Mr. Babatunde Ogala, National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI and CHIAMAKA OSUAGWU speaks on the crisis rocking his party, Atiku Abubakar’s threat to President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection and other issues. Excerpts:

Your party has been enmeshed in a controversy over the fallouts of the primaries, especially in some states of the federation. There have been series of protests at the national secretariat, and recently, there were reports that some governors were trying to pass a vote of no confidence on the national chairman. Are you surprised at this development?

Firstly, I want you to know that whatever we are going through today is not unexpected. Why is that so? First, we look at the nature of how politics is played in Nigeria. We look at the fact that the stock of APC in 2018 where we are now, going forward towards the 2019 elections, is not the stock of APC in 2014. If I recall when APC was formed in 2013, a prophet of doom said it would not last one year, while we have run for five years. If you also recall, nobody gave us a chance, but of course, we went into the elections, and we won. Those who had faith in the party got elected as governors, senators, Reps and so on. Being the ruling party and looking at the nature of our politics, you will notice that in the last three or four years, there has been an influx into this party. The awareness and the appreciation of the prospects of the party is now much higher. Unlike in 2014 or 2015, where the party’s ticket was almost like yours-for-the-ask, now there is a mammoth rush for it. So, naturally, the losers will complain. No election, by the virtue of whoever agrees with me, is free and fair. Even the man who loses when votes were counted, will tell you that delegates list was manipulated against him. Even if he had all the delegates and he loses, he will still tell you that they were they were induced. We are contending with 360 House of Reps seats, 109 senate seats, 32 governorship positions, 800 or more House of Assembly seats across the nation, and for each of those seats, there is an average 5 or 6 people. So if you put all that together, we are talking about tens of thousands contending for less than 1000 seats. So it is not unexpected. When people say that the party is in turmoil, I ask them ‘in how many states’? There have been protests at the national headquarters. The protests were how many state chapters, and by how many constituencies? So if we have conducted primaries for 360 House of Representatives seats, 109 senate seats, about 800 House of Assembly seats, and 29 state governors, and we have less than 30, I think we have done very well and should be given a pass mark. In Lagos, is there no peace? Even in the state where they are saying there is turmoil, it is in about one or two seats. In Ogun for instance, it is about the governorship. We have three senators from Ogun. We have House of Reps members and we have House of Assembly members. Why is everybody not looking on the average to say all others are accepted, but for one? In Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, have you heard of any turmoil? So what exactly are we talking about? Let us not make mountains out of molehills. Every party has its own challenges at times like this. We heard even the small parties are having one challenge or the other. Like it or not, believe it or not, APC is the news. What happens in APC is almost related to what is happening in Nigeria. That is why press men are all over. APC is the news that brings viewership to the television stations, listenership to the radio stations, and readership to the newspapers. It is only natural that things will be blown out of proportion. I was at a television programme when they told me that somebody said there is no problem, but that I should look at the situation in Niger. The problem they are talking about is just in one constituency in Niger, and that becomes the issue that the party is into. Notwithstanding all of that, you cannot deny the fact that there are people who will be unhappy. But the party also has an internal organism to deal with these issues. I can assure you that in the next two to three weeks, when INEC releases the list, you will see people who are ordinarily aggrieved even joining the campaigns. Look at the issue of Lagos, only this morning the governor said that he was not only going to work for APC, but he would also campaign for Buhari and Sanwo Olu. Some people somewhere, will want to cry more than the bereaved, they will tell you that there is an issue. Look at Lagos for instance, while some speculating that Ambode may leave the APC, the governor boldly came out to say I will campaign for President Buhari and Jide Sanwo- Olu. Can anybody cry more than Ambode who has shown himself to be a good party man, a true democrat, and a very,very good sportsman for which he must be commended. That is a sitting governor, and we are here talking about those that are not even candidates, but are just aspiring. Even in some cases, those that have been said to be aggrieved are not the ones complaining. It is either some godfathers or some proxies complain on their behalf.

Do you see the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as a threat to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election?

