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…says the era of ‘jumpology’ is over in PDP

…insists no matter what you provide for a nomad, he likes being on the move(defections)

By Emmanuel Agaji

Hon Teejay Yusuf left no one in doubt in this interview after the Peoples Democratic Party PDP 101st NEC meeting that Nigeria’s main opposition party is back to right all the wrongs of the past as the estate developer and economist turned politician x-rayed outcome of the meeting and the way forward with the big umbrella party, excerpts.

Let’s kickstart with your 101st NEC confab, It was a long-awaited one, and very many people expected that certain things will happen. What exactly does this portend for the party? The ability to now come together and have a meeting and articulate issues, especially for a party that has seen a lot of movement in the very recent past.

Positive. It shows that in spite of whatever has been going on we can still sit down, jaw-jaw, and channel our energy towards making the party more robust. Leadership is not just giving instruction. It’s the ability to resolve issues. So, yes, it took a long time, but finally it was resolved.

And I remember somewhere then …and I told people that I don’t see PDP being diisabled because of this crisis. We will come out of it. Our challenge has always been people who do not believe in the ideals of the party, but see the party only as a vehicle to achieve political ambition. It is not out of place.

Isn’t that the problem of all Nigerian politicians?

Not all, but a lot who are more vocal, a lot who kind of become the face of politics in Nigeria. And a lot of our fathers who should be a good example are in this nomadic movement, nomadism.

You know, a nomad, no matter how, if you give a pasture, I mean, get him, store him in the place for a nomad, he still want to go out, no matter how, whatever you provide for a nomad.

So, there are politicians who just assume that the moment the situation does not favour them. And I keep telling people, when you leave a house because of issues, who told you there are no issues in the other house you are going to?

Is there any human organisation without challenges? Families. So, you cease to be a member of your family because there are issues. So, I believe – I’m not saying PDP in that way like a cult or whatever. I mean, free exit and free entry.

However, there should be some degree of commitment. So, that’s why I kept saying that we are not, as a people, Nigerians, politically develop democratic ideas and values and party ideology.

Why are you in party A? It’s because I believe so-so policies of the party. That’s my interest. So, it won’t be that easy for you to jump. That’s what we call in the university, we call something jumpology. If you call me jumpology, if it’s not here, we are back here.

And if you observe, even the scriptures say it, there is need for consistency. The Bible talk about having done all that you need to do. Stand in due season. It is not in your hand to know due season. It’s the hand of God. You do your part, but you move. I don’t want to go into individuals because, I mean, you are out, you are out. Let’s focus on our party.

Let me ask you this because you talked about something that caught my attention, that leadership is not just about dishing out instructions, but also about resolving issues. On Tuesday, four senators elected on the platform of the PDP decamped to the ruling APC on the floor of the Senate and their letters were read out by the Senate President.

Now, if that happened just three days ago, or two days before the NEC meeting of the PDP, how well would you say that the NEC has been able to resolve the issues causing the political nomadism, or is it political jumpology now, that we’ll call it?

There is no issue. Before now, everybody was trying to hinge on the fact that we have issue of the secretary-ship. Do we have any issue on secretary-ship again? No. So, but people will always find justification for whatever they are doing.

Don’t forget, in 2013-14, we had about 40 to 50 members of House of Representatives left PDP for APC. We had senators. So, it is now a culture in Nigeria that people cannot stay in opposition, they jump into the ruling party.

And they come with this idea, we want to get more democratic dividends for our people. We have to be so, so, so. I don’t begrudge them, but they should not tell Nigerians that because of a crisis. Is there no crisis in APC?

They refer to irreconcilable differences.

With who?

We will have to talk to them. Because as of today, PDP has no crisis anywhere as pal who is the secretary of the party. That is why the NEC was convened, signed by Senator Anyanwun; communication to INEC, signed by Anyanwun as the chairman. That was the issue before.

The Abuja local government primaries and results and what have you, the transition of candidate to INEC was signed by them. So, we had this before. It has been resolved.

