Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is the leader of a group of politicians in the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The former vice chairman, South-South, of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) speaks on the reasons his group left the APC, his problem with Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his rumoured governorship ambition, among others. BANJI ALUKO brings excerpts of the interview.
WHAT will you say are the reasons you left the APC, which you helped build, for the PDP in Edo State?
The reasons we resigned our membership of the APC are in the public domain. So, after wide consultations, we joined the PDP. The reason we joined the PDP is quite obvious - we are politicians representing our people and our communities. We believe politics is the best way for us to be able to have political power that we need to develop our environment and our people. In Edo State and in Nigeria today, we believe there are two major political parties- the PDP and the APC. Therefore, if we are leaving the APC, the most viable option is the PDP. Beyond that, we were also attracted by the reforms we have seen and heard that the PDP is undergoing. As you know in Edo State the PDP is not content to calling itself the PDP, they call themselves the new PDP, some say the reformed PDP. That statement in itself is very endearing because it shows a lot of humility; it shows that they hopefully admit that certain things were not too good in the past and things have changed. From what we have seen, it is clear to us that the PDP is not a one man party. It is a party that has clearly defined rules and regulations; a party that is very well structured, organised and has a better platform for us to be able to engage ourselves and get the dividends of democracy to our people. As for what made us depart or resign from the APC, it was because of lack of internal democracy, the autocracy that is now prevalent, the hypocrisy and the deceit. We needed a better place and we looked at the environment. We looked at the party and there was no dissenting voice. We were of the view that the logical place to go was the new PDP in Edo State.
Talks in the APC are that you left when you realised that the governorship ticket that you so much wanted had slipped from your hands?
That cannot be correct because we have not even reached that stage yet. The issue of governorship race is still very, very, far and that was just a cheap blackmail. It is too early in the day for anybody to say that he is being cheated out of the governorship race. Governorship election in Edo State is not even 2015, it will be in 2016. I know that in politics, a day can make a lot of difference. So, we are too experienced in this game to be leaving our party just simply because of governorship race. The reality is that even before we left, a lot of people were already going. I recall that even before we gave an ultimatum, our people and leaders in the three Etsako councils had met on their own and they had given the governor a two-week ultimatum for reasons which were very similar to the reasons we also articulated. So, our reasons for leaving were quite clear and when you look at the array of those who are leaving, you will know that they cannot be described as Pastor Ize-Iyamu and his followers. I am just privileged to be one of the leaders in the group. You have in the group the first chairman of this party, Prince Tony Omoaghe; and the Eson of Benin Kingdom, Chief Amos Osunbor who was the senatorial leader in Edo south. You also have Alhaji Usman Shagadi, who was not just the deputy state chairman of the party but was the leader of the party in the governor’s senatorial district. Bright Omokhodion, who is a former speaker of the State House of Assembly, is also part of the group; ex commissioners are there, Hon. West Idahosa, who is a three time member of the House of Representatives, is part of the group; Mrs Evelyn Omokhodion, a leader of the party is there; Engineer Abubakar Momoh is part of it. When you look at these people, how can you say that the reason they left was simply because of Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s governorship ambition? In any event, the four members in the House of Assembly, did they also leave the APC because of Pastor Ize-Iyamu? The reason this is happening is quite obvious.
The argument on the other side is that the ultimatum you issued had not expired when you went to negotiate with Abuja. Does this mean that you had already made up your mind since you did not allow them to look into your demands?
