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| Jimi Agbaje and Running Mate |
The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Taofik Gani, spoke with Assistant Editor LEKE
SALAUDEEN on the leadership crisis rocking the chapter, particularly the
disbursement of campaign funds, the party’s poor performance in the recent
elections and its preparation for 2023.
Why did Lagos PDP perform poorly in the recent
general elections?
I
will not we had a poor outing. We were overwhelmed by the power of the ruling
party, the APC, in Lagos State. They were extremely prepared to retain the
state. There was no opportunity to improve on our campaign modus operandi, because
of the overbearing or influence and control that the ruling party has over
ordinary public opinion public moulders and many of the electorates.
Specifically,
we were faced with situations where we could not get to campaign or reach out
to people in some areas. For instance, some royal fathers and chiefs were very
hostile to many of our candidates for fear of being witch-hunted by the ruling
party. Indeed, some government functionaries and royal fathers were bold enough
to give support to some of our candidates. But, generally what played out was
obvious desperate preparedness and bulldozer-like style of the APC in Lagos
which overwhelmed our own planning.
Unfortunately,
the Lagos APC has experienced political haemorrhage and relaxation when few
weeks to the start of real campaign, our state chairman, Mr Moshood Salvador,
left the party. He left with some party members and we believe strongly that he
left behind some party members who must have undermined the possible victory of
the PDP in their areas. I will not be honest to myself and the party to brush
aside the implication of a party state chairman defecting to the ruling party
just few weeks to an election.
The
Lagos PDP also suffered defeat for inexplicable reasons, because everything was
in place for the victory. I say specifically that our presidential candidate,
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, gave maximum support morally, financially, religiously
and politically to Lagos PDP. We even got to know that Alhaji Atiku
visited Lagos several times without some party leaders in Lagos being aware,
all in the bid to reach out and get the support of all groups and interests.
To
my surprise, just about 72 hours to the presidential election, actions and
inactions that were obviously reactionary and defeatist cropped up. I will say
that the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the happenings in the last
72 hours wherein the PDP governorship candidate, Mr Jimi Agbaje, alienated some
members and leaders of the party from the final disbursement of logistics. This
action consequently reflected in the participation of voters for the PDP.
Indeed
the loss of Lagos in the presidential election as declared by INEC caused
apathy, disenchantment and demoralised PDP voters. Hence, the embarrassing
results in the governorship election. It is important to mention that the Lagos
PDP is willing and competent to defeat the APC any day in a free, fair and
credible election.
Agbaje said he refused to hand-over the campaign
fund to party leaders because of the way such funds were mismanaged in the
past. What is your comment?
If
Agbaje is still trying to rationalise his apparent misdeed, then, he is not
doing himself any good. I will advise him to accept that he committed a big
blunder to have unilaterally disbursed logistics provided by the presidential
candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to the extent that neither the state
chairman, Dr Adegbola Dominic, nor the party leader, Chief Bode George, knew
anything about the manner of disbursement. I’m also aware that other leaders
like Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Chief Mrs Aduke Maina and Senator Kofo
Bucknor-Akerele are still shocked that Agbaje could be that unilateral.
As
the image maker of the party, I’m still struggling to defend the issues
surrounding the disbursement of the election logistics, because the action was
such that can destroy loyalty, commitment and selflessness top the party. I
will reiterate that Agbaje should find a forum to publicly apologise to the
party for the manner he influenced the last actions of the presidential
elections. But, for the fact that Agbaje is the governorship candidate, one
would have hastily declared him as a saboteur in Lagos PDP.
The
money in question was not near what we knew the APC spent in Lagos. But the sum
was enough to compliment the ready-made votes for the PDP. The manner of
disbursement adopted by Agbaje leaves much to be desired. The problems created
by the recent governorship election in Lagos PDP are such that the national
headquarters must act swiftly to forestall complete disaffection within the
party. Lagosians have been disappointed. Efforts must be made to restore the
love and confidence of Lagosians in PDP.
Do you think the PDP will ever rule Lagos?
One
thing that is certain is that Lagos PDP will win Lagos one day. This 2019 was
to be the day, but unfortunately we lost out. I’m very optimistic that the
circumstance that should have made the PDP win in 2019 will get worse in the
APC in 2023. There will be worse intra party crisis in the APC. The
governor-elect, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, may not also be allowed to run for
second term. So, many APC members will stand up to be counted and be ready to
go against the leader of the party. These and many more issues that we keep to
our chest will arise in the APC, so much that by 2021 the APC would have
self-defeated itself. And, in 2023, the PDP will cruise to victory. We will
have our own challenges, but we will be lucky because the defeat of the APC in
2023 will most likely be self-perpetrated.
Who is the current chairman of Lagos PDP?
There
is no other personality to be recognised as the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP)
in Lagos State than Dr Adegbola Dominic. Anybody who is still parading himself
as Lagos PDP chairman is only playing the role of an agent provocateur. The
authority and chairmanship of Dr Dominic has since being confirmed by the
superior organs of the party like PDP Southwest zone and the national
leadership. I will advise anyone who is interested in the office to wait till
when the congress comes up. People should not allow themselves to be used as
weapons of acrimony and destruction within the Lagos PDP.
But, Mr. Segun Adewale says he is the authentic
chairman…
Segun
Adewale is not recognised as chairman of Lagos PDP. The Southwest organ of the
party has unequivocally affirmed that Dr Dominic is the authentic Chairman. The
Southwest organ said Adewale is no longer a member of the PDP, because he
contested the Ekiti State governorship election on the platform of African
Democratic Party (ADP). I know that on return after Ekiti election, Adewale was
assigned the role of coordinator of the Lagos West senatorial district by Mr
Jimi Agbaje, the party’s governorship candidate. This responsibility was
however outside the knowledge of the state executive of the party. I also got
to know of this after the election.
Some members see Chief Bode George as the problem
of Lagos PDP. What do you think?
They
may have their reasons. No man is perfect. Much I know about Chief Bode George
is that he is a thorough manager of humans. He is a very meticulous organiser.
I make bold to say that but for him, a lot of party members would have left the
PDP. The mistake that is common in the PDP is the inability of members to
appreciate that to defeat an army you go for the commander. The propaganda, the
blackmail and the mudslinging against Chief George is because he is the
commander that must be brought down to defeat the army. Unfortunately for PDP
members they have not realised that it is the organised opposition that is
behind the “bad name” about Chief Bode George. The management of Lagos PDP is
85 per cent financially supported by Chief George. Yet, he did not get
desperate to control election funds or any fund so ever. So, how is Chief
George to blame for the woes of the party? The reason why Lagos has always
slipped from the PDP is because the leader of the ruling party in Lagos,
Senator Bola Tinubu, is surrounded by lieutenants that are 100 per cent loyal
to him. The leader of the APC has at his disposal the wealth that cannot be
matched by the self-generated money of Chief George. Lagos has always
experienced minimum of 50 per cent sabotage of its election plans. I made bold
to say that PDP members from outside Lagos, especially Abuja, usually divulge
our plans to the ruling party in Lagos. Very soon, we will reel out names and
periods of these saboteurs and sabotage.
In This Story:#JimiAgbaje #OlabodeGeorge #AdegbolaDominic #PDP #AtikuAbubakar
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