What I’m trying to make you understand is that more people will say and don’t forget, before election too, some people who have moved that way, can still come back because a lot of them have their eyes on certain things they want to get there.

And there are other blocs in those particular parties they are going to, who feel that, no, we’ve here, we’ve tabernacle over this place for a long time, and we feel that we should be the ones who benefit from largesse. Some of that will be, we’ll run back.

You had at a point, was it 2019? I had one particular, I don’t want to mention his name, under like six months, moved out, moved in, moved out, moved back. So, it’s not about those things you read and they say. It’s about personal interest.

It’s not just those four senators.

A number of governors have moved. And isn’t that a cause of concern, that elected members of the party who were elected on the platform of the party into office, or different offices, are moving?

R: You see, it still boils down to what I’m talking about in Nigeria.

Yeah, but I want to know, what are the concerns of the NEC concerning this?

You see, the NEC definitely raised this issue, and the NEC mandated the leadership to challenge those things. It’s a court process, you cannot just pull anybody out because you have left my party, come and vacate this.

But the challenge in Nigerian nation, need to deal with and need to resolve, is that politics without some sense of honour, integrity and value, should be discarded with.

The idea of jumping from party to party, especially when you are elected on that platform; don’t forget, Nigeria does not have an independent candidature.

You cannot run election on your own. It’s a party that sponsors you.

In fact, if you remember the Imo scenario in 2007, when the party was not comfortable with the Supreme Court judgement about Ararume, and the PDP withdrew from election, Ararume couldn’t run, because he can’t run election without a vehicle, which is a party.

So by implication, whoever, even the Kogi scenario, as much as I disagree with, Abubakar Audu died, and Yahaya Bello inherited Abubakar Audu’s vote, because the court ruled that it was the party that earned the vote.

So if you look at these two scenarios, you now begin to question the legality and legitimacy of people crossing with the mandate given to them. But these are things that must be tried in court. There have been trials in court.

Unfortunately, there’s a clause in the constitution, and I, my little time in the National Assembly, I did at every point in time we amend the constitution to raise that.

Whatever the court says about the movement of anybody to another party, if they say, okay, your movement, your decamping is illegal, until the presiding officer read, confirm, and put a vote before you leave the house, or you leave your seat.

By implication, it’s difficult for parliament, for you too, because of the fact that you have left your political party, lose your seat. Until that section, of the constitution is amended.

And for governors, unwritten, but you’re becoming a norm; governors are becoming leaders of the party in their states. Those days, way back.

Are they becoming or they have become?

They are now. But those days, the party used to be supreme, and it started, that’s why…

When you talk about those days, are you talking about the Fourth Republic, or previous times?

Previous, I’m talking about Second Republic. And even at the beginning of this republic, it was so. Party, I mean, leadership was more respected. Governors would come for meeting and submit themselves to the leadership of the party.

But now, even Governors’ Forum is not recognised by any organ of the party. It’s not in the constitution. But Governors’ Forum takes decision.

APC had a Governors’ Forum meeting, and the president and they came out with the chairman and the party had to endorse.

So, it still boils down to the mentality of an average Nigerian. We bring this mentality of, the oligarchy mentality, where the man who has the biggest office, dish out instruction, until we consciously imbibe some democratic values.

And the long rule of military, too contributed. A man who was in his 20s, 30s, 40s, who have been used to giving instruction; you now come to a meeting, and he is now 70 years old, and the man of 40 is saying, no, I disagree on this. He says how dare you?

He might not voice it out, but within him, he’s not happy, because he has been used to dishing instruction, and it’s been obeyed. So, these are the things that accumulated and brought us to this level that we are.

But for me I have hope, I have a conviction that what we have done yesterday is a step in the right direction, and we should not be putting the government on its toes, because that’s what is expected of us.

We need to begin to look at every policy of the government, make sure that we give Nigeria a better alternative. That’s why I said, I’m not interested in talking about those who have gone, my focus is PDP, and my focus is how PDP become the ruling party in Nigeria.

