Kogi 2019: Only Governor Bello has built on Audu’s foundation —Adeyemi

Senator Smart Adeyemi represented Kogi West in the sixth and seventh National Assembly. He speaks on the November 16 governorship election in his home state, the choices of his party, his victory at election petition tribunal, among other with TAIWO AMODU in Abuja.

 

THE All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Kogi state  has been won and lost,  but there is discontent within, leaving people with the impression that what you have in the party is peace of the grave yard. What is your take?

Well, personally I am more than convinced that the election was free and fair and to the best of my knowledge, there is nobody amongst those who contested that condemned the primary election. All of them conceded to the fact that it was free and fair. Don’t equally forget that it was supervised by officials who were drawn across the country to monitor the conduct of that primary election. I have participated in a lot of primary elections and I don’t know of anyone that I can recall that’s better in any way than what we had in the just concluded primary election. So, our governor, our brother, Yahaya Bello has emerged as the standardbearer of our party.

Having said that, let me equally say that quite a number of those aspirants, don’t forget that some of them did step down, don’t forget  too that immediately after the primary election, a good number of them congratulated the governor and pledged their support and solidarity to him and our party, the APC.

So, by and large, it was a successful exercise, it was peaceful, free and fair. As I speak to you, nobody had petitioned about the conduct of that primary election. Don’t equally forget that we had aspirants virtually in the three senatorial districts and they had to contest against the man who had almost 97 per cent of the votes. It was successful and I am sure the other contestants have accepted the fact that the people have spoken. The composition of the delegates wasn’t compromised. Don’t forget that those who came to cast their votes were rural based people who, in their own right, were opinion leaders and party leaders . So you could have an idea of what is going to really happen in the governorship election based on what we have seen in the primary election.

 

Before the primary, there were aspirants who felt that they were short-changed in the process: the likes of Rear Admiral Jubril Usman and Tunde Irukera who were disqualified. Iruekera was cleared on the eve of the primary. Some of them are and even threatening to defect. Don’t you think they need to be placated?

In the first place, let me tell you that in Nigeria, today, to be an aspirant is now part of people’s credentials. So anybody can rise today to say he wants to contest the presidential election, not to talk of governorship election because there are Nigerians who have been giving us  signal for 2023, not because they have the clout, but some people contest elections because they now have it in their credentials as a former gubernatorial aspirant.

I have met people outside this country who introduced themselves as former presidential aspirants and these are political parties that their names didn’t even appear in the ballot. That somebody is contesting doesn’t mean he is a politician or that he is active or he is being sponsored or that the people believe in him. No.

Anybody can aspire to any elective position, that’s the beauty of democracy. So having said that, let me just let you know that there are guidelines if you want to contest. How do you explain a situation where you haven’t contributed a dime to the development of the party, you aren’t financially up-to-date, you haven’t attended any of the ward meetings, you didn’t attend the federal constituency meeting, you didn’t attend party state official assignment, you aren›t seen, you are busy in Lagos or Abuja and you assume that’s enough credentials for you to contest election, and you must be allowed to contest?

One good thing about the emerging scenario within the political class today is that nobody can claim to be superior to the other person. So by and large, you must go through the guidelines, you must be seen to be qualified to contest election.

It isn’t just that you can wake up one morning and say you want to contest election. Quite a number of those disqualified, some of them don’t even have the party card. They haven’t been registered in their wards. Some of them are less than a year in the APC. I wouldn’t want to embarrass some of them, but let me just say that there are some of them who, at the end of the day, conceded to the fact that, yes, they weren’t qualified, but they didn’t know. You and I know that ignorance isn’t a defence in law. You can imagine an aspirant submitting two dates of birth. If there is not enough information to guarantee your being qualified, nobody will ask you to contest election. So, those who have been disqualified, some of them didn’t meet the requirement of one year membership of the party. Some of them haven’t contributed; their financial stand is faulty. Some of them, their wards aren›t even aware they are members of the APC. They are members of the party by words of mouth in Lagos or Port Harcourt or Abuja. So, you can’t wake up one morning and say you want to contest. Some of us attend all the meetings. We participate in the party activities and our contributions to the party development are known and documented.

Gone are the days when you want to say because you occupy a particular office and you are a party member, that you have a political appointment under this administration doesn’t necessarily qualify you to be a member of the APC. So, the fact that  somebody is occupying a political position or an appointment, doesn’t qualify you to be a member of the party. Yes, you are serving under APC government but that doesn’t mean you are a member of the APC. There are people in other political parties who are still occupying sensitive positions under the  Buhari government and nobody is asking them to resign because they are probably competent to do the job or they have been there and it is a tenure appointment. That you occupy a political position doesn’t translate that you are automatically a member of the APC. So if you aren’t a registered member of APC, you can’t contest election in APC.

