Honourable Oladapo Karounwi is a former Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House Of Assembly between 1999 – 2003, and currently the Spokesperson for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Southwest Zone. In this candid interview with EMMANUEL ADENIRAN on the telephone, he spoke extensively about his struggles in politics and the race towards 2023 Presidential poll. He also dropped a bombshell when he said the South West APC may not support the ambition of the Party’s National Leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and may choose to back the Governor of Ekiti State and incumbent Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to be President. Naturally, he gave reasons for his submissions. Exerpts:
Our readers will like to meet you sir
Thank you. My name is Oladapo Karounwi. I was the first Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003 under the administration of the former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo. I am presently the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Southwest Zone.
Given the background that the national leader of APC, Senator Bola Tinubu had assisted Governor Fayemi during his historic struggle to reclaim his mandate in his first tenure, which you and others were part of, why does it look like you are promoting the present governor of Ekiti State Dr Kayode Fayemi over Tinubu in your essays on the issue of the 2023 Presidency?
There is always a reason for all actions. I appreciate you for your kind words for me and all the visible observations. Thanks so much for that.
Number two, you raised a point that some people were with Fayemi then. Are they? It will forever not be like that. Look Emmanuel, those who are your friends some five years ago, that you were struggling together, are you still having all of them with you today as friends?
The answer definitely, should be no. You must have attracted some new people too as friends, while you also lose some people too as friends. It is just an experience.
Fayemi has lost some and he has attracted other new friends. Karounwi also lost some and has new ones. Likewise, Tinubu himself, he has also been able be to attract new friends and lost some. So, it is just normal for this to happen. Even our fathers and mothers normally say “ogun omode ko le se ere fun ogun odun”. Have you heard about that proverb before?
So, for whatever reason, either death, either fight, either they betray themselves, “Ogun omode koni sere fun ogun odun”.
Then, about the saying that I am doing something to pull Tinubu down, that one, I don’t really understand. But you are my brother. So, I will just educate you. Then, I will also ask a question whether you can educate me. I challenge anybody to answer me and including you. I challenge anybody that has any write up or any video clip or any instances where Fayemi disrespected Tinubu, either in word or in deeds, tell that person to bring it out. I will never support anybody paying goodness with evil.
No doubt, I am saying it. No doubt Tinubu assisted Fayemi like he assisted many others, but excluding me like I said, I am not a direct beneficiary of Tinubu. But he is my leader. So, therefore any of the people Tinubu assisted that is engaging in pulling Tinubu down like I wrote on the platform yesterday, such people will meet their waterloo.
But however, if Fayemi is having interest in the Nigerian Presidency, if that is what they see as pulling down Tinubu, so be it. What is the meaning of that now? That is ignorance. So, because Tinubu has interest in the Presidency and I also have money, I shouldn’t go for Presidency…
I called you because you are my brother and I want you to have understanding of things. Otherwise if anybody says it, I will disgrace them on the platform. Where did we ever come together, that we have this Presidential position to one of our fathers in the APC family? Nothing of such any where in the Country.
Even during the time of Bola Ige, Bola Ige was the one who formed the party. Even this PDP, Bola Ige was the one that wrote the Constitution. We all knew the roles Bola Ige played at that time. Every district normally produces their own leader. Bola Ige was the hero of Esa-Oke. I knew him very well. I am not a baby. I contested for election in 1998. I came to the House of Assembly in 1999. So, I know the role of Bola Ige and Pa Abraham Adesanya played. Those people gave them the party we called AD and supported by other leaders. Are you following me now?
When they finished everything, even when we formed the APP and we wanted to launch the party, Chief Bola Ige saw Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and Olusola Saraki, they all disagreed that he couldn’t work with these people. He said that they were not ideologically on the same page
But I will not support Tinubu for President. When I see someone I know and that knows me. Someone that I know, that if he gets there, it will be beneficial to me. That’s the person that I will support. Tinubu does not know me. Now, let me ask you a question. If Tinubu is President today and he was asked to choose three people in Ekiti, will Karounwi’s name feature there?
No, Tinubu will not feature me. Why? Because he doesn’t know me. You will only see the likes of Ojudu, Bamidele Opeyemi, and Dele Alake among others. He will only make mention of those people’ names. Does that mean that those people are more intelligent than I am? The answer is No. Will I accept that those people he is mentioning are better than me? The answer also is no. They only have that opportunity.
It is opportunity now. Is Bamidele or Ojudu more brilliant than me? No, they just have the opportunity to know Tinubu. It is a chance. It is a luck that they have Tinubu that is mentoring them and showing them the way that they got to where they are today. Do you now understand what I am saying?
So, therefore, I will rather support Fayemi that I know as President instead of Tinubu who doesn’t know me.
