In this interview held in Asaba, Delta State, a stalwart of the PDP and former Commissioner representing Ethiope West, Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Chief (Dr) Henry Ofa explains that seeking political solution through genuine dialogue is the leeway out of the mustering political tragedy in the party.
Ofa also tells our correspondent, JOSHUA ERUBAMI, that unless urgent measures are taken to end the crisis, the PDP may soon gasp its last breath. Excerpts.
What are the main causes of the crisis rocking the national leadership of the PDP?
The Peoples Democratic Party has held sway as the most potent political platform in Nigeria since the country returned to democracy in 1999. Unfortunately, recent development shows that the continued and bourgeoning success of the party is being threatened. It all started from the time when some persons at the helm of the party’s affairs refused to relinquish power despite the expiration of their legitimate stay in office. Every position, particularly that of political offices, has a duration and when the end of your own your stray in office comes, it becomes very honourable to diplomatically and tactically step aside to ensure that your relevance is still sustained in whatever gathering you find yourself.
The main challenge of the PDP now is that of the feud between Senator Ahmed Markafi and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on who should control the nation soul of the party. You will recall that Sheriff got the mandate to act as the party’s chairman after the resignation of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur in the heat of the failed bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan to retain his presidency position during the 2015 general elections. Sheriff was supposed to act for few months after which a national convention of the party would be convened to conduct elections into the principal positions of the party. But at the expiration of his acting period, he sought to be the substantive chairman of the party which was widely rejected and that was the genesis of the whole issue.
Chief Henry Ofa
He moved to stop the national convention of the party held last year but his move was not entirely successful as the Lagos court, in which he had sought legal restraints against the convention, only suspended the election of three principal officers of the party, including the position of the national chairman. As a law abiding party, the stakeholders held the national convention during which they dissolved the National Executive Council (NEC) but did not elect principal officers as ordered by the court. In order to strengthen the party ahead of the 2019 polls, leaders of the PDP set up a caretaker committee led by Markafi to oversee the affairs of the party for three months pending the final resolution of the differences. But the Sheriff faction opposed the move and that was how the supremacy battle began.
From your analysis, what have been the impacts of the crisis on the party?
They are too numerous to mention. The major one is that the continuum of the crisis is gradually pushing the party to a dead end. Some members of the party, including senators and other serving political officers elected under the flagship of the PDP are hiding under the crisis to defect to the APC (All Progressives Congress). The constitution allows the defection of serving political officers once it is established that there is crisis in the defecting politician’s party else, he or she could be recalled and ordered to vacate such position. More people are leaving the party and, except urgent measures are taken to mitigate this crisis, the party is heading towards comatose.
It is alleged that the PDP crisis is being sponsored by some APC loyalists...
(Cuts in) That is a mere allegation. It has to be substantiated. Besides, no man can make you fight against your house if you truly believe in its unity and ideology. The crisis is internal.
Factional Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
How do you see members of the PDP who have defected to the APC and other parties?
They are not true politicians. They don’t believe in political ideology. A good politician joins a political platform not because it is in power but because he or she believes in its ideology which is the fulcrum upon which any genuine party rests. The PDP has a progressive ideology that is geared towards human capital development, improved welfare and general development of the society; that ideology has not changed and will never change. So, if the ideology remains the same, then it is totally unjustifiable for any of its member to defect. Joining the ruling party at the national level does not give you the leverage of getting all you want.
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If the ideology of the PDP remains as it were in the 1990s, why then has the party churned out different agenda in all of the three administrations it has produced in Delta State for instance?
Yes, it is one ideology, but the routes to achieving such ideology are many. It is like God. There are many of God’s worshippers on earth today who explore various ways and means in getting to him, but God still remains a single being. With reference to Delta State, Chief James Ibori came up with his agenda in 1999, by 2007, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan floated a three-point agenda and by 2015, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa rolled out a five-point agenda ostensibly called the SMART Agenda. The words and arrangement may be different but a careful look at all the areas of focus shows that the three administrations are concentrated on human capital development, security, health, infrastructures, welfarism and similar areas. In essence, the paths may vary but the destination is same.
The PDP crisis still persists with series of litigations pending determination, what should be the way forward?
Political solution is the leeway out of the morass. I have said this over and again, court judgments will further polarize the party and leave lasting divisions in it. Markafi and Sheriff should forget about who is right and embrace dialogue. Dialogue is more beneficial than argument. No man can take it all. They should reach an acceptable compromise where both factions will chose some of the key positions and allow peace reign in the party. The two arrow heads should be made to have input in the party, just as the governors are considered vital for the success of the party.
