In this interview, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi state and erstwhile Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC, Alhaji Murtala Ajak,a who is now regarded as the frontline candidate for the state’s top seat bears his mind on so many issues bordering on his defection, his position on the state of affairs, and why he is the man for the job.
Your defection from APC was rumoured for a long time before you actually did. What prompted your action?
Decamping to another party was the only option left to me if really I meant my words when I said I would stand by my people to bring about the real change that we yearn for. You are all aware of the shenanigan, the intrigues and manoueverings that was employed by the state governor and his cohort masquerading as the APC leadership in the state to deny every aspirants a free and fair atmosphere to submit himself to the people of the state for them to decide who governs them for the next four years. I and other APC aspirants are utterly denied our priviledges as party members by a roguish political camp headed by the state governor and that process of recruiting the leadership of the state which is the priviledge reserved for members of the party was manipulated against the people. It was glaringly done to consolidate on the survival of a single individual.
I decamped and proudly so because the process was rigged against me.
What was really the issue before and after the process leading to the primaries of the APC to produce a candidate?
The party leadership abinitio showed everybody that it was not interested in organising a seamless and transparent process that would lead to an all acceptable primary election to produce the candidate who will be the flagbearer of the party.
The party leadership, even though there was no denying the fact that the race towards producing a candidate was on, kept mute. They left the members, which also includes the would be aspirants, in serious doubt about the process because there was this rumour that there was an anointed candidate.
The party leadership feigned ignorance but what was unclear was whether or not the leadership of the party realised that it is one of the issue that when not handled well can lead to the implosion in the party.
They kept mute on the issue of zoning which at that time was a main issue that needed being address one way or the other. The peace, progress and tranquility of the party was threatened by the acts of desperation and manipulations of the whole process leading to the primaries.
Today, a candidate has been imposed against the wish of the people and the centre can no longer hold in the APC in Kogi state because never has a day passed since the primaries without Kogites waking up to yet another negative headlines in the media suggesting the party is facing an existential crisis necessitated by the primary election that produced Alhaji Usman Ododo as the candidate of the party.
As one of the pillars of APC in Kogi state, why was it necessary for you to decamp?
Yes. The urge to salvage the state from the vestiges of bad leadership and the need to bring the state back to the path of development. I am completely a man committed to the development of the state in all its ramifications. I bear no grudges against anybody because everybody has the right to aspire as far as his stars can take him and this includes aspiring to be the governor of our dear state. Our people know a good leader when they see one and they have clamoured for me at this point in time to be that leader to take them there and I will.
My joining the SDP and picking its ticket as the candidate of the party for the next Governorship election is the best political decision I have taken in my life yet and many has described it as the best thing to have happened to the state and I agree because development and unity is coming to Kogi state.
Pundits and political watchers have described your defection to the SDP to actualize your ambition as a masterstroke. Why is it so?.
Truth be told, our state today have all the signs of a failing state. This great state with its great potentials to be a great state has been dwarfed by a leadership anomie that has diminished its path to the attainment of its greatness. But to tell you, my administration would be the end of an era for Kogi state when our people wandered in the wilderness of development. It would be also the beginning of an era when the dignity of every citizen will be enhance and you can take that to the bank. It is time for all concerned citizen who cares for the future and destiny of the state to come down from the fence and join this movement (SDP) to salvage the state from the cleavages of a vested and rent seeking leadership contrived against the people.
I am proud to at this time recruited by the people themselves to lead it.
Among all registered political parties, why SDP?
Because it is the best political platform that have the manifestoes, ideologies and philosophy that agrees with our political reasonings and propelled by this stated fact. There is no denying the fact that the SDP is a memento of our good political past that still rings a bell in the consciousness of our people. We are in the best political platform that would serve as a veritable platform for the actualization of our people dream for true freedom, unity, peace and genuine development in all its ramifications.
You were a very close pal to your state governor, Yahaya Bello and people are really surprised at the turn of events. At what point did things go south between both of you?
I want to state categorically that there is no personal love lost between me and the governor. What you see on display is the fact that we have a different approach to politics, while he is a representative of the continuous old ways of doing and playing politics, I am an apostle of a new ways of politics which emphasizes that the politics of the state should be about the people. I do not have any issue with the state governor as we are still friends but we only have political differences.
Some say you are the best material to govern Kogi state and why do you think people are politically gravitating towards your leadership of the state?
A leader they say is a dealer in hope. We have succeeded even when not in office to do our little best to bring succour to our people and the people knows if we are given an opportunity we will not let them down. The world is more familiar with pain than with compassion, but we have shown that our politics is intensely compassionate and we have given our people the needed shoulder of development to lean on when the government seems to have abandoned them. My people trust me because I have shown that I am part of them. Freedom is coming to Kogi state, God willing.
Can you lead us us into some of your agenda for Kogi state?
Though I have not released my agenda officially, my guiding agenda is to build a united, peaceful and progressive Kogi state that will guarantee every KOGITE a sustainable future that he or she would live his life to the fullest. My agenda will include; agriculture and industrial development, social welfare, education, health and infrastructural developments etc. I shall in due course roll out a programme of action that will lead to victory for all.
Some are of the view that you can also be rigged out just like the primaries. Do you agree with that?
For those who have followed my politics for a long time, they would agree that my politics has been devoid of violence and manipulations. I am a democrat in all sense of the word. Nobody is going to rig me out of this election because I derive my strength and might from the people. I have assured all the citizens of the state that I would fight their symmetric and asymmetric warfare if elected. The people of Kogi state knows who they want and I can assure you that with every permutations and indices of popularity on ground, I am the man to beat.