There is this argument in some quarters that you and others loyal to Fayemi are behind the demarketing of Tinubu, Fayemi’s alleged alliance with the North and the removal of Oshiomhole as the APC National Chairman. What do you have to say about this sir?
I was also part of the people that prayed that they should send Oshiomole away. I mean me, Karounwi. And we were so many who did that.
Some have said you did that to weaken Tinubu’s ambition to run for president…
Yes, of course.
That is one.
Okay
Then another one, that Governor Fayemi is in alliance with the North against the South, against the interest of Yoruba race-something like that, which looks like romancing the North against the interest of the Yoruba race….
…(cuts in) Let me tell you something. Let me answer you. Which Yoruba didn’t align with the Hausas? What did I tell you earlier that this is the credit I give Tinubu anytime. He led us to the Centre. What did Tinubu do? Tinubu aligned with the Hausas to form the APC. Is that not so?
Let me tell you one thing, we have remained here. Awolowo was the greatest person to us in Yoruba. Tinubu is not close to Awolowo, but Tinubu is now our present political leader in the Southwest. I have said earlier that Tinubu has done a lot but still can’t be compared to Awolowo. Awolowo was selfless. Tinubu is not selfless. Putting his wife somewhere, children and all his surrogates. Awolowo never did all of that but I didn’t query him because if someone has the opportunity, I can also do it too. Are you getting me?
But as Awolowo did so much, Awolowo did not lead Yoruba to the Centre. Do you know why?
No Sir. Well, that he did not romance them right?
Of course, it is common sense now. It is everything we know now. Tinubu now is the master strategist and that is the thing I am crediting Tinubu for. What Awolowo did not achieve, Tinubu has achieved it. Awolowo was not able to carry Yoruba to the main stream of Nigerian politics.
Another argument in some quarters is that if we compared the personality of Fayemi and that of Tinubu with the North, Fayemi is somebody that can easily be pocketed, but the north is scared of Tinubu, that if Tinubu comes on board, he might likely work against the interest of the North, that the North is not comfortable with Tinubu. They said that is why the North is rooting for Kayode Fayemi that they can pocket. What’s your take on this Sir?
It will be well with you my brother. That is what I am also telling you, that, if he is someone the North can pocket, and that will be the reason the North will prefer Fayemi to Tinubu as you said. It is about interest and I have told you that I will never support Tinubu because he does not know me. If he is the President, he will only be making mention of the likes of Babafemi Ojudu. But if Fayemi is the President, he will first make mention of Karounwi. It is about interest, what benefits you may not benefit me.
Can you change what God has destined for someone? See as I am, don’t forget that Rotimi Amaechi and l started the same time. Maybe you are not aware?
Yes Sir, I know in 1999, I remember Sir.
Rotimi Amaechi was the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly in 1999 and I was the Ekiti State Deputy Speaker here in Ekiti State and we used to have meetings in all the conferences while Mamora was also the Lagos State Speaker and where I am now, I don’t query the work of God. I can say it anywhere that Rotimi Amaechi is not more brilliant than me.
If you are asked that in North, South, East, West about 2023 president, who are the two you know that they will mention most?
Kayode Fayemi and Atiku Abubakar
No. It is Fayemi and Tinubu. People focus more on the ruling Party’s aspirants more than the opposition Party aspirants. Atiku and Tambuwal are people being discussed in PDP, but Nigerians discuss more about the ruling party’s candidates because they know that the ruling party has more chances to rule than the opposition party. So, today in Nigeria, it is Tinubu and Fayemi. Am I wrong?
Ok Sir.
We have many potential Presidential materials in our party in Nigeria. Osinbajo is one. Fashola is two and Ibikunle Amosun is another. Am I not right?
You are right Sir.
So, the point I am making is that, make sure you write it down because I will conclude here. It may look funny, but just know that your brother said something. Tinubu and Fayemi will not go for primary election. That is number one.
Okay. Why did you say that sir?
I will tell you the reason later. I am just saying my mind. Tinubu is a master strategist. He is very wise. He knows more about politics and he will never contest for election if he knows that he will lose. Mark my words. Tinubu will never go for any primary election with Fayemi without seeing the signal that he is the one they will use.
If he sees that the North is giving majority of their votes to Fayemi, he will never go for primary election considering my own personal research about Tinubu.
Number two (2) that I want you to write down today is that, Tinubu that I know as a master of strategist will bring Fayemi out himself if it gets to some point that he knows that majority of Hausas want to use Fayemi. He is very smart. He will never let it get to a point that they will vote Fayemi for President without his support. He will never let anybody ridicule him with Fayemi. So, he will now tell them that Fayemi is his son. He will now be his Chairman and bring him out so that all Nigerians can see, so that they won’t see it as if the Hausas are the ones that brought out Fayemi.
