I am in the race to win Oyo governorship —Akintola

Legal luminary and one of the leading aspirants for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), has declared that he is the race to emerge as the ruling party standard bearer and ultimately win the 2019 election for theexalted seat of governor of the Pace Setters State. He spoke with journalists recently. Senior Deputy Editor, TAIWO AMODU was at the session.

 

WHAT will you do if the APC does not give you ticket to contest? Will you probably look for another political platform?

In the first place, I am not going to lose. I am going to get theticket by the special grace of God. But I am a progressive and thequestion of looking for alternative platform does not arise.I was the arrowhead of what is now known as APC. I was one of thosethat were present at 1998 Confab at Premier Hotel in Ibadan by Yorubaleaders, where we formulated the policy of participating underAbdulsalamAbubakar’s government. We mandated Chief Bola Ige to liaisewith other leaders across the country.Chief Bola Ige, in his wisdom, picked me, Prof Tunde Adeniran, Dr Olusegun Agagu, Dr. Tola Atimo, and Uncle Yemi Farounbi, as part andparcel of his team.We wrote the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Whenthat did not work, we left PDP for All Peoples Party (APP). When wegot there in Abuja, we saw some characters there, and Uncle Bola Igesaid ‘well, we can’t stay here!’We pulled out and we came back to the drawing board. The registrationthen was closing. We had to quickly put something together to form theAlliance for Democracy (AD). That is why if you look at the ADConstitution and PDP Constitution, they are one and the same. The onlydifference there is just in the nomenclature.

It was the AD that metamorphosed into ActionCongress (AC), then to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and to APC.And I happened to be the arrowhead of the take-over of the South-Westby the progressives. We started in Ibarapa Local Government by thethen AC before I moved to Oshogbo, and I moved on to Benin, where wegot Oshiomhole installed, I was the lead counsel there. I also movedto Ekiti, where we got Dr Fayemi installed. God also used me to bring Senator Rashidi Ladoja back to office.So, there is no question of me leaving the progressive camp; it cannotjust be. Wherever the progressives tilt their boat, you will find me.For me to jump boat, no I can’t because I am a professional inpolitics. I have a second address.

 

It has been observed that people seeking exalted political offices need the backing of some godfathers to realise their ambitions. There is also a narrative that politics in Nigeria is shifting away from god- fatherism. How do we balance the equation?

Every politics is local. There is a world of difference between whatought to be and what is. Contrary to the impression out there, we arein a democracy where the majority will have its way and the minority

will have its say.The reality of our situation on ground is that, Oyo State is different from virtually all other states in the country. In Oyo State, where traditions still rule very strongly, the roles of the gatekeepers cannot be wished away. Thegatekeepers are there and there are layers of them. Apart from that, we also have the stakeholders and anybody who wants to govern the statecannot wish away the roles of the gatekeepers.

Of course, our political leaders are gatekeepers. No matter how goodyou are, as a fashion designer for instance, you need somebody to giveyou cloths. No matter how good you are as a dancer, you also need agood drummer. No matter how good a person is, you will also need agood platform to contest.

So, my governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, is a gatekeeper. Ourtraditional institutions are gatekeepers. For instance, my ownimmediate environment– I went to my ward in my local government, allthe traditional rulers and community leaders were there. That showsthe role of the gatekeepers. You cannot underplay the influence ofeminent traditional rulers like the Alaafin of Oyo, Olubadan ofIbadanland, Soun of Ogbomoso, Ibadan Council of Elders, CentralCouncil of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).Even, when we came on board in 2011, it was not the ACN alone thatbrought us to power. It was the combination of all these forces; andthat is the reality. You cannot underplay the influence of thesefactors. This is a traditional society, not like any other state. Thetraditional rulers still wield a lot of influence.

Every society has its own different patterns of governance. In somestates, there could be an individual. For instance, when Baba Adedibuwas alive, he was a gatekeeper and that was the reality. It has nonegative effect on democratic principles as it were and that is thetruth.

No one has ever become the governor of the state without the supportof these gatekeepers and our political leaders appreciate it thatmuch. These gatekeepers live among the people, know their feelings andall what is happening to them.

 

Ibadan indigenes have been having the headway in producing governors for the state. But there have been agitations that other political zones of the state should be allowed to produce the next governor. Youare from Ibadan; do you support rotation of governorship for the state?

There is no rotation in any part of the country. It is not part of ourlaw. Oyo State is one. The Oyo speaking people know that they are one and only one under one God.In Ibadan today, we may have 32 kings very soon.

 

The governor has succeeded in reviewing the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration. Isthe review okay or is there anything wrong with it?

It was something that ought to have been done a long time ago. Pardonme, if I will give a very biased answer because I have been involvedfrom the word go.In 1999, former governor, the late Alhaji Lam Adesina set up OlokoCommission of Inquiry. I was a counsel before that commission.Recommendations were made by the commission, but there was nopolitical will to implement the recommendations. Then, came formerGovernor Rashidi Ladoja, who put up Adio Commission of Inquiry.Virtually, every governor has tried his hand on that.In the olden days, we used to say a Mogaji (head of family) inIbadanland was more than a king in other climes. There was a Mogaji inIbadan that had under him Iwo, Ede, Osogbo, and Ikirun; that was whythe titular heads of those towns would abandon their positions to comeand contest to become Mogaji in Ibadan because they were practicallyunder the control of the Mogajis.

But times are changing. What was obtainable then is no longer tenablenow. Look at how big Moniya is, it is bigger than some state capitalsin this country. Look at Omi-Adio, it is a cosmopolitan big town. By 2006 population census, it had  186,000 people. Yet, you expect theOlomi of Omi to be under a Mogaji in Ibadan town. That was what thosegovernors have been trying to correct. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the political will to do so.Now, if you look at what is happening around us, Olubadan of Ibadanland, when he is going out, there are no Obas to follow him, yet he is the paramount ruler of the entire Ibadan.

We thank God that we now have a governor, who has the political willto put this thing into practice. Give it to the present governor, heis highly cerebral and very courageous; every other governor had triedthe review before, but they stopped mid-way, though they set upjudicial commission of inquiries over the issues.

 

What gives you the assurance that you will win this election if youemerge as candidate of your party?

My personality cuts across the party line. Though party is a factorand it is going to remain a factor in the forthcoming general election in 2019. However, it will depend on personality picked tocontest.

Buhari became the president not only on the platform of APC butbecause the people in PDP supported his candidature. Personality isgoing to play a major role in 2019.Over the years, I have worked for this state, I have worked for theparty, worked for individuals and Nigeria as a whole and people know this. So, many of themare owing me and this is a payback time.Beyond that, when you look at the make-up of the state, you willagree with me that we are one from Ibadan to Oke Ogun and from Oyo to Ogbomoso. If I get the ticket, I am on my way to the government house.I am in the race and I know God will decide because He is the ultimatepower giver. With the support of the people, if they find me suitable to lead them, so be it. I am not desperate. It’s not a do- or- diething. I am not a professional politician but a professional inpolitics. Some are so desperate, but I have not closed my eyes to myprofession.