At different times, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor has been the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), the National Chairman of the party and he was made a Minister of Economic Planning, when PDP was in government. In this interview, the Prince of Olokoro in Umuahia South local government area of Imo state, shares his rich perspective with SAM OBINNA IBE, especially on where PDP started getting it wrong and which candidate is best suited for the National Chairmanship position in today’s election.
The national convention of your party will hold today. Who do you think as best suited for the position of National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)?
In fact , I am praying for PDP to get it right this time around and we know where we derailed. One of the places is when the former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in just one year in office, appointed four or five National Chairmen of our party. And under Jonathan ,five strong state governors pulled out of PDP, that was when PDP started getting it wrong. The party became sick from that time on because of his ambition to become president. And I made it clear after my meeting with the governors and I came out to say there was no vacancy in the villa. I said that Jonathan should not contest because there was an agreement, let us keep to the agreement that there will be no peace in Nigeria if we change the goal post when someone wants to score.
Right now, we have to look for someone who is firm and who can get things right as national chairman of PDP. I see Otunba Gbenga Daniels as somebody who is fresh and new on stage. Prince Uche Secondus just left office,Chief Bode George has been there as National vice Chairman. Chief Raymond Dokpesi, though new, he and Secondus are from South South but the position has been zoned to South West.
We should respect zoning to avoid conflict in our party this time around, having come this far from the protracted leadership tussle. We want somebody we can control, we want somebody who is loyal, somebody who can listen to the National Working Committee (NWC),National Executive Committee, (NEC) and somebody who can listen to the National Caucus. I see these qualities in Gbenga Daniel. Others may have their rights to have their views; it is democracy but in my opinion and having served for three years plus as the National Chairman of PDP and considering others that are qualified too, they should give chance to a new hand.
But Bode George says he is the most experienced and suitable for the job, having held position of National Vice Chairman. Don’t you think that he more qualified than Daniels who has never held a party post?
Party administration is about managing people. Nobody can do well without people around him; you must have qualified people that is why you have NEC.
But you see, leadership is something you have to have the skills. Management of people is a gift; you have to know how to manage people and arrive at a decision that will favour all. It is not ruling by impunity, that things must be done they way I want. You must listen to people and derive your conclusion from their contributions. To this end, Gbenga Daniel has been a former governor and he did well as a former governor, he will certainly do well as a National Chairman of our great party. He has what it takes to harness varied opinions of our party men and women.
What are the chances of retired Col Austin Akobundu, former Minister of State for Defence who is from your Abia state and who is also running for the position of National Organising Secretary?
Retired Col Austin Akobundu is a good man. He retired as s military man and soldiers are known as disciplined people who obey last orders as instructed. He is experienced and ably qualified to run for our party’s National Organising Secretary zoned to South East. He has been in PDP party leadership before as the National Vice chairman of the South East and he performed excellently well. Thus, it is a terrain that he knows too well he will perform well as a National Organising Secretary of our party. Akobundu will be a round peg in a round hole.
Mr Alex Otti, the Abia state gubernatorial candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) alleged that his party was robbed of victory in the last election and that in 2019, APGA will take over Abia state. As a PDP elder at both Abia state and national levels, what is your assessment of this threat?
Alex Otti is a very good man and my friend. When it comes to politics, I don’t want any clash with him. He has the right of choice of a party but PDP is my party. A party I had been a National Secretary ,former National Chairman, a party I have been a Minister and a BOT member for life. So there is no way I can advise him not to do what he wants to do. But let him leave PDP alone and let our friendship remain.
Apart from you and a few others, all other political heavy weights like former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu,former Deputy Governor,Dr Chris Akomas, former Minister of labour, Barrister Emeka Nwaogu,Dr Uche Ogah,Senators Chris Adighije and Nkechi Nwaogu and so many others, have now defected to APC. Can PDP still retain Abia state, given what is on ground?
No, we are not jittery. People who are jumping into APC have something to hide, that is what I have observed. They want to be protected, they don’t want to be probed so that is why they are going into APC. There are many people who have earlier toiled for APC and they have not be accommodated, let alone the new ones. They have something to hide that is why they are rushing into APC. But for me, I don’t have any problem, I am contented with what I have. I have retired from active politics; I am in my village. I live in my house. I don’t have any quarrel with anybody and as a former National Chairman, the state government gives me some stipends and my party is in control in the state.
So, I enjoy the respect from my governor as a former National Chairman and I support him. So no matter the number of people jumping into APC,I am very sorry for them. My governor is performing, look at the solid roads he is doing in Umuahia, then go to Aba,the quality of roads he is doing, who will see all these things and go to APC? They came here to do Snake dance, Python dance. Is that what we want? Up till today and till tomorrow, we are still looking for Nnamdi Kanu. They need to recognise the Igbos, we in the South East are marginalized.
APC government should as a matter of fact give us an additional state. If their conscience is right, they should know that this tribe, we are not fair to them. Let’s balance it, make all the states six, six. Let’s restructure this country so that there will be equity, there will be fairness and justice. Why are they not considering it in their National Executive Council? What are they getting for Igbos that they are jumping into APC, except for their pockets?
As former National Chairman, what will be your advise to your party as delegates choose PDP’s National Working Committee today?
Let them have an open mind and consider all contestants fairly, judge them fairly and look at those who will deliver us from the problems we have gone through. Let the party survive, the party is going to survive anyway .We are going to come back,we are going to win the national election when we present our candidate.
One of the founding fathers of the party, Dr Alex Ekwueme has died. How will PDP miss him?
Alex Ekwueme was just like a father to me. I know PDP has lost a great man, a rare gem and one of the founders of our great party. One of his last outings was when he campaigned in Anambra state three weeks ago. We never knew he was going to go that way. However this world is a stage you come and play your part and vanish. Ekwueme has played his own part and has vanished and we will all some day vanish after playing our own parts. I praying to God to give the family, Nigerians the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss while also praying to God to receive his soul in perfect sleep, Amen.
