Elder Joju Fadairo, an ally of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari must not return to power in 2019
Moshood Adebayo
Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Elder Joju Fadairo and an ally of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has said that President Muhammadu Buhari must not return to power in 2019, just as he described his administration as an MG; a medical term for a bad case that can rarely survive.
Fadairo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) also declared that some people were actually after the ex-president as a result of his stance on national issues.
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Why did you defect from PDP to ADC?
Sincerely speaking, that I defected from PDP to another party pains me to the marrow. I never wanted to leave PDP because it appears to be part of my life as a founding member of the party. I left the party, when they started to do what was not in the interest of the people and the country as well as the founding fathers of the party. I remember an occasion when we were holding meeting with my leader, Alhaji Jubril Martins Kuye in Senator Bode Olajumoke’s house in Lagos that the news came that the late Senator, Abraham Adesanya said we should not belong to the PDP because
it was a northern party; that we should go to other parties. It pained most of us because we were part of PDP and we were not willing to leave the party.
But God in His own miraculous way made something to happen in Abuja that we could not do otherwise than to stay in PDP. Uncle Bola Ige that wrote the constitution of the PDP later went to the APP , wrote its constitution and thereafter went to AD, but we still remained in the PDP, but majority, of the PDP members who are calling themselves members of the party do not know anything about its formation and the thought of elders who actually founded the party. By that I mean the late former governors of Plateau, Solomon Lar, former governor of Kano State, Abubakar, Rimi former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and several, others. As a result of their interest for the country after the formation of PDP, they zoned six important positions to the zones which must be rotated. The positions were President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, SGF and Chairman of the party. I’m not a tribalist, but when it came to the turn of the Yoruba, some people who in their wisdom thought they could do anything they like through their personal interest threw cautions and rules and guidelines of the PDP to the wind because of their personal interest and changed the rules and everything went upside.
When I realised that the party was going into the comatose, I went to Bode George in London in 2014 to convince him to be chairman of the party and he did not give his conviction, but when the party’s whistle was blown in 2016, he accepted my persuasion by seeking the chairmanship position and I was glad about it because he has what it takes to be chairman. Unfortunately because of the personal interest of some people, they jettisoned the rules and came up with rubbish. Even some Yoruba among like George, who is capable, they all came out because they were inexperience and greedy.
So what happened next?
When we realised the way it was going, we held a meeting in Bode George’s campaign office in Abuja, but we were afraid to tell him to withdraw from the race, having realised the convention would be messy. Apparently, he dreamt that he should withdraw from the race. We summed up courage to tell him to withdraw which he did. You see what’s happening in PDP today, they can’t go forward or backward. Everything has gone upside. Like the late Igbo author titled his book: ‘Things have fallen apart in PDP’ and forever, their centre cannot longer hold’. The injustice, rubbish, unfair treatment that happened during the national convention made me to leave particularly in Ogun State where there were a lot of groups and two executives, and efforts to reconcile them failed even though I don’t believe in either of the two executives; I had to leave because I believe there is nothing again Ogun PDP. The good old days of the party are over. When you add the injustice, nonsense, unfairness, rascality they did at the national level, injustice in a way that’s in bare indescribable, you will know that any reasonable person who does not tolerate rubbish and injustice will leave that kind of a set up.
What’s the prospect of ADC in 2019 in Ogun general election, particularly during the governorship?
The hope and future of ADC , not only in Ogun is bright because the CNM, the Believe Movement, Yayi group in APC faction, all these together will unseat APC which has disappointed Nigerians politically, socially, economically and even security wise. We will meet ourselves on the field as it is our prayer that Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI) will occupy the Oke Mosan Governor’s Office in Abeokuta. I see GNI as a fighter, whoever does not relent in his efforts will always win one day. By the grace of God, he’s going to make it and by the grace of God, he will make it this time around having contested twice. Anyone who consistently fights definitely will be victorious one day. I know that a loser is a person who fails once, but lacks the gut to rise again. For GNI, he’s a brilliant person, who understands the politics of the state as well as understands the problems of Ogun people. I know ADC will win in Ogun and some other states and even at the Federal level, I have my reasons for this and it is not for the press. For your information, ADC is not new as you might have thought, it is about 12 years now; it is not a new party.
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What’s the level of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s involvement in the ADC?
As someone close to Baba (Obasanjo), I can tell you categorically that he is not a card carrying member of ADC. His involvement is only the formation of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM). Let me tell you, whatever coalition formed to unseat the current APC leadership at the centre or at state level is meant to save Nigeria from imminent collapse. APC as a government has not done well for ordinary Nigerians. They have made promises that they could not fulfill in three years.
As someone close to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, how far is it true that some people were after him?
Actually some people were really after Obasanjo because of his stance on national issues. They should stop harassing him, instead, let them probe him on any allegations if they have any evidence against him, or else they should shut up for life! May be they don’t know, Obasanjo is someone that can’t fold his arm and watch the country deteriorates. For him, evil thrives where those who are supposed to speak out fail to do so.
He can’t be silenced unless he’s silenced; that’s one thing that I know about him.
Can he withstand a probe?
Why not? I challenge those who are making frivolous allegations against him to come out with evidences, or else they should stop witch-hunting him. Have they forgotten that there have been reports on this allegation by the National Assembly and other bodies? He has it on good authority that they were after him, but by God’s grace they will not get him.
How do you react to declaration of June as Democracy Day by President Muhammadu Buhari?
As a person, declaration of June 12 is a welcome development, but President Muhammadu Buhari can’t use whatever ulterior motives he wanted to achieve with it, because the Yoruba as a people can’t be fooled or cajoled to win their votes. He will never get their votes; I know the motive behind it is dirty; but he will never achieve its purpose. Buhari’s case is MG. In medical parlance, when a patient is at critical stage and the doctors are thinking he or she may die, they will say MG, which means it is a bad case. Buhari’s case is MG; Buhari must go. He can’t use the declaration as a gimmick to persuade the Yoruba to vote.
READ ALSO: Buhari shifts Democracy Day to June 12, honours Abiola
Why did you describe Buhari as MG?
He has not done well at all, even with the so called anti-corruption war, he’s fighting opponents. A lot of corrupt people are serving under him; who used corrupt money for his election as President and he has pretended that all was well with them; he failed to probe them. When Obasanjo was there, he established the ICPC and the EFCC; he was probing people serving under him, not people who have worked under his predecessors. Tell me who Obasanjo probed outside the ruling PDP which was in power then. He’s that kind of a person who abhors corruption and he will never be afraid to be probed too. But this man (Buhari) has never probed any of those alleged corrupt people serving under him.
So if Buhari must go, can Atiku succeed him, considering the fact that your former boss, Otunba Gbenga Daniel is now his campaign Director-General?
No! My party ADC will also field a presidential candidate that will win the race. For your information, Otunba Gbenga Daniel remains my leader and boss. It does not mean that because he’s my leader and boss, I should go where he goes. As adults, we have chosen our different political paths, but that does not mean we are not on talking terms, partisan politics will not severe my relationship with people.
How do you react to the Ekiti governorship election?
It has come and gone and a winner has emerged. Whatever happens is for posterity. Governance should be for the betterment of the people, so the new governor should see his second chance as an opportunity to right the wrong. He should hit the ground running in the interest of Ekiti people.