By Chukwudi Nweje
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, has called on the people of the South East to shun ethnicity and support the opposition party in view of its manifesto. In this interview, he spoke on various issues.
How do you see the outcome of the presidential primary of the major political parties; are you surprised by the fallout, the south East made a strong case that the presidential slot be zoned to the region, yet they came out with not even the running-mate slot?
The South East geopolitical zone is as important as any other zone in this country. In fact, the South East is the backbone of PDP. Atiku Abubakar from the North East happened to emerge as the presidential candidate of the party at the national convention, in which other Igbo contested, including the likes of Anyim Pius Anyim, former Senate president as well as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). As for not getting even the Vice Presidential slot, you may recall that some Igbo leaders vehemently rejected the vice presidential slot. I am sure that if Peter Obi had stayed in the party, he would most likely have emerged as Atiku’s choice of vice president if he wanted the position.
Will the South East face another 95 percent as against 5 percent votes they now suffer in allocations from the Buhari-led government as it will most definitely also miss the Vice presidential slot of the APC due to zoning considerations?
Unfortunately, the South East zone has been extremely marginalised in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration because he is a tribalist. Buhari is still at war with the South East which he still sees as secessionist Biafra. But keep in mind that every zone except the North West and North East suffered neglect under Buhari in terms of appointments. Such discrimination in terms of appointments will not happen in an Atiku Abubakar presidency because Atiku is well known to be a true Nigerian. He is a fair minded social liberal who understands the importance of Federal Character for the sake of peace. The South East or any other zone will never be treated as second class people in their own country.
You hailed the choice of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and even boasted that the choice will increase the chances of the PDP in the South South and in the South East zone; how exactly will that happen in the South East that feels short-changed?
Governor Okowa is a PDP leader; he rose through the ranks; from Secretary to Local Government Area Chairman, to Commissioner, then Secretary to Delta State Government, he became a Senator and then the governor. Okowa is a great communicator, negotiator, as well as a mobiliser. He will reach out to the aggrieved people in South East. He will remind them of their years of commitment to PDP, and that now that PDP is coming to reverse the eight years of pain under the Buhari-led APC administration, it will not be a wise time for them to abandon the party. A PDP government under Atiku will enable the South East to enjoy the dividends of democracy. Moreover, you know Ifeanyi Okowa is Igbo speaking, and he will explain to them in the Igbo language that that the interest of Ndigbo is also his own interest, and that they can count on him for full representation.
The South East remained committed to the PDP in the 16 years it was in power, yet the party went against its constitution on zoning when it came to the turn of the zone?
I think what we should do is to just tell the truth, face the facts as they come. Let people know that this is not about ethnicity, it should not be. We have Buhari who is an ethno-centrist, supporting his people all the time. What has he done for the people now except to dig them deeper and deeper into trouble? It is important to face facts, at least support efficiency and commitment, not ethnicity. If we keep on promoting this agenda of PDP, which means restructuring Nigeria for a better country, a more secure country, a more productive and progressive country, I think we will eventually emerge.
When they come to it, we would ask them what do you want to do for this country? It’s not a question of a Yoruba man or an Igbo man. Nobody is talking about issues and that’s why PDP will come out victorious, because PDP will come to save this nation. If we restructure this country, decentralise powers, decentralise working organs in government, decentralise the economy so that every state can have access to its mineral resources instead of being lodged in the Exclusive Legislative List as it is now, then you will have a richer country; you will have a more secure country. Part of restructuring is also security restructuring, decentralisation of security apparatus, which means there would be state police and other levels of security. That would empower the states to be able to secure people’s lives and property more than ever. This is what PDP is campaigning for.
What do you think of the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket being considered by the APC?
The APC will be telling Nigerians that their purpose is to win for the sake of winning, not for the sake of bringing in unity or peace if they partner Tinubu, a Muslim with a Muslim Vice Presidential candidate.
A Muslim-Muslim ticket will further reduce the electability of Tinubu whose chances are quite narrow even now. Keeping in mind that the Vice President is selected and not elected, a Muslim- Muslim ticket, or a South-South ticket will represent a clear demonstration of insensitivity and political recklessness.
The Labour Party has become a formidable movement with the emergence of Mr. Peter Obi as presidential candidate; do you think the party has what it takes to win the presidential election in 2023?
Mr Peter Obi, former Anambra State Governor is evidently a viable candidate for President. He has experience, good plans and an amiable personality. Unfortunately, Peter Obi seems to have taken the decision to go to Labour Party in a haste. He should have helped to build the party to some level before stepping on its platform. Yes, you are right Obi’s candidacy has given the Labour Party a new lease of life. It is however, doubtful if the momentum can be felt in South South, North East, and North West. Therefore, even if he has numerical support, he may not obtain the INEC required geographical spread.
One hopes that Peter Obi does not embrace the misplaced enthusiasm of some of his supporters who celebrate him mainly for not having the customary political structure like the PDP and the APC. I was amazed at the ignorance of one such supporter who flagrantly instructed a church congregation to ‘waste their votes’ by voting for Obi , and equated the voters with party structure. When we talk of political structures, we mean party offices, party officers and party activities at the Ward, Local Government, State and National level. Without these in place, winning a Presidential Election will be a miracle. To avoid leading his fanatical supporters astray, Peter Obi may want to check their excesses, and prevent them from executing a political secession from the Nation. That would be counter-productive.
The PDP has for years tried to win Lagos State, you contested for the Lagos Central senatorial ticket of the party, and the primary ended in controversy. Given the division in the Lagos PDP, do you think the party is in a position to take Lagos come 2023?
There was a lot of mix-up with Lagos State PDP primaries, mainly because of the Electoral Act which empowered only ad-hoc delegates to vote at the elections. It was this element which was alien to us which caused some turmoil. However, there are always division in political parties, especially during primary elections. Consultations are ongoing, and we will be reconciled , and united; ready to rescue the people of Lagos from the stranglehold of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his do nothing governor come 2023.