Lagos state have ready to win the election of 2015 for people democracy party listen to what the party chairman of PDP people democracy party said aout the election Spokesman of the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Taofeek Gani, in this interview with BOLA BADMUS, says that Lagos residents are ready to vote for the party in 2015 and dares the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hold local government polls now. Excerpts: The 2015 poll is around the corner, how prepared is yourparty inthe state to contest the election? The Lagos State PDP is well-prepared to contest the 2015 election. As a matter of fact, our readiness at this time is mathematically above 80 per cent and I can tell youthat politically, we are comfortable. Indeed, this is why the APC in the state is nolonger comfortable with arrangements for elections. Example is the decision not toconduct local council elections. We dare (Governor Babatunde) Fashola to allow the conduct ofthe elections and see if they are stillpopular in the state. Our preparations that have been properly coordinated this time are unprecedentedinLagos PDP. I commendthe present state chairman, Captain Tunji Shele, forthis coordination. The APC knows this, but they cannot avoid the imminent defeat that will befall it under free andfair elections. But the APC has always been dismissing your party as unserious, saying that Lagosians cannot vote you because you have nothing tangible to offer them. What do you have to say to that? The unserious party is the party that the ruling party (APC) now takes serious! Anyway, we will engage them on issue- basedcampaign and not abuses or mudslinging as they are notorious for. Today, the Lagos State PDP is the threat to the APC. The governor is souncomfortable with our soaring popularity that at each 100 days wasteful celebration, he must have one reactionorthe other to make onwhat Lagos PDP has saidabout the government indeed, our constructive critique. This is also one reason that Lagosians see us as very serious and reliable alternative government to the APC. Lagosians are more confident and expecting us to take over governance in the state now than at any otherperiod. This is a confirmation of the rejection they have for APC. They will in fact curse us if we refuse to win the next elections in Lagos State. We will want to commend Fashola for this of misgovernance and high-handedness. His administrationhas piled up monumental debt for future generations in the state to agonise over. This is inspite of the huge IGR of N32 billion every month and the increased Federal Government supports. Yet, all the assumed developments in the state are not direct impact of the taxes and loans but by concessionaires, corporate bodies and Federal Government. Fashola’s administration has helped exposedAPC as an anti-masses party andthus made Lagos State winnable for PDP. You cannot findsuch economic exploitation, victimisation and human rights violations as you find in Lagos State in PDP states. For instance, when you talk ofban on okada, I want to say that in all PDP states where there is banon okada, the riders were adequately compensated and re-employed. Similarly, on education, Lagos State increased its university fee to N375, 000, but it is laughable to see Governor Fashola reverse such violations because election is here. Lagosians cannot be fooled the second time. We will teach APC political lesson in 2015. Then they will know we are serious, reliable and Lagosians’ hope. How come that for the past 15 years, your party has continued to suffer losses in the hands of APC in Lagos? For the records, APC has not won any elections in Lagos State. The name APC inNigeria’s polity is kindergarten. However, for purposes of your question, I believe strongly that the PDP lost tothe original Alliance forDemocracy in 1999 because of the then AD leaders’ adoption of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s political thought. For what Awodid in the regionas a whole, it was difficult to get Yoruba populated Lagos electorate vote another party other than AD. AD was a core Yoruba party, and PDP was blackmailed as a non-Yoruba party. Unknowingly to the Yoruba leaders, they neverknew that they hada betrayerin the then former governorof Lagos State and now national leaderof APC. He “dealt” with them, some now dead and he completely took over the AD as a “bastardised AD.” He went ahead to compromise the electoral process and “won” the 2003 elections. However, some pundits believe till today that the PDP won that election, but suffered betrayal within its own system. Many members will not forget the alleged role played by a former vice president in that election. In 2007, PDP was faced with internal contradictions. In spite of the poorperformance of the Tinubu administration, he yet soldthe propagandists status of SAN conferredonGovernor Fashola and wooed Lagosians towards the AC. The process was hugely compromisedto favour the AC. By 2011, the ACN had perfected the act of rigging elections and defending it with some compromised media. So, if it is true that PDP has neverwon Lagos State in the last 15 years, it is also not true that the Tinubu-led political family won free andfairelections in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Incessant crisis has beenidentified as the major problems ofLagos PDP, a factor that has continued to robthe party of victory. Canyou shedlight onthe belief in some quarters that some fifth columnists are planted inyour party by APC ahead of any poll? For sake of clarity, there is no uncommon disagreement in Lagos PDP. The party has had its ownshare of teething stage as expectedof any oppositionparty. The unavoidable disagreements have all become a thing ofthe past. The party has come out big, strong and reliable so the noise about crisis inthe foldis sponsored by the APC. They want to incite the leaders against themselves. They are not happy andcomfortable withthe permanent accord and unity among our leaders. We have achieved this by God’s grace andthe uncommon leadership of our state chairman. Ourprime leader, Chief Olabode George, the pathfinder, is sure going to enjoy the long awaitedvictory toAlausa at this time. Many oppositionmoles whoused to spy onour strategies have either been politically fumigated or rendered politically impotent to hurt us again. This is againdue to our new strategies. We shall, however, guard this unity jealously and continue to demobilise any remaining fifth columnist in our system. For those unrepentant moles in the system, we caution them to be very cautious as our new found searchlight willexpose them soonest. Your party is believed to have anointed a candidate for governorship post aheadof 2015 election. What is the situation and don’t you think this is another way of causing