Now let’s talk about members of the PDP, but who are actively engaged in the activities of other political parties?

What is NEC, or what did NEC have to say about that?

It was very clear, you had a meeting on Tuesday, founding fathers and stakeholders of the party, and those things came up, and it was very clear.

I keep telling people, it’s not a coalition. If you say a coalition, it means party A, B, C, D comes together, and decided that on so, so, so, presidency or governorship, we’ll pick a candidate of this particular party, and we all rally around that candidate. No.

What you have is an assemblage of individuals who believe in the candidature of one man, to become a candidate having that political party, and they move into a party, so it’s no more a coalition.

So, you see, it’s not that PDP, NEC, say, go and do this or SDP NEC took this decision, no. Individuals came together.

So to me, it’s a political party they have every right.

Some of them are still members of PDP.

That is where I am coming to. However, now, NEC has said this. You can’t, it’s illegal to be a member of two political parties. Some of them have taken the initiative, the boldness to resign from PDP.

For those who have not resigned, the moment you have, because some of them, it’s so unfortunate that honour is far from a lot of them. Some of them, tactically, did not resign, and did not take the membership card of that party.

So, legally, it will be difficult for you to challenge what they are doing, he has not resigned from PDP. He didn’t take ADC card. So, in law, he’s still a legal member of PDP.

However, the party has said we are going to the convention now, we going to have election, so new things will happen. Unfortunately some of them will still come back. That’s unfortunate thing.

That’s why some people are angry, that if you keep doing this, if everybody does the same thing, will there be a house for you to come and meet?

You have some key members of your party who have said, look, I am a member of the PDP, but I’m going to work for the President to get a second term in 2027. What’s in store for them from the NEC?

That’s what I explained to you. Our challenge majorly as a party came because we deviated drastically from our norms and values.

Prof. Jerry Gana lucidly enumerated these things, justice, fairness. In 1999, there were a lot of very, very qualified Northerners who would have ran for presidency. They said, no, let’s sit down.

From G18 to G34 and what have you, we formed this party on the basis of equity and what have you; let the presidency go to the South. If you remember the Jos Conference, Obasanjo and Ekwueme were the leading candidate. Rimi wanted to run, he was qualified imminently but no, we have to do it this way.

So what we did wrong that got us to that, because when you say, hey, somebody is in our party and is supporting another party, you must not treat only symptom, you must treat the root cause.

The root cause was that we failed to zone for the first time. In 2014, some of the leaders of our parties, eminent leaders of the party, said it was a turn of the North that they should not remain in the South.

Five governors walked out of PDP, they formed new PDP and became members of APC.

In 2019, the parties looked at their narrative and 2015 election and say we must continue with our zoning. 2023 will now fail to zone, that is the basis.

So the same way some people felt in 2014, that is the turn of the North. In 2023, some people said, no, it’s the turn of the South.

And unfortunately for us, the same man who led the rebellion of 2014, that it was the turn of the North, is now the one that is now benefiting from 2023 becoming a candidate and at that time the narrative has not changed.

I’m sorry, I hear some people say, the North has only ruled for 10 years. Buhari, eight. Yaradua two. The South, Obasanjo eight, Jonathan six, Tinubu now four, so it should be the North.

I say, did Nigeria begin in 1999? How? This narrative is to suit somebody’s ambition.

And I hope that the PDP gets its act together and stands firmly on its feet.

We are coming back fully. Nigerians should be very, very expectant, something good is going to come.

THE END

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Saheed Akeredolu, relative of the owner of the collapsed building at Ota-Ona Ikorodu, tells GRACE EDEMA how he lost two children and an uncle during the incident

How old are you, and what is your occupation?

I’m 49 years old. I work as a bus driver for a private school.

How did your building collapse?

It was a normal day; all my three children and their mum were home. It was my son and my youngest daughter who were inside the new building. There is a small space inside the compound, and that is where we stayed to get the main building completed.

