A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Ulasi served as the party’s previous chairman in Anambra State. In this interview, he discusses the party’s ongoing restructuring and the reasons it is appropriate to back efforts to persuade Peter Obi to rejoin the main opposition party. In addition to other things, the PDP chairman criticizes people who have switched to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The following are extracts from Joy Anibogu:
Mr. Peter will be rejoining the PDP, and he has vowed to do so only once. Many Nigerians have viewed this commitment with skepticism because they believe it to be a simple one. It’s a different reality when you see the other side. Minister Nyesom Wike has given the PDP conditions regarding whether Chief Dan Orbih remains the National Vice Chairman, South-South, and whether or not another event that was held bringing up another person in the South-South can hold. Should no one pay attention to him, the November convention will not take place. This is the second other issue to which I would like you to respond. As Senator Suswan once declared, is this not unmistakable proof that the PDP we are even discussing is in the intensive care unit?
This nation’s constitution guarantees what is known as free expression. You have the right to express yourself as you see fit, provided that you do not mistreat or extort others. But first, I must state that democracy requires a lot of civility. They emphasize the definition of civility, which most people, including those in politics, don’t comprehend, and as a result, they display a self-preservation drive. And because of this introspective drive, they develop a self-preservation impulse that might lead to paranoia, which is quite harmful. The nation has not changed because of those who swear allegiance to an unwavering commitment to duty when, in reality, they are swearing allegiance to committing financial theft. To return to your question, the majority of people, including the elites and so-called educated, seem to forget that the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution stipulates a four-year term. You have a four-year term according to the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution. Accordingly, the constitution assumes that you should be able to leave a lasting, significant impact on your society in four years. If you seek for a second term, it will grant it after identifying your strong points. Just for four years, it says, but if you have a strong idea and someone else takes over, it will see it through to completion. We have one of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s best governors if you visit Enugu right now. The majority of the projects that have been put on hold for the last 16 to 20 years have been finished. Getting to Enugu is similar to getting into London. The governor’s rehabilitation and completion of all the projects are evident. I consider Peter’s statement that he will serve four years to be sacred. He is a decent Christian and, by all accounts, a highly honest person in Nigerian politics. I trust him to do it in four years because he doesn’t say contradicting things. You’ll see and think that he’ll do whatever he wants to do in four years if you listen to him. That is the premise of the constitution. They would have announced they were giving it five or six years if they thought you could complete it, given your four-year commitment. Peter hasn’t made any irrelevant remarks. He thinks you should be able to make a thorough study within a year, even before you start working. Conduct a thorough examination of your vision and how to bring it to life. The main issue is that people visualize stealing money and are always considering how to do so.
Not something that will affect the average person.
The idea that Mr. Peter Obi should rejoin Wike’s PDP is an interesting one.
Wike’s issue is that, in my opinion, it is not appropriate to reach the conclusion without first examining the origin of the experiment. The 17 southern governors, including those from the PDP and APC, gathered in Asaba a few years ago and agreed that the candidates for president from the two major parties had to be from the south. The same was done by APC. It was not done by PDP. In order to zone chairmanship to the north and secretary to the south, the zoning committee, led by former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, was obeyed. When Ortom became president, he remained mute, which was seen as sabotage. Ortom was meant to zone elective posts. Atiku Abubakar was allowed to run because of the silence, as his party didn’t zone anything to anywhere. Unfortunately, he lost when he ran. Thus, the crisis has persisted ever since. Wike took advantage of that problem since he and a few others ran in that election and thought he would have won and might even be the current president of Nigeria if he hadn’t had Atiku Abubakar working against him. Things between Wike and the PDP have not been normal since. In reality, I went to Port Harcourt two months prior to the 2023 election and spent hours with him before returning to Enugu to make the case that our party is superior and that we should try to win the election. However, my plea was not fully accepted by him. He has constitutional rights to free expression, free association, and free behavior patterns, as I mentioned. As a result, he concluded that the PDP had destroyed any foundation for trust.
