CASES of herdsmen killing innocent people have become very rampant across the country. In 2000, there was this report that General Muhammadu Buhari led a team of northerners to the office of the late Governor Lam Adesina of Oyo State over alleged killings of Fulani herdsmen. What actually transpired?
I have spoken so much on this at many fora and interviews and I don’t want to appear like a broken record, but suffice to say that General Buhari came with a team to the governor’s office in Ibadan over an alleged bias on an issue concerning two groups and the matter was resolved amicably without any rancor whatsoever, no finger was lifted.
Can you be more explicit about how the issue was resolved?
It was resolved through the demonstrations of effective communication, perfect understanding and mature leadership by the two leaders involved. Alhaji Lam Adesina , the then governor of Oyo State that was accused of bias, was able to convince his accusers, through effective communication, functional team work and pragmatic leadership, that there was no bias in the governance of Oyo State, particularly on the subject at hand. General Buhari too on the other hand exhibited perfect understanding by accepting the facts as enunciated by the late former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, which he (Buhari) effectively communicated to the aggrieved Fulani herdsmen, as a matter-of- fact leader. This brought total peace between the herdsmen and the Oke Ogun farmers.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to have lost its steam, dogged by various voices of cacophony emanating from its leadership, especially in recent times. What do you think could account for this?
It has not lost its steam rather, the party is getting stronger and bigger by the day. The cacophony of voices you are referring to are the natural features of democracy and this is the real time for them. You know there are three seasons in democracy: season for politicking; season for campaign and season for elections. The season we are in now is the commencement of real politicking and, expectedly, every serious politician would want to make the best of it as it is done in farming when farmers don’t joke with planting seasons. For politicians, it is time to plant and get their fruits well nourished, preparatory for harvest in 2019.
On the APC leadership, there is no acrimony whatsoever. The party remains strong, potent and united under the pragmatic chairmanship of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. Across the country, what we read every day is people defecting from other parties to join APC. You cannot say a party with such profile is losing its steam. No!
More than ever before calls for the restructuring of the country have been deafening. What do you think is responsible for this and what is the way forward?
There have always been agitations in one form or the other, though I will agree with you that it is more serious now. I think the major problem is that we attach too much importance to things that ordinarily need to be discountenanced. For me, I think those who are agitating for restructuring or regionalism are under one form of illusion or the other. Their agenda is not very clear to me because already we have a country with 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory and that is the law. So the reality is that we have a country that is Nigeria and the duty of every one of us is to make it work.
We all know that the centre is too powerful and it is not the making of any section; it is the collective decision of all of us. The powerful centre, as constituted, had been headed by the two sections of the country. President Olusegun Obasanjo was governed Nigeria with a very heavy centre, ditto the late President Umaru Yar’ adua and Dr Goodluck Jonathan. For me, talking of restructuring is not the solution. What we should be talking about is how to make the best of the present situation; how the states can function better using the resources collectively accruable to us. The solution is devolution of more powers, more revenues to the states as this would benefit all the states across the country. Each state should now use the revenue at its disposal to further strengthen the state by unlocking the potentials in the nooks and crannies of the state. This is how we can have sustainable development. The reality is that agitations will end when oil dries up and no more ‘free’ money from Abuja.
What is your sincere assessment of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, almost two years after assumption of office?
To arrive at a sincere assessment, it is important that we contextualize it on two premises: the promises he made and a comparative analysis with his predecessor in office. If you assess, based on these, I am sure you would agree with me that he has done pretty well. The three main thrusts of his government namely , fighting corruption, enhanced security and improved economy , are being pursued with unprecedented vigour. And secondly if you compare this government with Jonathans, a child on the street would tell you that Buhari is 100 times better than Jonathan.
While we suffered poor image and recognition around the world during the last administration, the personality, integrity of President Buhari has attracted enormous respect, prestige to Nigeria across the globe. By the submissions of all the international economic bodies including the local Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria has recorded a big leap towards revamping our economy.
So you think President Buhari will win if he re-contests in 2019?
I will say pointedly that Buhari will win convincingly, if he chooses to contest and that is the reality of Nigeria today. Over time, Buhari has built a very strong functional character or if you like call it a brand and this will work for him more in 2019. This character was what his backers worked on to get him voted in, in 2015. Now as the president of the country, Buhari has improved and consolidated on his distinctiveness. He is loved, not for money or any material thing; he is loved passionately for his character. He will win again.
All eyes are on Oyo in respect of choosing a successor for the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. How do you think APC can wriggle out of the situation?
Before talking on the task of choosing a successor by Senator Abiola Ajimobi, we need to first examine the chances of his party, APC, which is unequivocally very bright. The party is clearly the leading party with the greatest number of politicians with electoral values in the state. It is the only party with a cohesive centre under the chairmanship of Chief Akin Oke. It is also the only party with a strong, focused and result-oriented leader in person of the state governor, Senator Ajimobi. As at today APC is the party to beat.
Now to the task of choosing a candidate for the APC governorship ticket, it is going to be a simple exercise for the governor, going by his known ability and record of painstaking and precision in taking decisions. As disclosed on a television program recently, the governor had already set his criteria for the candidate and that, on its own, is a big leap. The fact that he knows what he is looking for in a candidate makes it easier for him and the aspirants too. Because as an aspirant, if you know that you don’t have the qualities he is looking, for why bothering yourself?
Does this then means that it is automatic that his candidate will win?
Yes, it is. I had already explained that. APC is the party to beat; whoever the party presents is the next governor of Oyo State. Governor Ajimobi will work with the party to get the best material for the governorship of the state. He owes the state to give us the best and I think, with those criteria he listed, he is working assiduously towards achieving that.
But there is the fear of imposition of candidate as some people are alleging that the governor had already anointed his successor. What is your take on this?
I have not seen any inkling of imposition in any way in Oyo State. You know, as at today, we have over 20 aspirants who have already declared interests in one way or the other. You want to tell me that such number would throw their hats into the ring if there were such fears? I am not sure too that he has anointed anybody. As a politician, I can tell you that it is too early in the day for any serious leader to anoint a candidate, more than a year to an election. It will back fire; you know in politics a day is a long period.
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