When Atiku emerged as the presidential candidate of PDP at the convention in Port Harcourt, in the first week, there was euphoria. Is that euphoria still there? The answer is no. Some people said that he is a threat to Buhari, but I said that he is not a threat. He has exhausted everything he has to say about the APC. I am challenging everyone publicly to please tell us where the jobs created by Atiku are. I am challenging Atiku and his campaign team to point to any company in the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) that carries his name as an owner or part-owner. If indeed you are using proxy, what are you hiding? American University which they have made so much noise about, the American conventional committee has clearly stated that there are some millions of dollars given as bribe by Siemens was used towards the establishment of that university? Is that a man that is a threat to us? A man who is today talking about the Obasanjo-Atiku administration where for over four years, the Obasanjo that he is talking about, kept telling Nigerians that this is not a deputy. You are talking about the candidate who we claim that they created jobs. Is it in the Nigerian Airways that they sold, NITEL? The Discos? Where is NICON? They only sold to their proxies, stripped the assets and laid off workers. Where are the jobs they created? He said he owned part of Intels until Hadiza Bala Usman said ‘you cannot be collecting money on my behalf and you be paying me. You will collect and I will pay you commission’. Was it not then that Volpi came out and said I own Intels, not Atiku. How much was Atiku’s investment in Intels?

https://www.independent.ng/atikus-supporters-should-show-nigerians-the-jobs-he-created-ogala/

Lol
--Integrated logistics services (intels)
--Adama beverages
--American University Nigeria

All the sold national investment like Nitel , NEPA and Nigerian Airways, were becoming a liability to the government due to mismanagement of previous regimes mainly buhari babangida and abacha. Imagine the case of Nigerian Airways which by 1980 we had 32 airworthy aircrafts and by 1999 we only had 3. As a smart businessman is it reasonable to continue paying the same numbers of workers that ran 31 aircrafts aground from income from crude oil and tax or just sell of what's left of it . by the time NITEL was sold their only working brand and division Mtel mobile just couldn't compete with the likes of econet and MTN or Glo

He's in pain..... Tell us what Buhari ever achieved outside public office.

iammo:
Lol
--Integrated logistics services (intels)
--Adams beverages
--American University Nigeria

He's in pains.

prior to being sworn in on May 29, President Buhari had the followings:

1. N30 million to his name. He also had only one bank account, with the Union Bank.

2. 5 homes, and two mud houses in Daura

3. 2 undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt.

4. Own Farms, an orchard and a ranch. The total number of his holdings in the farm include 270 heads of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a variety of birds and a number of economic trees”.

5. Uses a number of cars, two of which he bought from his savings and the others supplied to him by the federal government in his capacity as former Head of State. The rest were donated to him by well-wishers after his jeep was damaged in a Boko Haram bomb attack on his convoy in July 2014.

6. President Buhari “had shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank”.

I was going to hit back and then I saw the Ogala, and just passed.

Old, wrinkled, lifeless brains... that's all they have in APC. Smh

No Hopeless Stinking amaljiri should quote me

I honestly don't know if it is my location, but it is only on SM, especially Nairaland, that I see people strongly supporting Atiku.

Most locals have never of the word "Atikulating".

Ehiscotch:
I honestly don't know if it is my location, but it is only on SM, especially Nairaland, that I see people strongly supporting Atiku.

You must be in the SW

CityNGR:

You must be in the SW

No, I am not. So people in the SW aren't aggressively Atikulating too?

This says a lot about Atiku's chances.

Ehiscotch:
I honestly don't know if it is my location, but it is only on SM, especially Nairaland, that I see people strongly supporting Atiku.

Most locals have never of the word "Atikulating".

I noticed that too, perhaps when campaign starts

APC should as well show Nigerians the money Atiku Looted.

Ehiscotch:
I honestly don't know if it is my location, but it is only on SM, especially Nairaland, that I see people strongly supporting Atiku.

Most locals have never of the word "Atikulating".

You mean your village people never hear of Atiku before?

