Labour Party (LP) National Secretary, Barrister Kayode Ajulo, in this interview with journalists, speaks on adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate, the party’s stands in the coming presidential poll. AGBOOLA BAYO was there
Is Labour Party a national party, can it boast of a national structure?
We can boast of a national structure. I say this because, as of today, we have 23 gubernatorial candidates and these candidates have been subjected to a rigorous exercise before they were selected.
Why do people say that everybody from PDP runs to Labour Party and we accept them? Former Minister for Information, Labaran Maku requested to join the party but we did not accept him, hence he went to join another party.
Many people, even in Lagos, when former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu disappointed them, came to Labour Party, but because we have guiding principles, we did not give them the ticket of the party. For anyone to have the ticket of this party, such person must subscribe to the ideals of the Labour party; and, there must be an written agreement. If anyone cannot sign such agreement, we let go of such person.
The same applies to presidential candidate, about four, including a lady, that approached the party. Some even suggested that we approach a certain person to be the party’s presidential candidate but we were not sure he was ready.
And when we checked feasibility of the plans presented by some who approached the party, we were not sure that such persons could give back to the people. In Labour Party, we are realists and socialists; what we want to have is a presidential elect not presidential candidate. We realise that some candidates, even criminals, get party tickets to evade police harassment because as a candidate, in Nigeria, you get some “immunity”. Our candidates are those we so much believe in. For our candidates, it is not all about money.
Most of the members of the Labour Party are professionals; we are workers; from the chairman to other members of the party. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was a unionist, and that is why he did not compromise the people’s interest. Members of our party have a job of their own, can feed themselves and family, and have a modicum of thinking, these are some the qualities we look out for to be a candidate on the party’s platform.
Why did Labour Party endorse President Goodluck Jonathan for the March presidential election?
I must say that virtually all the presidential candidates in Nigeria today have been wooing my party.
I believe that this is not unconnected with the fact that Labour Party is the party of the people. For you to win any election, you have to associate with the people. We are the one that always go with the people.
Labour party, as you know comprises of the workers, the real people; I am not talking about godfathers. That is why in this party, we have no godfathers. And when all this happens, what we have to do is to let the Nigerians know that giving anybody our endorsement should not be just like that. We must discuss, the people have to be carried along.
I can stand as Kayode Ajulo, National Secretary of the party, to say that we are going this way. But, if we believe that our backbone is the people, everybody must be carried along. And that is why we had to call the National Executive Council (NEC). Some parties could get one or two persons then call the press to announce an endorsement of a candidate, we do not do that in Labour Party.
Everybody, the NEC, National Working Committee (NWC) must put it to vote, before we chose a preferred candidate, which is President Goodluck Jonathan. Then we presented such decision to the National Working Committee (NWC) and the entire NEC members across the nation to arrive at a resolution. What we have done is not just endorse a candidate but also the entire party constitute a campaign committee.
This endorsement is irreversible. The campaign for the office of the President of Nigeria is a serious matter beyond parties just endorsing and go to bed. Labour Party will determine who will rule Nigeria; who will be the President of the country.
What actually influenced this decision?
We considered a lot of things. As God would have it, the two leading contenders are General Muhammadu Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan. Two of them have been in the saddle; one has been there before and the other is there currently. So, the two of them have been tested. It is the antecedents that we considered: How did you come into being? We know for a fact that one once scuttled the democratic government of this country. You cannot deny that the regime of one of them was a nightmare in the history of this country.
Evidently, he ruled Nigeria with an iron hand. These are the things we consider; we must determine your worth; what you have done vis-a-vis who you truly are.
And, let us be sincere with ourselves, age is a factor. As a party, we talk about dynamism; we talk about being a workers’ party. And for you to bring a pensioner, then we know we have an issue. These are some of the things we have to consider. I am a young man. Then you introduce a 72-year old, or someone we are not even sure of his age, because he does not have certificate. If you have a certificate, then I could do some arithmetic to know your age.
It will be a great disservice to this democracy to introduce someone who clearly scuttled this democracy to be the beneficiary of the same democracy particularly when such person, all these years has not been put to test of democratic experience. Senate President, David Mark was a soldier but since 1999, we can see his movement on the democratic scene. Mark, going by his experience, can be considered for such position, not a Buhari is yet to have such experience and he is foisted on Nigeria, we really have to have a rethink. When former President Olusegun Obasanjo was crisscrossing the country, you would agree that during his first four years, he had to learn the ropes. Can we afford another Buhari to use his first four years to experiment?
As a lawyer, I know what the law says about age. Once you are above 70 years, you cannot hold the position of a company director, that is, a public quoted company, unless there is an exception and you have to provide some documents, file affidavit, make declaration, and swear to an oath to all the members of the board so that they know the person’s exact age.
There are some steps such person has to take, if you want to remain as director of a public quoted company in Nigeria. That means by law, once you are 70 years, the way you function and reason will be entirely different. We can say that our law in Nigeria forbids holding certain positions once one is 70 years. If our law can be so emphatic on the issue of directorship of company, what about Commander-in-Chief? When Governor Ayodele Fayose talked about his mother using diapers, my mother would soon be 80 years.