If you follow the sequence of events, you will know that even when the ultimatum had expired, we still tarried. We waited for another four days and during those four days, our people became very restless, asking whether we had taken them for a ride because there were stories doing the rounds that government had settled us and that was why we were not ready to proceed. The meeting we held at Wesley was well-covered by the press. If you recall, the mandate we were given were two folds. The first one was that we should go and discuss the issues we raised with the governor, while the second one was to go and discuss with the PDP about the possibility of working with them. As of the time we held that meeting, a lot of people were even of the opinion that there was no need for further discussions and that the meeting arose simply because those who ought to listen have refused to listen. You will remember that we had even done congress twice and all with the same result. So there was a lot of anger and disenchantment but some of us said that to call the first meeting and just announce that we were leaving would give the impression that we did not even care for the house that we built. So, in spite of the overwhelming view that we should leave the party, we were able to moderate the opinion and we agreed that we should take a two-way approach. Let us discuss and let us go to the PDP and see if it was possible for us to work with them. Now, one interesting point I want you to take note of was when we went to Abuja, it was not a secret visit. We went to the full knowledge of the governor and those that matter. At the (Aso Rock) Villa, there were journalists who would have been able to announce to the whole world that we had moved but we made no comments. When we came back, we still had a meeting with the governor and he knew that there was no commitment on our part in Abuja and this was because he made a passionate appeal that we should try to be patient with him. He said all the things we have mentioned, he had taken note of them and he would take steps to rectify them. I will give you some examples; it took our intervention to make them realise that even in the party guidelines there was room for an appeal panel. We told the governor, that he cannot be the one announcing cancelation of congresses and what next to do. We showed them that there is an appeal panel and that we should follow the provisions in the guideline which says that grievances should be addressed to a constituted appeal panel that will make pronouncement on what will happen. Based on that observation that we made, they set up an appeal panel. However, we have not heard a single report of that appeal panel till today. Even if our observations and our petitions were all frivolous, it would have been nice to hear the appeal panel say “we have received all the petitions they wrote; they were frivolous and have no merit.” I can tell you that we submitted petitions, local government by local government. We even wrote to INEC, asking them to bring their reports because they observed the congresses. In most cases, their (INEC) report was that the congresses never took place and that it was a sham. So, we took this report to collaborate what we said that congresses did not take place yet they announced results. Up till Monday when they did their state congress, that the deputy governor called a selection, we are yet to hear about a single outcome of all those issues we raised. So, we tried to follow all the processes unfortunately they didn’t listen. We came back from Abuja and deliberately waited to see whether the governor had done anything, but the man was still talking about how we can patch up the arrangement. He was still asking if it was impossible for us to harmonise, do this or that. So, it was clear to us that he was determined to consolidate on what he had perfected and all he just needed was our participation in the process. That, of course, was unacceptable to us. So, by the time the seven days elapsed, we waited for another four days and then we called a meeting, where we unanimously adopted that we should all resign from the party.
Now that you are returning to the PDP that you and some people left in 2007, how certain are you that those things that made you leave in the first place are no longer there?
The reason we left the PDP is not something that is strange and I will tell you the truth. We don’t jump from party to party. In an attempt to rubbish us, those on the governor’s side are referring to us as nomadic politicians, but I want to say that facts are facts. If you look at the governor’s political history, he is more of a nomadic politician and I will tell you why. He left the NLC and his priority was simply governorship and nothing else. He went to PDP and told them he wanted to run for governorship. They told him he was just coming; you can’t just begin to ask for governorship ticket. The moment he knew he wouldn’t get it, he moved to the ANPP. In the ANPP he had resistance. When he left the ANPP, I will like you to please look at your records in 2006 and go and read the press clippings of Godwin Erhahon and the insults he heaped on him (Governor Oshiomhole) then. In fact, he questioned his qualification to even become a comrade simply because the man left the ANPP. From the ANPP, he went to form the Labour Party. For reasons best known to him, he left the Labour Party and he came to us, begging us to give him a platform, which we did. I heard him at their APC selection where he asked why those of us who are talking didn’t challenge him in 2007. I think he belittled himself by that statement because he has told the public on countless occasions that he was grateful to us for giving him the platform to contest. He appealed to us and we were “deceived” by his records in Abuja and so we gave him a platform. But I think he revealed himself by the way he spoke. I wish he had told us then to challenge him. He was so grateful he made one of us the Director-General of his campaign and after the election he was full of praise. I remember his inauguration, apart from making me the chairman of the inauguration, he spent time to thank me for the work I did to put him there but at the stadium, he chose to dance naked.
