|
2007: Atiku should call his men to order - Obadan
Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Reverend Peter
Obadan is not a man given to many words. He rarely speaks unless it is
considered absolutely important. And the erstwhile deputy to Governor John
Odigie Oyegun believes that it is expedient for him to speak out now, if only
that his people from Edo North Senatorial District are not shut out of the 2007
governorship race. Reverend Obadan also told Group
Politics Editor, Felix Ofou why he thinks the South South should produce
the President in 2007, while asking Vice President Atiku Abubakar to stay clear
of the zone and call to order his foot soldiers deployed to campaign for him
ahead of the 2007 polls. Excerpts:
Lately, there have been agitations by people from your
zone for the governorship of Edo State in 2007. What informed the demand?
Edo State is a miniature Nigeria and its politics is
dynamic. And the only relevant and potent movement in Edo State is the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP). I’m from the north of the state and that
senatorial district has not benefited politically. It has not produced the
governor of the state. We’ve had Ogbemudia, Oyegun and Igbinedion who are
from the South senatorial district of Edo State. And we’ve had the late
Professor Ambrose Alli from the Central. Only the North has not had the
opportunity of the governorship seat. But we strongly believe that this time,
our central and southern brethren will concede leadership of Edo State to the
north because politics is a game of numbers.
But, there have also been counter-arguments that Edo
Central and North have produced two military Vice Presidents. The North also
has more councils, meaning that more money is in that area. So will it not be
fair game that the South is entitled to the governorship of the state?
If you check the records, you will see that they have
benefited in both military and civil administration. Even the central has
benefited. They’ve produced military administrators for other states. So
that argument is fallacious. Secondly, the issue you raised about Admiral
Aikhomu being from the central and Akhigbe from the north is a fair argument.
But you need to look at other areas of governance, especially at the federal
level. We’ve never had the chairmanship of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), which is a very important position in the affairs
of the country. It appears that position has been zoned to the south as it has
always produced its chairman. And Edo State has had many ministerial
appointments but how many have come from the north? But let’s not go into
that area since we are concerned only with the governorship position. The issue
of local government creation is not the making of the people of Edo North.
Well, Akhigbe fought for Edo North senatorial district and you’ll need to
meet him to ask why he did that. You also need to know that there was a lot of
politicking at the time. For example, when we were in office, we recommended
the creation of about five or six local governments from the South. Initially
there were oppositions to it because they didn’t want the main local
governments in the south balkanized because of historical antecedents. And of
course, you know we belong to one stalk. I tell people that I am more Edo than
other Edo, being a child of the Ozolua lineage.
So, it is a debatable issue. Without mincing words, we need
more local governments in the South. And I have always advocated that we need
more local governments. Because when you consider what is going on in Edo
State, then you know that the north is deprived. I want to cite the case of
Lagos State. When local governments were being created, they said its
population was 5.1 million and Kano State was 5.2 million. And after the
creation of local governments, Kano including Jigawa that was created out of it
has 63 whereas Lagos has 20. And don’t forget that revenue is shared
according to the number of local governments.
Those of us in the South South have not fought for our
rights. And I think that is the reason we are here today. So we need more local
governments in Edo State. They should create more local governments in Edo,
which would solve its problem. Edo South should have at least nine local
governments and Akoko-Edo should at least be three local governments. And let
us not talk about population because when you extrapolate the 1963 census
figures Edo South was almost half-a-million and Edo North over 700,000 and
Central about half-a-million. And by the generally unacceptable census of 1991,
the figures were considerably altered and Edo North dropped to below
half-a-million while Edo South rose from below half-a-million to 1.2 million.
So there was something fundamentally wrong with the 1991 census.
There are insinuations that Chief Tony Anenih, the
chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, is favourably disposed to a candidate
from the Central in 2007. Does that not foreclose the chance of any aspirant
from the North?
Edo North has no godfather but it has the father of fathers
who is Almighty God. I have read so many articles about our friends boasting
about the status of Chief Tony Anenih who is from the Central. But I know Chief
Anenih to be the father of all. So I don’t expect him to lean to one side
or be tribal. I think he will look at things fairly and justly. And he knows
that Edo North has been deprived. When you come to the South, Ogbemudia and the
Esama are godfathers. But you know that Ogbemudia cannot be swayed by tribal
affinity. He and the Esama would want to be fair and just and they will bluntly
tell you that the governorship should go to the north, because they know that
we are a part of the state. And after all we belong to the same stalk and share
things in common. But if you exclude other sections, then you will create
disenchantment and chaos. We believe that at the appropriate time our older and
more experienced politicians will meet and sort things out. This is why Edo
North decided that it needed somebody to push its case and we have a son who
has unparalleled access to the corridors of power in the person of Admiral
Akhigbe. And it is not that Edo North doesn’t have people but the reason
is that we are humble. We don’t blow our trumpet.
Your permutation so far is predicated on the assumption
that the PDP is the only party in Edo State. But the ANPP is still firmly on
ground in Edo State. In fact, the ANPP maintains that it should have been in
charge if not that the party was robbed. So, how do you reconcile this reality?
PDP did not rob the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP)
of victory. There are many noisemakers in ANPP and they were not on ground.
They were very privileged to have had people who had the wherewithal and access
to the press. I think we were on ground but they weren’t. As far as
I’m concerned they were not in reckoning. And when I say that PDP is the
only party in Edo State, I mean that it has upwards of 90 to 95 per cent
control of the state. And what is left is insignificant.
