Plateau State deputy governor and former vice chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Sonni Tyoden, speaks with ISAAC SHOBAYO on his gubernatorial ambition, his relationship with the state governor, Simon Lalong, among other issues.
You have been a deputy governor for almost seven years; what is the secret of the cordial relationship between you and your principal, Governor Simon Lalong?
I don’t think there is any secret behind it, other than the fact that we respect each other and share a lot of things. We appreciate the problems the state is going through and we are on the same page in terms of proffering solutions to them. In another sense, we have similar characteristics of being on the reserve side, quiet and most importantly having confidence and respect for each other. So all these account for the smoothness in our relationship.
In the Nigerian constitution, no specific role is assigned to the deputy governor, making a one-time governor of Anambra State to say deputy governors are spare tyres. Are deputy governors really spare tyres?
Indeed, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria did not make any specific recommendation in terms of roles and functions for the deputy governors, other than to superintend over boundary matters in a state and also oversee emergency management issues. But I would not agree that the deputy governors are spare tyres. I think it all depends on your relationship with your governor. A governor may decide to give you whatever responsibility he feels you can handle and the responsibility varies. Where he has enough confidence in you, he will give you or get you involved in the process of governance. I have been saddled with quite a lot of several responsibilities by my governor. I have represented him at the highest level of governance, which is National Economic Council. I think I have represented him more than any other governor in the country. So if one can be at the highest policy making body to take decisions on behalf of a state, I don’t see what is left. So I think that categorisation depends on the relationship with the governor.
Don’t you think it is high time responsibilities were created in the constitution for deputy governors?
It would have been better if clear provisions were made in terms of what the deputy governors are supposed to do. Beyond that, as a deputy governor, you are supposed to deputise for the governor and despite the constitutional provision, whatever you do, the buck still stops at the table of the governor.
Can you share with us the highlights of the Lalong-led administration?
There are quite some landmark achievements. If you were in this state before 2015, you would understand the situation of things then. These issues of peace and security have been paramount to this administration. In the past, as a Christian, there were places you couldn’t visit and as a Muslim, there were parts you cannot visit, because of inter-communal disharmony. Some people felt disconnected from the process of governance, not to talk of the trust deficit between the government and the people and then between one community and the other. So when we came on board, we saw all these as serious challenges and we tried to address them. I believe that any objective observer will say that we have made some impacts. Right now, communities are having trust among themselves and relationship between the governments and the governed is also better. We have tried to put in place a government that is inclusive of those that felt alienated. We opened up appointments and gave virtually all groups and communities a sense of belonging. And I think there is nothing better than that. Talking of infrastructure, you can see for yourselves: completed projects and roads, so quite a lot of legacy projects are being put in place.
You have thrown your hat into the ring to contest the governorship of Plateau State; how prepared are you for the epic race and is your principal inclined to your aspiration?
I am fully prepared, if, after eight years of being a deputy governor and then not prepared, I don’t know when I would be prepared. Before I came into politics I had served as vice chancellor of the University of Jos. So handling human beings is not a new issue for me. I have added my experience in academia with experience in politics. I think I am fully prepared to run this state effectively. Having been part of policymaking machinery in the last seven years, I have a clear idea of the key areas that need to be improved upon and also the areas we have not been able to attend to either because of lack of time or resources. So being in government has put me in a better position to know the problems and the likely solutions. But in respect to the second aspect of your question, whether my principal is with me, of course, there is no way I can throw my hat into the ring without discussing and agreeing with him. So I have his go-ahead and support.
The governorship ticket has been zoned to Plateau Central and from all indications, it has been further micro-zoned to the two major ethnic groups in the zone, which are the Angas and the Mwghavul, where you hail from. But in your area, there are quite a lot of aspirants. What are the elders doing to avoid bickering?
We are in a democracy and people are free to aspire to whatever position they want. It is left for the electorate to decide in terms of assessing the aspirants and who is more capable. You mentioned that my area has a large number of aspirants, but if you look at Mangu in terms of population, education, economic and social capacities, we are a bit ahead and that can explain why we have a large number of aspirants, who feel they are capable to govern the state. I don’t think there is anything abnormal about it.
If you recall in 2014 and 2015, we had a similar situation, though it was not zoned to our area then. But I believe that by the time we get to the issue of primary, our elders should be able to trim down the number. We, the aspirants, are in close discussion to see if we can reach some understanding among ourselves. So it is simply a contest among brothers and I am hopeful that we would be able to trim the number down to a manageable size at the end of the day.
From all indications, the 2023 governorship election in Plateau State is not going to be a tea party to both the APC and PDP based on the recent political development in the state. Do you think APC still has what it takes to win the 2023 elections?
The APC still has an edge over any other political party in Plateau State. Of course, the PDP is still a force to be reckoned with, but I do not think they have done anything different to dislodge the APC in 2023. APC came on board like a ball from the sky, but we have used the seven years to entrench the party, to make an impression and to show people what we can do as a party and I think we have succeeded to some extent. So I have no fear at all about any threat from the PDP.
President Muhammadu Buhari no doubt has a large number of followers, especially in the North, but in 2023, he will not be on the ballot; don’t you think this might affect the chances of APC in the coming election?
The block vote of President Buhari might not be there, but it will be transferred to somebody. I don’t think you should have the impression that President Buhari will not be on the ballot in 2023 and also that nobody can come forward to mobilise the same number of votes. Do you remember when Buhari contested and won, it was a conglomeration of like-minds; the people are still there and I believe that the president will still use the same charisma and disposition that he has to mobilize voters for the APC. It might be slightly different because he will not be on the ballot, but he will be involved in the process. I think when you combine that with the fact that we have been in governance for the past seven years and whatever the situation, some remarkable landmark achievements have been recorded and impressions have been made, all these will make a difference and push the party forward. President Buhari is still relevant to APC in 2023.
Recently, your party lost some of its founding members to the opposition party in the state, especially its former chairman, Mr Latep Dabang. The impression now is that his defection and others might likely affect the fortune of your party in 2023. Do you agree with this position?
There is no leader or party man that will not be concerned when even a member of his political party moves to another party, but the situation is not bad as you intend to paint it. Yes, we have lost a former party chairman to another political party, but whether where he is going is an advantage or a disadvantage is another issue. But for those of us at the party, we cannot say his departure is a loss to the party or that it does not pose any challenge to the party. Though he could have been there to contribute the way he had contributed before his departure, we didn’t send him away, he was on suspension when he left. If he had been humble enough to wait and allow the process to go through, he might have still been in the party. There are various reasons why people leave a party: some for personal reasons, some for disaffection with the way things are going and some for the quest for greener pasture. I want to state that his defection has not in any way affected the fortune of APC in Plateau State; it has no negative impact on the party. After all, since he left, we have won an election.