A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo and a former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Anselm Ojezua, talks about political developments ahead of the 2023 general elections, in this interview with BEN OGBEMUDIA

After a heated election, a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, emerged as the flagbearer of your party for the 2023 elections, what are his chances of winning?

I believe it is a healthy development because the party has nominated the best possible candidate in the circumstance. Atiku is one of the most experienced politicians and has been in government at the highest level he was very powerful when he was vice president. He played prominent and strategic roles in setting up that government and ensuring that it worked effectively. Most of those brought in to assist in implementing the policies the government developed came through him. To that extent, I think he is one of the best candidates looking around from all parties to lead this country.

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Do you think Atiku Abubakar of the PDP stand any chance against Bola Tinubu or Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of the APC if any of them emerge?

I don’t belong to that party (APC) anymore, but in my opinion from the outside and what I can see, it appears that the party even up to now still cannot find its bearing with regards to a choice of their presidential candidate which is a negative sign for me. The fact that they kept postponing their convention gives the impression that they might have put pressure on INEC to further extend the timetable they have told us was irreversible. Looking at a Tinubu or Osinbajo or Kayode Fayemi of Rotimi Amaechi’s emergence, anyway, the APC goes, Atiku will have an advantage because if APC picks Osinbajo, they will have to contend with a bitter Tinubu who is known to have brought General Buhari out of retirement to contest one more time just for power to shift from PDP to APC. There is no way APC can take a decision that will not affect them adversely to the advantage of Atiku.

Peter Obi has left the PDP for the Labour Party, with the emergence of Atiku, do you not think he has lost the South-South and South-East?

No, I don’t think so. PDP lost the aforementioned people because they failed to provide leadership when these issues were growing. In Atiku’s acceptance speech, he spoke about the issues of these people that had to leave due to one reason or the other which shows that he intends to go after them to bring them back to further fortify the party. There is still time for him to rebuild the party, bring back the lost resources and look for a way forward for the party. The circumstances in the country favours PDP a lot.

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Why is the PDP crisis in Edo State festering and seemingly unresolved?

To a large extent, it has been reconciled. All the problems we had in Edo were traceable to the presidential ambition of one of the aspirants and they believe that Godwin Obaseki was not favourably disposed to his candidature. They denied Obaseki the leadership of PDP in the state that the constitution of the party conferred on him for the selfish reason of wanting Edo to support the aspirant. To some extent, they achieved it despite all the processes we went through in Edo. They used questionable court orders to achieve their objectives but even then, the people still voted for Atiku. Those who are fighting Obaseki have nothing left to fight for and a lot will depend on Obaseki and Atiku’s capacity to forge reconciliation amongst other ranks.

With the way things are, which of the delegates’ list was recognised and accepted by the national executive of PDP?

There was no parallel congress, there is only one process that was started and concluded by the national executive. Only one was organised by the national executive, others were organised by people you can refer to as “deviants”.

But the governor was accused of ignoring the court process…

The governor has been at the receiving end. When we talk about political solutions to our problems, they go to the judiciary.

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What is the way forward out of the crisis?

There is no crisis, there can be a disagreement but no crisis. Most of the noise made arose from the limitless resource based on money solving every issue without having people in mind. Edo people are angry with the party for denying 14 members of the State House of Assembly access to perform their legislative duties for four years. How do you think they can be appeased? Edo people are angry with those they sent on an errand and rather than doing the sacred duty that was assigned to them, they went on a frolicking adventure and followed the whims and caprices of an individual, flexing and massaging unnecessary egos rather than serving the people who sent them. Edo people are strongly behind Obaseki and are angry with those boys who violated the sacred confidence reposed in them by their people.

We learnt that while you were the chairman of the party, you and others misadvised the governor which led to the crisis, how true is that?

I disagree, don’t forget when Obaseki became governor of Edo State, he still referred to Adams Oshiomhole as his leader. I have respect for him.