‘Those in PDP against Sheriff’s chairmanship position are hypocrites’ – Agbonayinma

Honourbale Johnson Agbonayinma, chairman House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Nigeria-USA Parliamentary Relations in this interview with KEHINDE AKINTOLA, speaks on Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo’s recent visit to the Niger Delta to resolve militancy challenges, the leadership crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, among other issues. Excerpts:

 

Nigeria is faced with series of challenges; what is your take?

 

I pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, for Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara and indeed all our leaders. But I enjoin them to follow due process because if the nation is developed we will all enjoy. It is true we are in a recession and the dollar is exchanging for over N500 but I want to say that it is not the Buhari’s administration that caused recession. They met the problem on ground. But

what we in the PDP need to do now is to unite and tell Nigerians that if the APC does not have the solution to this recession, we in the PDP have the magic wand to put an end to it. I appeal to Nigerians to pray for Buhari instead of castigating him. I am sick with what I am seeing in the social media where Nigerians are making fun of the president’s sickness. I must say to all Nigerians that Nigeria belongs to all of us. I lived in the US for 27 years before returning home and I must appreciate the support I got from the US government to go to school. I want Nigeria to rise again. I want to appreciate the acting president for being proactive. I am happy at his visit to the Niger Delta; the town hall meetings are good but must be backed with action. We need good polices that will develop the nation. I appreciate President Buhari because I know he means well for the country but most of his appointees do not share his philosophy. I advise him to take a second look at his cabinet.

 

The xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in South Africa have continued unabated; what do you think is the way out?

 

It is saddening, appalling and unacceptable. Nigeria fought for the sustenance of democracy in South Africa. Nigeria spent billions of naira in the fight against apartheid. It is unfortunate that South

African’s do not recognise us as brothers. Instead, they have taken the ignoble way of killing and maiming and destroying their properties. But I want to warn that if they don’t stop this barbaric act, I will lead a youth protest against all South Africans living in Nigeria- they must leave and close down their businesses here. I want to see the South African government apprehend, prosecute and punish all those involved in the attacks. The law must take its course. If any Nigerian is found committing any crime, he should be reported to the law enforcement agencies but where a group of people decide to take the law into their hands to kill and destroy, it is unacceptable. We often criticise the white men that they are bad but look at what fellow blacks are doing to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.

 

Do you think the 2017 Budget has what it takes to redeem the nation’s economy?

 

I believe the 2017 Budget should be a budget of recovery and growth that must reflect the concerns of all Nigerians. We need to engage the youth because if we don’t engage them they will engage us; and that is why we have increased cases of kidnapping and insurgency. When those who have stolen billions of naira from the government are

walking about freely it is unacceptable.

 

You talked about the Acting President’s visit to the Niger Delta and the town hall meetings. How do we solve the problem of that region?

 

Government must bring to book those who have reduced Nigeria to this level. The multinational companies that have stolen Nigeria’s crude and taken it to global destinations without declaration should be made to pay for their fraud against the people. Such monumental crimes against the state must be looked into. As much as I appeal to the Niger Delta militants to down tools and work for peace, Government must also play her part. NNPC must come out clean and declare how much

oil Nigeria produces and sells in a day. To me, the real militants are the multi-national companies and the cabals that have connived to defraud Nigeria of its wealth. The real militants are the multi-national companies and their Nigeria’s collaborators. Nigeria

must wake up and give Caesar what is his and to God what is God’s. It is unfortunate that the South-East and South-South do not have a hub in this country. The South West has Lagos as its hub while Abuja is the hub of the north but where is the hub of South-South and South East? Even when the money that is used in running this country principally comes from the Niger Delta, the region is neglected. The waterways and farms are polluted. I visited my community recently in the riverine area and it was a sorry state.

 

Despite the recent court ruling which declared Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic chairman of the party, some aggrieved members of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee are insisting on going to the Supreme Court. What is your take?

 