 

Some of these aggrieved aspirants have their supporters. Don’t you think the party will be indulging in self denial to assume that it can go to the election without proper reconciliation with those discomforted, threatening showdown?

Look, we know the essence of cordial relationship. As a Christian, my bible teaches me to be at peace with all men. So, there is nothing bad in people reconciling. But let me equally tell you that the people know their leaders. That you have aspired to contest election doesn’t make you a leader. That somebody bought a form doesn’t make him a leader. Do you know what it means to have followers, to have a team of supporters? You must have touched lives of people. You must have contributed to their welfare. You must have shown passion about their future and their standard of living. That’s when you can say you have your followers. That you occupy a political position doesn’t translate that you are a leader. The people know their leaders; they know those who have contributed to their well-being. Democracy and more importantly, elections are all about trust and confidence. It is all about acceptability; it isn’t a television discussion. Winning election isn’t internet matter. That four, five people are gathered in a small television station and they are castigating a politician doesn’t translate to the politician not winning election. What matters is how acceptable he is to his people.  Do they believe in him? Is he having a large heart for everyone? Is his heart like that of Obafemi Awolowo or Ahmadu Bello, who didn’t know tribe or religion?  Leadership is all about people trusting you that you will protect everything about them: you protect their religion; you protect their well-being, you help in creating enabling environment for them to flourish. Those are the things that qualify you for leadership. You don’t stay in Lagos or you are speaking from one TV station and you think what you say represent the opinion of the people. We are electing Yahaya Bello because we believe in his leadership.

 

The incumbent has won the party’s  ticket and that has elicited excitement in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).  They believe he is a liability, not an asset, to the APC and lacks  the capacity for governance. Incidentally, some APC chieftains share same opinion. What is your take?

They are entitled to their opinion, but they aren’t entitled to their own fact. Your fact is subject to discussion. So when you are making submission, you must come with a fact and that fact is going to be scrutinised. Let me speak from point of authority. Governor Bello is far better than all the governors that have governed Kogi, except Prince Abubakar Audu, who, at the time he was governor, established a university and I give him that credit. Governor Bello hasn’t established a university and I don’t think we need another university, but governor Audu came and established one and put some structures in place. Bello came and he is the only one that is building on some of the foundations laid by Audu. Others were just passengers who came and passed through the government house.

I speak as one of the leaders of Kogi West and when I say leader, I am not in doubt because I know my followers and they know me. I will let you know that I don’t see any structure that I can point at as structures that were put in place by those before Governor Bello.

He has performed far better than all the other governors that have governed the state with the exception of Governor Audu. I will mention some of them to you. Today, we have in my senatorial district, what I call fair representation in Kogi State government. The Secretary to the Government of Kogi State is from Kogi West, Dr (Mrs) Arike. We have the Commissioner for Finance, Idris Ashiru, he is from Kogi West; we have the Commissioner for Agriculture, from Kogi West, we have the chairman of State University Basic Education Board (SUBEB).  Now, it wasn’t so in time past. We have the second largest rice mill in the country in Kogi West under Governor Bello.

 

Is the rice mill functioning?

It is 99 per cent completed now and we are waiting for the commissioning. Now that rice mill alone will employ a minimum of 5,000 people. Don’t give me fish, teach me how to fish. Governor Bello has done that and if that’s the only thing, I will say thank God. Until he came, all those who live in Kogi West in the last few years and by extension  in Kogi State, they knew the road to their houses. You know why? Nothing changed until he came.

If there is any setback for this administration which can’t be limited to only Kogi State, it was the issue of nonpayment of salary. That’s the main issue. But again, we thank God that it has been resolved to a large extent, but let me tell you this: In time past in Kogi, you have thousands of ghost workers, institutionalised corruption under the PDP government. At that time, if you are a notable personality in PDP, you are asked to submit names. There was money they were giving to stakeholders under the past administrations. They contributed nothing, I stand to be quoted. Institutionalised corruption. I wasn’t a party to it. My support for Governor Bello is based on my conviction that this government is better than those before it.

 

But the average pensioner, the average civil servant has a sour narrative to tell about him. How do you convince them to vote for APC again?

He is building political and economic structure that will put Kogi on a sound footing so that we can go ahead and embark on socioeconomic emancipation of the people. There are sacrifices people have to make when you are rebuilding a ruined society, when you are trying to put in place things that weren’t there over the years. I discussed the non-payment of salary and pensioners many times with my governor and I could see where the problem lies: the ghost workers and institutionalised corruption. Don’t also forget that previous administrations took loans that this government is paying back in billions. So whenever money gets to Kogi, the banks make their deductions.

