In this interview by ‘YOMI AYELESO , a lawyer and stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) in Ekiti State, Yemi Ayodele-Ayeni, speaks on the political situation in the state and other topical issues in the country.
Your party lost the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2018. Waasht went wrong for the party during the election?
What happened to the PDP in Ekiti is not new to any political organisation in Nigeria. Even in the world, when a party makes a mistake in any election, they will regroup and restrategise to get better for the next election.But when you look at the PDP in the state very well, we would realize that had our issues before the election. We had a hegemony issue, which later culminated in the loss in the general election but we have looked back and we know where we are failing and the way forward.
But the party is facing leadership problems at the moment, especially given the recent exchange of words between a former governor of the state, MrAyodeleFayose and the State Working Committee (SWC) on the alleged sale of the party secretariat. What is your take on this latest development?
If we are desirous in winning the governorship election in 2022, we need to come together and analyse the problem that befell us the last time and how to move forward. As regards the issue of the party property, I think there are procedures that must be laid down before any property of the political party can be sold. Like my position has ever been, let it be properly investigated and we will know where the problem is. I wasn’t part of the last government but I knew there was a close link between the party executives and the former governor. The former governor was all in all during the last tenure and I believe many things might not be opened or clear and a lot of people might not be aware of what happened that period but if it is escalated and investigated very well, things will become clear to the people.
The governors in the South-West recently launched a security outfit codenamed Operation Amotekun to tackle rising security challenges in the region. As a lawyer, what is your reaction?
From a legal mind, this is a security outfit not a police force. It would have been a fragrant contradiction to section 214 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) if it had been called a police force. Sub-section 1 of this section provides that “there shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof. Sub section 2 (a &c) of this section emphasises the provisions as a competence of the National Assembly under the Exclusive List which means no state or region can legislate upon. If Amotekun is not designed to be called police, it has not contradicted the constitution of the country and they are good to go. The governors have obligations to protect their people. Notwithstanding, I believe there should be a legislation by the Houses of Assembly of each state in the region establishing this security outfit to ascertain legitimacy.
Will you say the country is making progress in its electoral system, in view of what happened during the November 16, 2019 governorship polls in Bayelsa and Kogi states?
We are not moving forward in the electoral journey in the country. We are moving a step forward and two steps backwards, because it has become a norm, that when a government is sitting comfortably on that seat, the government tends to influence the electoral results in favour of its party and that is the problem we are having. But if the system is structured very well like the use of electronic gadget to vote, it will be easy to ascertain the results of any electoral process, but we are having issue relating to the Electoral Act we are not moving forward .There must be total overhauling in our political system.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammed recently reportedly advocated an amendment of the 1999 Constitution to accommodate Sharia. As a lawyer, what is your take on the statement?
I don’t know what the CJN meant by that because as I am talking to you, there is the influence of Sharia law in our law. It is already there because as we have customary law, we have Sharia. Why do we have the Sharia Court or the Sharia Court of Appeal? In the customary land law, two laws are involved: customary which is the custom law being practised in the South, that is indigenous to us and Sharia; they are all contained in the constitution. I don’t understand what he is talking about; maybe, he wants a new and very special consideration, reference to Sharia, we have it already in the constitution.
What is your attitude to the issue of leadership, which some Nigerians claim is the bane of Nigeria?
People just agitate for agitation sake. Our problem is that the people want good leadership but are they prepared for it? It is not by going to the polling booth ton the day of an election that you can actualise the aim. I believe if the people want good leaders, they should know those individuals that have passion and can make positive influence in governance. But, quite a number of people still prefer to collect money and vote for contests that lack merit and capacity to rule.Nigerians should always go for people with proven knowledge and wisdom Whoever gets the opportunity to be in any leadership position must be ready to step on toes because people hate the truth.