So, I called my son to help me with some things, and he promised to come soon. I eventually fell asleep inside that small building. Later, he came and saw that I was already asleep, quietly took his phone, and called his younger sister so they could spend some time together in the unfinished building. Their mum, sister, and I were in the small building.

When the building collapsed it was the sound that woke the three of us up; we were in the old building. When we realised what had happened, we started looking for them. That was it.

What were the children doing in the building?

They had gone there to pray. Yes, they were praying at about 1 p.m. on that fateful day. It was while they were praying that the building collapsed. They went to pray in the uncompleted building because of how things are in the community. They usually preferred to go and pray at the mosque, but there is a curfew in our area. My son didn’t want to leave his younger sister behind. So, they all stayed there to pray together.

You talked about curfew; did you mean there was a traditional curfew in your area?

Yes. In our area, we call it Igemo; it is a traditional curfew where women are not allowed to go out. Women are expected to stay indoors.

How old were they?

My youngest daughter, Amira, was 13 and her elder brother was 18.

How many children do you have?

I had three. But now, I’m left with just one; she is 16 years old now.

Why were those two not rescued while all the other workers survived?

From what I’ve learnt, all the workers there survived the accident—about seven of them—because they were mostly on the top floor. The top floor, which is actually the second floor, was where the workers were stationed.

What about your children?

They were on the middle floor, the first floor. That’s where they were trapped, along with my elder brother. My elder brother was there too. My uncle, who also went there to pray, was the one supervising the building.

How old was he?

He was an elderly man; he was 78 years old.

What do you think caused the collapse?

From the beginning, we used solid, high-quality materials. To be clear, every material we used was certified as standard.

Did the government inspect and approve the building?

Yes, both the state and local governments inspected the building at various stages. We have official certificates to prove that. The government gave approvals at every stage before construction moved forward.

If you are asked to provide every document, can the government still access them?

Yes. If the government asks for every single document, we can provide them. Everything is available. They were involved throughout the process.

But what would you say caused your building to suddenly cave in?

I’ll keep saying this: only God knows what happened. Honestly. Even people who used to pass by or live around us often said, ‘Is it the government that owns this house?’ The structure looked very solid. We didn’t use substandard materials.

For example, some people said we used too many iron rods. Others might have reduced the quantity to save cost, but we didn’t. My wife and I were involved in everything right from the start—from when we first secured the land.

At what stage was the work before the building collapsed?

Just before it happened, they were doing the final touches. Two days ago, they finished the external plastering. After that, they started working inside—internal plastering. They began from the last floor to the top and were working their way to the upper floors. They hadn’t even finished before the incident happened.

How would you describe your children?

My son, Abdulmalik, was my firstborn. I worked closely with him. There are many reasons why I’m proud of them. For example, he did very well in his UTME. He scored 320. It was a big achievement. He was an electrician by training and planned to study Electrical Electronics at university, but it’s sad he is dead.

Which university did he get admitted to?

He was accepted into his first choice last year, which is the University of Lagos. The university accepted him because of his performance. Lagos State University was his second choice, and both schools sent congratulatory messages to him.

What about your uncle?

He was about 78 years old; he was my mother’s younger brother. He lived in Egbeda but came here to supervise the building project. He came to support us and helped with the construction.

How about his wife and children?

They are not in Nigeria; they live abroad.

Is there any message you have for the Lagos State Government on your collapsed building?

Well, since the government approved the building, I am really hoping for their support now. Nothing is left with me, nothing at all, except for my wife and my other daughter. That’s all I have now.

How did you fund the building that collapsed?

My mother owned the land. The building was on her land, and her grave is on the land as well. They were six in their family, and it’s the last born who is abroad that has been sending the money we are using to build the house.

Credit: PUNCH

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Comedian and actor, Adebowale Adedayo, aka Mr Macaroni, talks to NAOMI CHIMA about his career, activism and love life

You’ve described battling depression and how it inspired your content creation career. What led to the depression?

