Professor Tunde Adeniran is an elder statesman with variegated experience in public service, international relations and so on. He led the defunct Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) in 1993, was appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany between 2004 and 2007 and later, Minister of Education. The scholar-diplomat-politician speaks to DARE ADEKANMBI on a number of national issues, 2023 presidential election, among others.
Since your Rescue Nigeria Project came to light late last year, not much has been heard about it in terms to progress made on its goal. Has the idea been abandoned?
No. Not at all. The project is still being pursued in different ways. Some of us who are no longer interested in partisan politics believe we should remain focused and committed to moving Nigerian politics ideologically, make it knowledge – based and be led by men and women of ideas and innovation. Some felt that our vision of reconciliation and unity of Nigeria and the Nigerian people would be best achieved through a political party and have set in motion the process for operating within a partisan framework, some of us have chosen the nonpartisan approach. Without being partisan, we will continue to mobilise Nigerians for effective political transformation through leadership that is based on character, patriotic zeal, knowledge and competence.
You once said there is still hope of redemption for Nigeria depending on who takes over in 2023. Do you still hold this view, given the happenings in the polity since then?
I am an optimist with a very clear perspective on reality, the prevailing objective conditions and circumstances. Regardless of the happenings in the polity, Nigeria has the grace of God to throw up courageous and selfless leaders with capacity for good governance based on the rule of law, fairness and equity. Yes, I mean a leadership that would restructure the country appropriately, strengthen national institutions, effectively tackle insecurity, mass unemployment and underemployment, human capital and infrastructural development, the deepening and devastating corruption and the divisive forces threatening the future of the country.
It is looking like we are going to have a two-horse race for the presidential election next year, especially with no signs of a potent Third Force in sight. Do you see a messiah emerging from either of these parties?
There is nothing God cannot do. In spite of the unrepentant nature of Nigerians, God has not given up on us. A hero or conscientious compatriot could still emerge to lead a rescue mission from any of the political parties either big or small. By the end of the elections in 2023, you will be amazed to confirm that God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.
The National Assembly is tinkering with the 1999 Constitution again. Already, some recommendations have been passed. Will this placate advocates of restructuring or you think more still needs to be done?
More still needs to be done and of course much more when it comes to the application, I mean the operationalisation of the constitutional provisions. We have over the years had authoritarian tendencies ingrained in our psyche autocrats made out of our Chief executives in various areas and at different levels. Apart from physical decentralization, we must also decentralise our thought processes and actions.
INEC’s timetable for 2023 elections is out and a rat race has since begun in the parties. What’s your view of the timetable and the fact that campaign will last about six months to elections?
I sincerely believe that against the backdrop of the chaos and uncertainties on ground, INEC the electoral umpire has done a good job. Some degree of sanity will prevail in the political space very soon.
Buhari eventually signed the Electoral Act, but raised issues about the contentious Section 84 (12) which bars appointees from voting or being voted for at primaries and conventions. But the National Assembly has chosen to ignore the concerns raised. What do you make of this?
The concerns raised were neither for the advancement of core principles of democracy nor in the national interest. It was a self-seeking and self-serving concern that could give undue advantage to some participants in the electoral process. On this issue, the Senators honourably upheld the popular views of the Nigerian people on the matter and added some granite to democratic consolidation.
While APC has indicated it is likely going to field a southern candidate, PDP appears to be in a hide and seek over where it will zone its presidential ticket. What do you foresee happening if APC goes South and PDP picks a northern presidential candidate?
As a keen observer of Nigeria›s political scenes and the unfolding drama, the next president of Nigeria will most probably come from the South. However, which of the parties will produce the winning candidate would depend on the history, achievements, orientation and potentials for solving the problems on ground and not necessarily the toga or appellation of the candidate›s political party.
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