The Ekiti State Chairman of Labour Party, Akinbowale Omole, says the defection of Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele from All Progressives Congress is a huge gain to the LP and a big loss to APC, in this interview with AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
What does the defection of Opeyemi Bamidele from the All Progressives Congress mean to your party?
To the best of my knowledge, Bamidele never joined the All Progressives Congress as a party. He told us that APC had yet to register members. He said he opted not to join the APC.
What do you think informed his defection to your party?
We are very aware that he has a governorship aspiration and we want to say, without any fear of contradiction, that Labour Party in Ekiti has adopted Opeyemi Bamidele as the candidate of our party in the next year’s governorship election. He is no more an aspirant but a candidate of our party.
In the last election, did LP field any governorship candidate in Ekiti?
The last governorship election in the state took place in 2007. I was not a member of the party then. I was in the Peoples Democratic Party. We are quite aware that some people aspired to contest in the Labour Party – I know Senator Gbenga Aluko, who is now in the PDP. Labour Party was not strong at the time, I must tell you that some of us that joined this party recently are from PDP, APC and first timers in politics. Those of us in this party are here majorly to further the gubernatorial aspiration of Opeyemi Bamidele. For now, Labour is a party to beat in Ekiti.
Are you saying the lawmaker’s defection has brought relevance to LP in the state?
As at 2007, LP was not a frontline political party. It is the efforts of people like Bamidele and those of us coming from PDP and other parties that have made the difference; we have a coalition of people from various political parties. Those who have suffered injustice from their former political parties are here. This a party that will provide succour for them. Our position is for the welfare of the masses. LP is the party of the workers just like LP in other countries have been representing the interest of workers. It is the replica of other parties in other countries that has been protecting the interest of the workers.
What then is in place of the common people who do not fall into the category of workers?
We are for the workers, whether in private or public sector. Ours is a worker-friendly party. It is workers that feed everybody, including students. Farmers are workers and workers train their children at the university and other levels of education; the party is for everybody.
Earlier, you said the reason why some of you defected to LP was because of the injustice you suffered in your former parties. What injustice did Bamidele suffer in his former party?
One thing I must let you know is that if someone is a democrat, the ultimate in democracy is power. A political party that closes its door to some members, which would not allow their members to pursue their legitimate right, has not imbibed the tenet of democracy. In this case, before Bamidele went to the House of Representatives; he wanted to be a senator. They took his ticket from him. Is that not dangerous? This time around, before he talked, they said he wanted to be governor and they started shivering and trailing his followers everywhere.
Bamidele is just coming into your party and he is already being adopted as the governorship candidate. Like it happened in his former party, won’t this deny others who may also want to run for the same position?
That statement is not correct that he wanted to contest the governorship primaries under APC. What we are looking at is the issue of injustice. Somebody wanted to be a senator, he won but they took his ticket. In democracy, all must be seen to have imbibed the tenets of democracy. He had supporters all over the place and a political organisation. Openly, the party -whether ACN or APC or whatever name they may want to adopt, has been harassing Bamidele’s supporters all over the state. They have been harassing his supporters from one local government to the other. If he is no more free to interact with members of his party, do you consider that fair or just? That is what I mean by injustice.
The APC has flayed your party for adopting Bamidele as your candidate without conducting a primary election?
You know the reason why I said he was a candidate? For now, he is the only one that has come to this party to show his intention to run as governor. That is why I said he is already a candidate.
What happens if somebody in your party wakes up tomorrow and signifies his intention to run?
The party will look into it. The thing is that there are rules that guide political parties. If the rule of the party accommodates it, we would look into his case. But for today, this is the only person that we have seen and recognise. This is the only person we know for now.
If Bamidele’s defection is a boost for LP, how do you hope to capitalise on the opportunity to win?
This is a man that is loved by all. The generality of the people today are eager that there must be a change. They have said it loud and clear that they prefer MOB. We know how people pestered us every day to ask if it was true that Bamidele was actually coming to LP. They want to confirm and he made it public two days ago.
In which area has the incumbent government in the state got it wrong?
The first role of a government is security of lives and property of the citizenry. That is the reason why we put them in office. There is no special reason why anybody could call himself governor – the power was donated by the people for us to live well, we put the resources and power in your hand. The law again says we can renew that mandate after four years, whether you have done well or not will be determined after four years. Can you tell me with sense of responsibility that the governor whose members of his political parties are involved in killing is protective of the interest of the people, where the chairman of the party is standing trial for murder and he remains the chairman of that party attending party meetings with the governor? In a civilised country, the fact that the chairman is standing trial for murder is sufficient to step aside and clear himself of the charge before he carries on. And the governor says he is not involved and he does not see any problem in sitting with a person that is accused of murder. It is not done. He is a member of the civil society. Is that how they do it in civilised countries? I am not pronouncing the chairman of APC guilty, I am not a court of law. But the fact that he is standing trial is enough for him to step aside as the chairman of the party pending the time he will clear himself of the allegation of murder. It is so elementary. Anybody who has advanced to the level of governor of a state, who is educated enough and has a PhD in history and international relations should know that this a minimum standard that is acceptable in any civilised nation. It is an abomination which is unheard of and which nobody can defend. If he actually wants to prove that he is a member of the civil society, he should do something about that. Do you know that a member of the House of Assembly is a suspect in the case of killing at Emure. If members of his party are involved in killings in this state, the government and that party have failed.
The APC has said Bamidele is a lightweight. Do you think your party has what it takes to win election in the state?
If APC, and by extension, the governor and the chairman of the party say Bamidele is a lightweight, let them come out and deny that Opeyemi Bamidele was the one funding them. Fayemi never in his life contemplated being a governor if not for Bamidele. He is a lightweight, he brought you, he funded you, he clothed you. Let him come and prove that he is a lightweight. He is a lightweight because they are now in different political parties. But when they were together, he was not. That is just a political statement. And to prove it, let us go to the poll. Ekiti people will decide who they want.
Culled from PUNCH
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