Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, a lawyer, former commissioner in Kwara State and Chief Whip in the state House of Assembly, is the current chairman of the state PDP. He speaks to BIOLA AZEEZ on the challenges in PDP, ongoing moves to reposition the party for future elections. Excerpts:
WHAT has been happening since PDP again lost the governorship election in Kwara state?
We went through an election in Kwara and we failed. We failed because we were not united. We were fighting a sitting government, and the weapon we could have used against them was unity of purpose. That, we lost completely. About 13 people wanted to be governor in our party. And we made a lot of efforts to bring them together, provided a platform of unity, so that we would bring the most formidable of them to face the incumbent governor. But, our people had a mentality, a PDP mentality, that once you had the PDP ticket, you were already a success. So, all of them were struggling for this ticket; they were never thinking that you could have a ticket and still lose general election in PDP.
Well, that might be excused, because PDP prior to that time had never lost any national election. So, our people that wanted to be governor fought bitterly. It was a bitter struggle; the type that you would never envisage would be in a family of a political party. We didn’t behave as a family. And when one eventually even emerged, some of those contestants simply walked away. Some of them went straight back to APC as if they were sent to come and destroy the chances of the PDP. Some that didn’t go away pretended to be with us and at the end of the day, they urged their supporters to vote for APC in the election. Some were even following us among them with the belief that they be part of the presidential money that may come for election; that they would have a share to recoup their losses during primaries. So, at the end of the day, it was like a party divided among four basic groups. I cannot see how such a party could have achieved victory. So, that’s the main reason we lost that election.
Even those people that won the primaries were already behaving as if they were in government. So, they made reconciliation impossible. When you ask them that you are not yet a governor, they were already thinking of what they would do against those that were against them in the primaries, even while we were still running election. How can you make it in such a situation? So, that was why we lost the election.
But after the election, I now sat down after I discovered that there were so many things that had to be put in place if we must move forward. You know after losing an election, there might be various options. One is, do you abandon the party and say this is the end of the struggle? That’s one option. Two is, can you just travel away and face your business and when you make some little money, you come back maybe, a year to election and then start to make the struggle again?
Another option would be, let us repackage the party and make it an instrument that can win elections. Well, I opted for the third one. To rebrand PDP in Kwara is a Herculean task for some reasons. One is that PDP in Kwara is made up of garrison commanders; people that have no respect for the structure of the party. They hoodwinked some people in the party to be their followers and they maintained that dedicated followership not because of their superior ideas, ideology or principle, but with material gains or possessions they have. Some of them may have money here and there; they may buy such items like clothing, rice, or ram during Ileya or other festivals, and because of the level of poverty in the society, they were able to maintain that followership. So, you can’t move forward with that kind of people. That was my first hurdle. How do we tame the garrison commanders was the greatest burden. They have influence, exposure, money and if you want to tame them they would react. So, that’s still the greatest problem. Nevertheless, I decided to surmount it.
But, who are these garrison commanders? Majority of them were those that contested governorship election. They believe that having contested the governorship election as aspirants, they were already maybe, recognised leaders in their own rights, even if they have nothing within the structure. They act like they can pocket the party and the chairman, which I have resisted. So, they resorted to blackmail.
It is more than eight months after the general election? What specific steps have you taken to reposition the Kwara PDP?
Now, I decided to take the party back to the people. I and my executive embarked on local government meetings for about six weeks, meeting with party members in 16 local government areas of the state after the elections. I was able to sell new ideas of holding fortnight meetings at ward and local government levels, and to also form committees so that talents that are not available in their various executives at various structures can be in such committees to give them a sense of belonging. I also told them the need for Stakeholders Forum in wards, local government and state levels. This is to attract people people with wisdom, intellectual capacity, exposure, experience and money in the forum. When the party has one problem or the other at various levels, these people will be able to solve them.
