IN THIS INTERVIEW WITH REALITY, HON. JOHNSON PODAR, A FORMER GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE OF THE CPC IN PLATEAU STATE, AND NOW MEMBER OF THE APC, REITERATES HIS CALL ON THE APC TO RETURN THE NATIONAL CHAIRMANSHIP SLOT TO NASARAWA STATE IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA. HE SPOKE WITH AMB. VALENTINE ADESE (JP) IN JOS.

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SIR, DO YOU THINK ALL IS WELL IN THE APC AS WE SPEAK?

For now, and at the executive level, the presidency is trying. At least we are seeing that things are beginning to take shape in the country. We can simply congratulate him for the feat.

Honestly, we now have a direction, especially when you remember all that was wrong when he came on board. You would recall the high level of security challenges and the poor economic situation in the country. But owing to the president’s efforts, things are been tackled. When the president spoke last week, he gave a promise that he would not allow hoodlums to hold the country to ransom. He also vowed that there would be no more payments for kidnappings and that the government would get hold of anybody or group(s) that may want to disorganize the country.

So, as it is now the ruling APC is doing well for the country and the people. However, there is need for improvement in order to better the lots of the citizens.  

HON. JOHNSON PODAR

IS LIKE THE APC IS RUNNING INTO A SERIOUS CRISIS. THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE PARTY, ABDULLAHI GANDUJE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FROM HIS WARD IN KANO AND THE COURT HAS RESTRAINED HIM FROM PARADING HIMSELF AS A MEMBER OF THE APC. DO YOU SEE THIS AS HEALTHY FOR THE APC?

The truth about the matter is that I am not even surprised by what is going on! As a party member, I would never love to see my political party always in fracas or crisis. I would rather expect that the right things are always done. But, unfortunately, when we look at the past and the present happenings in the party to forecast the future, so many things need correction or emulation to cause the desired fairness and unity within the party.

 You will recall that when Mr. Oyegun was removed as the National Chairman of the APC, his position was given to Sen. Oshomole from the same Edo State. I therefore expected that, When Sen. Abdullahi Adamu resigned as the National Chairman also, he should have been replaced by a party member from the same Nasarawa State. This is because, if you look at the party’s organogram, you will discover that every state has come on board apart from Nasarawa State at the National Executive level of the party.

When Sen. Adamu resigned and the mantle of office was given to Abdullahi Ganduje from the North West Zone of the Country, a lot of us were not happy. This is because it was a grievous and gross wrong to the members of the party from Nasarawa and the North Central zone at large. If you recall, one top official of the party, threatened to resign from the North-west because he too felt it was wrong to deprive the North Central of that position.

We must understand this simple philosophy of life. “Once you support in doing things wrongly, it will follow you”. It is like the Law of ‘Karma’.

Ganduje and other members of the APC know that the position Ganduje was occupying as a National Chairman was for the APC members in the North Central zone as the North-west already has the Deputy National Chairman’s seat. So, allowing one zone to have these two offices was very wrong. This marginalization theory is always a problem shutter.

Even in the voting of Mr. President, the North Central gave the second highest votes cast despite this denial of the National Chairman’s office.

The question simply begging for an answer is whether Nasaraw State is no longer a state in Nigeria.

You would recall that in the distribution of offices, the Presidency went to the Southwest, the Vice President went to the Northeast, the Senate President went to the South/South, and the Speakership to the Northwest. So, ask yourself, what does the North Central have in all these, if not the Chairmanship of the party?

We know that Mr. President is a Democrat. From his involvement in NADECO, he proved this statue to the world. He always believes that the right thing must be done at all times. You recall how he fought President Obasanjo for several wrongs, and some of us stood with him.

I have nothing personal against Ganduje, but for him not to feel that the party is falling apart because of this noticeable wrong is not good. He should have given a piece of better advice, knowing that these are constitutional issues. In all this, just be aware that, Plateau State in this equation already has the National Deputy Secretary of the party within the North Central. So, it cannot be asking for the seat of the National Chairman. Because, if the members from that state take such steps it will simply indicate greed.

DO YOU THINK YOUR MEMBERS IN NASARAWA STATE HAVE THE STRUCTURE TO HOLD THE APC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE 

HON. PODAR

 Whether we like it or not, the President won under the dispensation of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu as the National Chairman of the party. So, Nasarawa state has a huge structure and platform for the party to succeed.

If you recall, I was of the defunct CPC, we merged, and we accepted all our national leaders. Hence, we expect fairness.

WHAT IS YOUR CALL ON THE PARTY NOW, WITH ALL THESE THINGS YOU HAVE EXPLAINED?

For now, Ganduje is a father, he has been a governor, and a national chairman of the party, among others. With the present fracas or crisis with him, his Ward, State, and the EFCC, commonsense would have told him to step aside by excusing himself.

You would recall that the APC is built on Fairness, Equity, and Justice. For the fact that there are allegations against him, Ganduje can excuse himself in the interest of the party.

The North Central should be allowed to produce the national chairman now. This will help to reconcile the issues on ground. The North Central should be seen as the reconciling tool of the APC for now.

My appeal to the party is that the north central should be considered with Nasarawa State in focus. We should not be too greedy and self-centered.

We should be thinking more of the survival of the party right now! As we do that, we should be looking at the opposition political parties and how they are currently calling for their National Chairmen from the North Central.

All the political parties in the country have Constitutions and internal arrangements agreed by all. So, for anyone who wants a political party to survive, he must uphold the provisions of the Constitution and the internal arrangements.

For some of us who are stakeholders, we want the APC to stay as the ruling party beyond 2027 and cannot achieve this with all these internal crises.

I want a reliable and acceptable National Chairman to step in and start the reconciliation process across the 36 states.  We need a focused leader for now and not anyone who is currently distracted.

If we allow Ganduje now to remain, the opposition political parties will only wait for the right moment to raise issues against him and create a condition of nullity in all his actions for the party.

PDP almost collapsed because of a lack of structure in Plateau State. I pray we don’t experience that because of inconsistency.

As a person, I am qualified to also contest for the position of National Chairman. I have all the credentials being, a former member of the defunct CPC and a gubernatorial candidate in Plateau State. But for fairness, I am calling on the party to return the Chairmanship position to Nasarawa State.

I call on Mr. President to wade into these issues and bring them to rest.