Posted by By DANIEL ALABRAH on
Plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to annex Lagos, the only Action Congress (AC)-governed state in Nigeria in 2011, would end up as an exercise in futility.
Plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to annex Lagos, the only Action Congress (AC)-governed state in Nigeria in 2011, would end up as an exercise in futility.
This was the riposte from Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, to recent declarations by leaders of the ruling party that come the 2011 election, Lagos will fall to the PDP, which already controls 28 states in the country.
Two weeks ago, the PDP National Vice Chairman (South West), Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, told the party's supporters in Osogbo, Osun State, that it would do everything legally possible to capture Lagos.
But in an exclusive interview with Sunday Sun in his office, Ikuforiji described the PDP as an unserious party and without a soul.
He contended that rather than for the AC to be swallowed up by the bigger PDP, the former would wax stronger and attract serious-minded politicians from the latter.
His words: "What I see is AC getting stronger. The serious-minded politicians and patriots who mistakenly found themselves in PDP, I see them coming over to AC or coming together with AC to build a nation that will be the pride not only of Nigerians but also of the black man.
"The PDP is an elephant that has no intestine, no soul. It is easier for a soulless animal to swallow those with souls, but the swallowing won't last long.
"I don't see us (Lagos) as number two serious-minded, performing government in Nigeria, but number one. If that is the case, will you leave such a serious environment to go to a place where there are no serious-minded politicians? We will bring in those who are serious minded and bring Lagos and Nigeria together."
The lawmaker also defended the move by the state government to hold elections in the 20 councils and 37 development areas in the state on October 11 despite the controversy it has generated and regardless of the fresh suit filed in court by the PDP to the stop the poll.
Ikuforiji berated the recourse to fresh litigation by the PDP over the same matter after the Supreme Court, he said, had ruled in 2004 in favour of the state government in the suit filed by the immediate past President Olusegun Obasanjo administration challenging the creation of the additional 37 councils by the former Governor Bola Tinubu administration.
Obasanjo at the time ignored the apex court ruling and withheld funds meant for the councils in the state until he left office in May 2007, insisting that the additional councils were unconstitutional.
"PDP has taken the governor of Lagos State, the Attorney General of Lagos State, the Lagos State House of Assembly, the President of the Federal Republic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the National Assembly to the court. I don't know why. I have not gone through this but like every other thing they do, they could be very unserious about these things. What is the problem of the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Reps? What have they got to do with local government?
"The Constitution is very clear about these things. It is the business of the state House of Assembly. So, why bother to take them to court?..I think this is all child's play. The Supreme Court had already made a pronouncement, so why this mess again? In 2004, they did the same and the Supreme Court threw it out. Why now go through the same route?" Ikuforiji wondered.