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Leadership (Abuja)

Nigeria: Let's Give Ogbulafor a Chance - Apugo

Philip Nyam

18 March 2008

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press conference

Prince B.B. Apugo was one of the national chairmanship candidates of the PDP that was schemed out of the last national convention in Abuja. He spoke with a group of journalists shortly after the emergence of Prince Vincent Ogbulafor as national chairman and bared his mind on the future of the party. PHILIP NYAM who covered the convention produced the excerpts:.

How do you feel at the outcome of the national convention?

I want to say two things. Firstly, I felt very happy that at the end of the day, the national chairmanship has come to Abia State and in fact my home town. The basis of my happiness is that my state was zoned out by the so-called PDP zonal caucus. Right from the beginning, they never wanted Abia to get the chairmanship but I fought very hard and today, I am going back home happily that the national chairman has come to my home town, Ibeku of Abia State.

The second thing I want to say is that I am appealing to all the other contestants to accept all that took place even though there was no election. I congratulate the new national chairman Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, the national secretary, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kawu Baraje and all other executives of the party.

What do you think this portends for party democracy in Nigeria giving the way the convention was conducted because there was no election?

Like I said earlier, there was no election and we cannot continue to talk about democracy that way. Even though I have expressed my happiness that the position has finally come to my state, I would not like things like that to happen again in our democracy.

This is democracy and things must be seen to be done according to the laid down rules and regulations of the game. What happened is condemnable but we have accepted it in the interest of peace, general good of the party and democracy at large. You know in politics you disagree to agree and you also make some concession too where necessary.

With the emergence of Vincent Ogbulafor, some people have argued that this signal the end of Obasanjo's hold on the party because he was campaigning for a particular candidate, do you think this is true? Or is Ogbulafor plan B of the Obasanjo's camp as some people are suggesting?

I do not see it that way. Obasanjo is still the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party and so has a voice in the party. As for Ogbulafor being Obasanjo's plan B, I would n't know. But all I can say is that Obasanjo is still in the party and Ogbulafor is the new national chairman.

Why did you people withdrew from contesting? Were you blackmailed, convinced or confused? What actually happened?

I was not blackmailed to pull out. Nobody came to me and we were prepared to go for the election. At least three of us: Anyim, Egwu and I campaigned vigorously across the country.

But when election was to take place, there was no ballot paper.

You are expressing happiness over the emergence of Ogbulafor. If you so much like him why did you come out to contest against him?

When I came out to show interest for the post he was not there. I came out to contest but Ogbulafor was appointed because there was no election. Although he is the chairman he is not an exception because all other people who have served before him including the immediate past chairman, Ali were all appointed.

Are you saying even Ogbulafor did not reach out to you?

He could not have talked to me because he did not campaign anywhere. Therefore, there was no basis for any talk.

When did you know that the game was over for you, was it at the Eagle Square or before then?

Before we went to the Eagle Square, I knew that there will be no election. The planning committee of the convention planed it that way. Others talk about the Governors Forum. But what is happening to PDP is a curse because the founding fathers no longer exist. Adamu Ciroma is a founding member but he only came there to do a job. If the founding fathers were present at the convention things would have gone differently.

Ogbulafor has said that his first priority is to ensure that all the founding fathers return to the party. Do you think this is possible?

I believe with contacts this is possible, but I don't think Ogbulafor even knows the founding fathers. Among all the contestants, I was the only founding father, so it is only somebody like me that can identify them.

But if he asks me to help him name the founding fathers I will do so because we are ready to give him the neccesary support. As I told you earlier, I am going home happily because his emergence is better than allowing the chairmanship to remain in Kogi State for life.

What would you say may have informed the decision of the governors or party hierarchy to settle for Ogbulafor?

I don't know.

Does the new chairman have the capacity to transform PDP?

Yes, with the right contacts he can do it. I know him very well. He is from my village. In fact, he is my brother.

Now that the convention is over, what hope do you think the aftermath portends for PDP? Is it possible to see a new PDP?

The only hope for PDP is to bring back the founding fathers. What is happening to the PDP now is like a curse because of the way the founding fathers that fought for the party have been ill treated. They have been offended.

People like Obasanjo and Ali were not there when the party was founded, but now they are reaping where they did not sow. So, until the founding members comes back and give their blessing I don't think we can make any progress.

The former chairman of the PDP once described it as a nest of killers. What do you make of that?

I think the person is in a better position to provide the explanation because as a former chairman, he should know who and who killed. I am a founding member of the PDP, but I am not a killer. So if anyone says the party is a nest of killers he should provide the facts.

Shortly before the convention, the G-21 emerged and there were fighting for the review of the party's constitution. Do you believe in the course they were fighting for and do you think it should have been an issue at the convention?

Yes, but the problem there is that; Are they ready to pursue their case? At least 90 per cent of them worked in Obasanjo's government. They were there when all these problems started but nobody spoke against it except people like us who summoned courage to say no to undemocratic practices. Why didn't they speak at that time? My problem with such people is that when they were in government, they keep sealed lips over whatever is taking place whether good or bad. But as soon as they are out of government they start singing new songs, making nonsense statement.

Most of them have skeletons in their cupboards because they worked with Obasanjo. They cannot stand strongly against Obasanjo because they were with him while those things were happening. Some of them worked as Senate Presidents, Speakers, ministers and so on. So, most of them lack the moral standing to challenge Obasanjo. But I believe the PDP constitution should be reviewed because right now, there is no constitution. I still believe in the 1999 Constitution. Let us revert back to that constitution which was prepared by the founding fathers because apart from that, PDP has no constitution at all.

Now that you have lost election to become chairman, will you retire from PDP?

I have not lost election because there was no election in the first place. There was no contest but the power has come to my village so I cannot go out to protest. I am a politician and I am still in politics and I will continue to play politics. I will not lose my head over what happened. I will remain in PDP and life goes on.

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