A former Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of its Board of Trustees, Dr Eddy Olafeso, says the party’s survival depends on resolving its leadership crisis. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Olafeso warned that insecurity is crippling farming communities and life has worsened under President Tinubu’s administration. He called for urgent action to reposition the PDP and lead Nigerians out of the current hardship. David Lawani captures the interview
Are you bothered by the way the INEC chairman recently described your party, the PDP?
None of us will be depressed in the circumstances that we find ourselves in. For a party that has been in existence since 1998, that produced Presidents three times and was in power for 16 years — if you say this of any upcoming political party with that kind of experience, you will equally be mired with what is going on. I see a lot of effort being put in in many places. How did we get to this level? It appears that a certain force is at work in this matter. No, be juju be this? For a party of our status, willing to wrestle power from the APC in the circumstance that Nigerians find themselves today.
Is there hope with the way things are right now?
Well, power belongs to God. And there is nothing impossible under the sun. This sun can rise again.
You lost Delta and Akwa Ibom, which are traditional PDP states, and there’s a rumour that two more PDP states are on standby, trying to fly away to the APC. Does that bother you?
Anything can happen in this circumstance. But the truth is that I said power belongs to God. Beyond individuals leaving our party, no matter how highly placed they are. What I have not comprehended or understood is the love that people have exhibited to this extent. I have been here since yesterday. And before coming to Abuja, all over this country, the comments are about PDP and how we handle our internal problems. We made efforts. For those of us on the reconciliation committee, we have not given up hope despite the daunting circumstances we now find ourselves in. We have kept on talking to one another. How can a party get ready within the next 24 months to wrestle power from a very deep-rooted political party like the APC and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? I said I was one of the very few people on this programme who believed it would be delusional for any political party to think that they could wrest power from the APC alone, without a coalition, without forming a bond, and without connecting with the Nigerian people. How have we connected with the Nigerian people since I left here two to three months ago? One problem after the other. We are like our own goals, unforced errors — consistently and repeatedly. We were at INEC, and that comment from Professor Yakubu left us drenched. Initially, there may be specific challenges. However, the reality is that he cited examples of the letters written. Then something becomes clearer to you — what is the competence and capacity of the NWC as it is constituted today? Then what are we doing as party members? As structures of the party?
Is this a private agency speaking to a regulatory entity? It looks like a confused entity. What do you see?
A confused entity and grossly incompetent. I quite agree with you. That is our situation today. We can always cure ourselves because we know where the problem originates.
Where is the headache coming from?
It stems from gross incompetence and inexperience among the group of people who have been in the party.
Your party once said it would rule Nigeria for 60 years. But here we are. Where do you go from here? Nigerians need a perfect opposition party. What is the way forward?
Sometimes, we need all those adjectives to define us so that we can wake up from our slumber and act right. I am never worried about being criticised. And believe me, I am not bored. Because we must learn from experience. If you have described us with adjectives and in language that you have, it is your right — because it is for Nigeria to be better. You are getting angry that these people are becoming vegetables.
Do you know why this is annoying and strange to people’s ears? If you understand democracy, you would see the role of an opposition party. Your party was given the role of opposition by the APC. What has changed? Where is the opposition party?
We are coming. If we continue like this, the reality is that you will meet us at the point where we stand up to fight for the people. Allow us to heal ourselves. Look, malaria cannot be cured overnight — whether it’s COVID or the flu. It will take its course. Let’s say we are going through specific phases. And the leadership is not sleeping. You could see former governors and serving ones, senators, and everybody heading towards INEC, and they are coming back home to discuss with us. We are here this week — BOT members and leaders from all walks of life — to see what can be done. I am telling you, there will be answers to our challenges. But the truth is that we are stronger together.
The only problem PDP has is personal ambition. How can this be addressed?
You are not far from the truth. The truth is that if we can be selfless for one moment, most of these head-banging would not happen. We became a rallying bond not for ourselves but for the country — because we are not being selfish. And we are not committed to the ideals of our responsibility to continue providing that leadership expected from the opposition.
President Tinubu’s brand of opposition politics is lacking in PDP. How can the PDP show real opposition?
The 2027 election is not about the PDP and APC. It is about other Nigerians, the APC, and the President. That will be the turning point. The assumption is that this will be an APC vs PDP contest. But how about the Nigerian people who are going through hellish situations? Life has been reduced to nothing. Alongside the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, anything can happen. But this cannot happen for eight years. Where would Nigeria be?
What do you mean this cannot happen? The APC says this is the best thing that can happen to Nigeria. Do you see something different?
The kind of situation in Nigeria today — I even heard some of their leaders say there is so much food in Nigeria. But unknown to them, some of us in the opposition are also farmers. I left my farm three years ago. And I could not go back there. In Ondo State, ask Chief Olu Falae when he last visited his farm. Nothing is happening in the agrarian sector more than in the agricultural industry. No. Not all rural areas are contributing to Nigeria’s development. And how can you grow the economy if that is the situation? Ultimately, they cannot escape the reality of their actions in government. Sooner than later, the Nigerian people will ask questions — what have they done with their stewardship? Do you remember that palace in Abeokuta? Agbewale! What have they brought down?
In your view, you don’t think things are getting better?
How can it get better? If I am flying one way from Akure to Abuja for ₦300,000 — how do I get the money apart from my children supporting me?
The APC says it’s a momentary pain. Do you feel differently?
If a woman is pregnant with a child and you are not preparing her to have a safe childbirth, she could die at birth. Don’t you see the probability yourself? Who is not worried about what is happening in the country? Because, by and large, Nigeria might die at childbirth. ‘Gbewale’! We have been brought down.
You are referencing President Tinubu’s statement. What does that mean?
‘A ma gbewale’ means we bring everything down. PMS will be around ₦110, and the dollar will be worth just a few naira. The economy will improve.
Are we heading toward the politics of a ma gbewale?
I have not seen it because all these beautiful presentations of data and statistics on television do not reflect in our lives. People are dying, and children are dropping out of school. IDPs are increasing. Security is not there. Everybody is worried about the situation in the country.
Your party, the PDP, is not living up to expectations to challenge some of the decisions of President Tinubu that are not improving lives. What is the way forward?
I recall the days when the PDP was in power from 1999 to 2015 until former President Jonathan left office. Are you better today? What was the rate of the dollar at that time? What was the cost of a bag of rice? What is it now? What was the number of out-of-school children then compared to now? IDPs and insecurity — what are they selling to the Nigerian people? It’s not about what PDP is doing. We have reached a point in our lives where we must say we are going to rise. The basket is off our bottom at the moment. What I saw this evening is that we have work to do — and we are not running away from doing the job well.
