Excerpts:

The Advanced Congress of Democrats seem to enjoy a status of kill joy on the crises rocking the Peoples Democratic Party. Why?

If you look at the origin of the ACD, it didn稚 start last year. It started about two years ago. We saw then that there is this attempt by the PDP government to introduce factionalism in all other parties. The Alliance for Democracy for instance has been factionalised since 2003. The (Senator Mojisoluwa) Akinfenwa group and the (Governor Bisi) Akande faction. It was actually the realisation, particularly after our experiences in Ogun State during the local government elections in 2004, where they did not allow AD candidates to contest elections because they did not know which faction they belonged to. It was that experience that led us to look for an alternative political party that will be unencumbered. When we started this stage in 2004, we were very certain that there was going to be an implosion within the PDP, that gradually when we were incorporating the ACD, things were falling apart in the PDP. First, there was the open disagreement in the leadership of the party, which led to the ousting of Audu Ogbeh, followed by the open disagreement between the President and the Vice-President, followed by the de-registration exercise, which left many of them disenfranchised. This was what led to the formation of the Movement for the Defence of Democracy in December 2005, from where we became the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy and then the ACD. So, rather than see the ACD as a kill joy for the PDP, you see it as an attempt by some patriotic Nigerians to create a democratic space. We were being squeezed and we wanted a new platform, where everybody could participate. Thank God again that the same virus, which they had sent to other political parties - AD, ANPP and APGA - the same virus has returned home to the PDP. But we are trying to provide a platform where all politicians can participate and contest election.

Considering the situation in the PDP now, do you see this as a chance for the ACD to grab power in 2007?

You see, what happened to the PDP having factions would simply improve our chances in the next election. We have no doubt in our mind given the calibre of people in the party and the spread. Obviously, what is happening to the PDP, no party has a faction and recovers from it. PDP is gone because that is the way the ANPP went, the way the AD went and the way APGA is going. For APGA today, though they now have a governor, they will not be the same again. You are asking who is going to be the presidential candidate of the ACD in 2007. We said it from the beginning that we are going to have a party that is unencumbered. The Option A4 will be used in the choice of all our candidates. We are also going to adopt Option A4 even in the choice of the party leadership. You cannot zone or anoint any candidate under Option A4. You will choose from the ward level. So, it is the person that has the widest support that will be selected.

What is the relationship between the ACD and the Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar? .

As of today, the vice-president is still a member of the PDP. He may be uncomfortable in the PDP but he is still a member of the party. But if he joins us, he will still have to go through the ward level and if he succeeds, he will be our candidate. As at today, there is no relationship between the ACD and the vice-president.

One thing that worries me about the ACD is the composition. Many of the people in the party are people who were members of the PDP, ran the system with it and when the system was no longer favourable, they left and joined the ACD. Don稚 you see them replicating that PDP style in the ACD?

I was not in the PDP myself. That needs to be cleared. But in fairness to Audu Ogbeh, he spoke out against the undemocratic practices in the PDP long before he was relieved of his position. It is to the credit of Ogbeh that he spoke out against the President in his letter. You see, if a man is in a system and he is not happy with it, does he continue to be there just because he is part of it? If you build a house and that house is about to fall, will you continue to live in that house because you built it? PDP was no longer providing them with the right atmosphere. Look at what happened in the PDP. Where in any part of the world do you see a party de-registering its members?

What does it mean to you being honoured by the university you left about 30 years ago?

I feel humbled by the award because there are thousands of alumni. So, for them to remember me and honour me, I feel very honoured and I thank God for it.

The Punch, Friday, June 30, 2006