I can tell you that I have played politics for a while. As a national officer of the Liberal Convention, I was one of those elected in the NRC in the Port Harcourt convention. When Abacha came up with his five political parties, I did not participate because I did not believe in it. So I am not a professional politician; I play politics of conviction. When I came to the PDP, I was consistent; I didn’t leave the PDP. People were worried about how vocal I was. At a time when most people were afraid to speak, I was bold enough to question certain decisions. And when they had the opportunity to reregister members, some of us were singled out as “troublemakers” and they thought that by denying us registration, we would be forced to come to them to pledge that we would be of good behavior.
They did not contemplate that their action would make us leave; they just wanted to punish us. As of that time, there was no other party because the PDP was controlling the federal, state, local governments and the wards. They were shocked that we refused to bow to them. We said rather than beg them to belong to this party, let us go outside and look for an alternative. We were looking for an alternative when like minds across the country also began to come together for an alternative. So, when we heard about that, we said rather than join the APP that was almost dead in Edo State, let us link up with this new group, bring in our people from all over the state and make a strong platform. And so we started the ACD, AC, and the rest is history. Oshiomhole came to join us in the group. So, how can you be calling us nomads? The reason why left is very clear. If a house that you have is suddenly being taken over by armed robbers or a tenant now brings out a gun and says that you can no longer sleep in the master bedroom, that in any event you can no longer stay in any room anymore and that you can only stay in the corridors, the logical thing to do is to begin to plot how you can leave the house. A song says he who runs away, lives to fight another day. You don’t quarrel with a mad man; you don’t quarrel with a man who is armed. And whether you like it or not today we have armed a man. He is boasting of state resources. He said he used to fight with bare hands. Now he has state resources at his disposal. And he is deploying it in a very reckless manner. In the past few days, he has turned government house into a Mecca where all kinds of people come and pretend that they know Ize-Iyamu and they are given millions. Those who are with us, and that is why they are here with us. No amount of money, inducement or blackmail can change the situation. We don’t jump from place to place. We are extremely consistent in everything that we do. We are also not afraid of going back to the PDP.
It appears your group has a structure across the 18 local governments of the state which has not been integrated into your new party, the PDP. What could be responsible for this?
I must confess that the number of people that were carried from the APC to the PDP is a very large one. We are eagerly looking forward to the day when the president will come to Edo and we will be able to use a place like the stadium to show who actually is on ground and has the support of the people. What we are doing is a carefully thought-out arrangement. We have announced our movement at the state level. This group has people in the 192 wards in Edo State and we are sending this message down. After this week, you will see our people fully involved in all PDP activities. Our people have been told to begin to go to their rallies which they are doing across the state. We have been told by the state chairman of the PDP that they are going to arrange special senatorial rallies where everybody will now come. Let me assure you that we are going to be fully integrated into this arrangement. As I said, I have had the opportunity of being in PDP before and I can tell you that the PDP is more of a family arrangement. You can see a lot of oneness, a lot of brotherliness amongst their members and commitment. Those are what you need to win election. To answer the fear that Comrade was making at the stadium that some people want to rig election, sometimes your conscience has a way of making you to be afraid. Let me assure the Comrade Governor that PDP does not need to rig elections at all in Edo to win. We look forward to the implementation of his one man one vote. We are looking forward to it in the next election and we are inviting journalists to cover everywhere. They will see the people coming out and they will see the votes being counted. At the end of the day, we will know who is who. Let me assure him, he should sleep and focus on governance. Nobody is going to rig the elections. You can’t continue talking about the past. The past we have now is Oshiomhole’s past. You have done five years but you are still going back, talking about 10, 15 years ago? The past you must look at is your past. The promises you made, the things you said you will do. You cannot continue to play back the things in the first term to the detriment of what we are expecting in the second term. So, the second term must speak for itself. The promises you have made, we must see their implementation. The same way we worked for him to become governor is the same way we are going to work for PDP to win every seat in the state.
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