Once my mother clocked 70 years, I had started to give her special treatment because she is someone we need to pamper, even check the way she thinks. Even, as a young man, the daily stress is killing, not to talk about a 70-year old man. Endorsing Buhari means Nigeria will be one of the conspirators for someone committing suicide because if you allow an old man hold such position, you have just assisted such person to commit suicide. And, every Nigerian should know that our law frown at a person holding such position of authority, like the President, at such age. We should begin to understand and abide by our constitution.
But some Nigerians are of the view that President Jonathan lacks the competence to fight corruption squarely, address the issue of insecurity among others?
This assertion is relative. I am not in a position to address such things but I think members of his cabinet and his appointees will be in a better position to address such issues. But, we must understand that during electioneering campaign periods like this, people could accuse the President of lacking the competence to fight corruption.
This election is to authenticate most of these claims. This election will ascertain whether President Jonathan is competent or not. We hear Buhari/Idiagbon regime; Even when Buhari established the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), he is the only one that ran it like a consulting firm. we heard of Alison Ayida. Idiagbon ruled the nation that time and if he wins, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will also be in charge; someone who has the power of attorney.
That is why sometimes what Femi Fani-Kayode says is not far from the truth. Buhari should tell us one single remarkable thing he then did. When people talk about corruption, Is it not during Buhari’s regime that Idiagbon sent his son abroad while other youths were arrested? People were killed then; our law was messed up.
Even, he committed the supreme crime of truncating the country’s democracy. He banished our constitution. Just because you led a coup in this country and became Head of State, which is the only qualification he has, then you want to become President, it can never happen. Let me add that, Buhari was interrogated abroad on the issue of kidnapping and it tarried a while.
I will gather my facts and let Nigerians know if that allegation was true or if it is a mere rumour. We will have a President that cannot go to another country and has to be questioned by the authorities. We have to be serious. Out of the two options that we have, though, my party desires that we had more than two options, but we find ourselves in a situation where we are given two alternatives. However, if the alternatives are wrong, one will be better than the other.
And as far as I am concerned, the person that can save the face of the democracy we practise is President Jonathan. Everybody is talking about change. Yes, Nigerians want change, but not a change in personalities. What happened in Libya should not happen in Nigeria. When the Arab spring started, everyone got so frenzy. They kept saying Ghadaffi is bad, we need change. The question the people of Libya failed to ask themselves was, “what kind of change is it?” And, because they did not ask that question, today Libya regrets.
Hence Nigerians must ask, what kind of change do we desire? If it is change to Buhari, Nigeria will regret it. Buhari should point to one person in the party if not the same Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) undesirable elements; they are the ones that came together to form APC. For Buhari to win the election, God forbid.
You mentioned earlier that several other candidates have come to seek the support of your party.
What is the labour party’s position on the use of card readers for the general polls?
On the use of card readers, our position is that technology must not be used to disenfranchise Nigerians. Where the use of Permanent Voters Cards fail, we can go manual.
We should do everything to ensure that every eligible voter is not disenfranchised. Sincerely, human device, there is the tendency for human error. Even in advanced countries, nothing can be 100%. What matters most is that the security agents, party agents must be vigilant. And I believe that this all-important election should not be used to test-run such device.
Some Nigerians hold that Governor Olusegun Mimiko just used Labour Party’s platform to achieve his political ambition and later dumped the party. Is your party having means of checkmating the influx of rejected candidates from other parties?
The candidate, as I said earlier, must sign an agreement, like a contract.
It is so stringent that for you to leave the party, you have to think twice. Moreover, we have been having several defections; governors among others. You must agree with me that the defection of Olusegun Mimiko took another dimension. The party did not just hear it on the radio. We sat down and dotted the lines, there was a well-prepared procedure. Mimiko is on sabbatical leave. He will come back to the party. He left for strategic reasons. At the right time, at the appointed time, he will certainly return to the party.
Is Labour party ready to accept him back?
He left the party without any disaffection. If there was bitterness, I would have immediately sued him. You recall that before Mimiko left, he continued to say that he would seek the understanding of the party. He met with all stakeholders, he even met with the National Executive Council (NEC), he gave certain reasons then. Hence, you see that despite the fact that he left the party, the structure of government in Ondo state is still intact.
But there is this insinuation that Gov Mimiko left the party strategically, just to do the bidding of President Jonathan?
I am not a party to that. I cannot confirm or deny that. But what I know is that his leaving was very strategic.
Did you actually think Labour Party can win the governorship election in Oyo State?
I am yet to see any state yearning for change like Oyo state. We consider that we have won, that is why we held our last NEC meeting in Ibadan. For the past two weeks, members of the party have been on ground. In fact, our party secretariat is gradually moving from Abuja to Ibadan.
It is so clear and everyone can feel it. Everything about politics is about the people. And the people would determine who emerges. This state is democratic and when it comes to election in the state, the people have their say.
If election is truly of the people, I know that the people of the state support Labour Party, therefore, Alao-Akala will win the election.