From left: Chief Bayo Fajemilua, of the SDP Elders Forum; Party’s State Secretary, Dr Sola Agboola; State Publicity Secretary, Mr Remi Olayiwola; State Chairman, Barr Dele Thomas; Elder-statesman, Chief Olu Falae; Chairman Ondo State Elders Forum and former State Chairman, Chief Korede Duyile; SDP Ambassador Plenipotentiary Dele Ogunbameru; and State Woman Leader, Mrs Rachel Ajayi… after the meeting yesterday
- Insists on restructuring
- Says 2014 national confab report is the future of Nigeria
- Pledges intervention to help resolve crisis in SDP
- Declares retirement from politics as final
- “What Tinubu told Afenifere about his presidential ambition”
By Banji Ayoola
Elder-statesman and a former Secretary to the Federal Government and ex-Finance minister, Chief Olu Falae has revealed the reason behind the desperate plot by some powerful forces to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan back to office.
Pointblank, he said that the moves were motivated by an alleged attempt to quickly return power to the North.
But he maintained that without restructuring, Nigeria is heading for the rocks, as there could never be peace in the country with “this quasi-unitary constitution which is what some people want to hang on because it suits them is a faulty arrangement,” without doing the needful.
Falae, a former presidential candidate, ex-National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, an Afenifere chieftain, the Olu of Ilu Abo and Baba Oba of Akure, spoke yesterday in his Akure, Ondo State home on the sideline of the visit of the newly inaugurated SDP state executive committee.
He told reporters that the said powerful forces want the immediate former president who the ruling party threw out of office and replaced with the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, a Northerner, for incompetence and corruption among other unprintable allegations, back in office because he could no longer spend more than four years in power.
In his own words: “The man you threw away from government, Goodluck Jonathan was “a problem man, an incompetent man, he was an idiot, an imbecile.” There was no name they didn’t call him. Now you are going back to ask him to come back to rule.
“And there is only one reason for that. The only reason they are asking Goodluck to come back is because he has spent one term as president. They don’t want the presidency to be in the South for more than four years. They want it quickly back in the North. So they want to use Goodluck to achieve that objective against his own people.
“They don’t care what he does if he goes back and he is a bigger “thief” this time, if he is more “incompetent” this time, it does not bother them as long as they get power quickly back. Are we on the same plane? Do we have the same objective?
“They will sacrifice anything Nigeria as long as they get what they want. So this is where we are, and that’s why we need a political party not what I call opportunistic gang up for power. That’s what PDP is; that’s what APC is – opportunistic gang up for power, not parties.”
He likened the ruling party to the army which after forcefully assuming power, seizes the control of apparatus of power at the national and state levels including the nation’s treasury and the state governments among others, which, together with the PDP, he said he does not recognise as political parties.
“Look at the run off to the party primaries. It’s like war at all levels. That is because the objective of the aspirants is personal, financial. It’s not how to get Nigeria out of the crisis, unemployment into prosperity. That’s not why they are fighting. They are fighting because they want to be the ones to grab the national treasury. That’s what it’s all about.
“So, without restructuring, we are wasting our time because the English man was not a fool when he gave us a true federal constitution. It is within the ambit of a true federal constitution that 448 different ethnic nationalities can co-exist with reasonable amity and peace.
“But this quasi-unitary constitution which is what some people want to hang on because it suits them is a faulty arrangement. Some people are happy about it; some are not happy about it. There can never be peace. Those who feel it’s not fair will forever fight it. Those who feel they’ve won a lottery would grab it. So adie ba l’okun, ara o r’okun, ara o r’adie. T’o ba ya okun yen a ja.”
Describing restructuring Nigeria as his most important objective, he said that he had retired from partisan politics based on the decision of his party made behind his back to work with President Buhari who is opposed to restructuring.
Recalling the circumstances that led to his retirement from partisan politics, he said: “There is no way my party would negotiate with APC for one very important reason. The most important objective I have and I still have in politics is to restructure Nigeria, so that we can take back our political freedom at independence.
“To me that is the greatest price we are looking for; not to be minister or ambassador or whatever. And Buhari has said that he would not support restructuring of Nigeria. So how then can my party be working with man who says he would deny me and my race the most important objective that we have.
“Then all of a sudden I was told they had agreed, they signed a document that SDP would support Buhari. I heard about 8pm, it was confirmed at 9 o clock news. Exactly 12 hours later, I called the press and announced my retirement from partisan politics.
“There was no way I was going to spend 24 full hours in a party that has endorsed Buhari. No way. The man in me, the principle would be dead if I spent 24 hours in a party which by the grace of God He made me to resuscitate and re-register, that party now says it’s endorsing the party of a man that says that the thing most Nigerians say they want, restructuring, he would not allow it.”
