My government will be efficient, give credible leadership —Durotoye, ANN presidential candidate

Management expert-turned-politician, Fela Durotoye, is the presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN). He speaks with SEYI SOKOYA on his vision for a new Nigeria, his party’s programmes to revive the economy and why he is best man for the job ahead of the 2019 presidential election. Excerpts:

You are the presidential standard-bearer of the Alliance for New Nigeria. How prepared are you for the task ahead?

I am fully prepared for the task before me; we have plans and we have unveiled our primary blueprint about six months ago, even earlier than other candidates.

We have a 10-point agenda and it is constantly being reviewed and updated. We believe it is possible for things to work in the county and we are passionate about fixing things. Nigerians and the general masses are tired of the state of the nation and will vote the right people in next year’s general elections. Nigerians will vote for a new Nigeria. We are confident that by May 29, we will inaugurate our cabinet members. This will be the fastest cabinet that will be formed as we have seen in other countries.

What will Nigerians gain from you or your government if you have their votes?

Nigerians will gain the opportunity to pursue their lives’ happiness and more importantly gain a nation that they can be proud of. In order to extend the opportunities for all, we believe three things have to happen: First, we want a government that will serve Nigerians and not Nigerians serving them. We can have a government that will be efficient and reduce wastages in government. We will cut out corruption and show real credible leadership. The second thing Nigerians will gain is that we will see our economy grow, because we are going to diversify it. We believe that there are untapped recourses in every local government and our focus is turning them into economic hubs and industrial zones. As a result of these, we will see job opportunities spring up across Nigeria. Above all, we will see the re-orientation of a new Nigeria that everybody across the globe would want to work with and in seeing that, the country can progress.

In doing this, we will have a nation where there are opportunities for all; where people are safe and productive as well as have the opportunities to prosper. We will see a nation that invests and values its own human capacity and development. We will have a nation where power is constant, where roads are without potholes. We will see investments and the development of human capacity. Education will be given priority.

We will see a nation that values its own people, a nation where you can aspire to any position without knowing anybody; a nation where human dignity is upheld and young people will be empowered.

It is quite easy to make these promises. But have you taken stock of the situation to see if they can be achieved?

Yes. I know it is easy for any politician to say they would do some of these things; but we need to ask what they have been doing over the years. Personally, we have a track record of service to people. We have been mentoring people through the Fela Durotoye Leadership Networks; we have over 30,000 young people benefiting from the initiative. We have worked and invested in social projects such as education. We have a new value system that has been re-orienting Nigeria and has signed on more than a million people and serves as a boost to various sectors of the country. What I am trying to say is that a lot of the things that I am promising are the things that I have been doing before. The growth of businesses and job opportunities, respect for human beings, a new value system, safety and security and most importantly, I am sure Nigerians would be proud of their nation and their leaders.

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Are you saying your administration would bring a new order in the country?

The first thing l would say is that Nigerians should look at the life of a politician before he runs for political office. What have they done? Why do they want to become leaders? In the developed countries, it is the reverse scenario; leaders have track records.

Look into the life of a politician; if you can find a level of consistency in what they are saying and what they are doing, then, you have a leader that can be trusted. For me, I have a track record. What are the track records of other politicians and how much social impact have they made? You need an electorate to understand the mind-set of any leader. A leader, who understands the problem of the country and have a track record, credible and consistence in their actions and records, will never have problem with his people.

How would you react to insinuation that your party is elite-based and what structures have you put in place to win the presidential election?

Our party is a political party for all Nigerians. We want to build a party for all; a party that will meet the needs of Nigerians. Our leaders maybe privileged to have good education; it does not mean they are not from the normal society.

We want education to be available to all Nigerians. The problems of Nigeria, which were created by the old politicians, are being suffered by all. Today, the economy and power are not working well for anybody. Everybody, to a large extent, is suffering; especially the people that are out there and do not have the privileges we have. These are the people that we are fighting.

We are fighting for that young man who is struggling to go to school and the mother who is struggling for survival. The jobless youths are one of our priorities. This is not a fight of the elite; it is a fight for all. The new Nigeria we are clamouring for is for everybody. Our message is not that of the elite, but a message that resonates with everyone. This was one of the reasons we kicked off our campaign in Ajegunle in Lagos; on the street.

Most of our works over the years have been on the streets and we have been touching the lives of Nigerians, especially the youths, for the last 14 years. This is the movement of people that care and are making sure that they can expend the privileges that they have to other people. It is not the campaign of the people of Nigeria and not the elite that have been supporting this movement with their finances and commitment. Our party has a structure down to every ward. We have street captains that are recruiting people. It is a movement for all.

What is your take on agitations for the restructuring of the country?

Upon assumption of office as the president of Nigeria, I will restructure the country. We believe the country is faulty as it is presently constituted.

There is too much power at the centre. We need to decentralise power to the regions; we must empower the local governments. They are the custodians of the wealth of the nation, but they only get crumbs. There has to be a shift in the revenue sharing formula across board. That would give more resources to the local government areas in the country and our economic base can shift and there would be more resources and job opportunities for the people.

Are you not afraid that the result of the presidential election would be manipulated?

No. I have no fear that the election would be manipulated, because I believe that this particular election is the one where the two established political parties are going to make sure every vote count, as well as try to stop each other from rigging. While they are stopping themselves from rigging, every vote will count and we will have free and fair elections. Also, the illusion about the fact that votes don’t count is something the political class sends to the elite, especially to keep them away from voting. If votes will not count, why do the politicians buy votes and it is the political class that usually buys votes. So, I want everybody that has ever believed that their votes do not count to disabuse their mind, because the politicians have shown us that not only do votes count; they are valuable to them. I want people to go out amass to cast their votes and I believe that 50 million people that will not normally vote for APC and PDP, their vote will count and we will get a new generation of nation-builders that will turn Nigeria into a great nation we deserve.

Why did you choose a female as your vice-presidential candidate?

The decision for picking a female as my running mate is a fulfillment of my promise and a statement to affirm the theme of the campaign, which is ‘Opportunities for All.” The position of the ANN is ensuring that women have equal right splits and representation and not the meagre 30 per cent of the old establishment. Also, the choice of Mrs Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya presents the party’s greater foothold in the northern part of Nigeria.