Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in this interview with journalists recently, speaks on why various groups within the party won’t defect, and government’s policies in the last two years, among other issues. BODE OLAGOKE was there
APC is made up of different groups and you think there is no likelihood of any of these groups to pull out of the party?
There is no likelihood but should it happen, the threat and damage it will do to the party will be very minimal today. Tell me, which part of the country? So the mainstream of the party is now well placed and the point has been proven clearly from Ondo state that in a free and fair election nobody’s word is certain.
Is it true to add that APC has been completely democratised?
Totally! People don’t see it but there is a new party, totally new and stronger party.
The president has always said that the party is supreme. When he came back from his first medical trip I welcomed him and all his courtesies before his statement and when he mentioned ‘our oga kpata kpata’ he meant it.
The supremacy of the party is one thing he has always hammered on. I heard the question one of you asked about the relationship between me and him; you have to work with the nature of the man you have as President. He is quiet, I know what he likes and I know what he doesn’t like. He is the kind of man that doesn’t like crowd, he would prefer a one on one which we had.
We have worked together from my serving days so I know him better than a lot of people that know him so we get on very well. We complained about lack of funding in the party again that is the nature of the man, he wouldn’t call the minister of petroleum to say make sure you give money to the party; he wouldn’t do it. He doesn’t want to be involved in anything that has any tent possibility of being shady; that is our President. We elected a symbol, we elected someone whose personality we want to use as a lighthouse for the rest of the country. That is his major contribution to the change agenda, it is his integrity, strength of character. It is now left for us to tap on strong point which I have pointed out but you know in politics there are other things that need to be done.
Sir I just want to find out, part of some of the things we hear is that the divide between the presidency and the party leadership after the National Assembly tussle got to a point where it became practically impossible for the party chairman to meet one on one with the president and up till now that the president is having health challenges the party chairman has never been with him one on one. Could that be true sir?
When he came back the first time, we saw and he is gone back now and I know he wants to be left in peace. Again, that is my nature, I am not someone that gives into every photo opportunity and rushes at it. Once everyone knows there is going to be a group photograph with the President, everyone dives but I don’t do that; that is me. I have done a lot of things with the president in the past so for me it isn’t a big deal, I don’t need all those courtesy, of course that is me. We talk, during campaigns we were together every day, we gist, we talk, we laugh and he would point and say John how can we satisfy the yearns and aspirations of this massive crowd? So, I have known him from civil service days, I have known him from the days he was military head of state, I was one of his close aides, so let them enjoy themselves and pose for photograph that isn’t the issue, the issue is that we communicate and the relationship is cordial.
Your Excellency let me shift gears a bit into the reward system of the party? Why hasn’t there been a robust reward system in place which, as it is known, can bring cohesion that hasn’t been there and nip in the bud, the unhappiness felt by party faithful?
I think you have asked the most difficult question anybody has asked and I am not too such from which angle to answer it but first I must be very honest and frank; the reward system and appointment hasn’t been as pleasant to the party as it ought to be, part of them haven’t been well thought out as it ought to be. We have cases which wouldn’t have happened where individuals who are currently in court with our elected officials, one case a governor which is right now at the Supreme Court have been given appointments.
We have cases at least one or two known current appointees of the PDP have been given, we have cases where in a particular state from the same local government I think going to the same ward three people have been given appointment and these things and many more and the more important one is that we have a lot of cases were faces not known to the party during the most difficult part of the struggle of this party have gotten appointment so it has caused a lot of disquiet within the party.
I have been abused, I have been called names, I have received text messages of all nastiness, I have got petition in writing and there is a general sense in what is going on in the practice of the party all over the country. We have brought this to the attention of government and we hope and pray that what remains will be devoted to rewarding those who really, actually, the faces I saw, the faces my state chairmen saw working, taking risky during the long and hurdles period of the campaign. I think more than that I should say that one has to be brutally honest sometimes in matters like this.
Sir, I am somehow surprised when you say have a cordial relationship with the President because what we heard while he was in London was that he totally refused and rejected your coming to see him in London that isn’t a question but just a comment.
You are right and wrong! I was to go and he said ‘look there is no need’ because he knows the people he is dealing with, he too knows those that have to see him because they need to see him and he knows between us there isn’t that kind of pressure and necessity. I asked him do you think I should come and he said don’t worry I would be coming back soon and to me that was good enough. I know maybe from the point of view of PR, maybe once you go there and sit there and get photographed maybe yes if you look at it from that point of view you have a point. What is important is that when he finally arrived, he personally arranged that I was one of the very few people to come and welcome him. What more do you need?
Sir, if there is any atom of truth in the impression in many places that certain cabals have hijacked the presidency, do you think that APC as a party is helpless in that situation to break the ranks of the government? Secondly, you may be having a major crisis in 2019 presidential election, I don’t know the strategies you are putting in place because from the situation on ground it isn’t very sure if President Buhari will contest in 2019.
Why build bridges if there is no river to cross? Why don’t you wait until you come across a river then you build a bridge. With all due respect for what it stands for, what is critical today is our prayer that the good Lord will restore the president to robust, good health; that is the first thing.
Thinking that ‘will he be president in 2019’ is really not doing any good, his need today is good health when we get to 2019 is for him to decide if he wants to run or if he doesn’t want to run and to consult the party on his decision; if he wants to run good and if he doesn’t want to run the country isn’t bereft, the party isn’t bereft of capable hands. But the prime thing that if he will be wanting today isn’t to think of 2019, is to have his health full restored and I am sure he will give anything just to have his health restored. Let’s terminate it at that point; when 2019 comes we will deal with the issues that arise.
I have been abused, I have been called names, I have received text messages of all nastiness, I have got petition in writing and there is a general sense in what is going on in the practice of the party…
