The Cross River State Chair­man of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP), Ntufam John Okon says there is no going back on zoning of the governorship seat to the northern senatorial district of the state.
He assures further that the party will follow democratic process to achieve that goal in the next general elections.
In this interview, he speaks on vari­ous issues. Excerpts:
Many people think that in party politics, anything goes. Being a bureaucrat before now, how do you intend to bring your experience to bear on party administration?
Well, my team inherited some structures and we continued from where we took over. But where there are challenges, we were able to harmonize it and that is why we were able to inaugurate state, ward and chapter structures all around. We have also intro­duced the senatorial caucuses in line with the party constitution as well as help us drive the political process. For now, we have structures in northern, central and southern senato­rial districts to ensure that we internalize democracy, not to sit down here and dish out instructions.
We have also institutionalized bureaucracy in our party. I feel that if we should leave here tomorrow, people including newsmen should be able to come here and ask for any records. Any information you want, we should be able to give you. So we ensured that we recruited Cross Riverians of cognate experience to head some departments includ­ing administration, accounts, planning, sta­tistics, and strategy and so on. We have been able to do that. Even if we leave they will be able to educate whoever is going to come because we feel that democracy is enduring. It is a continuous process.
The first task before your leader­ship was the last local government election. Party members accused you of imposition through the use of El­ders’ Forum and caucuses. Could you explain the circumstances surround­ing the choice of all your candidates based on consensus?
During the council electoral processes, we did our bit. Nation-wide, the party had accepted the local government Elders’ forum. We first started it. We were able to constitute the Elders’ forum and the chapter caucuses. It was a tedious process because we took pains to consult with each ward. We allowed women to come out and in some areas, we realised that they were good materials; well exposed and knowledgeable. Besides, there were lots of discussions before we threw them to the primaries. Even when most councilors, chairmen and Vice-Chairmen were women, we won all the 18 local gov­ernments and 196 council wards. Providence was also on our side as other parties that united to fight us were quite late. We did not take anything for granted as we went out campaigning from one ward to the other across the local governments.
There are fears that party mem­bers from southern zone are making subterranean moves to upturn the governorship zoning arrangement. If it’s true, what would be the party’s next step?
Of course we have zoned the governor­ship seat to the North and all our focus is on that. But let me assure you that democracy is a game of numbers and interests. People have interests and you cannot stop anybody from having interests. The important thing is that the party has taken its stand and is for me as a party chairman to ensure that I drive that process to the end. I can assure you that. Besides, I belong to the southern caucus; even before I became a party chairman, the South has made it openly clear it is going to the North. The leader of the southern district, who is also the leader of the caucus here, openly told everybody that as far as he was concerned, he was part of the decision that agreed that power should go to the North. He made it clear that the South can never be against the decision of the party. But if people want to try the waters, we would wait for them. So far, nobody has come out to tell us they want to. All I can assure you is that it has been zoned to the North and the party would follow democratic process to achieve that goal. For me, there is no going back on zoning of governorship seat to the North.
There are also allegations that the party is trying to throw up so many from the North to cause confusion so as to pave way for somebody from the South to clinch the ticket.
Let me assure you that no matter how many candidates that come from the North, a Cross Riverian of northern origin would emerge in the party as our standard bearer. Cross River State is on a journey that has a blueprint since 1998 to develop this state. Donald Duke carried it to a high level, Imoke came in carried it on to bring the state out of the doldrums. So, would we just allow anybody that does not have a grip to come and take over? It is not possible. We have a lot of our northern brothers who are a part of this dream and they will emerge. No matter what ever, we would narrow it down with everybody’s input. You know we believe in consensus. But even then, there must be primaries. I don’t have power to impose anybody.
Would you sanction any member who goes against the party decision on zoning?
We don’t discipline members because they have aspirations. Anybody that wants to go against the party decision, let him follow the due process. Follow that structure of the party and do so. You know the party is made of Cross Riverians who believe in discipline and fair play. They are people that have keyed into it for the unity of the state. We are not going to discipline you because you want to contest governorship election and you are from the South. The party machinery is there to drive the process. I don’t see any reason­able person challenging this decision that is meant to unite the state. Have you thought about the consequence on the state if we did not take the decision? It is more critical than any one person’s ambition.
Based on your commitment to discipline, are you aware that some party members are already cam­paigning for various offices even when the ban on political campaigns have not been lifted by the party?
I have heard that some members have started to open offices and that is why we felt that we should warn our members. You know that INEC has been shouting that parties have been breaching the electoral law. Why should somebody come out and say he wants to be governor openly and start campaigning. Besides, this Director-Gen­eral thing is for people who have emerged already as candidates. It is generally known that if I become a candidate, I appoint a D/G to coordinate my campaign. So, it is even a misnomer to have a DG of a campaign when you have not even had a primary.
To be very kind, it is like people trying to look for political positions. What we are trying to say is that for INEC not to rubbish the candidate that would emerge, I am giving this warning and taking it seriously that any party member found putting posters, pasting stickers of aspirants and opening campaign offices, we would discipline such people. This is because we don’t want INEC to clamp on PDP for flouting electoral laws. So, we would not allow such thing to happen. We expect all members to obey the electoral law of this country. When time comes, we would make statements. When the guidelines are out, everybody that wants to run would come out.
Still on discipline, we would not spare anybody. We’ll continue to ensure that our guidelines are clear and you don’t jump the gun; you must follow the rules because the era of anything goes is over. So, at the end, you find out Cross River State has been more stable. If you do anything bad in the party, we suspend you and we are even ready to remove you from our party because we don’t want any person that does not want to imbibe discipline. There is no orgnzation that can survive without discipline. A situation where people would disregard the party and do what they like and because you want electoral victory, you tolerate them; it can spoil things for you. We had such a case and fortunately the young man saw reason and resigned.
It is alleged that you have taken away the party registers from dif­ferent local government areas and wards to the governor’s house. Could you clarify that?
The register is with my secretary. I don’t know where you are getting your informa­tion from. The party secretary keeps custody of the registers and if you want to see it, they are there. People are just afraid of everything that they can insinuate. It is in the secretariat. We have not removed it to anywhere, but people have a right to speculate.
Would you say in sincerity that you are presiding over a united PDP, because now you see people who were once inside the family being so far away?
I think we are united, but you see, by human nature, it is easy to forget the past. You know there are some people that if you don’t favour them now, it seems as if the world has ended. There are people who have gained so much and for one thing or the other, another person is brought up and you start grumbling. The party is dynamic and if there are people that do not want to accept this and they are knocking their heads on the wall, so be it. But it is not go­ing to affect the cohesiveness of the party. I would not pretend to you that in this party, there would be no such challenges, but what I can say is that we are out to build a strong party; a viable party that would be able to withstand these kinds of problems. If you are not with us now and work against us, we would pick you out and remove you from the party, so that when you come back, you come and line up from the begin­ning again.
Are you saying the party is trying to scheme out some candidates?
If for instance you are put in as a com­missioner and the party constitution says that if you are a commissioner, then you are a member of the exco and of the caucuses. If they remove you from the position of the commissioner, would you still remain there? No! Some people quarrel over what is not supposed to be. You were holding a position as commissioner and you are no longer commissioner, can you still belong there? You cannot. There is nowhere that says ex-commissioners are automatic mem­bers of caucus. So, when they say scheme out, I can understand that.
 

C’River guber: No going back on zoning, says Okon, PDP chairman