*I do not believe, belong, create factions
By Fejiro Oghojafor
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State and one-time Secretary to the State government, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay, has ascribed the recent mass defection of Isoko people to APC to a realization of what he saw since 2023 which attracted him to the party.
Macaulay who spoke to journalists in a weekly phone-in program in Crown Radio FM, Warri recently, also clarified that leadership is earned when one is able to perform creditably in his ward and LGA during crucial election processes.
According to him, one does not need to shove people aside and impose himself on people as a leader, adding that it is the good works of someone which produce successful result for the party that attract others as followers to the leader.
He said: “Let me put it this way. Go and find out, I have never gone to meet anybody since I entered APC to say come and follow me. Even when I was leaving I didn’t tell my followers to follow me. I’m sure most of them who saw it were surprised after I wrote my letter and it was announced. And those who believed in me and saw what I saw came joined me.
“So, I believe more people are beginning to see what I saw then, hence they are coming. What I want is that let your work speak for you. If you are doing what is right, they definitely will follow you. So, if Isoko people are moving to APC today, it is because they are beginning to see what Comrade Macaulay saw years back.
“Nobody is happy when he is neglected, nobody is happy when his integrity is not being protected. So, there are so many reasons why those who are defecting are defecting.”
On the ongoing internal leadership tussle within the APC in the State, Macaulay stated that it is wrong to impose oneself on the people as their leader, stressing that a politician that is worth his name should demonstrate how he or she will win his unit, ward and Local Government Area.
“I did not enter the APC to support or create factions. Any where I am, I like peace, I like decorum. I don’t abuse my seniors, I don’t talk down on people.
“Every politician should take pride to say I can deliver my ward, I can deliver my Local Government. Don’t go and tell people that I’m your leader. I don’t believe that.
“Let leadership evolve as far as I’m concerned. Are we going to contest election on the basis of factions? The answer is no. This kind of fight is encouraging the younger ones to become insulting and rude to their elders thinking that that is the way to can gain favour, which is wrong.
“So, what I would tell them is to drop this issue of who is a leader, who is not a leader. We elect leadership of the party. Leadership after that will evolve. What I mean is that we elect the organs of the party. But to say I’m the national leader of the party or i’m a junior leader of the party, those are the things that will evolve on their own.
“When I entered the APC I didn’t tell them I’m your leader. I know what my mission is and I will remain focus on that. I don’t want the distraction of who is a leader or who is not a leader. And that remains my stand”, Macaulay noted.
On his message to the members of the party in the State, Macaulay urged them to go home and work for the party, adding that one does not need to be crowned a leader before he or she goes home to work for the party.
“My message is clear. Let all of us who say we are leaders go home and work for the party. You don’t need to be given a crown of leadership before you go home to work for the party. What leader are you when at the end of the day you cannot deliver your ward, you cannot deliver your unit, you cannot deliver your Local Government? What makes you pride yourself as a leader?
“I think this energy of struggling to be called a leader, let us use the energy to struggle to enlighten our people, to do things that will encourage our people to want to stand behind us on the day of election”, Macaulay concluded
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