Why not try to entice Peter Obi to rejoin the PDP? This is a discussion that is becoming more popular. Senator Olujimi, who recently switched from the PDP to the APC, made certain remarks that I would like to set aside, nonetheless. She claimed that the reason she quit the PDP was that it had nothing to offer anyone. It is therefore very interesting that there is discussion in the public sphere about enticing Peter Obi to join the PDP. Would he make a suitable PDP flag bearer, in your opinion? In your opinion, would the PDP help or hurt his chances as he moves near 2027?
Thank you for bringing up Olujimi. You would have questioned her about his offer to the PDP. Since the federal government no longer exists and there is no money to give, people are constantly searching for a place to transfer money. Given their lack of contributions, isn’t it regrettable that a prominent figure in Nigerian politics is abandoning the PDP? What has she provided to improve PDP? We met with stakeholders and founders two weeks ago. There I was. At our NEC meeting the following day, almost all of our governors were present and formed committees to try to increase the party’s productivity so that we could withstand the upcoming 2027 election. Some depart due to a single interest, which could be financial or something else entirely. I supported the Ekwueme back when the PDP was being formed, a long time ago, right? Additionally, there must be a strong argument for why I should leave PDP today and why my destination is preferable to my current one. Is the APC superior to the PDP in this country, even when it comes to opposition? Even the opposing party is sounding as though they are aware that they are in power. What is it that will entice me to visit APC? Not a thing. The gathering isn’t particularly thrilling because of all the governors. It must be something other than a political process that is driving someone to leave the PDP in order to go there. Wike’s remark, as I mentioned earlier, is a result of the issue that arose in 2023, and the party as a whole has not been happy ever then.
What about Peter Obi’s situation?
In the event that the party wishes to run for office this time, Peter has become a legitimate national political figure. This conversation will be examined by the committee that the party is forming. There is still plenty of time; this is 2025. The party will begin making judgments and exploring options through the end of the year. In one way or another, we’re attempting to reform the issues we face. As a result, the next significant step will be our convention, which I am a part of and will take place in November. After that, as soon as we have new chairman, secretary, and permanent party officers, we will begin. The discussion of 2027 will come next. Therefore, we want to start by rebuilding the National Working Committee, the party, and the NEC before discussing public officials. Counting two before counting one is not what we want to do. As I mentioned earlier, Peter Obi is a good product, and any entity that owns him will benefit to some extent. By all means, it is a benchmark in this nation. I’ll be in favor of the PDP approaching him if they so want.
Do you believe it is appropriate to include Peter Obi in the debate since Wike currently controls the PDP? What about Goodluck Jonathan’s remarks being brought up at some PDP headquarters as well? For the sake of argument, you also inquire why people are attending the APC. Given that the APC is in power, they are heading to them. More over ten years have passed since your party last held the reins of power. They are choosing APC because it provides them with stability. Your celebration belongs to no one. It has been possible for APC to overcome their obstacles. They are joining the APC because they believe they have a stronger position right now and the party has the president. As of right now, they are choosing a better choice. Your party is in a mess, and the APC is far superior. that you have no idea where the future or the next thing is coming from. If the APC had approached people like you today, you probably would have wanted to be sure as well.
Is APC not a guarantee? What do you say if PDP isn’t uncertain?
