Alao-Akala: People Are Begging Me To Contest Oyo Guber Election Saturday, 19 July 2014 00:00 Alao-AkalaFormer governor of Oyo State, Chief Christopher Alao-Akala, in this interview, speaks on how and why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will ‘recapture’ the South West and confirms his desire to contest governorship election in the state. PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in the South West have been expressing confidence that they will recapture the zone after the success recorded at in the Ekiti governorship election. Don’t you see this as a wrong political calculation? THERE is no doubt that not only leaders of our party in the South West that have been happy with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) achievement in Ekiti State, but our national leaders including President Goodluck Jonathan are happier because they now believe what we are telling them that the All Progressive Congress (APC) has no root in Yorubaland. It is not a party that can last and survive the next election because people have seen through it. Our people now see APC as an elitist party and they are not wrong. APC is indeed an elitist party, creating wealth for the very few in the society by embarking on white elephant projects to enrich their principal who single handedly picked them as sole administrators to govern those states on his behalf. It is not a democratic party, neither is it an open party where anybody can aspire to be something. Our people have seen through all these things and again their distance from the grassroots will work for the PDP. APC is not a grassroots party, they are only pretending to be so. You know, the propaganda can work for the elites but not for people at the grassroots and they are in the majority. People lay emphasis on infrastructure which, of course, is the responsibility of the government to provide, but doing that at the expense of what I call ‘stomach politics’ will spell doom for the leaders. People are hungry in the South West. Just go and see our people on the streets, you will see hunger written clearly on their faces. Unfortunately, the APC government has no solution to their problems. They have forgotten that what enters an individual’s stomach matters a lot. You are one of the political students of the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu known for ‘Amala politics’. Will you say his political philosophy is now reigning in the South West? Baba Adedibu was an enigma but I will rather prefer to call it ‘stomach politics’. A Yoruba adage says, bi ebi ba ti kuro ninu ise, ise buse which literary translates ‘if you remove hunger from whatever problem you have, you will have strength to pursue other things’ There is no way an hungry person will appreciate any sky scrapper you build. How much of this is being done by the PDP at the national level because the Federal Government has not been seen doing much to feed the people? I disagree with you. The Federal Government is doing a lot to make food available on the tables of all Nigerians because it is part of the PDP manifesto to ensure Nigerians are not hungry. We understand the implication of ruling hungry citizens. In the South West, APC elements are claiming to be Awolowo’s scion but they have completely deviated from the principles and philosophy of Awolowo. The great Awo did not make people around him hungry, he did not suffer them, he cared for the people and called them by their first names. He gave some of them nicknames to show you how close he was to the people. Can you say the same thing is happening in states where APC is ruling? Go and ask civil servants in Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Lagos State, the hell they are passing through in the hands of politicians masquerading as progressives. There is a total disconnect between the people and the APC-controlled governments. You cannot be enjoying at the Government House and leave your people without food in their stomach. The truth is that the policy of APC to replicate what is happening in Lagos in other states cost them Ekiti State and will cost them other states in the South West. Will you say the same thing is happening in Oyo State? Oyo State is currently being controlled by the APC. I don’t want to talk about this government now, but my opinion about it is that it is not different from what you hear from the people on the streets, what you hear from the teachers, what you will hear from the civil servants. Do you see PDP winning the August 9 governorship election in Osun State? We have no iota of doubt that the incumbent governor must start preparing his hand over notes. If Fayemi who is more politically savvy and less controversial could not survive the revolution of the people against the APC, Aregbesola must be a joker to think he can win the election. Believe me, South West people have rejected the APC and besides, the PDP candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyinola Omisore is a popular candidate, a grassroots politician and better experienced than other contenders for that office. You must also note this, Aregbesola never won election in the state, he came in through judicial manipulation but he will face the real election now. You will notice that he is overwhelmed by the office he is occupying to the extent that he is playing God. He is changing everything that cannot withstand the test of time, that are not sustainable. Even in Britain which introduced Western education to us, their students do not wear the same uniform. Now you give all students the same uniforms.How long can you sustain that? Do you think Osun people will forgive him for bringing religious disharmony not only to the state, but to the South West where religion has never been an issue. If not for the peculiarity of Yoruba people, that man may have caused serious religion mayhem in Osun for turning Christian schools to Moslem schools, asking students to go with hijab to Christians schools. You know, APC elements are very arrogant and think they can maltreat people and escape with it. That is what happened in 2003 