Tinubu remains the Leader of the party  —Hon. Olukoga

Otunba (Hon) Abdulfattah Olukoga was the immediate past Special Adviser on Education to Former Governor Babatunde Fashola and a close associate of the National Leader of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In his home in Ikorodu, he speaks with OKUNADE ADEKUNLE, on the crisis bedeviling the APC, the role of Tinubu in the management of the crisis and other political issues.

Following the intrigues going on in the polity now, what can you say about the country’s politics?
What is currently going on now at the National Assembly is purely politics and it is what is most often goes on in any leadership tussle. We thank God that the person we have as President now is a man of legacy who knows how to address the issues. The leadership election that was conducted at the House of Representatives experienced fairness because I was present but the Senate’s own was fraudulent because the necessary quorum was not formed.

The problem was caused by the Clerk he shouldn’t have called for sitting while the APC was about to hold meeting, although the party was supposed also to have called the meeting the night before the inauguration and proclamation of the Senate or earlier than the scheduled time but we still thank God that the Senator that emerged is our party member although he might won it in a fraudulent way but he is still our party man. In order not to derail from what we promised the electorate I would suggest the party and the National Assembly leadership work together so as not to rock the boat and for peace to reign.
It was revealed that APC Senators who went to the Upper Chamber at the time of the meeting were aware of the meeting but purposely defied it, does that not show that the APC Senators were not disciplined and it might affect the party?
I agree with you and that is what we need to face. We need to instill discipline in the party and I know the party leadership will look at that so that such a thing will not happen again. Those who called for the meeting mean well for the nation and party but as I said earlier that the time was wrong.
But it was learnt that there was a letter of postponement of the inauguration…….
I am not sure of that as I did not see because the President had already written a letter for the inauguration so I don’t know who now wrote a letter for adjournment . The convocation of the National Assembly relies on the President  just like the inauguration of the States House of Assembly is inaugurated by the Governors. Can somebody  know when the Governor of Lagos say the inauguration of the House of Assembly should be done. He is the authority. The President has already given approval and so nobody else except somebody tells us that a letter of postponement came from the President then I can believe that the cancellation was actually called for. From evidence I have now it shows that there are cracks in the party and the party needs to discipline the erring members for defying their directive so that such thing do not reoccur.
Analysts argued that the power interplay happening in the party right now is that the gladiators are working seriously ahead of the 2019 general elections, do you agree?
No, that is just a wishful thinking. The way I know our party and the way I know who are leaders most especially, our National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he knows how to bring the party together with the President and other leaders to ensure that things return to normal.
The group in the party loyal to Alhaji Atiku  is in serious battle with that of Tinubu and this would affct the party in delivering to the expectation of the people. Do you agree?
A group cannot push away those that came together to form the party. If you could remember that the party was formed by ACN, CPC, ANPP and a  faction of APGA, so how many of those in his camp that came to join us,  it is too early to say his group is waxing stronger . How can you say his group will outshine Tinubu’s group , I don’t thing we should act on that we should consider on what the party would do for the people at the national level and we continue to look at how one group will outshine the other we will derail from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. I suggest that the party should remain focused and face their manifestoes on what they promise the people.
The Atiku/Saraki group claimed that they were sidelined in the scheme of things so they have to get the National Assembly leadership…
Did they not win in their states, did they not get the Senatorial victory in their states, did they not control their states assembly where were they cheated. APC is the President and as well dominated the National Assembly and even the state Assemblies. Even the PDP got the Deputy Senate President as they are not the majority, Senate still gave it to them I don’t know where they feel cheated at all. It is just an inordinate political ambition that is worrying them all. 2019 is still far away for one group to start politicking. Nobody knows what will happen in 2016 and even the 2019. In all submission I will say that everybody should allow the party to give the people the best and good governance to the people who voted for the party instead for the PDP who ruled for 16years without no reasonable achievement to derail us. If we allow the PDP to derail us now which means in the 4years we will not do anything but I know that the President will not allow that to happen. If you look at the word he said in his inaugural speech” I belong to nobody but everybody”, it is a word that is pregnant with a lot of meaning. President Buhari is going to work to satisfy Nigeria and ensure that the party’s promise are as well met. So, like I said to govern a nation the leader must be strong. If the leader is weak then everybody is weak. Let me liken it with what happened in Lagos, former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola and the party think along the same directive that is why he performed and everybody in his cabinet performed too so if the leader and others were working in different directions it will not augur well for the nation because that was what happened during the PDP administration when everybody were working in different directions. The ministers were not key into what President Jonathan wanted to do and at the end of the day he lost the grip of his administration and it affected him.
The statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, that President Buhari is the not the leader of the party has generated controversy in and outside the party, Is APC saying President Buhari is  the leader of the party?
We have to be very careful with what we read on the pages of newspapers, sometimes it might not be a statement of Lai Muhammed.  Once you are elected you are a leader of the party. Just like what happened, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not in the country and somebody in the paper say it said this and that when he did not go to London to interview him. I am too sure that Lai Muhammed made the statement because once he was elected as the President he becomes the National Leader of the party. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the national leader of the party while President Muhammed Buhari is the National Leader of Nigeria not the party. You see there is different between politics and governance we need to look at the ethnics of politics and governance.

