Habeeb I. Pindiga
24 February 2008
interview
Abuja — Former member of the House of Representatives Hon Tony Anyanwu is among the 26 candidates jostling for the national chairmanship of the PDP in next Saturday's convention.
But he is up against big names like former Ebonyi Governor Sam Egwu, who is believed to have the support of the party's present leadership, and many others. How does Anyanwu feel contesting against such heavyweights? What plans does he have for the PDP?
Former President Obasanjo is publicly supporting the candidature of Dr. Sam Egwu against the rest of you in the contest. How would this affect your aspiration?
As a former president now the chairman of BOT, Chief Obasanjo should rather be seen playing the role of a father and an umpire. Where he comes out openly to support and openly campaign for a candidate, it creates a bad feeling among the other candidates and their supporters who will feel somewhat abandoned. Obasanjo's position is analogous to that of a father and most party members see him as such. Where he openly supports a candidate, it is like descending into the arena of a bout between his children and taking sides with one in throwing punches at the other child. Morally and ethically, this is not a good omen for the party. This, however, is without prejudice to his rights as an individual. He has his individual interest which he has the inalienable right to promote. He might argue that his American counterpart, Bill Clinton, has been going about campaigning for his wife, Hillary, in the primaries of the Democrats in the US. While I respect his democratic rights, I believe that there is need to thread with caution. Our party needs all the elements of reconciliation available. A high level of partisanship as demonstrated by Obasanjo is capable of further polarising the party rather than unifying it.
There are efforts to field a consensus candidate for the PDP national chairmanship. Will you step down for another person?
Consensus candidacy as practiced in Nigeria is antithetical to the tenets and principles of democracy which the PDP must be seen to uphold at all times.
Candidates should be allowed to test their ideas and visions before the delegates that will be emerging soon. As a candidate, I believe I have the idea and vision to sell my candidacy to the delegates at the convention. I do not want to subscribe to any form of arrangement that will not be in conformity with the ideals of democracy which I tenaciously cling to. Moreover, the whole design of consensus candidacy is not only undemocratic but runs contrary to the provisions of the Nigeria constitution. By virtue of the constitutional provision, candidates are to be allowed to exercise the franchise given to them by those party members they represent. If a political party cannot put up with the workings of democracy internally, it certainly will find it difficult to contend with same during a general election. The party should be mindful of the signal it sends to the nation and the world at large. The PDP convention should be a test case on how prepared the party is in terms of general elections. If the convention does not meet accepted standard of democratic elections where delegates are allowed to vote for candidates based on conviction, it would be a political ruination.
There is controversy over the BOT chairmanship issue. Do you think you can work amicably with the present BOT chairman?
The PDP constitution clearly provides for the functions of the party chairman and the BOT chairman. Therefore, I foresee no clash of duties. I also do not anticipate any conflict of interest as I believe both the party chairman and the BOT chairman are working for the overall benefit of the party. I can conveniently work with the current BOT chairman or any other person that succeeds him.
What do you think of the agitations for the amendment of the PDP constitution?
There is nothing wrong with any member or group of party members proposing an amendment of the party's constitution. However, such a proposal must be in accordance with the provisions of the party's constitution on requirement for such amendment. Article 26(2) of the constitution of the PDP provides that the notice of he proposed amendment to the constitution shall be given to the national secretary, at least two months before the date of the national convention and the notice shall contain a clear statement of the amendment sought and the reasons for the amendment. Based on this provision, any amendment sough must meet the requirement of at least two months notice. Anything short of that will be contrary to the PDP's constitution. Members of the party should not be shut out from agitating for amendment of the constitution. Nobody should also be victimised
for proposing any amendment no matter how idealistic it appears. If such a proposal sails through the two-third majority requirement, it means the party truly needs such amendment. If it fails to meet the two-third majority requirement, then, the proponents would have exercised their democratic rights under the PDP constitution.
Is there any particular reason why you want to be PDP chairman or are you just contesting because the position has been zoned to the South-East?
I have been deeply involved in the politics of this country for a considerable period of time. I have also been a member of our great party, the PDP, since inception. This position has helped me to study the workings of the party. I know the strong points of our party and its weak points. My vantage position has also facilitated my understanding of the internal politics of PDP. Having identified the prospects and complications of our party, I consider myself to be in the right position to handle both ends of the divide. I am most privileged to have a strong political and educational pedigree and my staunch membership of the PDP from inception gives me more robust political antecedent essential for this office. I also believe that PDP needs younger people with fresh ideas beyond the ordinary party shenanigans. I have received considerable experience in national politics where I served as a Member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. This experience helped me immensely in reshaping my political ideology towards a more unified and all embracing inclination. From 2003 to the present, I have continued to offer my services to our great party and have been a strong advocate of party reforms, which unarguably will unveil the lurking attributes of a formidable political process - one that concentrates on developmental initiatives as the quintessence of politics.
I have taken time to appraise the other candidates jostling for the position. I have seen good ideas from some of them but I believe this is the time for better ideas if not the best. Some of them are great chieftains of our party but the candidacy of some of them is capable of denying our great party the reconciliation it so badly deserves presently. I will not only unite the party but will bench mark the party with other great parties of the world with whom we can share developmental ideas.
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