INSIDEPOLITICS

institutions. The federal civil service with head of service is also an institution. The Nigerian government with the SGF is an institution. An institution is an organisation that has systems that are known, which has process that are known, which has culture that are known and that has members who are known. There is no place for self-help, impunity and reckless behaviour. We have not taken enough steps to make sure that the political parties are institutions except for about six months ago when President Buhari in addressing Oshiomhole and APC governors, as if he knew, said please go and institutionalise this party because he wanted this party to become a much institutionalised institution that can stand the test of time.

Even if Buhari is not there, the founding fathers; even if Asiwaju is not there, even if Baba Akande is not there, even if Owelle Okorocha is not there, 50 and 100 years down the line, the party can survive. Party loyalists who are technocrats and bureaucrats have built this party to the point where its existence can be sustained and carried forward so that their unique contribution to Nigerian development deepening of democracy and also implementing pro-poor, pro-workers, pro-youths, and pro-women are sustained.

Don’t you see the wrangling in the Edo State governorship election happening in the next state? Secondly, how do you see the chances of APC in Edo in the light of what has happened?

I have not seen problems in APC but I have seen noise. I have seen a lot of noise from Edo and I have also seen a lot of noise from Ondo. But these are two out of the 20 states under the fold of the party. And this problem you see in Edo State or Ondo State; certainly even if the chairman of the party is not Adams Oshiomhole, there is internal crisis between (Governor Godwin) Obaseki and other stakeholders in Edo which if not resolved will polarise the party going into the election. Now, Obaseki, thank God, has left the party. And the party embarked on the processes that led to the emergence of a candidate. I followed every step meticulously to avoid this Bayelsa fiasco or the Zamfara situation or the Rivers’ crises. We learn from our experience. So we are very meticulous in going through the processes that led to the emergence of candidates in Edo State and we had successfully conducted the primaries.

At the moment, Ondo is another state where our party has pressures and tensions. We have issues of cohesion and understanding among the stakeholders in the party there. As you can see, the deputy governor has bolted out of the party and joined another party. Now, there are many people agitating for one thing or the other in the party.

Did you make any effort, as a party to stop Obaseki from resigning his membership ?

Severally, President Buhari talked to Obaseki; he appealed to all the stakeholders and the APC Governors Forum sent a delegation led by Ganduje. The party set up a committee led by the senate president; Obaseki said he did not want, claiming he was biased. They sent another team. Look, all these options and others were explored but unfortunately, all these did not work and it led to a point, regrettably, where Obaseki left the party.

But thank God, we are as a party held on to the process and continued with the process for the emergence of a candidate. It is our hope that having successfully concluded the process that led to the emergence of a candidate and flag bearer of the party, we hope that the leadership of the APC would work together as a team and as a family to carry out the campaign in a cohesive and united manner to see the victory of the party in Edo State.