How true is the claim that the governorship of Edo State
in 2007 has been zoned?
To the best of my knowledge, there is no zoning in Edo
State. I have read some articles in the papers that there were meetings held
specifically on November 8, 2001 where some people gathered and took certain
decisions. And I want to declare categorically that it was not the PDP body
that met. A select group of leaders met. And we were told that something akin
to zoning was decided. After which there was silence and silence means consent.
But as far as Edo State PDP is concerned, there is nothing like zoning. And we in
the northern part of the state regard any decision reached on that occasion as
a nullity.
It seems that you will prefer the chairmanship of INEC to
the governorship for your zone. What informs such a belief?
No, no, no, I was just trying to show that INEC chairmanship
is a position of great importance because that is where the wheel of politics
in this country is controlled. INEC is supposed to be an independent body. But
over the years, its chairmanship has been held by indigenes of old Bendel or
Edo State and if that is zoned to Edo State, my argument is that it should not
be limited to one senatorial district.
Listening to your argument on the need for power shift,
it gives the impression that selfish, rather than altruistic interests motivate
it. Does that not make the other zones equally justified in their demand?
When you say justified, it is relative. It depends on your
definition of ‘justified.’ In Edo State, there might be grumbling
here and there. What is good for A might not be good for B. And don’t
forget, the pockets of ANPP support would naturally cry out. There is no doubt
that we have had weaknesses in the team. And that is the reason some of us have
come out to say come 2007, let’s have a change.
Why is the South South suddenly waking up to demand for
the 2007 presidency? Definitely, it was not in the reckoning for the
presidential race until now. What has informed this new thinking?
I think the South South peoples are just beginning to
realise that over the years they have not been in the political equation of
this country. How I wish you had a copy of my book in which I expressed myself
clearly. You need to thread the soil of Bayelsa to see the ecological
devastation and the dehumanization of our land. And the entire country depends
on us to reproduce its sustenance. But we get nothing from this country. I
think it’s time we stood up for our rights and claimed them. They cannot
continue to milk us and give us nothing in return. I think the South South
Peoples Assembly should ensure the unity of our peoples and emphasise the
indivisibility of the South South, though tongue and tribe may differ and
present these to the other sections of the Nigerian State.
It would seem that at every forum organised by the SSPA,
the shadow of Vice President Atiku Abubakar looms large. His posters are always
very visible. Is this not an indication that this new move is a smokescreen for
other surprises to come?
You must expect things like Atiku’s posters. Even if I
were Mr. President, I would react to that. But the President has said no
politics for now. And so from where did those posters emanate? Atiku should
call his men to order and stop the circulation of those posters. We are going
to produce our own presidential candidate in the South South. And I’m sure
the South South, will, in unity, stand for that candidate. We will not be
satisfied with playing second fiddle this time. We have over the years, but we
are no fools.
Giving the resolve by your organisation that the South
South should produce the president in 2007, do you have anyone specifically in
mind?
It will be too early for the South South to choose a
candidate. We have started the process of selection and will critically examine
our options. Money would not be the basis for selection and at the end of the
day, our candidate might not be a moneybag but one that would be respected by
the entire country. That is the kind of candidate we want to produce.
Recently, President Olusegun Obasanjo had cause to threaten
Niger Delta youths who have increasingly become restive. Do you think this is
the right approach to contain such persons like the leader of the Niger Delta
Volunteer Force, Asari Dokubo and others who feel disenchanted?
I believe we need to convene a Sovereign National Conference
because it is only through it we can achieve our objectives. And I also
don’t think that those of us should endorse the Asari Dokubo issue in the
South South. It should be a last resort and a message sent out to the entire
country - don’t push us too far. When you offer peace and it is not
accepted, the people are bound to react in one way or the other. Nobody in the
South South will endorse what Dokubo is doing; but I’m not condemning
him. He is only speaking the silent mind of the people. It has not just
started. Isaac Boro and Ken Saro-Wiwa were very futuristic. Let the country
listen to us for once and let them seek to please the South South.
What is your political agenda for 2007? Are you likely to
run for the governorship of Edo State?
My political agenda for 2007 is to see that the governorship
goes to Edo North senatorial district on the platform of the PDP. I am not
interested in the seat but determined to see that somebody from the north comes
out. I’ve enjoyed the rights and benefits of being an Edo indigene
because there is no difference between a governor and deputy governor.
It’s just that the governor has all the powers and the deputy governor is
there at the governor’s good pleasure. And if the governor is not there,
the deputy governor steps in. So if you’ve been a deputy governor of a
state, it will be unwise to hustle for the governorship seat. Because if the
governor has succeeded, it means you have succeeded. And if you’ve
succeeded, you have had your share. But if the governor has failed, it means
you have failed and you have no right to be on that seat. But if you aspire to
the seat, it means you are saying you can do better and in essence you have
been unfaithful and disloyal to the governor during your tenure. So, I would
not expect such situations to arise in Edo State. I’m not contesting the
governorship of the state but we have very many intelligent young men who crave
the position. And so we are going to scrutinise them because we want the best
for Edo State. Don’t forget what Ogbemudia and Alli did for us. But
we’ve almost lost their legacy. So we want to bring back the glory of Edo
State come 2007.
|
