ACN has become nightmare for incumbents — Ize-Iyamu

The Vice Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, South-South and former Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in this interview with JAMES AZANIA explains his role in the recent political upheavals in Edo State

There are rumours that you are behind agitations for the rejection of the state deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, as running mate to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, in his second term bid. How true is this?

I am sure that many people know that I am not interested in Edo deputy governor position. Even if the governor should call me today to say ‘please be my deputy governorship,’ I will decline politely; not because I despise that office but simply because I believe square pegs should be put in square holes. The position of deputy governor should be given to those who can adequately play that role. I don’t pick an office simply because it is offered. I try to look at what I can achieve and do with the office. I am contented as the national vice chairman of our party and the party is growing. To the glory of God, from one, we have won six states. It means that the party has a lot of potential, so for people to believe that somebody holding such an office (vice chairman) would now be thinking of becoming a deputy governor is surprising to me.

In politics, disagreements are allowed and that is one of the beauties of the ACN, but what is important is that we do not allow our disagreement to lead to the disintegration of the party we have built. This is a party where we call a spade a spade and we disagree in order to agree.

I am an experienced party man and I know that by the time we vote in our primaries, we don’t vote for the deputy governorship candidate, we vote for who will be the governorship candidate. The process of the choice of a deputy governor does not allow lobbying. There is no doubt that the issue has brought about a lot of controversies, but not from me.

It was also said that you planned to dump the ACN…

It was speculated that my supporters were planning to join the Peoples Democratic Party but these are simply speculations. I am one of those who built the ACN in Edo State and it would be ridiculous of me to leave the ACN. For those of us who know how we left the PDP, it would be ridiculous that I return to the PDP. Whatever the disagreement we have, it can never lead to leaving the party. We left the PDP because we wanted an alternative platform to checkmate the arrogance of the PDP, and to go back to the monster that we left is not the question here. Secondly, we wanted a platform that will spur development in Edo State.

There was a time people considered the ACN as a party that is localised to the South West, but the victory in Edo has shown that the ACN has huge potential. We also have strong showings in other places, including Adamawa and Kogi states.

What is your take on the impact of your party in other South-South states?

Look around in all the South-South states and what you see is that the ACN remains a dominant force. The fear of the ACN has become nightmare for incumbents, and they use their power of incumbency to thwart the peoples will. But for how long can they do this? Nigerians have come to recognise which party is working and ready to continue working. The cornerstone of the ACN, which is bringing the dividends of democracy to bear on the lives of the ordinary Nigerian, is the source of its strength. As a more transparent system becomes better institutionalised and the will of the people is no longer trampled on, so will more ACN-administration come into power in the South-South geo-political zone.