So surprised to hear Atiku is not the owner of Intels

iammo:
Lol
--Integrated logistics services (intels)
--Adama beverages
--American University Nigeria

All the sold national investment like Nitel , NEPA and Nigerian Airways, were becoming a liability to the government due to mismanagement of previous regimes mainly buhari babangida and abacha. Imagine the case of Nigerian Airways which by 1980 we had 32 airworthy aircrafts and by 1999 we only have 3. As a smart businessman is it reasonable to continue paying the same numbers of workers that ran 31 aircrafts aground from income from crude oil and tax or just sell of what's left of it . by the time NITEL was sold their only working brand and division Mtel mobile just couldn't compete with the likes of econet and MTN or Glo

Wait is this post in support of Atiku or making fun of him, I can't tell. So these are the companies that people claim hires more ppl than Dangote group of companies.

So Atiku is not the owner of Intels

iammo:
Lol
--Integrated logistics services (intels)
--Adams beverages
--American University Nigeria

All the sold nation investment like Nitel and NEPA and Nigerian Airways, was becoming a liability to the government due to mismanagement of previous regimes mainly buhari babangida and abacha

You ipob yoots told us he sold his shares in INTEL to Tinubu? So who now controls the Job creation there?

Adams Beverages How many workers are there? Are they up to 200 Direct workers in the company?

American University? Go and read Oby Ezekwesili's revelation about the University..

Just accept the fact that Atiku is a hungry criminal looking for the National Treasury to loot..hence only the enemies of Nigerians who only yesterday wanted the disintegration of Nigeria are Supporting him.

Another member of the evil party.

Tell us why Nigerians should vote for Buhari to continue his destruction of Nigeria.

kaypling:


Wait is this post in support of Atiku or making fun of him, I can't tell. So these are the companies that people claim hires more ppl than Dangote group of companies.

He has a TV and radio station across north and chains of hotels. And if you've been to Intels onne terminals or the terminals they manage in NPA Lagos you can better understand his chains of investment and staff size

Ehiscotch:


No, I am not. So people in the SW aren't aggressively Atikulating too?

This says a lot about Atiku's chances.

You are a BMC zombie masquerading as a reasonable Nigerian.

CilicMarin:


You ipob yoots told us he sold his shares in INTEL to Tinubu? So who now controls the Job creation there?

Adams Beverages How many workers are there? Are they up to 200 Direct workers in the company?

American University? Go and read Oby Ezekwesili's revelation about the University..

Just accept the fact that Atiku is a hungry criminal looking for the National Treasury to loot..hence only the enemies of Nigerians who only yesterday wanted the disintegration of Nigeria are Supporting him.

Ki lon se eleyii, appreciate people who at least spent their "alleged" loot to create jobs rather than the ones that take it abroad and run off to UK for medical tourism or school their wards abroad. Now to answer you properly, Intel's was founded by him and an Italian man investors so no matter how big the company became the staff still owes the founders some appreciation. As per tinubu owning 17% shares that is a smart move by atiku. Unlike abiola holdings that was destroyed because of politics, having the likes of tinubu retain ownership guarantees his investment even during APC tenure

CilicMarin:


You ipob yoots told us he sold his shares in INTEL to Tinubu? So who now controls the Job creation there?

Adams Beverages How many workers are there? Are they up to 200 Direct workers in the company?

American University? Go and read Oby Ezekwesili's revelation about the University..

Just accept the fact that Atiku is a hungry criminal looking for the National Treasury to loot..hence only the enemies of Nigerians who only yesterday wanted the disintegration of Nigeria are Supporting him.

What has oby achieved apart from noisemaking?

But this man just said one Volpi said he is the owner of Intels and not Atiku

iammo:


He has a TV and radio station across north and chains of hotels. And if you've been to Intels onne terminals or the terminals they manage in NPA Lagos you can better understand his chains of investment and staff size

hisexcellency34:
But this man just said one Volpi said he is the owner of Intels and not Atiku

That's the Italian Cofounder

hisexcellency34:
So surprised to hear Atiku is not the owner of Intels

Lmao its revelation season

Issue based campaigns