Ajimobi does not control Oyo APC executive

Ajimobi and Ojo

Special Adviser on Political Matters to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Gbade Ojo, tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI that the death of Alhaji Azeez Arisekola-Alao will not affect the party’s chances at the 2015 poll in Oyo State

How will you describe political landscape in Oyo State ahead of 2015 elections?

The political landscape in Oyo State in the last one year has been peaceful. The composition of government in the state has a plural outlook in the sense that you have different political parties in the state House of Assembly. But despite that, there has been no crisis. In Nigeria, we have some states with one party government structure struggling for balance because it is riddled with crisis. We don’t have that here.

In the House of Assembly, we have the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Party and Labour Party members but despite that, we still have a conducive political atmosphere. Let me also say here that it is not as smooth as we see it. We must give kudos to the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who in his wisdom, has brought everyone together. He carries everyone along in governance.

Sometimes ago, two members of the House who are in APC engaged in an open fight over political matters. Do you call that peace?

We can call that intra-party crisis. But it was a minimal clash. The two of them are keenly interested in seeking higher responsibility from their present positions. They are now competing to be recognised in order to pick the party’s House of Representatives ticket, having come from the same constituency. Don’t forget that they are brothers. So, you don’t totally ascribe the appellation of a crisis to what happened. One common feature of politics is competition. If you are not active positively, you cannot achieve your aim. You have to make yourself known for your party and the opposition to know that you exist in the centre of politics.

But these are members who have sizeable number of followers and who could re-ignite the clash when campaign begins. Do you think this will not stain the party’s reputation, knowing well that there are oppositions that are growing stronger by the day?

Perhaps what people are missing out is that the ruling APC in Oyo State has done a lot of underground work to look into the matter and resolve the issue. Don’t forget that I said the members of the party are known to be peaceful. The followers of the central figures in the crisis understand that the party will not condone any act of violence. In any political party however, there is bound to be conflict but the stability of the political system to resolve it is another thing.

The party’s primaries are on the way and the governor has clearly announced that he has no favourite candidate. You can only impress him with your competence. All aspirants will go to the field and prove their popularity among the people. No one will be imposed on the people. Whoever loses out in the race will still be carried along by the party. It is not possible for 20 candidates to be successful in a race that ends with five slots.

Some of the members of Ajimobi’s cabinet are children of prominent people in the party and in the state. One of them is Umar Arisekola-Alao. They are now aspiring for elective offices, counting on their parents’ influence to get tickets and fulfill their aspirations. Have you overlooked what could happen if they fail?

A politician should know that activities in every party are guided by constitution. How candidates will emerge in APC is through a guideline stipulated in the party’s constitution. There is no aspirant who does not understand this. What you are envisaging is a possible serious crisis after the primary, but I can assure you that there will be no problem at all. What you are insinuating is not limited to APC alone. All parties have the challenge at hand. A good politician must have plan B for his aspiration. If actually they want to serve their people and the people prefer someone else, they should be ready to accept it.

From what we have seen so far, APC aspirants go about with huge crowd on campaign tours. How do you justify the people’s preference when only a few delegates picked by the party will select candidates?

There is a clear difference in going about with crowd and getting the support of the right people. Politicians do rent crowd and I have nothing against it, but there is a wall of difference between mammoth crowd and the electorate. Right now, you don’t need crowd. What they are demonstrating is a way of making impression, only accredited delegates and real party members will determine the candidates of the party for every elective position.

Part of the criticism against APC by some former members who defected is that leaders impose candidates. What is your reaction to this?

I am going to be very honest with you on this issue. I am a political scientist who is equally involved in practical politics. In every political space, there is room for consensus candidate where there is need for it. It is one of the rudiments of democracy. There could be harmonisation or what we called consensus, which to a lay man may be construed to mean imposition.