Taking the matter up at the Supreme Court is not the best; that legal tussle will take about three months to determine yet elections in some states are drawing closer. We have lost too many elections already; we cannot afford to lose more. Nigerians are looking up to the PDP as the only hope out of the APC induced hardship, but if the crisis continues, then I am afraid that the party may be no more soon.
Factional Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
Ahead of the 2019 polls, there are signals that the PDP may merge with other political parties, how do you see that?
The PDP is still the strongest party in Nigeria. The issue of merger can only be considered if the current internal crisis is allowed to be settled through court rulings. If the party embraces dialogue and political solution to the current differences, then it will be easy for it to win the needed number of supporters that will ensure its victory by 2019. At present, we must preach the good gospel of dialogue because it pays.
Since acting President Yemi Osinbajo assumed office, there seems to be some improvement in the country’s economy particularly in the rising strength of the Naira to Dollar. What is your opinion on his leadership style?
Osinbajo is not a politician but a technocrat. His recent visits to the Niger Delta area have really brought about much peace in the troubled region of the country. This has resulted in increased daily oil production and more revenue to the country. It is quite gratifying that he is able to bring his technical knowledge to bear, but that is not to say that the APC is doing well. The acting President is just working hard to ameliorate part of the untold hardship the federal government has brought upon Nigerians. I will urge him to step up his efforts to give Nigerians benefits of the change they were promised. I will also call on Nigerians to pray for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari irrespective of political and ethnic divide. There is no denying the fact that he is the President of this country. If he is sick, then the country is invariably sick too.
It was recently reported that an India-packaged garri is being sold in Nigerian supermarkets; what does this portend to a country like ours that is endowed with rich agricultural soil?
That is sheer madness. It is totally ridiculous to all farmers in this country. It is agreed that Nigeria has regrettably remained an import dependent country for virtually all of its needs, but importing garri into "a country like Nigeria that is naturally blessed with a fertile agricultural soil is the height of insults that can be given to citizens who are making efforts to consolidate the economic diversification drive of the federal government. Such situation is capable of undermining the value chain of agriculture, particularly cassava cultivation in the country, all Nigerians must kick against it. Importing garri into Nigeria is totally ridiculous and an expression of sheer madness by those involved. Whoever buys such product is invariably beclouded by a very poor sense of judgmen.
Who in his right senses will import garri in which production Nigeria has an economic advantage? Look around every corner of Nigerian towns and villages, you will find well processed and fresh garri made from Nigerian farms. Our soil is so richly blessed that it supports the growth of virtually all varieties and species of agricultural products; if we genuinely follow the path of agriculture, there is no doubt that we will do well like we did in the past when the agrarian sector provided bulk of our gross domestic earnings.
The diversification efforts of governments at the federal and state levels appear to be yielding some positive dividends. Anything that tends to undermine this progress must be stopped. Besides the ongoing investigation into the monumental aberration, the federal governments should strengthen its holds on our national borders because it is appalling that the product scaled through our national surveillance without a prompt detection.
How would you assess the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration?
I must thank God for giving Okowa to Deltans at this critical time of our history. Those of us who fought for his victory are being vindicated today because the governor is giving us more reasons to believe in his delivering capacity. With what he is doing in the state, the PDP will have less task of retaining his governorship at the 2019 gubernatorial poll because the ordinary citizens will be his strength. Take a look at his realistic approach to job creation for the teaming youths; network of good and durable roads; human capital development drive and other laudable infrastructural development; you will see that the man is really working.
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Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State
One of the best ways to know someone who knows what he is doing is how fast he springs into action. Okowa appointed members of his cabinet, sent several bills to the State House of Assembly and executed several projects within his first 100 days in office. Yet, even the federal government and some APC led state governments operated as sole administrators for several months into their governments. As regard 2019, the APC and other political parties should forget wrestling power from the PDP backed Okowa’s government because there is no vacancy at all.
How would you rate his managerial skills?
Excellent. Despite the sharp economic crunch, Governor Okowa is still working, paying staff salaries, funding projects and keeping the state afloat. It is astonishing as to how he does that. He has prudently managed the lean resources coming to the state and everyone has smiles running on their faces. It is obvious some persons have some reservations about him especially in matters of appointment, but please let us be patient with him. It will soon get to your turn.
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