Samaila Burga is the Bauchi State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview, the pharmacist-turned-politician x-rays the crises rocking the party, stressing that unless the challenges are resolved amicably, the leading opposition party’s outlook at the next elections remains grim. RAUF OYEWOLE reports.

PDP is about the only political party in Nigeria. All others are mergers. Maybe the few ones that are very inactive. But the only active political party in this country is the PDP. Can’t you see now, even in the ruling APC (All Progressives Congress), the CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) bloc is opting out? The likes of Nasiru el-Rufai and all those that you have seen with former President Muhammadu Buhari, they are worried each time they go to his house and come back.

They are the crops of the CPC in the merger that produced the APC. But what I want you to know is that most of these people in politics today, either in APC or in PDP, are initially PDP members. Why you see this jumping about is because people are not looking at the future of Nigeria and Nigerians.

People are looking for their own personal interests. If I cannot get it at this party, I should move to that party. So, that is what is going on. We in the PDP, as far as we are concerned, anybody with that tendency or attitude should go. We will still sit down and realign ourselves and make sure that we forge ahead as a political party. So, to us, that one is not a problem at all.

Exactly what I have told you. It is basically for the benefit of their own state, but out of their own selfishness. You are voted into power in a political party, for one reason or another, you are moving out probably for fear of being intimidated by the government in power, using the apparatuses of government —the ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices Commission), the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission), and the rest.

So, out of fear, you move to where you can have a cover. That is what is going on. (Dr Ifeanyi) Okowa was the presidential running mate to Atiku in the PDP. He produced his successor as governor. Now that they have started intimidating him, they have arrested him and released him, probably on the condition that if you don’t come back to us, we will arrest you again. Was that in the interest of the Delta people? Or is it personal interest? It is all personal interest.

What did you want him to say? What is he doing today? He’s looking for a cover-up. It’s just like somebody is bringing an axe to hit you, then you have to put your hand out to protect yourself. To the best of my understanding, Okowa is looking for a cover-up. And that’s why he’s moving, and he cannot move alone. Probably, that person

I have fixed as a governor in PDP should follow me. Let’s go together.

I have friends in Delta, who are local government chairmen, party chairmen and who refused to go there with them. We are forming another structure in Delta. Okowa has gone. What do you expect him to say? Yes, he said: ‘I’m going because most of the Deltans were not interested in what we were doing. They didn’t want the presidency to move out of the South.’ Was former President Goodluck Jonathan not from the South? Why did (Olusegun) Obasanjo challenge him? Was he not from the south? Why did (Asiwaju Bola) Tinubu challenge him? To the point that there was a protest in Lagos against the candidature of Jonathan. He was equally from the south.

So, the likes of Wike, who vied for our party’s ticket and couldn’t get it, tried hard to be picked as vice, but he couldn’t get it, so he moved with his pack of money and everything into the APC for him to have a cover. He is getting a cover as the minister of FCT on the condition that he must destroy the PDP. We are watching. Everything that has a start must have an end. Don’t worry, we are not deterred.

As far back as 2003, Atiku started working for himself, not for Northeastern Nigeria nor for Northern Nigeria. He was challenging his boss, the then President (Obasanjo). He and Tinubu went to form the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Not too long ago, both Atiku and Tinubu met at an airport. Tinubu said to Atiku, ‘We formed ACN together, and I left you to contest. Now it’s my own time. Please leave your own ambition, come over.’ The same person that you are saying is planning to leave PDP, he is used to leaving PDP. We are still there.

In 2014, what happened? Prior to the election of 2015, he went with seven governors, two later retreated —Lamido and Niger governor (Babangida Aliu). They went with him and made sure that we lost the election in support of Buhari.

But, because they could not get what they were expecting from there, Atiku came back and we gave him the presidential ticket in 2019, it was very foolish of us. We couldn’t make it. We still arranged and gave him another ticket again in 2023. Now, maybe he is no more comfortable that he is going to get what he wants as a person, not for us.

Atiku wants to be president at all costs. He is now probably trying to leave the PDP to go and form another merger, because the merger was able to suit Buhari. So, probably if he merges again, he may have it. I think since 2007, or thereabout, Buhari was contesting and contesting until merger produced him. So, that is probably his (Atiku’s) thinking. His thinking is not for PDP, not for Adamawa, nor is it for North-East or Northern Nigeria. Not only moving out, some of us are of the view that he should allow other crops to contest for the presidency.

We still have 20 months. Within these 20 months, we are going to see alignment and realignments. Have you not seen what is happening with the NNPP (New Nigeria Peoples Party) in Kano? It was the second opposition party we were looking at, across the federation.

Some crop of politicians who were elected on the NNPP in Kano have now moved to the APC. But mind you, the APC headquarters itself is saying it should be bye-bye to (Dr Abdullahi) Ganduje. The chairmanship of the party should legitimately come from North Central. They are thinking of (Senator Tanko) Al-Makura. Are we the only ones having problems?

Personally, I’m not aware of that. Why will he defect? To where? I’m not expecting him to start thinking of such a move. Because opposition must exist for corrective purposes, we cannot just go in one single line; you need somebody to tell you that your house is leaking for you to correct it.

If there is nobody to tell you that the roof is leaking, the whole house may end up collapsing. In that case, we need strong opposition. I believe he (Bala Mohammed) is a strong person who can lead the opposition. I’m not aware of his defection to any other party.

PDP is ready for anybody, but what we are interested in is a capable candidate who can deliver the victory from any local government area and zone in the state.

Ideally, we have been doing that, but not now; it has been like that for a long time. Bauchi South has been in power since 1999, and others have supported the region. What will change this time?

Was it a calculation or a plan by our party to keep it there? No. It is the people who decide, not the party alone. In 2015, we gave it to the North, and we lost. This was done through a primary election, where we had a lot of contestants –including Ali Pate (current Minister of Health), late Babayo Gamawa, Adamu Ibrahim Gumba, Auwal Jatau (incumbent Deputy Governor), Ahmed Iliyasu and others.

We voted clearly on a table, and Auwal Jatau from Bauchi North won that primary. We were unable to get the victory, because people decided who they wanted.

What lessons are you talking about, inasmuch as someone from Gamawa again emerges as the best candidate and is decided by our party members, it is the person who would lead. God gives power and takes it away whenever He wishes. We are not going to say until we get somebody from a particular place.