President Buhari cannot control both the party and the government, he can’t control the two. While the party will be run by some group of people the nation will be run by another of group led by President Buhari and that is why he will do that through his Ministers.
Some believe that Alhaji Atiku is working towards hijacking the party structure ahead of 2019 and that he wants to ensure his loyalists dominate the running of the affairs of the National Assembly. Analysts say that , that was why the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Timi Frank, called for the resignation of Chief John Oyegun, the Party National Chairman. Do you agree with this?

 
Like I said earlier it will be too early to think in that direction. The party cannot be run by a single person , the party leaders would sit down, there is a BOT and one man cannot say the party Chairman should resign. The statement by the Deputy National Pubilicity Secretary, Timi Frank, cannot hold sway because he does not own the party and not the only person in the executive. People are just to quick in making comment on what is happening in our party. An individual cannot take charge our party.
Don’t you think there would be fracas in the long-run between the Deputy Speaker Lasun and the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over supremacy in Osun state since they are from the same state and different political parties like what happened during Hon. Bankole and Otunba Gbenga Daniel?

 
Lasun is a PDP man and Governor Aregbesola is an APC man, he can never be a serious threat to the governor. The way we think in Nigeria is that once a party emerges it is one party affair but it is not like that in the developed countries. There can never be a clash between them because people are after those that would bring dividends of democracy to their table and that was the game that happened between Jonathan and the APC. Because he could not provide the dividends of democracy for the people they went to the poll and voted him out for somebody that can provide it for them. If Lasun is after the delivery the dividends of democracy he will not be after clashing with the governor. Lasun should just let the governor to continue to do his good work in the state because he has turned the state to an Eldorado.

How many roads were constructed when the state was run by the PDP, none at all. When an ACN man turned APC runs government you will surely see the level of development. O sun state has become a Mecca on its own if he continues with that you will see where the state will get to. Why you see the state experiencing unpaid salaries was because he was starved of fund by the then PDP government at the Centre.  We all know what the Jonathan government did when it was few weeks to election where he gave out money to different groups including hoodlumns, Oodua Peoples Congress to distrupt the election in Lagos but he failed. The fund that he suppose to give to the states were diverted to the OPC to cause mayhem during the election and the people voted him out  as they know he wants to come and destroy what they have used their taxes to build. In Lagos, they voted for continuity when they are enjoying the dividends of democracy.

What happened between Gbenga Daniel and Bankole was caused because they did not do the right thing. Can you point to any development that Gbenga Daniel did in Ogun state during his tenure. People look at the situation in the state and voted for an ACN man. Look at the bridges that Amosun has constructed to alleviate traffic congestion in Shagamu, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta. Let me tell you, people now know who is performing in governance. If you belong to the old era of not doing anything, people will wait till the end of the four year and vote you out. The fact is, if you are elected into a position and perform you will continue to get the people’s support.
It was reported that Tinubu is blocking Fashola, Fayemi and some APC Chieftains from the South from being appointed as Ministers and Special Advisers, is that true?
It was a rumour which was targeted by distractors to cause rancour between the leaders. People just sit down at the corner of their house and be saying Tinubu did this, did that. What facts do they have at hand to say all sort of rubbish. That information is hearsay. There was a time they say Tinubu was fighting Amosun, Ajimobi and now romancing Osoba, all these are rubbish. I can tell you authoritatively that all those information are not true. That was how they said Tinubu owns this owns hundred million worth property and at the end of the day you will realise that it was all rumour. If Buhari appoints Fashola, so be it and I know this will come by the virtue of what he did in Lagos as Governor of Lagos.
Now that the government of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode is on, what should Lagosians expect from his government?
We are going on to see more good things coming out from the government because he has the experience being a retired civil servant. We should expect the continuity of what Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Mr Babatunde Fashola have done to Lagos. People are saying that Tinubu did not do anything, he was the one that brought the blueprint of how Lagos should be and now put someone that can understand and implement the blueprint. Ambode worked as civil servant for 27years and even started from the local government level to the rank of Accountant general, this give him and edge to understand the rope of governance. Ambode will work on the blueprint and add his own idea in the implementation.
There are reports that his Commissioners might emerge from the aspirants and ex-council chairmen, will this not affect his vision and performance?
What I want to say and know is that Mr Ambode will appoint people that will deliver on their assigned duties.
What sectors do you think it should be areas of urgency for the governor?
The governor should work on the area of our revenue that has not been tapped and thank God he is an Associate accountant who is knowledgeable.  Firstly, he needs to ensure that the revenue of Lagos is improved so that we will not depend much on the federal allocation. Secondly, he should always monitor projects which were to be done. He should also work on decongesting traffic, security, energy and also employment. Although, if there are more revenue there will be more chance of employing more people. He should also work on the housing issue in Lagos because housing is a major problem for the people as Lagos is like a country on its own with large population. You cannot compare Lagos of many years ago to the Lagos of today.

 
What achievement can you point to as Special Adviser on Education to Former Governor Fashola?
Thank God, I was able to add value to the government by making sure that the study environments of the tertiary institutions in the state are conducive. The institutions were equipped to standard with conducive learning classrooms. It was under my watch that the tertiary institutions have accreditations and also the graduands get their certificates on the day of convocation which had never happened before.