What are the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win back Plateau State and reclaim the presidency in 2023?
There is no cause for alarm. Plateau is a PDP state. It has never lost an election on the Plateau. Governor [Simon] Lalong won the 2015 governorship election as a result of the protest against (former Governor Jonah Jang). So he won through protest votes. I also want you to know that the PDP has never lost a presidential election in Plateau State since the beginning of this dispensation. Even though Lalong is an incumbent governor, let me be categorical that he is not popular as far as I am concerned. He often leans on one form of protest or the other to win elections. Also, what the PDP in the state has done over the years cannot be replicated by any government. The eight years of the PDP cannot be compared with the eight years of the APC. The enduring physical projects executed by Jonah Jang and the PDP administration are still feasible to date and dot every nook and cranny of the state. Plateau people are currently enraged that the APC has done nothing to help the state.
From all indications, Governor Lalong occupies a vantage position to ensure that his political party wins the gubernatorial and presidential elections…
(Cuts in). The power of incumbency has no role to play in this contest. If you remember, Jang was an incumbent governor, but failed to install a successor, likewise former Governor Joshua Dariye. The power of incumbency has never worked in Plateau State. So, our people don’t consider this as a factor for winning elections. What determines the outcome of any election is performance. The fact that he is the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council can’t give him victory in both the governorship and presidential elections in Plateau State. Unfortunately, for him, he has not been able to tackle even local issues. When he came in, he said he was governor’s alert, but the alert has stopped and the government is owing the workers and pensioners.
But your party, PDP, is presently embroiled in a deep crisis at the national level and the unfortunate development is taking its toll on members. Don’t you think this might affect the chance of your party winning the 2023 presidential election?
There is no crisis in the PDP. What we have is politics. Precisely, there is no faction and no political grouping. The issues at stake, which you referred to as a crisis, are just minor misunderstandings. When people have minor misunderstandings, this does not translate into a crisis. Some people want their voices to be heard. The crisis in the APC is more than our own. We have heard of allegations and counter allegations against the National Chairman of APC. There are many allegations on the ground which may tear the party apart if not properly handled. So the PDP issue is nothing. I can assure you that everyone will work for the party and its presidential candidate. What is happening is that some people are saying we want you to adjust your programme to accommodate us. Is that a crisis? I want to tell you that PDP will win both the presidential and governorship elections hands down in Plateau State. There is no cause for alarm.
How does this translate into victory or an advantage?
Being a vice-president in this country is not a tea party. Not everybody can become a vice-president. Alhaji Abubakar has come a long way as far as the politics of Nigeria is concerned. He was a vice-president of this country for eight solid years, and just as you know, he is the most experienced among those contesting the presidency of this country at the moment. The duo of Obasanjo and Atiku performed creditably well during their eight years in power. Apart from this, they were able to hand over to another civilian government. This is a great achievement. They laid the foundation for the democracy we are enjoying today. Let me come to Plateau, I want you to tell me one single project that the federal government or President Buhari’s administration has carried out in Plateau in the last eight years; there is nothing. But we can point to so many things that Obasanjo/Atiku did during their tenure. What has Buhari done? He said he wanted to fight corruption, but we have not seen him fight corruption in a true sense of the word. He has not passed any law against corruption. The ones in existence were passed by the Obasanjo government. So the APC governments at the centre and in Plateau State, in particular, have failed, and the party can’t point to anything specific that they started and finished. Our naira has zero value; there is so much inflation in the land. Before Buhari came, Nigeria had the highest GDP in Africa, but today we are not even number four. We have dropped from 500 billion to 300 billion.
Why do you consider Atiku Abubakar to be the most experienced of all the presidential candidates?
The presidential candidate of the PDP has more experience than the others, looking at his pedigree and what he has done to advance the course of democracy in this country. And we have to understand that this man has prepared himself and contested for this election several times. He understands the dynamic of politics and governance more than those contesting for the number one job. Being a vice-president for a solid eight years cannot be thrown away. It is a huge experience and should also be a requirement to contest the presidency of this country. We cannot afford to try and make errors like what the APC government is doing presently. Atiku has been on the leadership forefront for a very long time. There is nothing new to him again. I don’t think there is an issue concerning the ability of Atiku to lead this country.
What advantages does your party have above other parties fielding presidential candidates to contest the 2023 elections?
One of the advantages is that our presidential candidate stands above others, and PDP is a national party. It is the only party that has a national spread. It is not a state party, nor is it a tribal party. Most importantly, there are records of achievements. When the PDP was in power in this country, you can see relative stability in the economy and governance. If Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan’s contributions to the economy of this country are still feasible, tell me what the present administration under the leadership of President Buhari has done as far as the economy of this nation is concerned? Even though the APC had to form a coalition to fight the PDP, small parties had to come together. Nigeria, at the moment, needs a party with a national outlook to win the election
What is your assessment of the situation in the country today?
It is a very terrible situation; it is so pathetic. There is no Nigerian today that is happy. There is confusion everywhere. The economy is in shambles; insecurity pervades everywhere and so many other terrible things. The insecurity is so bad, the security agencies are overstretched. Educational system is collapsing. Can you just imagine the universities under lock for close to eight months now without any cogent move to address the terrible situation and we say there is a government in the country? Nigerians have every reason to reject the APC come 2023. You cannot have your children in public schools in this country anymore. The sector has been destroyed by this administration. Nigeria is now a failed state and until this government is changed, we cannot experience progress in this country.
How do you see the ‘Obidient’ movement currently making waves in Nigerian politics?
This movement cannot be transformed into votes. Mr. Peter Obi is a good and decent man, but he needs time. People like him and I like him as well. He is a gentleman. He has the idea, but the issue of running the country transcends that. He needs to have a grip and solid structures. Buhari lacks a grip on the system, which is why he is having all these problems. So you have to be known and appreciated in every corner of this country, so this ‘Obidient’ movement cannot translate into voting. Presently, it is just a gathering of young men cruising, partying, and enjoying themselves. It is just like going to a club; let them keep enjoying themselves. But what they are doing is a reaction to what President Buhari has created. If the universities had been in session, you would not have seen these young ones on the streets doing the ‘Obidient’ movement.
Sir, it appears your party is underrating the Labour Party (LP)
(Cuts in…) We are not underrating the LP or the Obidients, but what we are saying is that their strength is limited. We are not underrating them. All we are saying is that let them enjoy the party while it lasts. By the time politics takes proper shape and PDP commences the campaign, you will not hear about Obi again. Obi is just using a megaphone, but by the time we roll out the campaign, we are going to use Kenwood to blast the whole thing, then he would know where to stand.
Do you think PDP can win the presidential election in Plateau, without the input of former Governor Jonah Jang, who has aligned himself with the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, insisting that the Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as a condition to support the presidential candidate?
He has never said he will not support or campaign for the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. They are asking for the resignation of the national chairman. That is their own opinion. Jang has never said he would not campaign for the presidential candidate, even if he insisted that the national chairman must resign. If the national chairman is removed, it doesn’t affect the candidate.
Credit: Nigeria Tribune