and the history is repeating itself. It has started with Ekiti and nobody can stop the revolution of people against APC in the South West. I also want to remind you that Aregbesola was posted from Lagos to Osun State, he is yet to really identify with the needs and challenges of the people. He is known as the Lord of Alimosho politics in Lagos and he was doing everything as if Osun is the same with Alimosho. I can’t see him winning that election, he stays two days in Osun and five days in Lagos. As a democrat, do you think one party state is good for our democracy? We are not advocating for one party state but the best political party should be in control and PDP is the best party in Nigeria. We are national in nature, we are everywhere, they are not in every nook and cranny of the country. We run a national party, APC is not a national party. Nigerians know who owns APC. Can you say that about the PDP? At each level, we have leaders that take responsibility for their jurisdiction. There are rumours that you are nursing ambition to contest governorship election next year. Is it true? It is no longer a rumour, it is true that I am running for that office again. I am coming out because of the cries of my people. They knew what I did when I was there and believe I have not completed my assignment. Again, it is a bad king that makes people to remember a good one that is no more. There seems to be a consensus among our people that I should go back to that office. I receive a lot of text messages everyday. People make phone calls, so also different political and pressure groups are visiting me and the message is the same. I risk being tagged an insensitive leader if I do not obey their clarion calls. And the whole essence of leadership in a democratic setting is to listen to your people and do their bidding. Without sounding immodest, they are begging me to contest in 2015. Go to the town and feel the pulse of the people. They are clamouring for the return of Alao-Akala. You know, there is element of luck in this thing and also that of experience. When you have experience you will know how to deal with people and you cannot acquire the experience overnight. It takes a period of time. Our people prefer somebody with the experience to govern Oyo State at this critical period and that is why I have offered myself for the service of our people. We have completed almost 90 per cent of consultations and very soon, I will make public my declaration. You lost re-election in 2011 because some powerful forces in the state kicked against you. Have you reconciled with them? What happened then has taught all of us a lesson. I have also gained some experiences from that past incident. We are now moving forward and putting the past behind us. In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. The only thing that is permanent is interest. I think our interests now tally and I strongly believe things will work well. What did you forget in the Government House that you want to go and take? To God be the glory. I did not forget anything in the Government House. I am going back because the incumbent is not doing what he is supposed to do. I am a contended man and I always thank God for what he has made me to achieve in life. I have got my house and I live a relatively comfortable life, but our people are suffering and they want me to go back to that office and make Oyo State people proud again. If you are given the opportunity, what are you going to do differently? I will not do anything different.I will do most of the things I did that time and consolidate on them. I initiated some populist programmes that have been stopped, I will revive them. I am coming back to put smiles on the faces of our people and make life more abundant. They know me as a grassroots person and they know what I can do. I was a local council chairman, I had been a Deputy Governor, I had been a Governor, I became a Deputy Governor again then a Governor. I have the requisite experience not only to win election for my party, but to make life more abundant for Oyo State people. Some prominent people who called the shots in Oyo State have died. Adedibu, Alao-Arisekola and a few others. How has this affected the politics of the state? The only thing I can tell you is that the factors that defined the election in 1999 did not play out in 2003. So also 2007 had a different colour and the factors that played out in 2011 were different from what happened in 2007. Believe you me, 2015 will be entirely different. I don’t want to discuss people here, living or dead. But note that 2015 will be interesting. What factors will determine 2015? I can’t tell you now, it is a joker that will see me through. Many believe the next election will be a straight contest between APC, PDP and Accord. Don’t you think PDP may find it difficult to scale through? I don’t know where you got that impression from. Go to the field and sample opinions, you will know that PDP is the party to beat in Oyo State. What are your chances of getting the party’s ticket? It is true that many aspirants are jostling for the PDP ticket in Oyo State but this is a normal thing considering the size and strength of the party. But this is a party that believes in internal democracy and this process will produce the candidate and every other person will queue behind the candidate. Members of the party know who can win election for the party. In politics, everybody is important and everybody will be carried along to pick who will lead the party. Don’t forget that 21 aspirants contested for the PDP ticket in Ekiti State and as soon as Ayo Fayose emerged, other aspirants fell in line. What will you say about crisis within the PDP in the state? We do not have any crisis or faction. We do not have a parallel executive. We have just a single and united members of Exco. But I want to admit that we have groups and that is normal in a big party like the PDP. And all these groups are working for the interest of the party.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:20:41 +0000
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