•The OSUN PDP Chieftain Reveals A Lot
How
do you see the political situation in the country right now?
To
put it succinctly, I don’t think the political situation in the country has
ever been this dire. By the way, the same goes for every other aspect of our
lives and existence in this Country at the moment. There is so much impunity
with all sorts of malfeasances going unpunished that to borrow the Youth’s
expression Nigerian Politics (if not Nigeria itself) is now a scam. Propaganda
has now taken the place of performance and the Bar has now been set so low that
absolute blockheads and criminals rule the political firmament. In the early
days of Nigerian Politics, the brightest and best were those in politics like
what obtained in other democracies like the UK, the USA, China, Germany etc; the
Bode Thomases, Rotimi Wiliams, Onabamiros, Awokoyas, Akintolas, Bola Iges,
Olorunnimbes. Majas, Rosijis, Osuntokuns, Akereles, Adebanjos, Adesanyas,
Obafemi Awolowos, were the ones in politics, now it’s populated by ex-convicts
and absolute dunderheads. Honesty and Integrity are now a handicap and
liability. One cannot but wonder how we got to this sorry pass where the tail
is wagging the Dog. People are now so frustrated and confused they don’t even
know who to turn to, who to trust, what to believe or how to proceed. There are
so many different agitations of various tribal, radical and extremist groups,
like IPOB, unknown Gunmen, Bandits, Boko Haram and so many conflicting messages
and supposed solutions ranging from separation, dissolution, confederation,
true federalism, restructuring, staying the elections for an interim
Government, a government of national unity from various political and
socio-political groups and individuals.
Which
side of the divide are you politically?
I
was a founding Ward Chairman of AD in 1999. I stayed in AD till 2009 hoping AD
would get back to its earlier pre-eminent position but when I realized that
wasn’t going to happen, as its structure wouldn’t allow some people to own or
pocket it as they desired, I moved to PDP in 2009 where I remain till this moment.
I have never believed in gallivanting from one party to the other, though many
seem to have done very well for themselves by so doing. I most likely would
stay in PDP (so long as it continues to exist) till I fully retire from
politics.
With
all you have seen so far, do you think we are getting it right politically?
Certainly
not. Nigerian Politics has now become a vehicle to obtain power and the power
is not to better the lives of the citizens but to corruptly enrich the elected
politicians. The measure for re-election is no longer performance but
propaganda and “jeun soke” i.e the sharing of stolen public Funds. Sadly
because of the poverty foist on the people by this disastrous APC government in
the last seven (7) years the people are emasculated, desperate, powerless and
most easily manipulated. Give them a few Thousand Naira and they’d sell away
their birth rights not to talk of votes. We all saw a video of the University
Student in the Ekiti State Elections shamelessly brandishing in “triumph” N4,000
she had been paid/bribed to vote for a particular candidate. The few remaining
voters who refuse to sell their votes are then prevented from voting their
conscience or at all by the strongarm tactics of thugs, musclemen and
enforcers (who generally tend to be aided by the very security forces that are
to protect the citizens) deployed by politicians in government. Until there’s a
fundamental change the people face a most uncertain and painful future. In fact, some politicians have so mastered this art of the carrot and stick i.e money or
strong-arm tactics, that they’ve been unstoppable and undefeatable for years
irrespective of their abysmal performance in office. Lastly, add the lies.
Politicians generally lie but hope not to get caught and when caught they raise
their hands in surrender and apologize, but not so with this present Government and
their party the APC. They tell absolute whoppers, they got in by lying in 2015
but now it’s like they’ve gone ballistic with their lies. They seem to have
borrowed a line from Paul Joseph Goebbels the famous Nazi Propagandist during
World War II that the more outlandish the lies the more effective the
propaganda. I’ve lost count of the
number of disclaimers, issued against their statements; Pastor Adeboye, Gen
Olusegun Obasanjo etc and the fact checks that have proven their statements to
be lies,
Who
is your candidate at the state and Presidential levels?
My
state, Osun State, just concluded its elections and my party and its candidate
won. However, I must mention that I think the outgoing Governor is a good man,
who had the guts to correct some anomalies he inherited. I believe I met him
only once at a wedding in Lagos during his tenure, I found him very humble and
I liked his mien and disposition. I wish him very well in his future
undertakings. As for my Presidential Candidate; my Party’s candidate is Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar who naturally I am supporting a hundred per cent. In fact, I was
the Chairman of his Independent Campaign Group, Friends of Atiku Osun State
chapter in the 2019 Elections (indeed I was one of those who signed his
Nomination Form for that election) and though he didn’t win. I am sure all and
sundry can now see all he foretold coming true and all his suggestions and
prognosis which were rejected then are now being copied and implemented by this
Government, a good number like the privatization of NNPC and some others, in an
opaque and lopsided manner though. I think P.D.P is looking very good to win
the elections. I am sure all those who didn’t vote for the PDP in 2019 must now
be regretting their decision after the abysmal failure of this APC Government.
They got into the Villa unprepared and out of ineptitude or hubris put
everything in reverse, all the gains of 1999-2015 eroding right before our
eyes.
