By Omoniyi Salaudeen
Senator Anthony Adeniyi is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.
In this interview, he threw his weight behind the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) which purportedly sacked Governor Mai Mala Bunni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), declaring it as an illegal contraption.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the new Electoral Act so as not to push the National Assembly to veto the bill.
How do you see the activities of Mustapha Audu-led Youth Vanguard which has declared a parallel national executive of the All Progressives Congress (APC)? Is this part of the scheming for the 2023 election or are they just rabble-rousing?
I don’t know. What I know is that Mai Mala Bunni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) ought to have packed itself away from that office. They were given six months to run the affairs of the party. After that first six months, they were given another six months. Thereafter, they had the tenure extended for another six months. And now, they are looking for another extension, telling us that we won’t do a convention. What is difficult in organizing a national convention? How many years are they going to stay there? They are just there, spending our money. Governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states are coming. They want to remain there and be spending money. They can’t do that. If they have accused Adam Oshiomhole of sit-tight, they can’t sit there perpetually and expect us to keep quiet. Can’t he (Bunni) go back to administer his state? Unless we start to fire them, things will not move. The committee is illegal and we have kept quiet for too long because of the respect we have for President Muhammadu Buhari. Everything is a contraption and very illegal. That illegality could have sent Akeredolu away, but we thank God, it didn’t happen. They are not doing anything. They called for local congresses and told us it was going to be by consensus. Do you force consensus on people? In any case, my people are in court in Ekiti State and they have started hearing the matter. We should allow the youths who are turbulent to deal with them. They will see hell and fire; it is only that I am not young anymore.
It is like the governors are using the Committee to exert their influence. Isn’t it so?
They don’t have any influence, they are only playing tricks. They would have shown their influence if they had allowed us to go for free primaries. They are just forcing themselves on people. You can fool some people some of the time, but you can’t fool them all the time. The restless youths are getting too tired of them.
Do you think President Muhammadu Buhari will sign the new Electoral Act containing direct primary which the governors have vehemently opposed?
He will sign it. If he doesn’t sign it, this will be the first time the National Assembly will veto a bill and it will be shameful to him. I think he does not have any option other than to sign it. By the time the 30-day limit allowed expires, they will veto the bill. And that will make him unpopular. The consensus of opinion is in favour of signing it. Who is afraid of direct primary? They (governors) conducted ordinary ward congresses, they couldn’t do it. They just penciled down some names as consensus candidates. Do you force consensus on people? That is why my people in Ekiti State are in court.
But the governors also have their argument, saying the National Assembly cannot determine the internal rules of political parties. Doesn’t it sound logical?
No, it is not an internal rule of the parties. The constitution permits the National Assembly to legislate on how parties’ activities can be regulated.
It appears the governors have turned the National Assembly into their retirement home?
(Cuts in) If their constituents allow it, that is their own problem.
From the look of things, they are more likely to decide the presidential candidates of political parties because they have power and influence. Don’t you think so?
They can’t. That is why people are asking the Bunni-led Caretaker Committee to go. Those who are kicking are doing everything to prevent them from perpetrating their deceit and evil. It is also part of the reason people are insisting on direct primaries. With direct primaries, nobody will be in the position to dictate or impose any candidate anymore.
Talking economy now, 2022 is going to be another tough year for the average Nigerians with the planned removal of petroleum subsidy and increase in electricity tariff…?
(Cuts in) Nobody has said that. People are just speculating.
No, it is no longer a matter of speculation. The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, has declared that subsidy is no longer sustainable even to the extent of projecting N340 per litre of petrol. The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, also supported the same argument?
It all depends on the economic strategy because the price of crude oil is already going down in the international market. So, let’s leave everything to economic forces.
Hike in tariff of electricity is also another issue. Is the time really auspicious for all of these policies given the fact that people are just coming out of the hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic?
You are looking at it from one way. If electricity would be available with a tariff increase, people won’t buy as much diesel as they are buying now to power their generators.
By and large, would you say that the APC government has done enough to deserve another chance in the coming election?
I will say we have done enough to deserve another chance. We are building infrastructure. There was nothing like infrastructure during the time of the PDP. The economic situation dictated what we have been able to do. It is all about how the available resources have been managed.
What is the state of the affairs of APC in Ekiti State as of today?
On what aspect do you want me to comment?
How you hope to manage the crisis between the two rival factions of the party in the state before you go into the next year’s governorship election. Can you afford to go into the election with a divided house?
That is what we are saying that something should be done before then. You don’t need science to prove that if we cannot go into an election as one, it might be difficult for us to win. If they invite us, we are ready to reconcile, we are ready to tolerate ourselves. But if they arrogantly stay aside, saying they don’t need us, we will stay where we are.