crisis again? To the best of my knowledge, there is no iota of truth in the saidrumours that the party has anointed any personas its governorship candidate. The National Chairman of our great party has said many times that there willbe levelplaying field for all. You saw how Governor Ayodele Fayose emerged inEkiti State. Against the gang-up and name dropping, he wonthe party’s open primary and went ahead to win the main election. Governor Fayose was expectedby people, so also will our party appreciate the expectationof Lagosians to give them who they wish at this time. We shall downplay sentiments but hearand obey the clarion call of Lagos electorate onwhois best fit to fly our flag at this time. I canbeat my chest that all the Lagos PDP serious governorship aspirants are fit and proper to govern Lagos State, they will also enjoy equal treatment, before, during and after the elections. None will lose out inthis project to wrest Lagos from Tinubu’s control. The APC has often said that the PDP canonly rig to win Lagos. They believe that the Ekiti pollwas rigged technically withhooded security men, including soldiers that were mobilised to the state, but that you failedinOsun. Are you going tomobilise hooded security men to win Lagos? We are excitedto hearAPC jitters and is no more confident to control Lagos voters. The unfounded cry that the PDP wants torig Lagos elections shows that the APC has lost the confidence of the people. Indeed, rigging can only be done in an area of popularity. So ifAPC says PDP can rig elections in Lagos, they are admitting defeat and unpopularity. We are, however, not planning to rig election in Lagos State. We will win clean and clear. Ifwe defeat them in their own LASIEC organisedelections, we can of course defeat them in anelection conducted by neutral body. The talk about hooded security men during elections can be addressed to security chiefs. We also have it onrecord that the APC is a violent party and we will support use of adequate security during elections in Lagos State. There should not be any fear for any law-abiding electorate, whether security agents are hooded or not. The APC remains a blackmailer and a bad sportsman political party. They have chosen to berate the election in Ekiti State because they lost there. What are the “sins” ofAPC government in Lagos or what is your party going to do differently from what the incumbent administration of Fashola is doing if the PDP forms the next government in Lagos? The sins of the ruling party in Lagos State since 1999 cannot be exhaustedina 1,000-page book. We shall, however, reelthem out at the appropriate time. They are campaignissues and we intendto leave our gunpowder dry till the expected debates. Many of suchsins are already in the public, whilst many more are going to be exposed to Lagosians. This time around, Lagosians have rejected them and they shall not get the pardonto goand sin no more. The APC is poisedto take over power from President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 reportedly with either Buhari/Fashola or Atiku/Oshiomhole ticket, is your party jittery? APC poses no serious threat to PDP. We can thus not be jittery over their mere ranting. They must dothis grandstanding tojustify financial supports from their sponsors. President Jonathanwill defeat any APC candidate. The president has performed sowell that he can win the re-election even as an independent candidate. The APC has a leadership of political jobbers, so we don’t take them serious because we know their price at the appropriate time. I, however, honestly advise General Buhari torealise that APC platform is too weak tomake him president. He should allow Jonathan complete a second term so that he can come and contest under PDP thereafter. If you are saying that the PDP is not jittery and that Jonathan would still be voted, what do you think Nigerians would be voting inhim? Nigerians will reelect Jonathan because of his achievements in spite of the instigated insurgency believedto be sponsoredby the militarised opposition. Suchareas include: guarantee offree and fair elections, rehabilitation of roads and rail transportation, progress made in agriculture, industries, affordable Federal Government higher institutions, soaring international acceptance, best economy in Africa, among others. The result-oriented president Nigeria has hadis Jonathan. He is humble in performance and achievements. He is indeeda silent achiever. In spite the war-like situation in some parts of the country, the president has stillbeen able to hold the country together and deliver dividends of democracy. The Boko Haram activities will surely come toan end soonest. The president has done well in the area of creation of employment. We must commend him for rehabilitating and giving skills and employment to over seven million militants in the Niger Delta. Similarly is the creation of YouWin, Sure-P, ITF empowerment, employment and intervention programmes. Many youths have benefited from this. The president cannot employ all. The governors, councilchairmen should also be challengedto account for unemployment in their domains. In Lagos State, there is embargo on employment. Even those in the civil service are not collecting minimum wage. Private employers are not giving incentives to do business, but are rather overtaxed. PDP government in Lagos State shall reduce present company taxes by at least 50 per cent. We shall have an employment policy that will encourage companies toemploy more for tax concessions. There is this controversy on the success recorded on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) withLagos government saying all the credit should go to it, what doyou have to say? The PDP-controlled Federal Government exhibited responsible andresponsive governance. It shunned partisan politics and came to the rescue of the Lagos State government. The virus started from Lagos, APC state. I tell you that if it were a PDP state, the APC would have played politics with it andask forthe resignationof the governor! The PDP president shunned pettiness andgave huge financial, moraland infrastructural supports to Fashola and Lagos State. This has been acknowledged by the international community. Unfortunately forthe APC government in the state, they attempted to claim credit forthe Ebola success. They have not acknowledged the prompt supports by the Federal Government. They play politics with every opportunity. The same way they deny many FederalGovernment interventions. We shall take advantage of the PDP NationalPublicity Secretary tour of states to show Lagosians the many PDP-led FederalGovernment projects and supports to Lagos State down-played by Fashola.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 09:57:38 +0000
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