Aggrieved by the inability of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Working Committee (NWC) to retain power, Senator Nnamdi Eriobuna, in this encounter, joins other members of the party calling for a new leadership that will direct the affairs of the party and ensure victory in the next general elections.
What is your view about the style of politics played in the South-West, when compared to that of the South-East?
I so much admire the late sage, Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo’s style of politics. He started way back in the 40s and was very consistent. He followed a defined track in his political career as a progressive and a modified socialist. He was consistent, and remained in opposition throughout his political career. He never rocked the boat to join the winning team. So, that consistency is what I admire in the politics of the South-west political zone. Secondly, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has followed the same line. When he started, he had only Lagos State and was consistent. Even when his brother from the South-west, former President Olusegun Obasanjo denied him his local government allocation for many months, he carried all through. He never considered joining the winning party to sail with them. From one state, he had more states. He re-strategised and today, he is the leader of the ruling party.
This type of politics is what I admire. Not the butter and bread politics played by most of our people. When they go for primaries and fail to get nominated, they jump into another party to contest. The next time, they are not lucky enough, they go back to the other party. This act is what I call ‘political prostitution’, and should not be encouraged by Ndigbo. Regrettably, one of them openly referred to political party as a vehicle that takes you to your destination.
Is that the perception of politics of most of your people?
I am one of those that believe that now that we have thrown a bloc vote for a party, let the world and Nigerians know us as people that are consistent and that we belong to that party. With that, our bargaining power will be more. And when our bargaining power is more, we get more from powers that be, because anybody who wants to contest election and needs our votes, would know that our votes are in a bloc. But if we share it here and there, it doesn’t make sense.Probably, and that is why most Nigerians take us for granted. For instance, immediately the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat, many jumped to APC even before the governorship and state Assembly elections were held. You heard he said recently that his close friends had left him. Which is not encouraging in all ramifications.
Again, if President Jonathan had won the election, then Gen. Buhari might not be too offended with the way the South-west voted. Because if you looked at it, they never gave a bloc votes to any candidate. Their votes were shared among all the candidates.
But, there is one place I disagree with those that say the Igbo has lost out because of the pattern in which they voted.
They are saying that because they know, a good number of Igbo politicians love to jump to where the action is. Why didn’t they say that Kano State, Kastina State, Jigawa State will lose out because they voted one candidate? That did not ring any bell in their ears, it is only the Igbo, because they know the Igbo man can be very inconsistent.
What we are preaching now is: let us forget the immediate gain and work for a defined ideology and a party that agrees with our thinking. By the time we work with a party whose constitution blends well with our aspiration, then we would have started.
What is your view on the controversy trailing the amendment of the Constitution?
I believe the Constitution needs to be amended. I also believe that the Buhari will look into the reports of the last National Conference, because most of the decisions taken are in the best interest of the country. But if he decides to sweep it under the carpet, he will be prolonging the evil day, meaning that the problems will remain.
But do you think the court action against the National Assembly was right?
Constitutionally, the National Assembly is vested with the power to amend the Constitution, but whether the Presidency assents to the Bill or not, it is the responsibility of the National Assembly to make laws. The President must have a reason for declining to assent to it, which I believe will be backed by the Constitution. Don’t forget, he has quite a number of legal luminaries in his team. His reason would be unveiled by the Supreme Court and not himself.
What is the chances of the Igbo in the new government in terms of power sharing and appointments?
In the last dispensation, the Yoruba, were not Senate President, neither were they Speaker of the House of Representatives, not Deputy Senate President or Deputy Speaker. If that is the case, what is the big deal whether we are schemed out or not? I always hate when people start saying zone this or that to us. Zoning anything, is for people with selfish interest. We the Igbo have produced many Senate Presidents, what did they do for us? Nothing! It is only their pockets! They earned their salaries and ran their own affairs.
Let anybody that has the interest of this great country at heart be there – tribe and tongue notwithstanding. The tribe that holds a particular position does not make much difference because it is the President and governors that determine who gets what. But all the ministerial positions we are clamouring for, have huge limitation on the people. The Minister carries out orders of the executive council headed by the President. And if that is the case, he carries the instruction set out by his boss and he reports back to him. I want to believe those clamouring for ministerial zoning are very selfish people. They are only thinking of personal gains and not that of greater majority of the people.
So, why are some Igbo leaders fighting over ministerial appointments?
It is very unfortunate. I believe the party should get names, screen them, and bring out the best. The two people fighting themselves over where the constituency the ministerial appointment will go to, are just wasting their time because those that will take the decision will eventually take decisions.
In ministerial appointments, every state is entitle to a slot. Three names were submitted, it is the prerogative of the President and the leaders of the party to decide who is better qualified for the position. For people killing themselves and fighting over it, it is selfish and it will not have effect on whom the President would want to work with.
Aside that, how would you rate the performance of the National Working Committee of the PDP at the elections?
All over the world, I have listened to news about party chieftains and chairmen resigning because of one challenge or the other due to dismal performance of the party.
I was expecting that after the just concluded elections, the way the PDP lost in some places, would have made members of the working committee to apologise to the party and honourably resign which is the norm everywhere in the world. But in our own case, people are struggling to get into power while others are saying they won’t should resign because they have done their bits. It shows that the working committee are there for pecuniary interest. I believe having performed the way we did, The PDP needs a radical reorganisation that will get a new crop of politicians. Because the NWC worked on what was obtained before the just concluded election. The dynamics of the polity from 1999 – 2015 was well defined and known. But the dynamics that will take place between now and 2019 have not been determined. So we need a new crop of politicians that will quickly understudy the dynamism that would manifest in 2019, knowing how to key into it and achieve results.
Do you think the PDP is ready to put the new government on its toes as the opposition?
Why not! We are prepared to take that charge. Look at what happened during the primaries, the members of the working committee said during the primaries that the governors were imposing people. If I am in such a position, and a governor is trying to impose a delegate, I will definitely make him see the popular view and if he insists, I will put in my resignation!
Was that not the genesis of what led to the party’s poor performance at the last elections?
Those people should have resigned immediately they saw that things were not done rightly. But because Nigerians are so interested in power and what comes out of it, they tend to stay put. I believe you can still exist without those incentives that comes with positions. So my blame is that those that complained about governors imposition would have resigned before it turned out this way. By now, people would have been calling them back to head the position due to their uncompromising character. The PDP will stand as the best opposition and very constructive. We have people that will deliver. It is for our party to reorganise, restructure, re-orientate and have specific plan on where they are going and how they will get there without being antagonistic.
What is your advice for President Buhari?
We know he already has a focus, and he knows what he wants to do when he is on board, but I will urge him to see Nigeria as his constituency and look at the report of the National Conference critically to bring out all those things that will foster the development of this country and implement them. He should build on President Jonathan’s achievements.
By Yinka Ajayi
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