He described the report of the 2014 national conference as “the future of Nigeria.”
When asked about the report of that confab, which is yet to be implemented, Falae who was a co-chairman of Committee Number 5 of that conference committee that drafted the report, said: “By the grace of God, I want to say what I said years ago. Whether some Nigerians like it or not, if Nigeria must continue to have a corporate existence in peace, that report is the future of Nigeria.
“I am not saying Nigerians must adopt it 100 percent; but it is a consensus document. There is no other document in Nigeria today that can claim to be a consensus document to the same degree as that report.
“It is by consensus that four hundred and forty something ethnic groups can live together. You can go to your area and bring a constitution that favours your section and impose it on the rest of us.”
In his own words: “Without restructuring, Nigeria is heading for the rocks. God forbid. But that is where we are heading. And if God would forbid it, then He would prevent us from continuing in this direction.
“Look at the run off to the party primaries. It’s like war at all levels. That is because the objective of the aspirants is personal, financial. It’s not how to get Nigeria out of the crisis, unemployment into prosperity. That’s not why they are fighting. They are fighting because they want to be the ones to grab the national treasury. That’s what it’s all about.
“So, without restructuring, we are wasting our time because the English man was not a fool when he gave us a true federal constitution. It is within the ambit of a true federal constitution that 448 different ethnic nationalities can co-exist with reasonable amity and peace.”
He said: “By the grace of God, I want to say what I said years ago. Whether some Nigerians like it or not, if Nigeria must continue to have a corporate existence in peace, that report is the future of Nigeria. I am not saying Nigerians must adopt it 100 percent; but it is a consensus document.
“There is no other document in Nigeria today that can claim to be a consensus document to the same degree as that report.
“It is by consensus that four hundred and forty something ethnic groups can live together. You can go to your area and bring a constitution that favours your section and impose it on the rest of us.
“It is the closest approximation to the political covenant negotiated in London by our leaders before independence. It was consensual. But they have thrown away the Independence constitution; the military threw away that covenant of consensus we did.
“This is the opportunity now to reestablish consensus as the foundation of the constitution.”
Earlier, he explained to the gathering what led to his resolve to retire permanently from partisan politics, even before his party decided to work with Buhari, he said: “My retirement from partisan politics was deliberate, considered. I agonized over it for a long time. I took some leaders into confidence. They did not believe it because they couldn’t think of SDP without me.
“At the national level, the Gabans of this world came to me I should forget about retirement. I told them that at 80 I was overdue for retirement. A privilege should not be abused. If I had persisted in partisan politics it might have amounted to abusing the privilege of good health which God gave me. On top of that, my family, nuclear and extended had held a meeting behind my back and said I must retire immediately. Chief Elemo Segun Adedipe was their spokesman.
“The Deji of Akure was part of the meeting. He is our father. He lived with me in my house in Lagos k’o to lo s’America. And he has created a new chieftaincy in Akure, Baba Oba of Akure. He has made me Baba Oba of Akure.
“He was part of that ‘conspiratorial’ meeting where they met and said that if Nigeria does not value me that they do; and that Elemo should go and tell me that I must withdraw from partisan politics immediately. My wife was the key figure in that meeting held at Oba Ile.
“I thanked them and said that I myself was already thinking of how I would withdraw. I told them at the national level that I would retire at my 80th birthday which was some eight or nine months ahead. They didn’t believe it. Unfortunately we were unable to hold our national convention in good time. We held it two weeks to my 80th birthday.”
On the SDP crisis, he advised the warring parties to sheathe their swords and come together in the interest of Nigeria, saying that nobody benefit from crisis, which he according to him kill parties.
He recalled the fruitless attempts with at least 20 meetings held to resolve the defunct Alliance for Democracy, AD, crisis and how the two factional leaders Chief Bisi Akande and late Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa had stuck to their guns. Unfortunately many cases are still in court today despite the death of a factional leader and a protagonist in the crisis, and the AD is defunct.
He also recalled that some people from Afenifere had earlier called on him to intervene in resolving the crisis in the SDP, which he helped to resuscitate in 2011 and of which he was the immediate past National Chairman, but that he was reluctant.
But now that a state exco of the party is again asking him to intervene, he would give it a trial, he pledged.
His words: “As of today, nobody can claim to be a legitimate member of SDP national exco. Not one. The last election was in March 2016. it expired March 2020. For the past two years and two months, anybody who claims to be chairman of SDP at the national level or secretary has no basis. My tenure which was the only legitimate one has expired.
