party.

Don’t you think these issues might affect the chances of the party in 2022 governorship election in Ekiti?

Like I said, party politics is will about crisis and crisis management. When there is no crisis, it is no longer a political party. When you are looking for a perfect and harmonious political party, then you will get it in heaven. People will always agitate for power, patronage and other things. 2022 is a two-way thing. You look at your party and the crisis and also understand that the major political rivals maybe united. I just mentioned that the PDP, which could benefit from our issues, is currently in an emergency section in the teaching hospital and don’t forget they are in court. Who are the people challenging the Ekiti APC ahead the 2022? Mark my words, one of the factions in Ekiti PDP will work with our candidate in 2022 because the gulf between them is too deep. I know some people will also leave our party to work with the opposition but we will gain more and go into 2022 the of structures across the state.

Ahead the 2023 presidency, as the spokesman of the ruling party, do you think the South-West has a chance?

Our position as of today is that we want presidency in 2023. We believe it is our turn after the North must have completed its term. That is the position of our party in the South-West. However, it will not come on a platter of gold because the South-West does not have the number. If we go to the primaries today and other aspirants show interest from the North, it is going to be difficult. As you are aware, there is no legislation for zoning and it is not formally entrenched in our statue. It is just a convention and political arrangement and nobody can go to court asking for zoning. To that extent, the South-West can only produce president if the Northern zone that have the number goes to primary elections within the political parties and general election and listen to our plea and cede the presidency to us. That is the only condition. But if the APC northern leaders cede it to the South-West, it is not enough for us and that alone will not guarantee presidency for usbecause if PDP should pick its candidate from the North in 2023 and APC cedes to the South-West, that will not guarantee us the presidency because if you look at the voting pattern in the North, the masses there believe in ethnic loyalty than party loyalty.  So, don’t forget that the people in the North have been voting for PDP since 1999 before 2015 when  they voted for the APC. Except the leaders of the APC who will be loyal to the party, the masses will vote for the party that one of picks their own as candidate; that is the problem. The Yoruba presidency can only be guaranteed if the two major parties cede it to the South. I can assure you if they cede it to the south, APC will pick from the South-West and the PDP obviously from the South-East, leaving the North to decide and I can say that the South-west will win conveniently. In summary, we need the collective cooperation of the North in the parties to naturally concede to the South for us in the South -West to get it but if the two parties don’t agree, it will be ‘dangerous’ because we will be going to that election on a tight rope. APC might not want to lose the 2023 presidency and I believe the leaders would call a meeting where the dilemma will be thoroughly discussed. Don’t forget that both the PDP and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) collectively ceded the presidency to the South in 1998 and that was why we had Chief OlusegunObasanjo and Chief OluFalae.

Now, as I am talking to you, the PDP has come out to say that they lost power in 2015 because they made a strategic mistake of fielding a South-South person, Goodluck Jonathan against  APC’s Muhammadu Buhari and the reason. As of today, the PDP has never hidden their agenda about a Northern presidential candidate in 2023 and praying APC will make the strategic mistake they made in 2015 so that election will be like that of 2015. I am not sure my party will be so naïve to let what befell PDP in 2015 to befall us in 2023. The conditions are two to me; both parties should naturally cede to the South and the other is that the APC should agree to cede to South-West but we will continue to agitate because power is not served a la carte. If we are not agitating, they will not take us serious. We want to tell our brothers both in the PDP and the APC in the North that, in the interest of equity, stability and justice, power should be ceded to the South in 2023.

There are reports that the national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, and DrKayodeFayemi might be contesting the Presidency in 2023.  What is your take on this?

I may not be able to speak for our leader,AsiwajuTinubu, but I admire him as one of the finest leaders in the Yoruba nation. Let me tell you that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot give presidency to anyone. Our democracy has matured to the extent that you must follow your constitution to the letter. There is nowhere in the APC Constitution that one individual, be it the president or whoever that can donate presidency to anybody. There are laid-down procedures and it is going to be an open field. Persons who are interested will show interest and forms will be made available to whoever wants to contest and don’t forget the party must conduct primary as it is a requirement. President Buhari can only influence behind the scene. I have seen people speculating that Tinubu will be contesting but I don’t talk on speculation because the last I heard from him was that he is yet to take a decision about the 2023 election.

There are calls from some quarters that age should be a critical factor in determining the next president after Buhari.

It is even an aberration for anybody who is a septuagenarian, anybody who has attained the age of 70 to be aspiring to lead us in this modern time because they grew up under an analogue system. You can’t grow beyond your idea. It is only someone with digital brain that has what it takes to fix digital problem. In 2018, the major campaign point of the PDP was the age issue. As at that time, they thought Aminu Tambuwal will defeat Atiku Abubakar and used age to campaign against us that Buhari was too old. Unfortunately, when Atiku, another septuagenarian emerged their candidate, the age factor died a natural death. We would have had a serious problem in 2019 if the PDP had picked a younger candidate against Buhari but God saved us. The two were old. In 2023, any party will be taking a big risk by presenting a septuagenarian, either PDP or APC. I cannot support any man above 70 years to succeed President Buhari, I represent the face of generational shift in leadership. Those around 50 to 60 years should have the energy to drive some agenda in governance. We need those with good background, international connection, charisma and other qualities. Fayemi, one of the finest this generation has produced, is even qualified to be president anywhere like that.  When you are above 60 years, you can be a consultant, be a father to all. We must grow. Look at the British prime minister, French president, look at Botswana, they all have the energy to run around. Whenever I listen to vice-president Yemi Osibajo, Babatunde Fashola and Kayode Fayemi, I am always impressed.  When you see Fayemi speaking, you will see a man full of great ideas. I don’t have anything against Tinubu; it was his strategy that enabled the South-West to have the politics of progressivism in the country. I gave that to him.

Don’t you agree with those that say the South-West zone should approach 2023 with a unified front?

That is no longer politics and it will never happen. If we present someone in our party, will the PDP members in the zone agree with us? I laugh when people say that the South-West should present a candidate and I want to ask them, when in history did the entire race united for a candidate? If it did not happen in the past when political sophistication was not like this; it will be difficult now.  If by tomorrow, Governor Fayemi decides that he will be contesting for the presidency, he will get the ticket. There has never been a time a zone will be asked to present a candidate. If by tomorrow now, Governor Fayemi decides to contest, that will not stop me from contesting as well. If I am not competent to contest for presidencyat 56-57 years, is it when I am 70 years that I will contest? If he will be contesting, has that stopped me from expressing my intention too?  The way people are speculating about Tinubu and Fayemi shows that both of them have nationaloutlook and clout.

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