Hon Bako Angulu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary in the Federal Capital Territory in this interview with EMEKA NZE, dismisses allegation of discrimination against non indigene members of the party in Abuja and explains that those joining the party outnumber those dumping it.
What is your reaction about the petition by one of your members which alleged that your party, the PDP in the FCT, discriminate against non indigene members? I want to disagree with anybody that tells you that we discriminate.
No, that’s not true.
I want you to go back to all the six area councils; we have six geo-political zone representatives in all our excos.
Let me use AMAC, for instance, every geopolitical zone has two representatives each and at the state level here, every geo political zone has one representative, some of them have two.
Like the South South, had two but we can’t find one of them again.
We were told that he has joined APDA.
We are yet to find out because we have been calling his phone but he doesn’t pick our calls.
I can give you the list of the state exco and the list of the area council exco.
I think from the names, you don’t need to be told, you will be able to know the ones from the north and the ones from the south.
You should know I can’t just generate this list now because you told me you were coming.
So anybody that tells you that the indigenes have taken the position of the non indigenes is not telling you the truth.
He is misleading you and I am saying don’t take it from anybody.
This is the right place that you have come and I am going to give you the right information and I will take you to my chairman.
Will it be correct to say that this problem of discrimination against non indigenes is mostly at the wards? Again you said each geopolitical zone is represented in your appointments, Is it constitutional or your arrangement in the FCT PDP? Yes, to some extent, it is our arrangement and it is also constitutional.
In fact, the constitution also captures that geo political zones should be taken care of.
Even at the national, everything is being done by zoning system; we have the vice chairmen of the zones, we have other positions for the zones.
We are applying the same thing here and I want to say that that person who took his complaint to the national is getting it wrong.
I think this is the state body if there is anything, he ought to have come here first and lay his complaint here, he should submit his letter with us except and until he feels we are not able to handle it, then he can go to the national headquarters.
Let me tell you, recently, my chairman had a retreat with the national chairman and what the chairman said was that they are giving back the party to the states; that they giving back the party to the zones.
Why must he (petitioner) then go to the national, let him come here, we are capable of handling everything and by the special grace of God, we will make sure nobody is cheated , we will make sure nobody’s right is infringed upon.
We treat everybody very equal, we are going to make sure that we abide by the instructions of the new administration in PDP that says everybody is equal and that no favouritism.
Recently at the zonal committee meeting, they served us a letter which said any party official that is found wanting, or favouring any aspirant or anybody whosoever, he is going to be dealt with.
So FCT is not an exception, we don’t want anybody to be treated unjustly, no.
We want equal treatment.
In FCT, we don’t have Gwagi man, we don’t have Hausa man.
No.
We are all speaking the same language and that is why every zone is represented because we don’t want to show any discrimination.
Your party in the FCT has been losing members lately.
What are you doing about it? Cuts in- We are not losing members.
Are you saying the exit of Hon Zephaniah Jisalo, a member of the House of Reps and one Yunusa, a very vibrant young man, are did not matter to you? In politics you don’t undermine; you don’t underrate anybody no matter how small.
If it were someone, an ordinary member, not even Jisalo, we will still not be happy.
But let me tell you a story of Jisalo.
I don’t know whether you have been following us.
That man since 2015 does not attend our meetings, he doesn’t contribute, he doesn’t do anything, he had long stopped taking part in PDP affairs.
He also forbade the PDP members from coming close to him.
He said no one should come to his house, if anybody comes, he would shoot him.
So what would you do with that kind of member? It is better you allow him to go so that we can have our peace.
If he said he was going, we can’t force him to remain.
That does not mean that PDP has collapsed.
Tell me how many people did he go with? Tell me, I have a video clip of his visit to the APC office where he went collect his membership card, he was alone.
For Yunusa, you know people ordinarily, when people promised they wanted to make you state chairman of one of the new parties, you will think that you are going to make it and I want to tell you, Yunusa is my friend and he is from my ward- Jiwa ward.
You see that some people had this notion that if PDP loses at the Supreme Court, they may go to APDA.
They thought that Sheriff might win because he had won at the Appeal Court and everybody was thinking that he was going to win again.
I knew that Yunusa would not have gone to APDA on normal ground, under normal circumstances.
He decided to go and at the end of the day but things did not work out as he expected.
I am not saying this was his reason for going but I know 40 per cent of his agreement with APDA.
It’s not bad for him to go but I will always want to ask you this question: How many people did he go with? Tell me, which day has he come out to say I am going to APDA with 100 or so followers? I have never heard or seen it.
As they go, there are people who come into the party quietly.
You are also aware that the former Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon Danladi Etsu Zhin left your party and joined APC?
How many people did Danladi move out with? Danladi moved out of the party but somebody moved into our party with more than 1,500 people.
Do you Know Haruna that contested in APGA? He is in PDP now.
Is it because he has not occupied a big position like Danladi Zhin? The man came to the party with more than 1500 members.
He is contesting for the position of chairman in the Kuje Area Council.
Hon Secretary, is Senator Aduda providing the right leadership for the PDP members in the FCT? This question becomes necessary because before the likes of Hon Jisalo left the party it was all over the place that Aduda was going to leave the PDP.
What is your take? That is not true; Aduda is still in PDP.
Aduda has provided leadership for the FCT PDP.
Let me start with the house we are seated now (FCT PDP state secretariats), it is Aduda that provided it.
He paid for 2 ears.
Go to all the area councils or any of the wards, go and ask whether Aduda has sited any project there.
You can start from city centre and Wuse and then other ten wards.
Somebody was saying that Aduda was drilling boreholes like he is sharing pieces of paper.
Every ward, go and see that he has drilled up to four boreholes, he has tarred roads, he has provided electricity.
What else do you expect him to do for you to be convinced that he is still in PDP?