For me, I am just convinced that this government is better. I haven’t taken a single contract from him, but I am just convinced that he is better. Currently, they are constructing roads. This is the first administration in Kogi that is embarking on road construction using asphalt overlay. You know what the others have been doing? Cosmetic road construction; they do surface dressing and siphon money and one rainfall, the road is washed away. But this government is doing asphalt overlay for quite a number of roads.

So, whatever people are saying, a good percentage of those who are criticising this government aren’t even aware of certain things that this government has done. In Kogi West and Central, they are constructing roads. If people are condemning an administration, I ask them not to use one sector to come to judgment. There isn’t any government that is perfect, but when you have opportunity to be able to compare based on fact and figures, of previous administrations and the one you are talking about, you know what is right. So for me, I hold the strong view that  Governor Bello’s administration is far better in terms of economic development and uniting the people.  This is the first time in Kogi I am seeing a governor appointing somebody who is not from his religion, a Christian, somebody who isn’t of his tribe, an Igala as his Chief of Staff. Others don’t pick outside their zone. They pick members of their family as Chief of Staff. But this governor picked a Christian and just a few weeks ago laid the foundation of the Chapel for the Government House.  He has thought it wise that everybody must have a sense of belonging not only in appointment, but in worship.

 

The tribunal just upturned the mandate of Senator Dino Melaye. He has said he wasn’t bothered; that if fresh  election was conducted 10 times in Kogi West, he would still defeat you since he is more popular. Those were his words. What is your reaction?

I don’t know what he meant by being popular. They mistake somebody being notorious as being popular. The people know and Nigerians are in a position to weigh the two of us. I was in the Senate for eight years and my antecedent speaks for me, not only for my constituents but Nigerians by the way we speak. The qualities of each one of us is known to Nigerians and they are documented. You don’t assess a man by what he is telling you; you assess him by the substance of what he is. I wouldn’t want to engage Senator Melaye as to whether he is popular or not. It depends on how he defined his popularity. Nigerians know better. You know better.

Now, I will equally let you know that he has never won any election. In 2015, one of the justices who presided over our case, paid dearly for it. She was persuaded to resign to give her a safe landing. That is one.

In 2019, he went to court to ask for a judgment that the collation must be in Kabba and we went to Kabba. You should ask him, why did INEC collate in Lokoja? We were in Kabba, why did they collate in Lokoja while we were in Kabba? He got a judgment to say the collation must be in Kabba, how come they went to Lokoja to collate? He got the judgment. Was he being deceitful or crafty? For him and those who backed him in INEC, look at the mutilations of the results.

The problem with Nigeria is that when you aspire to be righteous and to be God-fearing in this country, you tend to look a bit foolish, because this is a country where Satan has almost taken over everywhere. When you want to do things according to the rules, they look at you as somebody whose reasoning is at variance with the majority. But some of us won’t join the bandwagon of those who believe in getting things done through dubious means, because we have good conscience. To me, it isn’t holding a position that matters, but how you end up with that position. I succeeded as senators in eight years and I represented my people well. I built 40 locked up market stalls in Dino Melaye’s  town free of charge for women. I am not in doubt that I have touched the lives of my people and I am not in doubt that they are with me. If the judgment in the Appeal Court will be according to law, then I am already smiling.

 

You are from Kogi West. There is this perceived marginalisation of your zone in the scheme of things in Kogi.  At what point will you be canvassing for power shift in your state?

In the first place, power shift isn’t the only issue that should bother the minds of any leader. It isn’t until you have power shift before you can have the best from the system. Why people are agitating for power shift is when there is injustice, oppression, when you have a government that’s parochial. But you see, when there is a government that’s committed to fairness, justice and equity, nobody really wants to talk much. Under Governor Bello’s administration, I think it will be unfair to say we haven’t been fairly treated. We have got a good share like every part of the state. So, there is less agitation.

To be talking about power shift now, I think it is really premature. I want to see Governor Bello complete his eight full years and when we get to the river, we look at the engineering work that is required to cross the river. But I must say under Governor Bello, there has been fairness. Once there is fairness and justice, there is less agitation. It is when people are marginalised that you see tension. Agitations emanate when you see leaders who believe just in their local government and all aides are members of their family and in-laws. Under Governor Bello, I don’t think anybody will say he has been unfair to any part of the state. That accounts for why we aren’t agitating in Kogi West. This government is far more focused than previous ones before it and determined to restructure the state for the political administration needed for emancipating the people. Our diversity can be strength, but over the years it has been used for manipulation and that accounted for the crisis we see in the state and the insecurity before now.

The issue of power shift is in the hands of God. We can only plan but God will decide who gets it. But by and large, with good leadership, nobody cares where the governor is coming from.