Hon. Vitalis Okafor, a former member of the House of Representatives, is now Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Imo State. He spoke with ONYEKACHI EZE on how his committee intends to put the party back on winning ways in Imo State. Excerpt:
What do you think informed the constitution of your committee?
As a matter of fact you know politics is a sort of game and the people who were occupying the position, they misfired and the NEC appointed us to revive the party (to) bring the factions together so as to take the party to a higher level. That is the primary assignment and by the special grace of God, Imo people are good people, they are educated. I know when we start to work everybody will take the task seriously and we will deliver the goods.
APC is in power in Imo state; and we understand that after the elections there were several defections from PDP to APC, how are you going to bring this people back?
One of the instruments you use in party politics is propaganda. There is no barometer to determine those who have decamped. PDP can claim anything and APC can claim anything. When the chips are down the people will know the true position. As a matter of fact, the next time we go for election, I am hopeful that PDP will make it 90 per cent. The eastern part of the country is purely PDP because the majority of the people are PDP.
You have three weeks to complete your assignment. Do think you can actually meet up with the deadline?
Because the majority of the people are PDP, it won’t take us much time to talk to the people we would like to talk to. It won’t take time at all.
Let’s look at those people that left, how do you intend to bring them back?
I don’t know of those people that have left. It’s part of the assignment. You know some people must have been unhappy for one thing or the other; we want to know some of the reasons and probably reconcile them. One thing about power is that power is taken, it is not given. By the time we go there to talk to those people that are aggrieved, they are human beings and we know them and because of the level of their understanding and intelligence, there won’t be a problem as far as I am concerned.
Are you comfortable with the leadership of the PDP in some of the South-East states?
I don’t want to judge anybody because before you are appointed or elected into an elective or appointive position, the electors or appointers must have seen you as worthy, fit and proper to be appointed; I am not here to judge them. Those people that appointed them if they see they are not performing, they can change them.
You were appointed into the office from another state to maintain neutrality, what level of neutrality do you want to maintain especially in ensuring that those that will succeed you are elected by the masses and not by imposition?
You are right; I am not from Imo state. I hear some names. As a politician at my level having been in the House of Representatives, I know in every state, you must have some names, some gladiators that you must respect in politics. I am going there to make sure that nobody pockets the whole thing in there pocket.
There must be fairness and equity. I won’t look at anybody’s face but I must give honour to who honour is due. If you see people like (Chief Emmanuel) Iwuanyanwu, you must respect them like elder statesmen. If see people like Achike Udenwa, former governor; Ikedi Ohakim, those people you must give them their honour and respect but to respect somebody does not mean you will fear the person.
We saw Hon Emeka Ihedioha accompanying you, that may suggest that you are working with a faction of the party in the state, what about other elders of the party in the state?
I can’t remember whether he was accompanying us, he was there as a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. We were just walking; coincidentally all of us were walking together. I don’t have anything special thing with Ihedioha.
What would you say about leadership tussle at the PDP national leadership?
There is nothing bad in having ambition; everybody is entitled to aspire to any position and qualify to be a president of this country. If there are millions of them aspiring for something, don’t prevent them but they must follow the laid down procedure rules and norms of the game.

Full Source: New Telegraph