It is interesting because I am currently dealing with some personal issues. However, I wouldn’t call it “depression”. It is why I have been a bit distant lately. But, what I previously called “depression” was more about frustration. It started after I was expelled from the university due to student activism, though we settled the case later. It felt like I was the ‘problem child’ in my family, especially after my siblings graduated and started working. Once I graduated, I pursued my dream of acting and filmmaking, going for auditions and landing small roles. However, I wasn’t getting the visibility I wanted, which made me question my abilities.

How did you manage to get through that phase?

I never stopped pushing. Giving up wasn’t an option. I always believed I was destined for greatness, even when I didn’t know when or how it would happen. That belief kept me going.

You’ve mentioned being involved in school politics. Did that contribute to your moving through four different universities?

Most of it stemmed from my advocacy. I can’t stand seeing people being cheated. In three out of the four universities I attended, I challenged the status quo, speaking truth to power and addressing injustices. The exception was the third university, where I wasn’t focused because I wanted to study Theatre Arts but didn’t get that course.

How did those struggles shape the version of Mr Macaroni we know today?

I believe it was meant to happen. God blessed me with fame and influence to fight for what’s right and speak up for those without a voice. In my content, I aim to inform, educate and entertain, balancing entertainment with meaning. My experiences have shaped this resolve, and I hope to always use my platform for good.

When did you finally decide to switch to skit-making and why?

I haven’t fully switched to skit making; I am still balancing both. Sometimes, I get tired of comedy, because while studying Theatre Arts, I preferred drama—especially melodrama— for its potential to create change and influence the audience. Though I provide content to my audience, I am more intentional about acting, which is why I have featured in blockbusters and films on streaming platforms. However, I am selective with the roles I take on; they must have meaning.

In your satirical skits, you highlight governance flaws and societal issues. How do you balance humour with the weight of those topics?

As an artist, especially one who gained fame through comedy, one cannot completely abandon comedy. While aiming to inform, I still prioritise entertainment. People need to engage with your content to understand the message. If it feels too serious, they won’t watch. Some may be interested in politics, but others just want fun. I entertainingly deliver the message, subtly incorporating it to keep the audience engaged because, for the message to resonate, it has to be enjoyable. That’s how I balance it.

Do you ever feel pressure to maintain your “Daddy Wa” persona, or is it a mask you’re ready to hang up someday?

Recently, I have been thinking about it too. Sometimes, it gets tiring for an artist. Daddy Wa has become a brand on its own. When I go to places, even before they call my name, they say “Daddy Wa”. To answer your question, I don’t know. We’ll continue to do it as long as we can; maybe until I get tired. Sometimes, I feel like doing it; and at other times, I don’t. But, we’ll keep going because we have an expectant community, and one has to respect that. Drama is life. The character is a family man, and there’s still a lot we can build and play around with. So for now, we’re still on it. Let’s see how long we can continue creating content around it.

The #EndSARS movement revealed your activist side. Was there any moment you feared for your life?

Of course, you have to fear for your life. I don’t think there’s anyone that is not scared for their lives. Yes, there’s fear; but that fear doesn’t stop us from doing what is right, or speaking the truth. At the end of the day, no one lives forever. How you live your life is what’s most important. For someone like me, I am fully committed to a better society — an enabling environment where everyone can thrive. So, whether I fear for my life or not is inconsequential to the struggle. I worry, but we must continue to stand up and do what’s right.

As an activist, how do you deal with being labelled as “anti-government” or “a troublemaker”

It is hypocrisy and sometimes ignorance. Many who call me anti-government were once critics of the previous administrations, but now that they’re in power, they don’t want criticism. We don’t hate the government; we want things to improve. Governments can’t betray the people’s trust and expect praise. If they serve the people genuinely, we will appreciate them.

Do you think the fight for justice in Nigeria is progressing, or are we simply recycling the same issues?

