Kola Ologbondiyan, a consummate journalist and media practitioner, is the National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party. In this interview with AUGUSTINE AVWODE, he discusses the just-concluded national convention of the party in Abuja, the likely position of the party on the presidential ticket, and the call in some quarters for Nigerians to get rid of the two major parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, warning Nigerians to learn from their 2015 experience when ‘they were deceived and misled to believe that the PDP was their problem’. Excerpts:
The People’s Democratic Party eventually held its national convention that was dogged by palpable tension and anxiety. How would you describe the event?
For me, the last national convention of the PDP was properly managed and the processes were largely acceptable to the majority of the members of the party. That guaranteed us a very successful convention. It is as simple as that.
With the convention firmly behind you now, the next thing should be who gets the party’s presidential ticket? We gathered it would be thrown open.
The party has not taken a decision in respect of that and for the party to throw open the presidential ticket, the National Executive Committee, which is the NEC of the party must sit down and agree with the Bala Mohammed committee’s recommendation which was set up by NEC to review the 2019 election and find out the reasons why the party lost out the 2019 presidential election. I can say that the report of the committee suggested that there are clamours for the ticket to go to either South East or North East. But it also recommended that in view of the demand by Nigerians which clearly put less emphasis on zoning, that the party can throw open the presidential ticket. So, these are the main recommendations of the Bala Mohammed’s committee but the NEC is yet to take a decision on that for now. However, we must remember always that there is the agitation that the ticket be zoned to the South as well as agitation that it be zoned to the North. What is very encouraging, however, is the fact that at the end of it all, it is the NEC of the party that will sit down and give direction to the party where it feels is in the best interest of Nigerians and the party for it to go.
Assuming the NEC concurs with the Bala Mohammed’s committee’s recommendation and throws the presidential ticket open, how does the PDP hope to manage the likely fallouts, especially from the South East and the North East?
Well, these fallouts that people always talk about are imported from outside the party, especially, political opponents. When we went to Port Harcourt in 2018 to elect our presidential candidate, because of the large number of aspirants that were involved, there were these expectations and narratives from a certain class of people, particularly, narratives from members of the All Progressives Congress that the People’s Democratic Party was going to implode and scatter after that convention in Port Harcourt. But because the party was able to hold a convention that has been adjudged to be the best of conventions till date, a convention that was very successful, not even one presidential candidate left the party, to the shame of those who never wished the party well. So, after that 2018 experience, I believe that the PDP has the experience and the wherewithal to manage its affairs in a way and in a manner that those who always wish for it to come to grief will always continue to fail and be disappointed.
There were some grumblings in your party following the micro zoning of party offices. Don’t you think the party probably got it wrong with the micro zoning policy?
I don’t agree that micro zoning has affected the national convention, I totally disagree. And I say so because, even me that I am talking to you today, I came into office as a product of micro zoning. So it will be irresponsible of me to accept micro zoning because it favours me and reject it because it doesn’t favour me.
“In 2015, Nigerians were deceived and misled to believe that PDP was their problem. Do you remember? Yes, Nigerians were misled to believe that. And not a few people mutated towards the APC
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What we need to understand is that in the thinking of the founding fathers of the party, they believe that every segment of the society or country, every area of the country must be brought up to the table at the national level. And they did that successfully for the period that we were in office for 16 years and because of that, you see people say oh I can find my brother in a national office, I can find my sister in that party, so what will I make trouble for? And consequent upon this, all the geo-political zones have a representation at the top echelon of the party. So, if in the wisdom of the leaders of the party, they believe that positions should be swapped in a manner that further represents the general interests of the party, personally I have nothing against it. I find nothing wrong with that because it is a process the party has adopted. It is also important to listen to the argument of those who say, what of the zoning that was done in 2017 that it was meant for two terms and as such should be retained. I have also listened to the argument of those who said no, it was not for two terms. But by and large, we have all agreed and held our convention, the processes were not rejected at the convention, people have been elected on the platform of the argument that positions should be swapped. So, what I can say is that we should accept these things that will guarantee victory for us at the election in 2023 which is by far more important to us as a party and to Nigerians who are eagerly waiting for the PDP to come and rescue the country from the debilitating situation the APC has pushed it.
But the Northern Elders Forum is calling on Nigerians to come together and get themselves an alternative to the ruling APC and the opposition PDP. Do you think that is a mere wishing thinking?
For me, I don’t believe in the mutation of parties. I don’t agree that every four years we must come out with new parties. It doesn’t show the positive side of our political development. In 2015, Nigerians were deceived and misled to believe that PDP was their problem. Do you remember? Yes, Nigerians were misled to believe that. And not a few people mutated towards the APC. Where has that led us today? Where? It has led us to mass failure in every aspect of our life. It has shown clearly that those who came to power in anger, and in annoyance, only came for themselves. They actually have nothing to offer and have indeed offered Nigerians nothing. They have rather taken this country five decades backward. It has also shown that the person who was, on account of that misleading, elected as President, I mean President Muhammadu Buhari, lacks the capacity to govern our nation. So, if there is another mutation plan or some people are pushing for such again, they are just doing so for their personal gain. All over the world, there are always two political parties. And many of the people that matter that I have engaged in the last four years firmly hold the opinion that what Nigeria needs is two strong political parties. And they are here now. We have the People’s Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress. So, what we should do as a people is that once we elect people into power and they fail in their responsibilities, we should bring in another party which is the alternative party. And I know that we are already there because of political awareness. If you elect a person into office and he cannot achieve the purpose, you replace him irrespective of his status. It is apparent that what we have today is a total failure of governance. Those who have been elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, those who are aspiring to be elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress that we know their antecedents; they have all failed and have not demonstrated capacity in governance. And as such, the only viable alternative that the people can think about is the People’s Democratic Party. And that is why you see today that Nigerians are happy that the PDP is ready to lead in the crusade to rescue the nation together.
In the last four years, you have functioned as the spokesperson of the PDP. In less than two months, you should be stepping down. How has the experience been?
It has been very, very challenging. But with the support of my friends and colleagues in the media industry, I have been able to remain standing on my feet. They soften the ground and soften the process for me. As far as I am concerned, I leave judgment to Nigerians as to my performance in office as the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP. However, I must thank the party leaders. I mean leaders of the People’s Democratic Party who gave me the support in the last four years. And I must sincerely and strongly too, express gratitude to all my colleagues, whether at the highest level or the lowest level. I am grateful and I will keep saying that, I am very, very grateful.