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has done the right thing because the Appeal Court has confirmed him as the authentic chairman and he has to reunite everyone in the party so that we can have a credible and formidable opposition in the country. My advice to those rejecting Sheriff is for all of them to subject themselves to the rule of law and work with the recognised chairman of the party. Our party ruled for 16 years and did well but we made a mistake and lost in 2015. So what we need now is peace and cooperation of everyone to reposition the party for future elections. Obasanjo did well and Jonathan did his best, but we lost the election because of those who sold us for their own selfish interests. Most of them are still at the helms of affair in our great party. It’s unfortunate we have not been able to get it right. I have gone through the PDP constitution and there is nowhere caretaker committee is mentioned. So, for anyone to be parading himself as the chairman caretaker committee of the party is an aberration- and that is the person working against the law. We must understand that nobody is above the law. But the issue here is simple. Senator Sheriff was brought in through due process. He was elected by NEC who conducted the election and out of four people who contested the election, he got 69 votes. The closest person to him got nine votes. So, if a court of competent jurisdiction gives a judgment stopping the Port Harcourt convention because of the immunity we are always subsumed ourselves with and we refused to obey the court order. If we cannot allow judicial pronouncements to prevail in this party, we are not good citizens. A federal High Court gave judgment in favour of Sheriff because it found out that the contraption called caretaker committee was illegal because it does not exist in the party’s constitution. Now, a Federal Appeal Court has given judgment and they are going to the Supreme Court. Yes, it is their fundamental human right and constitutional right to seek redress. But again, it is funny that a governor was saying that the Supreme Court is going to give judgment in their (Makarfi’s) favour because it had given a judgment in their favour before- that means they are in charge of Supreme Court. However, we know that Supreme Court justices are men and women of intellect and integrity and I know they will not sit justice on the head. So, those who think they own PDP and the judiciary will be disappointed because law has no sentiments. All I am saying is let us be on the side of the law. I am not against Makarfi nor Sheriff but who is the authentic chairman of the PDP according to the Appeal Court? It is Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. You can’t just give someone a bad name to hang him. I was not there when they went begging and pleading with Sheriff to come and redeem the party. They did a lot of consultations including meeting former President Goodluck Jonathan to talk to Sheriff. But Sheriff told them he was not interested. When he eventually agreed, there was a contest and he won. Today, they are coming with different stories about him- he is the sponsor of Boko Haram, he did this and that. But this is a man who fought Boko Haram to a standstill. Sheriff put his life on the line fighting Boko Haram and lost about three of his family members to the insurgents in the process. Is that the man you say he is the sponsor of Boko Haram? This is a man that has built a rich political career as a senator, two-time governor. In fact, Sheriff is the only governor in the country who left over N67 billion in the state account when he was leaving. Which governor has ever done that? I am not holding brief for anybody but what I have to say is that impunity in the PDP must stop. Where one man would pick a candidate even when the person is not popular and impose him or her on the people- that practice must stop. Let us get the party back to the people and that is what Sheriff is preaching-return power to the people and not power to a cabal. Today, the court has pronounced Ali Modu Sheriff as authentic chairman, so we should work with him. I was with Makarfi before now but when I saw the court judgment and some of my colleagues who are even SANs interpreted to me, I saw that the court was in order. As a lawmaker, I have sworn to defend the constitution of this country and I will not go against a ruling of a competent court of jurisdiction. I will not support illegality. Therefore, I have to be on the side of law and work with my conscience. So, we have agreed to support Senator Modu Sheriff as

chairman of the PDP.

 

But how do you reconcile the cohesion of the PDP caucus with your support for Sheriff and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor solidly behind

Senator Makarfi?

 

I read on the pages of newspapers that my leader and senior colleague, Hon. Leo Ogor rejected Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as our national chairman. His position to me is uncalled for. He is a leader

and like I always tell him, as a leader you do not take sides because a house divided against itself cannot stand. So, I want to appeal to him with due respect to see how we can all come together as members of the party. I don’t want to lose the respect I have for him because if he is a leader, he must lead aright. When you have two children fighting, you don’t take sides. So, I appeal to Ogor not to take sides. I must tell you that quite a number

of lawmakers are on the same page with me. Like Senator Sheriff has said, let us go for national convention and whoever wins becomes the

leader, but for now, he (Sheriff) is the authentic chairman. My appeal to leaders of our party is that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Unfortunately, those who betrayed us in 2015 to lose the general elections are the ones talking now,

claiming to be with Makarfi. I cannot be on the side of those who betrayed us. How are we sure that if given the party leadership, they will not betray us again?

 

But the Makarfi faction has accused the APC of sponsoring Sheriff and those supporting him to destroy the PDP?

 

Even me, they accused me of working for APC. But the questions I always ask are, was it APC that brought Senator Ali Modu Sheriff? Was it the APC governors that went and begged Sheriff to come and redeem the party? Why are we now blaming APC? Makarfi should blame the governors. As far as I am concerned, we the PDP are responsible for our own woes. The APC should not be put on trial here. I disagree with my good friend Barrister Dayo Adeneye, who calls himself spokesman for

the caretaker committee that doesn’t exist in the eye of the law. He is a lawyer and I expect him to know the law. Just imagine, they were going to hold a meeting at the International Conference Centre,

knowing full well that an Appeal Court has given judgment declaring Senator Sheriff as the authentic national chairman. I was so disappointed that a lawyer of his stature could be speaking for the

group, calling for a stakeholders’ meeting. What they did was a breach of the law. We must obey the law. Let me tell you that before the judgment, both Makarfi and Sheriff factions had been talking and we had even taken a decision that whoever wins at the Appeal Court, we would support him. But immediately the judgment came, they reneged on

the agreement. As lawmakers, we must obey the law and live by example. Nigeria can only survive through respect for rule of law.