“So at one stage some people from Afenifere came to persuade me to bring the warring factions together. I was reluctant. … Now that you have asked me to do it again, I will give it a very careful consideration. Those who were asking me before were not active members of SDP.
“Afenifere yes, associate members yes, but I cannot say the exco of SDP has asked me. I can now say so. That is why I am likely to agree to intervene. First thing, I ask for a list of all cases in court at national level, and throughout the states. When I receive that I would know the next level.
“I don’t think anybody will benefit from the continuation of crisis. Crisis kills parties. That’s what killed AD. We held so many meetings to persuade Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa and Bisi Akande to come together.
“We were to hold our convention. Some of us did not go to both conventions. One held his own in Lagos; the other one in Abuja. Each of them said we would win the election. Some of those cases are still in court. Akinfenwa died about two years ago. Some of the cases he initiated are still in court. That should convince us that really political cases, chieftaincy cases, and land matters are things that linger in court. It’s as if the judiciary deliberately takes its time over such cases.”
Falae counselled the new Ondo State SDP Chairman, Barr Dele Thomas, who had appealed to Falae to intervene in resolving the party’s crisis, to identify for him the real power centres within the party to reach out to.
According to him: “At times real power may not reside with the person at the head of an organisation. The classic example was the Soviet Union before its dissolution. The president of Soviet Union was a figure head. The real source of power was the secretary general of the communist party.
“In the US if you want to know where power resides, watch where the pressure groups go. They don’t always go to the head of government or head of the party. They go to those people who exercise real power.
“I would like to be advised as to who in your opinion represents the real power centre in each of the factions. We would try. What is good for our race and Nigeria.”
He said: “SDP is an important part of my life history. So there is no way I can feel unconcerned about SDP affairs. What I cannot do is to come back as a card carrying member, chairman etc. My heart is with you. I would do what I can about the assignment you gave me.
“I hope and pray that common sense would prevail and reconciliation will be possible. It should be private issue because there is no foundation for anybody’s claim to chairmanship. I call out to Agunloye, how are you chairman; Sonibare who made you chairman; Abdul, which chairman, which convention.
“The old constitution allows us to extend the life of an exco for once. And to do so you must have a full exco. All the state chairmen must be present and INEC must be present. And the reason for the extension must be tabled and debated. If there is agreement then one year extension could be approved.
“Now if they gave it in 2020 it must have expired in 2021. between 2021 and now, there has been no legitimate person or any national exco. That is what should make everybody see reason to come together.
“Those who want to occupy positions, negotiate among yourselves. If you want me to witness your negotiation, I am prepared. Whatever you agree take it to unity convention.
“At this time the SDP could have been the most sought after party outside of PDP and APC. The two so called big parties have turned party nominations into war. No delegates list is agreed anywhere. If anybody says he doesn’t want reconciliation, then he wants to negotiate.
“But if you want to contest and win elections, the more the merrier. And you try to bring everybody together. That is how people can come from outside to be in your party.
“The PDP joined us four years ago because they said this party was peaceful; in seven years, no litigation; we did not have to dissolve any state exco. Of course there were problems and challenges, but I managed them and the people cooperated. So we were very attractive to those who wanted to join us.”
However, Falae declared that he will not return to partisan politics, saying: “I will not come back to partisan politics. I will be 84 in September. I am not getting any younger. I can’t find anybody of my age still active in any party politics in Nigeria. I have paid my dues.
“But I am not retiring from public affairs, but partisanship. Partisanship is what I can no longer go back to.”
He said: “I made a mistake. When I was retiring, I thought I would have plenty of time for myself to be with my family, grandchildren, to go where I am the kabiyesi, Ilu Abo. Many of you may not know.
I have been oba there for the past 37 years. But most of the time I had little time. I thought I would now have plenty of time.
“You know what happens. Members of other political parties who would not come to me in the past now come to me, including PDP, all sorts of people. They say “Sir we are happy that you have retired. We wanted to get close to you, but we could not come because we belonged to different political parties. But now, you are father for all of us.”
“APC aspirant Rotimi Amaechi came here to see me. Kayode Fayemi has been here. So I am being forced to devote more of my time now to meeting such people because they now feel I am fair game, I am now available for everybody. So instead of having more time I am having less.”
He pledged: “I would do my best about the assignment you gave me. I hope we shall succeed.”
He further advised Thomas and his exco members: “I want to add finally that if you take this initiative, please I want to appeal to you. If you are called upon to make certain moves, to be flexible on certain issues, please try to do so.
“In this sort of thing, ego is very much the problem. I will not be the first to say yes to move on. If you are called upon to make concessions that would not compromise the objectives of the party, please consider it very carefully.
“All sides will have to make concessions before we can come together. It may be a position you think you want to hold, you could be offered something different. Please consider it very carefully before you reject. Olorun a fun gbogbo wa se o.”