I also told them the need to get prepared for 2016 local government election in the state. Well, many people raise doubts of our chances in the election with the state independent electoral body, and I said the people that are there now claim to be fighting corruption. Corruption is not in form of stealing money alone. It should also include things like electoral corruption. Provided we are able to seriously mobilise our people, raise high level of political awareness, and get the committed to what we represent, we can make a difference in local government election. And by and large, this was well accepted by 16 local government chapters of our party, and they are prepared. We also told them about being financial members of the party in order to be real members. They’ll be recognised; they will be able to vote and be voted for.
What are the other core problems facing the state PDP?
We are not without problems. The first one is from those people I call garrison commanders. They feel they are above the party and so, they don’t want to participate in the affairs of the party unless they pocket the chairman. But, my problem with these garrison commanders is that none of them is above me. So, I don’t see why they think they can pocket me. Is it knowledge, political experience? They are used to having chairmen they can pocket. Mine is so strange to them. The second challenge arises from the first one as in if they don’t have opportunity as part of us or to boss us, they can also campaign to others not to even move near us. So, they engage in blackmail against my leadership. And we have financial challenges arising from all these. They won’t give you assistance and I will be left to look for money here and there, including seriously bleeding myself at times to sustain the party. But, we thank God. There’s practically, no money. That’s the problem. If we have money, in fact, I can tell you that this place would be too stuffy for the people in government, because they have a lot to explain to the people of the state. And we need to tell the people what they should expect from a government they elected.
Last week, some of the garrison commanders were on radio castigating my leadership. They say they don’t want me to continue as chairman of the party thinking that having been elected last year, and there’s a congress next year March, that I must compulsorily vacate my seat and other executive members. But, I refer them to the PDP Constitution. In our party, you are elected for four years. Why will my own be different? They should be patient till the end of my four years. They are trying to cause crisis so that Abuja national headquarters may say it will dissolve the party’s EXCO in the state. It doesn’t work like that. They are people, who could be used even by the people in government. Surely, the people in government wouldn’t want a vibrant opposition.
What makes the present leadership of the paryty distinct from the past ones?
On our part as leaders, we’ve been accountable and transparent in our financially dealings in the party. That’s about what we’ve been doing and we hope that people will get to witness the result of the efforts in due course. I also established a unique radio interactive programme every Thursday on Harmony FM, where leaders of the party go to talk to the people of Kwara, particularly our members. It has been a serious challenge to those in authority, as they have also established a counter-programme so that whatever we say, they clarify to their members. We have done all these, but we plan to do more for a proper foundation for future. We didn’t have that proper foundation when we came in and we didn’t behave as a political party when we contested the last election. But now, we are rebuilding to achieve a level of unity.
Talking again, about garrison commanders, you and some members of your executive were accused of romancing with one of the governorship aspirants in last election when you were expected to be neutral. What do you have to say about this?
Yes, I think they have that notion that I had my preference among the contenders. Well, during the governorship contest, I had my preference, especially for Dele Belgore. It was not for any other thing but for the fact that even looking and gathering public opinion, people thought that’s the person they could vote for. I’m a chairman that mixes with people and know the views and opinions of Ilorin people, Kwara South and North people. People would even be saying to me: if you want to win just put Dele Belgore. It was not because I have ever tested the man. But, I only wanted to win election. I was for him. But, I didn’t manipulate anything for him. I didn’t change anybody’s delegates’ list for him. The only thing I did for Dele was that anywhere I had influence, I told them vote for Dele. I would not be the first political leader to do that. And when Belgore couldn’t make it as it went to Senator Simeon Ajibola, I shifted to Ajibola. I even persuaded my friends to donate money for his campaign. And even in the election we did, my own local government election result was the best for PDP in the state; better than that of the candidate. Even if I was for a particular candidate, that was the primaries. When somebody emerged, it becomes the party’s candidate. I couldn’t have worked against the party, which I didn’t do, like his so called friends did in the elections.
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