Timi Frank APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary:

Timi Frank, the deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC is like a gadfly no one can do anything about. He had in the recent past called for the removal of the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and even contradicted party positions as announced by his immediate boss, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

It is no surprise that the party is quaking at the thought of Frank stepping in as Acting National Publicity Secretary. In this interview he speaks on his temperament among other issues in the party. Excerpts:

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

Would you say that the crisis that engulfed the National Assembly would show that your party cannot manage success?

If you remember how Gov. Tambuwal emerged Speaker in 2011, there were crises. Tambuwal wasn’t the choice of the party as at that time but eventually you know democracy is changing the way whereby the people’s opinion has to count at all times, at all levels, including the party level.

I don’t think it is an issue of whether we can’t sustain victory or not. Yes, we are all human beings, we have our own differences, our own pains as human beings, individual issues but that doesn’t mean we are not ready or prepared to sustain victory. We have already sustained victory and we are going to retain it and I can tell you that it is just an immediate challenge.

We have started looking at how we will reconcile all the loopholes and definitely the issue of victory will be stable in a matter of time.

You once called for the resignation of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as national chairman and flayed your party spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. Has that been laid to rest and do you see yourself working with them amicably like it used to be?

Yes definitely. I will work with them. They are my bosses. Anybody that knows Timi Frank knows I am an upright man, I don’t know how to pretend in politics, I always speak my mind.

Where I have been oppressed or the people have been oppressed. At that time there were one or two things that I felt on my own personal opinion at that time that weren’t going right. So, I took a decision out of anger at that time.

I can tell you at the national level we are doing very well. We have a very good working relationship with our national chairman. I believe he knows what is right at the moment and he is trying to do what is right to please all members of the party and so on and that was why you could see during the last NEC meeting we had to come together to pass vote of confidence on our chairman. So, I can tell you that we are stable today.

What actually transpired then?

Well, it was politics.

What actually was the bone of contention?

Well, just like I said everyone has their interest whether you like it or not. I have my interest.

Father in politics

Every national officer, everybody including the president has their interest.

The impression out there is that you are more of Atiku’s man than a loyal party man?

Well, I will maintain my position whether anybody likes it or not; Atiku is like my father, my political mentor, my leader. If anybody thinks it is wrong for me to adopt any father in politics or a leader who I believe in or a mentor whom I have chosen to have, then that is the person’s personal opinion. I am a politician. I am a young man in politics. It is my right to have a godfather. It is my right to have a leader. That is the only way you can grow.

Are you saying that you are also fighting for him to become the BoT chairman?

Well, if that time comes, my position will be taken. When that time comes I believe I am going to take the best decision that the party will be happy with and Nigerians will be happy with.

We want the best person to take over leadership as BoT chairman. I am a national officer as at today.

Your Principal, Lai Mohammed has been cleared for a ministerial appointment. Will you now step in to take his position?

I won’t say much on that right now. When that time comes … because my boss is still the publicity secretary of my party until he has been sworn in as a minister of the Federal republic of Nigeria then I will tell you clearly that the position is not vacant. It is stated clearly even in our party constitution that once the substantive officer is not there, the deputy automatically takes over.

So, I don’t know if the party will go against that and against its own constitution. When that time comes if the party goes against what they are meant to do right, Nigeria will be watching the party. I am not desperate in becoming the publicity secretary of the party.

If God says I am going to be, then no man can stop me. It is not something that I am going to lobby to say that I want to be. Already, I am the deputy national publicity secretary of the party which I am comfortable with and if by the grace of God, my boss is no more there, automatically without lobbying, without begging anybody, I fall into the position of acting national publicity secretary of the party.

I don’t know how they are going to do that because it is a constitutional issue because Nigerians will be watching them, people within the party will be watching them. Whatever they do at that point in time…you can do it to me today but tomorrow could be your turn. So that is my position on that.

How do you view your party’s chances in Bayelsa given Governor Oshiomhole’s observations on the emergence of your candidate, Timipire Sylva?

I am using this opportunity to apologize to Adams Oshiomhole. Baylesans in nature are not like that. We are responsible and credible people. Whatever Adams must have seen during that process I am using this opportunity to say I am sorry to him as a national officer of the party.

There are so many persons in Baylesa who are aggrieved just like Timi (Alaibe), so many. But some of them don’t have the opportunity to speak out and are scared which is very dangerous in politics.

I can tell you clearly, maybe the arrogance of Sylvia I don’t know, he hasn’t reached out since after the primaries to people like me and not just to me to so many credible Baylesans who took part in the primaries. As I speak some aspirants are still aggrieved within the party. If I tell you there are no issues in Baylesa I am trying to pretend and until these issues are resolved under this short period of time, then I am sorry to say I don’t see my party winning in Baylesa. We can’t win Baylesa when we are fighting ourselves. We can’t win Baylesa when we are afraid to speak. There are issues in Baylesa.

What are these issues?

Whether we like it or not there is nothing APC can do than to either manage his person at this point in time but I also see he is not helping issues. I expected him to lobby people. I expected him to make peace. I expected him to talk to the party. I expected him to beg the people because he needs the people the people don’t need him. I don’t need Timpre Sylvia as a person.

I have to speak for myself and I will say it clearly; I don’t need Sylvia as a person but at this point in time he needs me. He needs my support. He needs my vote. So, he should be the one that should be able to talk to some of us.

National officer

He needs to talk to Baylesans. Everyone’s vote is important except he believes that because we are at the centre, we are going to use the centre to rig elections for him so he doesn’t need Baylesans.

What really is your grievance with him?

(Cuts in) Let me tell you my own grievances with Timpre Sylva today. I will use this opportunity to speak out. Firstly I am a national officer of this party whether by low ranking or by high ranking however anybody wants to see it, I am a national officer. So in my state today if anybody wants to contest for election as a national officer I should be contacted. I should be talking with you whether you like it or not, whether you like my face or not you should be able to reach out.

As I speak he doesn’t consult anybody when he wants to take decisions. Recently, when I made an open letter to the president rejecting even the ministerial nominee and I will still tell you whether he becomes minister or not I will continue to kick against his ministerial nomination.

divinehand2003:
Very correct. That Sylva card won't sell in Bayelsa. He didn't do well in his first term, why give him a second. APC had no choice than to give him the chance to run as their flag bearer because of his support for the party during the 2015 elections and besides he introduced the APC to Bayelsa State.

kokoA:
APC never wanted him. He used force to get the ticket.