Amaechi’s Suspension justified – Filani

The South West People’s Democratic Party, PDP, appears to have mapped out a course of action to follow in a bid over-run the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN, in Lagos and other States in the region come 2015.
Already, consultation and reconciliation of all stakeholders of the party are on-going.  Recently, Chief Olabode George and Senator Ogunlewe  were said to have shook hands and ready to close ranks for the victory of the party in the next election.
Again, as if it knew where it had goofed, a source maintained that the stakeholders of the party have resolved to allow internal democracy to flourish where candidates for elective positions will be decided via a robust and transparent party primaries.
The chairman of the South-West Caretaker Committee of the party, Chief Ishola Filani recently at the May 29 Democracy Day rally held in Lagos, declared that some of the leaders of the party did not allow internal democracy, but reasoned that all that had been consigned into the waste bin of history as everybody is rearing to go. “Lest us confess, some of our leaders did not give room for internal democracy but we are making frantic efforts to see that internal democracy come into play.”
The chairman of the South-West Caretaker Committee of the party, Chief Ishola Filani said that considerable work in the area of reconciliation has been done and it is yielding positive results. “We have talked to the widest spectrum of leaders and sent teams to all the six states of the zone to collate the peculiar problems of each state and the critical factors of conflict and factionalisation. We are going to prepare enabling environment for our party members and officers including all stakeholders in Lagos and other states of the Sout-West to ensure that victory is ours in 2015.”
He called on leaders in the region to allow the sustenance and growth of internal democracy as it remained the only way the party can be victorious in the coming election.
He maintained that the party will be made more cohesive and efficient in pursuing its goals which according to him include attracting majority to its fold and also ensure that its members have the incentive to remain loyal to its cause.
“We must bring the PDP to every door step and every home in the South-West,” he boasted.
Filani stated that the party is poised to taking over the government of Lagos state and other states in the South-West at the next general election in the region.
“In Lagos, government has been turned into a family business.  The affairs of the state are being controlled by the former governor and his cohorts; they are buying all the lands in Lagos; destroying market places; high penalties for minor offences; high transportation cost; life have become so expensive because they did not allow okada to ply our roads, everything in Lagos is now for the high and mighty; there is nothing for the poor again; life is becoming unbearable for the poor who is entitled to the gains of democracy.  Only a few people who are members of the family and friends of the former governor are controlling the affairs of Lagos.  This is worse than the military era and this is what the PDP will change in 2015,” Filani stated.
Also, Owolabi Salis, New York-trained chartered accountant and lawyer and a former governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, stated that Nigeria’s democracy has been bedeviled by religious and ethnic crisis, which according to him had distracted the leaders from focusing on developmental programmes but have been busy with how to resolve the various ethnic and religious crises plaguing the country.
He opined that Lagos state is a PDP state and the party will win the next general election in the state.  “Lagos state is a PDP state.   PDP has been defeating PDP in the state.  You can see that with the national outlook, and its population, PDP should  be controlling the state,” he stated.
“In 2002, we defeated ourselves, some personalities left to help AD, the story was the same in in 2007 and 2011. This time, it is going to be different  as we have all resolved to come together to take over power from these people.”
Salis added that reconciliation of all stakeholders are on-going. “I know that Chief Bode Goerge and Senator Ogunlewe have reconciled but there are other leaders who also need to be reconciled and I know the reconciliation process is on.” he stated. On the Party’s suspension of Governor Amaechi, Salis blamed the governor for going against the party rules. “This is about clash of interest.  With different diversities, there will be different interest to protect.  You either take positive initiative to manage your interest or you take negative initiative.  It is unfortunate that some negative initiatives are being taken.  My concern is that a leadership is a leadership.  The Party decided and then the governor went against it, it is unfortunate.”
Salis continued: “If the party at the highest level decides that this is what is going to happen, you don’t go against it but he went against the decision of the party.”
Commenting on the 2015 Jonathan ambition,  Salis however stated that there was nothing wrong with people having ambition, adding that people are only taking negative approach to issues instead of looking at issues from the positive angle.  “The president has the constitutional right to contest.  Whoever feels otherwise should rather take positive approach rather than resorting to negative approach.”
Filani in his own submission, stated that as long as actions are carried out based on democratic principles, on fairness, equity and rule of law, all the hullabaloo about the NGF will soon fizzle out.  He disclosed that a committee was set up by the National Working Committee of the party, and certain offences have been brought against him.  Now, if you want a thorough investigation, it is normal that you will not want the person involved to be part of it.  So, the suspension is to give room to allow fairness and justice in his case.  In fact, it is in his own interest, but the opposition are reading a lot of meaning into it.”
I think the action of the party is justified because it is only through that suspension that the rule of law can take place,” he surmised.
He stated further that the NGF though is not in PDP constitution, adding that it is good if they come together under one body with a view to cross-fertilizing ideas, but the forum does not in any way affect the workings and activities of the President.”
On June 12 as democracy day, against the publicised May 29 date,  Filani stated that June 12 was only significant to the extent that democracy was aborted by the military.  “Democracy was not allowed to take place by the military.  I was the National Director of Publicity of the campaign organisation of MKO Abiola.  I have an insight into everything that happened. It is one thing that if we don’t correct it, we will continue to regret it forever.  But the fact remains that, at the end of the day, we have to thank God that Democracy eventually started.  June 12 was the demonstration of military autocracy, but it was corrected on May 29 when all our democratic institutions started,” he said.