Ayoola Falola is a tech professional, politician, and PDP presidential aspirant for the 2023 election. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, he speaks about his presidential ambition, how he would contend with other notable presidential aspirants, and how he will transform Nigeria if he becomes president.
You recently declared interest to contest the 2023 presidential election. What do you do for a living and why do you want to be Nigeria’s president?
For about two decades, I have held the forte for the country as a shining star in computer software engineering. I want to be Nigeria’s president because I hold a vision of Nigeria’s greatness in my heart and I believe at this time in our history, Nigeria needs visionary leaders to help steer us away from a position where a country with so much potential is the same country labelled as the poverty capital of the world. When leaders fail, it is a call for a new generation of leaders to arise and win. I am heeding that call.
Under which political party do you wish to contest and why do you think the party’s ticket would be given to you?
I am a proud member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and I am seeking the nomination of the party in the coming primaries. We know there are only two parties in Nigeria of today that has the framework on ground to win elections. I am of the opinion that anyone who is serious about winning elections should be concerned about structures and political framework.
Out of the two parties with this capacity, I found PDP as number one with a better manifesto and it is clear the founding fathers of the party had good intentions. I chose PDP because I believe the nation needs a better political opposition to the current ruling party. Nigerians are already aware the current ruling party does not have the capacity to move Nigeria forward.
How do you plan to contend with the likes of Tinubu, Atiku, Umahi, etc. who have declared interest to run for president?
Of all the names I have seen on the front lines of the race to the presidency, Ayoola Falola is the only one that would appeal to many Nigerians who have never voted because of lack of confidence in the system. With my name, Ayoola Falola, on the ballot, we should expect the largest turnout in the history of Nigerian elections which would essentially give me a win with the widest margin ever recorded.
Every political party is in the market for the best candidate to win the general election. The wisest of the parties would select the candidate with the widest appeal – and that would be me.
Do you think the new electoral act can guarantee a fair election? And do you have hope in INEC in conducting a credible 2023 election?
I have hope in Nigerians to hold everyone involved in the 2023 elections accountable. The new electoral act has brought a lot of improvements to the old laws. These improvements offer an opportunity for INEC to further help Nigerians trust the system. I also look forward to Nigerians turning out en masse in the polls – this is how best to ensure a credible election. It is when people do not come out to vote that bad elements take advantage of the system. So I am using this opportunity to call out eligible Nigerians to go get their voters card so they can be ready to cast their vote in 2023.
If you succeed in becoming Nigeria’s president, in what ways would you transform the country for good?
My number one focus would be to strengthen our justice system. I strongly believe that no society can enjoy progress with so many injustices as we have laid out in Nigeria. Every element and institution of justice in Nigeria would be strengthened with the help of other stakeholders so as to help Nigerians access justice and equity in a timely manner. This surely would involve changing or amending a good part of our Constitution and restructuring Nigeria to one which her government is seen as just by its people.
While justice is number one, I understand that this may not be directly felt by Nigerians immediately. So my government will also couple our restoration of justice with a national economic plan to expedite the eradication of poverty in Nigeria. What we will do in simple terms is to match up millions of Nigerians with opportunities to earn a minimum of ten thousand dollars per year. Our manifesto already contains detailed plans on how we intend to achieve this. But a brief of the plan would be to research and implement how we can make Nigerians produce things of international relevance and the government working towards creating a market for Nigerians in all the corners of the world.
Our plan shows how we would tackle current problems in defence, education, health, agriculture and social security. The ultimate goal in essence is to bring Nigeria to a place of greatness in the shortest time possible. I encourage Nigerians to get a copy of our manifesto from my campaign website.
How would you raise funds and other resources for your publicity and campaign? Is there a cabal/organisation sponsoring you?
My strategy for funding is to employ crowd-funding methods to get as many people involved as possible in raising both the awareness and the funds. While we are selling our candidacy to Nigerians, we also are informing them about why they need to be financially committed to this vision.
I am aware that there are some who are already parading bullion vans of funds they have stolen from Nigerians. The only way we can match-up and out-fund them is to use the power of the people in unity to raise enough funds for election essentials. Meanwhile, our plan is not to be wasteful with the little resources we have.
And to answer the second part of your question precisely, there are no cabals or organisations sponsoring me. I represent only well-meaning Nigerians who are not after their personal gain in government but after the greatness of our society.
Do you think President Muhammadu Buhari would handover to a youth as he promised after signing the Not-too-young-run bill into law?
If the president has prophesied that the next president is going to be a youth, I think it is a call to us vibrant youths with a vision for the country to rise up and make this a reality. The situation of the country is beyond one person deciding to hand it over to another. Anyone who would lead Nigeria should show capacity and rigour. I am not talking about the capacity to steal money as a number of the front-liners have demonstrated. I am talking about the capacity to lead the country into the future of abundance and greatness.
The not-too-young-to-run bill is a blessing to Nigeria and I am appreciative of everyone who took part in it and ensured it is law today. The Nigerian Constitution has a lot of problems and the law that limited the age of contestants for president before would not have made it possible for me to contest in 2023. It was the bill that made it possible. I am appreciative of the law, but I also understand we young people should roll up our sleeves and get on the field. We should not stay on the side lines being afraid of not getting a fair play.
You recently visited the Emir of Kano as regards your presidential ambition. How did the emir respond to your visit and ambition?
The visit of my delegates to the Emir of Kano, His Highness, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, was a very symbolic one. Kano is a pride of Nigeria owing to how built the city is and how much of importance the heritage holds in Nigeria.
I went to His Highness with my vision of a great Nigeria. I also asked that he help ensure the bottlenecks young people face when they run for office is removed. His Highness was magnanimous in his reception of me – showing how much regard he has for young people. His comments and advice are invaluable. He said that we young people should not neglect elderly counsel while we seek to serve the country. He wished me well on my ambition and expressed pleasure in my visit.
I so much appreciate His Highness for his time and counsel. May his reign be long and bring prosperity to Kano people.
Which other prominent Nigerians have you consulted with and which places have taken your campaign to?
The electoral law has not permitted campaigns to kick-off. But my campaign is ready and on the move on a low key. I am currently on a tour of the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT. Kano was the first city on the tour where I was received by the chairman of the PDP in the state, Alh. Shehu Wada Sagagi. I was also received by the State Publicity Secretary Bashir Aminu Sanata, and the State Legal Adviser, Barrister II Maigidi.
My delegates have visited the offices of the governors of Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa states when we were on tour in those states. I am also scheduled to meet with leaders of PDP at the national level in FCT in coming days.
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