If party leaders in any constituency decide that someone should represent the area based on merit, loyal members should not disobey such decision. Another critical thing which our aspirants need to know is that in each zone, there are peculiarities. We give room for zoning positions so that one area will not be seen to be dominating the other. If you are in the House of Representatives today, the party may choose someone else from another zone within the constituency in the next election. It applies to other positions and our politicians are aware of this. The APC has internal democracy that gives room for clear understanding and harmonisation.

Will Governor Ajimobi go for the governorship primary or will the party choose him as its consensus candidate despite the rotation system you just explained?

Governor Ajimobi has obtained the form to express his interest in vying for the governorship slot. If more candidates obtain the form, the governor cannot stop the party from holding a primary to determine who should be our candidate in 2015. Only a dictatorial governor will stop the party from selling forms to more people but I am sure Ajimobi will not prevent anyone from buying nomination forms.

As of today, there are two other people in the party that has been pasting posters to express their interest in becoming the next governor. Nobody has harassed them in any way. The governor said during cabinet meeting that anyone who is interested in his seat should express it and obtain the form. This means that he is encouraging competition in the party.

Are you sure that the incumbent power of a governor will not influence the party delegates to dance to his tune during the primary?

The present structure of APC is democratic. Ajimobi did not choose the party executive, he inherited them. These are people who were executives of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria. When the party congress was held, the delegates, including me, decided that the executives should continue. In other words, Ajimobi did not impose them on us.

Has the present administration done enough to merit a return to power?

The people of this state have tasted good government and they will want to stick to that.

Is that not a presumptive measurement?

Secretly, the party conducted an opinion poll to test its popularity among the people from the ward level. The result is favourable and we wish to make public that result in each ward at the appropriate time.

Why not now?

For now, Ajimobi has no competitor because no party has put forward its candidate. When we know our opponents, we will make the result public. The achievements of this government are clear in every sector. We believe in special development which recognises the development of infrastructure in every part of the state and not just concentrated in the capital alone.

Are you aware that education sector has been noted to be in crisis with the state being in 24th position in the last West Africa School Certificate Examinations result?

Critics should be open to accept it when someone does something good. Transforming education sector involves three parties: pupils, teachers and infrastructure. This government does not owe the teachers and they go for regular training and workshops. They are also promoted and motivated to work. However, their work can only be noticed when pupils and parents cooperate with government. In the analysis carried out, the influence of information technology has not been properly utilised by the youths. We have noticed that pupils come to school with mobile telephones which distract them during classes. This government will as from next term stop pupils from taking telephones to the classrooms to aid concentration.

The government is also planning to introduce extension classes during holidays but the parents must play their roles. If this government pays for pupils’ examination fees and run free education, the parents must aid that effort. Parents should demonstrate keen interest in the development of their children. At home, pupils watch television without parental control; listen to music on their telephones and engage in negative activities that hinder their studies. Do you think the government will go to their homes and stop that?

What is the APC doing to check defection of its members to other parties in the state?

The people place emphasis on that without checking how many new members we welcome everyday in the 351 wards in the state. The data is clear on that. This week, more than 1,000 joined the APC from other parties in one council. Politics is about alignment and re-alignment. Politics is like an economic principle of free entry, free exit. There is freedom of movement and association which are fundamental human rights of the people. People have reasons to move from a party to another. Most politicians suffer from ideological fluidity. They don’t know why they belong to a party. Their primary motive is to get the ticket to contest election and get to power. However, there are some decent people who are not political harlots.

With the death of Alhaji Azeez Arisekola-Alao, a strong backer of APC, don’t you foresee a problem ahead of 2015, especially if you consider the fact that the PDP lost in 2011 after the death of its leader in the state, Lamidi Adedibu?

Agreed that Arisekola-Alao was a strong personality, but he was not a politician. He was a religious leader. He supported APC but God determines the fate of people. He can use anybody to bring progress. Arisekola-Alao’s death will not affect APC in the polls. His followers are still with us.

THE  PUNCH.