If you ask me about progress, I’d ask you to show it. Things are getting worse, and we’re recycling the same problems; only that they’re worsening over time. We complained about the exchange rate years ago, and it’s even worse now. The same goes for fuel prices. Even as things worsen, we can’t stop speaking up, because it is our only hope. But, everyone must be involved. It can’t just be a few people speaking up while others say, “We are proud of you”. If all Nigerians demand change together, there will be some level of progress. Political games, tribal divisions and religious biases divide us, making it seem like critics are anti-government. But it’s about holding the government accountable and demanding better for all. I hope Nigerians will unite and do the right thing.

What does success mean to you?

Success is subjective and depends on the goals or objectives one has set. The moment you achieve your goals, you’ve succeeded. On a societal level, people may measure success by impact or recognition, but success is deeply personal. Achieving it requires perseverance because obstacles and challenges are inevitable. The key is to keep going, as quitting eliminates the possibility of success.

You’ve featured a wide range of people from Nollywood legends to fellow skit makers. What’s your process for deciding who fits into your world of comedy?

I just let my imagination run wild. Once an idea pops up in my head, I start thinking about who can best deliver or fit into that role; while at other times, it’s about admiration for someone’s work. In those cases, I write a story to fit the individual’s strengths and persona.

From “ooin” to “freaky freaky,” your catchphrases have become popular. How much of Mr Macaroni’s brand is carefully planned versus being spontaneous?

“Freaky Freaky”, “are you there?”, “what’s going on here?” and other such phrases were not even scripted. Sometimes, we write out the script, especially when we want to feature some legends or icons, so that they can have an idea of what we want to do. But, most of those popular catchphrases were not even in the scripts. I can’t even remember the first time I started saying, “what’s going on here?” But, I noticed that people loved the way it was delivered and they held on to it. From there, it became popular.

With the bevy of endowed women you constantly parade in your skits, it’s hard to imagine that you’re still single. What’s the reason for that?

Being single is a personal decision. It is not because there aren’t loving or kind women out there, but because I don’t feel ready for a relationship. I don’t think I’m mentally prepared for it. I want to avoid making someone feel bad or hurt, even unintentionally. For example, if I’m not living up to expectations or am not as available as they hoped, it could lead to misunderstandings. To avoid this confusion and hurt, I’ve decided that it is better to remain single until I’m 100 per cent sure I’m ready to share my life with someone.

What are the qualities you like in a woman?

Generally, I’d say qualities like kindness and compassion are important. I look for someone who treats others with respect and dignity, regardless of their status or background. Respecting people is key for me.

What is the most romantic gesture you’ve ever made, and how did it turn out?

I am single and not searching, so I haven’t put myself in that space for romantic gestures. I haven’t focused on it, and I’m content with being single.

How relatable are you with the Daddy Wa character?

People might assume I like certain things because of the nature of my contents, but that’s just Daddy Wa’s personality. The women Daddy Wa likes aren’t necessarily what I like. Just like women have preferences, men do too. But I’m different from Daddy Wa. I’m a virgin, and that’s something everyone knows. I’m not involved in that sort of thing. I’m saving myself for when the time is right.

What’s your favourite food?

I love rice and vegetables. I also enjoy noodles, but only when I make them myself. My noodles are the best in the world. When I was younger, my siblings used to beg me to cook my special noodles for them, because no one could cook them the way I did. My recipe is unique.

What is your favourite sport?

I love playing table tennis. I also used to go to the gym with Broda Shaggi, but right now, I’m just doing some basic exercises. I’m hoping to get back to the gym soon.

How do you relax?

I relax by playing video games when I’m at home.

How did the rumours about you having a relationship or secret marriage with “Mummy Wa” affect your relationship with her?

It did not affect our relationship at all. Mummy Wa is a very dear sister of mine. I consider her family, not just a friend. Our relationship has always been respectful and cordial since we started creating content together. We understand that people assume something is going on because of the chemistry we share in our roles as husband and wife. It comes with the job. We laugh about it, but it doesn’t change the level of respect or regard we have for each other.

Credit: PUNCH