Festus Fuanter is the Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC). In this interview with ISAAC SHOBAYO, he bares his mind on the recent spate of defections to his party, the threat of political coalition ahead of 2027 and the chances of his party in 2027. He also sent words to potential defectors into the party, declaring that the APC doesn’t intent to be a refugee camp for failed politicians. Excerpts:
Some members of your party, the APC, are being linked to the quest by the opposition to form a political coalition against the party come 2027, don’t you think this might affect the chances of the president in the 2027 polls?
Coalitions and counter-coalitions are constant phenomena in politics. The APC itself is founded on the principle of a grand coalition, which culminated in the amalgamation of several political interests that climaxed into the merger that led to the birth of the All Progressives Congress. So, the APC is no stranger to coalitions. It’s, however, worth noting that the APC, after the merger, was in power for eight years during the Muhammadu Buhari regime and is now about to clock two years under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The radical approach of the current government may not be palatable or beneficial to some self-seeking members of the initial coalition, and hence, they will exercise their rights to seek new coalitions that will meet their selfish desires. And because most of the so-called prominent politicians leaving the APC are actually spent forces whose relevance is more in the social media space and the pages of newspapers, it does not bother the APC one bit, as their leaving the APC coincides with an overwhelming decamping of some progressive converts who will replace them. We are not worried because these coalitions are a temporary coalition of strange bedfellows who never liked themselves in the past. And by the number of governors and national and state assembly members defecting to the APC and the governors in other parties pledging to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, it is obvious that 2027 is a done deal.
The rate at which stalwarts of opposition parties, especially the PDP, are defecting to the APC is alarming, how good is that for democratic practice? Some have even said that it can lead to a one-party state. What’s your opinion?
A one-party state cannot be possible in Nigeria; besides, it has never been the desire nor within the contemplation of the APC. As a matter of fact, it cannot be in tandem with the philosophy of the party, especially when you take into consideration that the leader of the party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a thoroughbred democrat who will never wish for such. As regards the spate of defections into the APC, it is not surprising considering the well-organized disposition and strength of unity of the APC, which has inadvertently overwhelmed the capacity of the opposition parties in the country, coupled with their irreconcilable differences in their parties. It has been this unending feud that has rendered the parties vulnerable and unappealing to their members and Nigerians in general. It is these irreconcilable squabbles that have driven most of their members to troop into the APC. As a party, it has never been our deliberate policy to negotiate for decampees. We would rather allow our philosophy and the current economic successes of the APC government to attract new entrants into the party. But the most interesting of all the reasons that can be adduced to the myriad of defections is the renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, which has ensured that state and local government funds have quadrupled since the APC government came to power. And because the opposition governors know that they cannot have a better presidential candidate than Asiwaju, it’s better for them to join the winning team.
Is the door of APC open to all or do you have a checklist of persons that can be accepted into the party?
As a party with a progressive philosophy, the doors of the party are no doubt open to all who are ready to shed the retrogressive tag of their previous party and unconditionally submit and subscribe to the progressive philosophy of the All Progressives Congress. There is, however, a caveat to the open-door policy. The APC will not, under any circumstance, accept the entry of moles and other toxic politicians who put self before nation. We will also not accept in our fold politicians, especially governors, who have exhibited tendencies of failure and corruption in their states. Governors who have not made the best out of the rare opportunity presented by the Renewed Hope Agenda. And also, governors who have not commissioned people-oriented projects since assumption of office will not be accepted into the APC because the APC will not be used as a refugee camp for failed politicians. Just as we will not accept shallow-minded politicians who survive on and preach tribal, religious, or ethnic sentiments as a political weapon.
So, you don’t think that the massive defections could have implications for the future of democracy in Nigeria?
The political history of Nigeria is replete with a rich struggle and sacrifice for the sustenance of democracy. It is, however, important to note that the democratic system in Nigeria is still evolving, having steadily enjoyed four uninterrupted civilian-to-civilian transitions. We have put behind us the unpleasant experiences of coups and countercoups. As a party, the APC has set the agenda to ensure the survival of democracy in Nigeria by setting up the Progressive Institute, where the ideologies of the party shall be the basis of the curricula. Besides, the current socioeconomic agenda and successes of the APC government under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have made democracy so appealing that Nigerians would never accept any other form of government.
Recently, there was a protest against the nominee for the position of managing director of the newly established North Central Development Commission, Dr. Cyril Tsenyil from Plateau State. Is crisis starting so soon for the commission?
There was no protest, but rumours of sponsored protests were peddled by the panicky supporters of the PDP, who are being threatened by the consistent interest of the president in consolidating and sustaining the fortunes of the APC in Plateau State. The PDP in Plateau State has every reason to be in a state of confusion, looking at the fact that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is from Plateau State and now the MD of the North Central Development Commission, coupled with the calibre of PDP members who have left the PDP to join the APC. For the avoidance of doubt, the appointment of Dr. Cyril Tsenyil, who has a PhD in accounting, received my personal endorsement as the only member of the National Working Committee as well as other APC stakeholders from Plateau State. Who then would be protesting when the family of the APC in the state are celebrating and thanking Mr. President for picking one of the best for such an onerous responsibility?
There is the belief that the position of national chairman of the APC was wrestled from the zone prematurely, as a ranking member of the National Working Committee from the North Central, are you looking forward to the zone taking back the position of the National Chairmanship of the party, one day?
Prior to the prevailing situation, the national chairmanship of the party was actually zoned to the North Central Zone. But in one of the National Executive Committee meetings of the party, the positions were rezoned and the national chairman was taken to the North-West, while the North-Central took the national legal adviser. This was done in order to allow for the North-Central to have something bigger, which in this instance was the position of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. As you know, the position of the SGF in Nigerian politics is the engine room of the government and a strategically relevant position that would have ensured the comparative advantage of the delivery of the dividends of democracy in the North-Central if dispassionately and properly utilized in the collective interest of the North-Central as an entity.
You’ve spoken about the economic initiatives of the Tinubu government which you claimed is partly responsible for the spate of defections into the APC, yet statistics out there still suggest a grim economic outlook and economic hardship in the country. Are we really getting it right?
Mr. President and his cabinet members are not resting on their laurels in this regard; various measures and mechanisms are being put in place to mitigate the situation, coupled with the ongoing infrastructural development across the country. Getting to two years in office, the administration has done a lot to reposition the economy; his achievements are visible and being felt.
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