LAGOS PDP Chieftain, DEJI DOHERTY
Engr. Deji Doherty is a leading politician in Nigeria. He is one of the leading PDP chieftains in Lagos State. He is worried at the state of affairs of the party both at the national and state levels. He is not happy with the way some of the leaders of the PDP have conducted themselves.
Surprisingly, he is not worried by the recent defections that the PDP experienced in recent times. He feels the party can still weather the storm and bounce back, strong.
How does he see the coalition of parties coming together in ADC?
“From my basic knowledge of Politics, with all due respect, a coalition without either Kwankwaso or ATIKU coming together, that Coalition is dead on arrival, because a coalition has to be such that you are picking the strongest and then you are breaking the party in power. That means you are splitting it.”
“So let us assume that the Buhari group are going to split from APC. Do you understand? If Obi does not get presidency, the presidential ticket, or you all say you are supporting him for president, he said he’s not going to join the coalition. So it’s either president or nothing.”
“So others have to sacrifice to let Obi come out for president, and then they can now follow behind. That is the only thing that I can see, not ATIKU running, maybe it’s just me seeing it that way. I don’t know.”
“Because Pres. Bola Tinubu will be from the South. You need a strong person from the South to vie with him. If you say the North is going to go with Bola Tinubu or the north will go with a northern president, then that’s a different thing.”
“Another thing is to see if the coalition can get one or two of his henchmen to move with the Coalition. Then that might be also a strong move. But Rotimi Amaechi has never been with Bola Tinubu. El-Rufai has never been with Bola Tinubu. And Bola Tinubu still got the ticket and still won the election.”
“So I don’t know how that is going. But let us watch and see. But I believe that a coalition has to have strong people join.”
A lot of strong people from different blocks, the strong blocks. I can see that Bola Tinubu is already courting Kwankwaso. You understand? So if Kwankwaso goes to APC, that’s… that is a real block in the North.
That’s a real block. Because they are diehards. You know, they are… they have a cultist kind of followership.
How does he see Pres. Tinubu’s last 2 years? “He was tried his best”, he said. going back to your question about Bola Tinubu and what he has done so far. Yes, there are some certain things he has done that people can shout about and things like that. But I believe that Obasanjo came, he had his own style.
Jonathan came, he had his own style. Yaradua came at one time, he had his own style. Buhari also came.
We shouted and we screamed and everything. Nothing happened. And Bola Tinubu has come and he has his own style.
So you know, after 8 years, he goes. Or after 4 years, if he doesn’t make it, he goes.
And then somebody else will come. We already see that if Obi becomes president tomorrow, he’s going to have his own style. We can say we like it now.
Those that said they like Trump, today are saying no to Trump. They all liked him before he became president, but now he’s president, they are even protesting that he must go. You understand? So this is how democracy is.
This is how life is. I think Bola Tinubu has created a serious economic situation in the country that is affecting everybody. You understand? However, I believe that he has also done quite a lot of good things too.”
You understand? By giving scholarships, by bringing in the gas, transportation, by making sure that some of these real projects are being continued and crystallized. I would like to see him do more in terms of education. And I’d like to see him do more in terms of power.
The Power situation is still as it is, people are still in the mercy of the Discos. These Discos have borrowed so much money, they are in so much debt, and they just do whatever they like. You understand? To the customers, just to make up their commitments to the bank.”
“And I think it is wrong for the federal government to continue to watch them fleece the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to continue fleecing Nigerians. You know, I don’t think it’s a good thing. Well, you know, it’s not a laughing matter, number one.”
“Number two is that I believe that they’re going to just try their best. Personally, I do not think what is happening is right. I do not think that it is fair.
I think the National Assembly should really look into this local government issue. You see, let me say something here.How does he see the crisis in PDP. They should stick to what was agreed at the Zoning Committee.
If the presidential candidate comes from the North, the national chairman should be from the South, whether you like it or not. So it’s either you take one, and they took the presidential candidate. Yeah, that’s what is haunting.
It’s a very simple thing, but they make it so complicated.
And it happens even in states. It happens even, you know, when a governor starts prying into another state and determining rules. For instance, how does Dare Adeleke become the acting state chairman of Ekiti PDP, if Seyi Makinde did not arrange that? These are the kind of things that create problems, major problems as a matter of fact.
And when it becomes really major, then they start pointing fingers, whereas people will not know what created what has happened. Look at what has happened. Now you know, you have Wike, Chief Bode George against ATIKU.”
“And then suddenly now you have Wike standing on one side and Bode George and Seyi standing on another side. They were part of the anti-ATIKU G5 drive. And then they are now saying that they want to fix the past.
Whereas they have gone along to destroy certain sections, suppressed people in different states, just towards their, you know, a lot of congresses have occurred. You understand? Whereby somebody’s ambition here is now paramount to the survival of the party. So, let us see how it goes.
We pray it goes on well. We pray it goes on fine, but we have to tread carefully. Chief Bode said, kada kada, in Hausa, dwe dwe, in Yoruba.
I think he should be saying that to himself. Kadan kada, Bode George.
You understand? Because he has an ambition, an agenda that they are following. And that agenda, kada kada, because some of us are watching. Kada kada.
You know, the words of wisdom do not only come from old men, but come from experienced men. Do you understand what I’m saying? The words of wisdom does not only come from old men, but come from experienced men. All right.
So, what I will say in terms of the question on Tinubu, is about the tax reform. I think the Tax reform is a good thing, if they are sincere about it. If you want to merge taxes, and you want to give tax breaks to the poor, you want to give tax breaks to those that are below 50 million, you understand.
All well and good. You understand. But at the end of the day, what those tax incomes, revenues are used for is the most important thing.
As of today, the money is taken in for tax nationwide. At least, maybe 50% of it is used for politics. And that has usually been the bone of contention.
What do we do with the Tax that comes in? That’s number one. Number two is, when you are talking about Tax, what is the ratio of the tax income to debt? If you are driving up debt because you have an avalanche of money coming in in terms of Tax, then it is also a problem. The debt profile of this administration and the last administration is whooping.
And it continues to grow. So it nullifies any tax reform you want to do. Because what government does is that it goes into debt, takes the money from debt, spends it and squanders it, and then starts hanging on the citizens to pay tax.
Which is what is happening.
Secondly is the PDP. As far as I’m concerned, the crop of leaders in the People’s Democratic Party should be more sincere to themselves.
I looked at the line of BOT members yesterday in Abuja. There are some people that should not even be there. They are too old to be there.
Go and look at the BOT of one or two other political parties and see if they have 90-year-olds there. So at the end of the day, I believe that, yes, the governors are old enough. Out of the younger gentlemen there, you have a former Senate president.
He has wisdom already. So the elderly should even just be calling them on phone and say, ah, okay. Fix it.
You should be a mister fix it. And not be part of those getting into the arena. When you start getting into the arena at 86, 85, 84, whatever age you are, then you have compromised your age.
So I think a new crop of elders, a new crop of leaders in the People’s Democratic Party is eminent. And I believe, it is coming up. And I’m happy to see Bukola Saraki.