Your analysis is excellent. Human conduct, however, is not determined by numbers. Most of the time, 1 plus 1 is not 2 in politics. Actually, it might be 100, and if people accept that number, it becomes the official one. The APC is not superior to the PDP just because individuals are switching from the PDP to it. It demonstrates that individuals lack morals. For this reason, the nation is not progressing. Consider, for example, the Senate president. He served as the governor of Akwa Ibun State for eight years. Delta State as a whole just switched to APC. Recently, Akwa Ibom shifted to APC. As a journalist, could you please explain what they would discover in the APC that they were unable to accomplish in Delta State or Akwa Ibom State, where they were highly successful as PDP governors? As a result, people lack values and are prone to accepting everything that is put in front of them. I’ve been with the PDP from its founding. I haven’t held any positions as a director or commissioner. They invite me to most of their delicate activities, though. In 2003, I served as the Northeast screening panel’s chairman. I did a Northeast screening in 2010. Today, the majority of our governors went through me. You have this kind of determination to contribute as a party member. Making money is the main reason why many people enter this industry. The nation is not moving because of this. Honor and principles that you hold dear must be a must. I consider the eight years after Buhari’s tenure to be a period of no governance. There was no action. Then President Tinubu appeared. If someone else had entered into post after Buhari, I argued, they would have faced the same issue Tinubu has. The sole possibility is that he may employ a different approach to resolve the issue. The nation has fallen so far that magic is no longer possible. All you need to do something is a certain amount of resolve. It’s excellent if people want to support Peter Obi because of his integrity and honesty as governor of Anambra State. No one has ever made a bad accusation against him as a governor. All of the references to Peter Obi are favorable. And at least someone like him is needed in this nation to inspire optimism. Being a good leader is more than just building roads. You inspire hope. Because political stability is essential. Additionally, we haven’t witnessed this stability.
You claimed that Peter Obi split Anambra in 2017 and spoke against him.
Why don’t you give me a realistic perspective? I mentioned in that interview that we were meeting with him. After our meeting in Enugu, we traveled to Awka. Additionally, he informed her that he wanted to run for president. After that, he switched to the Labour Party from the PDP. And I denounced it. I didn’t enjoy that conduct. And when he visited my home, I told him that what he had done was regrettable. Nevertheless, he had the right to do it, even though I didn’t like it. It was within his constitutional rights. That was his preferred method of demonstrating his interest in political leadership. However, I didn’t agree with that. Therefore, what I’m stating does not contradict what I have said previously. Have I departed from PDP myself since then? There are ten governors in our country. Furthermore, these ten governors can genuinely and honestly unite to form a committee capable of restructuring this party. And we’ll be able to do anything. We are successfully taking on the government.
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You had denounced the fact that you and Obi are at odds all the time about his time in Anambra. How did things change?
The error of generalization is what you’re stating. The Anambra governorship of Peter Obi has never been criticized by me. I haven’t ever criticized Peter Obi.
Peter Obi will be gladly welcomed back into the PDP, according to Professor Jerry Gana. Nyesom Wike, now, is really good. Will Wike, who imposes requirements on the PDP, agree to accept Obi’s return? Additionally, you mention the November Convention. Wike has stated that certain requirements must be met for the convention to be valid. Why do you feel so certain?
I’m not the type of person who speaks from both sides. When I speak, I stand by what I believe. I’ve never had to take a back seat. I explained to you why it is tough for me to denounce Wike. because of the circumstances leading up to the events of 2023. I don’t see why anyone should find this confusing, as I have stated it. He felt that he had been taken advantage of, therefore he had to respond in this manner. Perhaps I wouldn’t have responded this way before now. And the party didn’t win.
As part of the PDP, we established a committee in Abuja to determine how the majority of our governors will assume specific duties. Wike isn’t capable of magic. Politics is not magic. The party took a decision on a number of items without Wike’s input. He wasn’t in the meeting. And seven of our ten governors were there. Effectively discussing how this party can move forward. In this country, people only come to a party when there’s an election, unfortunately. But people who regularly foot the bills are there. Especially we have only ten states now. We’re paying staff salaries in all the states. Somebody has to do that. Somebody has to assist. And people are not interested until the election comes. They’ll run and pay 50 million, 30 million to want to be president or governor. That is not party management.
That’s why the country is not moving forward. There must be loyal members of the party seen to be working for the survival of that party. Not just about the election.
Ultimately, if the election comes and the party is organised, they’ll win. But if the party is not organised, there’s no magic about their winning. Why Wike behaved the way he did. I’m not justifying it. But he has a right to do what he did. Because if Atiku didn’t run and Wike or somebody else appeared in the south, just like Tinubu appeared in the south, may be we would have had a Wike or some presidency from the south. But unfortunately, Tinubu had a chance and became president. And he’s running for second term. So I don’t see what I’ve said is any contradictory.