On what APC National Leader and presidential aspirant, Senator Bola Tinubu told Afenifere, Falae said: “Somebody told me Jagaban (Tinubu) is going to contest on the platform of your party. I said precisely I have retired from politics.
“Number 2. Jagaban, I have not heard anything about Jagaban. He said he came to Akure. I said he didn’t come to see me in Akure; he came to see Afenifere leadership and we met in Papa Fasoranti’s house.
“We did not talk about any party platform. He just said he wanted us to know that he would like to contest. He said Papa’s house is his house, that he has come to say that he wants to contest, and we should please not tell him not to run.
“I said, what do you want us to tell you. He said “Tell me to run.” O ni k’a ma so pe ki oun ma run. Ki l’o fe ka so pe k’oo se. O ni k’a ni k’oun run. A a so si. O ti so o fun’ra e. We did not say so. He has said so himself. That was what that happened. Ko ba wa soro party or platform. No.”
Thomas in his speech had earlier appealed to Falae to intervene in resolving the crisis rocking the party, saying: “Sir, the position of SDP in the country today is not pleasing. It is not acceptable to those of us who started with you Sir.
“We are therefore craving your indulgence, praying that whatever you can do to restore sanity to SDP, please kindly begin from this moment to bring back the glorious days of SDP so that it can move forward to the ideal position we want SDP to be.”
The SDP state chairman said: “Like Hon Korede Duyile said, we know your immense contribution in building this party, everything you have done to bring this party up to date up to the time you retired from active politics.
“We will continue to seek your guidance, we would continue to come to you for advice for that support you have been giving to SDP.
“We have come to you today Sir to pledge our continued loyalty to you. We pray your fatherly role will continue to be upon us.”
Thomas assured members of the party that every level would be carried along in decision making, pledging: “You will be carried along in the activities of SDP so that nobody would say he is not aware of our activities and would take negative steps.”
He appealed: “Let us move above the factors that were trying to destroy SDP. Without your cooperation, without our oneness, that wont be possible. I seek your cooperation and support in moving SDP to greater heights in Ondo State.”
He said: “As the state leader Chief Korede Duyile has said, a new executive came on board on 9th of May. We decided that our first port of call would be to you Sir. We are not happy about the division within Ondo SDP.
“In 2020, despite the threat to dismember, disintegrate SDP in Ondo state which has unfortunately spread to the national level, some of us remain committed to the ideal, principles and teachings which you have given to us. We remain steadfast, committed and focused.
“Along the line members of the caretaker committee also realised the need for us to come together and become one SDP in Ondo State. To that extent series of meetings were held towards the reconciliation of all party members, and interests within Ondo State SDP.
“We appreciate the role of Chief Korede Duyile in bringing forth this new arrangement of SDP in Ondo State which has produced this new executive. We also appreciate the role Mr Dele Ogunbameru played in saying he is no longer interested in chairmanship of the so called caretaker committee, which eventually led to the congress of 9th of May.
“We have now come together and resolved to move SDP Ondo state forward beyond the thinking of the elements trying to destroy the party here. On that day members of the caretaker committee, state working committee came together and elected this new executive.”
Introducing the new exco to Falae, Duyile, who is also the Chairman of the party’s Elders Committee in the state, had told Falae: “You gave birth to the party. Despite all tendencies to wreck the party, we will continue to align ourselves with you as our leader any day.
“You have been supportive. We know that you will continue to support us. We pray for solution to the problems in the party now, the tendencies to break it up. I bring them to you as new party exco.”
The party’s woman leader in the state, who gave vote of thanks, Mrs Rachel Ajayi, said: “We want to really appreciate you Sir for your patience and for educating us; and for taking us to where the party started; for telling us the latest and for even accepting to step in for the solution to our problems; that you are there for us.”
In attendance at the meeting apart from Falae, Duyile, Thomas, and Mrs Ajayi, were other members of the state executive committee including Dr Adeodu Lere, Vice Chairman South; Dr Sola Agboola, State Secretary; Mr Remi Olayiwola, State Publicity Secretary; Mrs Oyebade Akintoye, Chairman, Ile Oluji Oke Igbo; SDP Ambassador Plenipotentiary Dele Ogunbameru; Mrs Bimbo Akinselumo, Asst Publicity Secretary; Mr Inaolaji Ade, Asst Publicity Secretary; Mr Yunusa Olusamokun, Vice Chairman North; Mr Adefolarin, Vice Chairman Ile Oluji Oke Igbo; Mrs Bosede Ogunleye, Odigbo; and Chief Bayo Fajemilua, Elders Forum.