I
know you have always held strong views politically, has your position changed?
I
am sure you can see I and my views have hardly changed. I must confess that my
greatest disappointment though is that those who should know better or should
speak out, fail or refuse to do so either because they are feeding from the
trough, or they are afraid for their investments. They fail to realise that
when a Country fails all investments go down with it. I have found out to my
utter disappointment how hypocritical many I looked up to or grew up with, who
spouted morals and rectitude are. I see people speaking from both sides of
their mouths and applying different yardsticks in their judgements because of
lucre, patronage, convenience and ethnicity. I tell them the positions they
take is a reflection of their values and who they are, and as to be expected
this doesn’t go down well with them, but you know I am an Ijesaman and we are
raised never to be afraid of telling the truth.
How
for instance can anyone turn a blind eye to or try to justify the criminal
scandals we hear about almost daily because of tribal affinity and political
partisanship?
Should
any party be thinking of the same religious Presidential Ticket at this time of
serious religious and ethnic tensions? It’s just crazy. It’s like the whole
place is a tinderbox just waiting for a spark to send the whole place up in
flames. Nomination Forms were sold by the party in Government that has no money
to pay teachers etc at an N100million, Delegate Fees at the equivalent of an N7million to an N34million per person for over 1,000 delegates, you can just
imagine how much is how sick our political system is. I was very much involved
in the AD Elections of 1999 and I know that apart from Lagos State, the total
cost of Gubernatorial Elections by AD Candidates in the other 5 South Western
States ranged between N2million - N3million, indeed most of the candidates were
anything but moneybags. To run for office these days you get into Government at
low levels e.g Local Government Chairman, State House of Assembly member,
Commissioner or aides to them then you load up and corruptly enrich yourself
from there and buy higher political offices except of course in a few
exceptional cases where loaded Godfathers do the dirty work for the aspirant/candidate
in return for a share of the spoils of the office. I don’t think it’s ever been
this bad or low. It’s like now we abhor merit, competence and integrity. It is
like integrity is now a liability/handicap and a lack of it an advantage, as
many sponsor Godfathers are only keen to sponsor the most unscrupulous and
sycophantic they can find, either because they are without conscience, are
blackmailable, or the most inclined to take and carry out orders no matter how
bad or illegal. We really are in trouble.
Why
are you not taking an active part in politics, like vying for public office?
Actually, if I had known then – 2000 to 2010 when I vied for office, what I know now, I
wouldn’t have vied for office. I had erroneously thought most decent, competent
and upright people didn’t join politics/vie for office because they couldn’t
take the risk to their monies and reputation as well as stand the rigours,
intrusions, and insults that are a natural part of politics. Alas, I was very wrong.
I found out that those claiming they can’t find good people are lying, they
don’t want good people. They simply roll out the good people for photo-ops when
good and clean names have to be associated with their party then they forget
about them. In Nigeria unlike in most
democracies, integrity is a liability and not an asset. It’s okay for you not
to steal but it is definitely not okay for you not to be prepared to steal for
and enrich the people sponsoring or putting you in office. Indeed the two (2)
positions I held I found problematic and it was a battle throughout. In one I
wasn’t prepared to be bribed and owned by some moneybags at the party and I
accounted for and refunded money to the party which apparently wasn’t usual.
That didn’t win me points with those who wanted business as usual. On the other, I was a clog in the wheel of some people's plans to raid the place and naturally
they didn’t take kindly to it. I have always insisted I have four (4) children,
two (2) of whom are lawyers and I can’t afford them to read Law Reports and
seeing amongst reported cases AGF vs Tunde Odanye, EFCC vs Tunde Odanye or IGP
vs Tunde Odanye where I’m charged/prosecuted for crimes of stealing,
embezzlement, corruption etc, certainly not after how I raised them. Apparently, many Nigerians think nothing of it.
What
do you make of the last 7 and a half years of President Buhari?
In
very few words, it’s been a colossal disaster. A pestilence. Arguably the worst
government since the creation of the Country of Nigeria. The whole country is in
pain and up in arms. Nigerian’s lives no longer matter, 89 people were being
buried in Benue State not only did the President not send a representative, but that was the day he chose to launch his campaign for a second time. The
Government has not only lost all sense of empathy, but it has also lost control and
failed. There is repression and abuse of the people's fundamental rights. The
consolation for me was that some of us seriously warned then but pure hubris
and bitterness blinded those who voted him in at the time. They were looking at
castles in the sky. In the same way, some are rooting for those who foisted him on
us to proceed with continuity i.e continue where he leaves off with
insecurity, pervading poverty, religious and ethnic irredentism, mutual
suspicion, immorality, incompetence and ineptitude, marginalization, grand
looting, banditry, insensitivity, hatred, nepotism. I say good luck to them in
their quixotic expedition but I know God loves Nigeria too much to allow this
APC’s pestilence to continue. We cannot afford to have a plaque succeed as a
pestilence. That would be the death of the Country and like Emma Ogholi sang (I
hope I got the artist right) Nigeria must and will survive!
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