Senator Babafemi Ojudu, representing Ekiti Central senatorial district, in this interview, speaks about the national conference and the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti and Osun states. Excerpts:
The national conference is expected to take place this year. People like you that have clamoured for it are now against the idea. Why?
The national conference was introduced by this government for a purpose and not to benefit Nigerians. It was introduced for tenure elongation of President Jonathan’s administration and this was introduced because PDP knew that with the implosion in their party, they cannot win the 2015 election.
We have been clamouring for a Sovereign National Conference for quite some time and this government has objected to it but suddenly, same government came up with the idea and we smelt a rat.
A conference that the presidency will select its delegates is not the type of conference we demanded. We called for a kind of conference where we would be able to discuss about Nigeria, where we want to go; how we want to associate and all others like that, not this kind of guided talk where the decision has been pre-determined before they even started. We have called attention of the people to this, that is what Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did, that is what I have done, and that is what I stand by.
There will be governorship election in Ekiti and Osun States this year. What is APC doing to forestall repetition of the shortcomings seen in Anambra?
Well, we are not deceived that people will try to manipulate that register. They will try to manipulate the election itself. But, let me tell you, we have come a long way too, those of us involved. We know what we went through in 2007. We had election, we had re-run, and we went to court and all of that. But, let me just assure the government that we are going to be extra vigilant. We are not going to sleep after voting and hope they will announce us the winner and then celebrate thereafter. We would mobilize our people to stand by their votes and insist that their votes must count. We are not going to wait till the day of voting; we would be vigilant from the day registration commences. We are going to take it very seriously because it is about people. It’s a matter of life and death because if we put people who do not have the interest of people at heart, then they will abandon their healthcare and people will be dying of minor ailments, education system will collapse and our children will attend schools but will remain illiterate. They will abandon environment and the road will be dilapidated. Getting it is a matter of life and death for our people. They have been mobilized to see it that way. It’s not going to be only in Ekiti State that is how we are going to handle it in Osun State. If they think that they can come to Ekiti or Osun State and play the pranks as witnessed in Anambra State recent governorship election, or repeat what they did during the last Senatorial election in Delta State, we would not give room for such things and they should better respect us and know what we are capable of doing. I hope Mr. President will go back and look at the history book to know what happened in Ondo in 1983 and its effects across the nation generally and on our political history. Nobody should dare to come and play pranks in Ekiti and Osun governorship polls. Let them stay away. Our people should be left to decide who meant well for them. They know those who meant well for them. They know those they want to follow. They know who they want to vote for.
Five governors from PDP have joined your party. How would this impact on governance?
Even before some of them joined us, they have been sending their officials to come and learn what we are doing in the Southwest. They’ve been sending their officials and staffers to come and learn those things. Look at the case of Ekiti State where we gave N5,000 to the aged monthly. A good number of governors have joined us by coming to learn about how it is being done in the state. How we sourced money for the programme; how we ensure the money gets to the needy and aged people. Many of them have come out to commend Fashola’s administration going by what he has done in Lagos. It is not new to those governors, they travelled around and they have seen the impacts on the people. They’re with us because they want to imbibe those ethos of the progressiveness that has made us what we are. All what makes the Southwest centre of development is what we will ensure in the state of these governors that have just joined us. And it’s going to happen because we have a manifesto that is people friendly. What they need now is to market it strongly and let entire Nigeria buy into that manifesto. If they do and they see that it is this same manifesto that the southwest used in achieving all that has taken place in the south west they will know that APC is the party to vote for.
All manners of politicians are now joining the APC. Will you still say this party is truly progressive?
Already, anybody that comes to APC knows the party’s character; the progressive nature of the party. When you come in, you have to subscribe to this ideology. You may join and say you want to be the presidential candidate but as you are coming in, you are handed the party’s manifesto to go and read. In addition to that, you will attend seminars and party meetings and you will know clearly that the kind of words you hear at such places are quite different from what you have been hearing from your former party. At APC, we share ideas.
Opeyemi Bamidele was a staunch member of your party but has crossed to Labour Party and his grouse is that APC is not democratic. What’s your reaction to this?
We are waiting to see how they are going to conduct their primaries for him to emerge as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming governorship election. Here at APC, nobody told him there won’t be primaries. The campaign has not even started not until March and there is a regulation on when election will take place, when to choose your candidate and when to start your campaign. Has he waited till that time to see if there won’t be primaries? What he is saying is not true. Even before Fayemi came in, we had primaries and he won. Some of those who lost to him and felt uncomfortable left the party at the end.
He also said you are in the Senate on the strength of his ticket.
Again, that is not true. As I said earlier, I don’t want to discuss personalities. Anybody that is familiar with Ekiti State will know that what he said in this regard is untrue. Tell him to bring out the figures to back up his claim. I come from Ado-Ekiti, there are 15 wards in my constituency. Ado –Ekiti was not allowed to vote because there was violence here and there and the submission date for the candidate was close by. The party leaders met (including him) and took decisive decision. It is a joint decision to choose a candidate so as not to miss the submission date. That is how this thing was decided. When they did that, even in the House of Representatives primaries where the election went well, we already had somebody, they said, in the same way, this young man, Opeyemi Bamidele will be good for us at the House of Reps, and they gave him the ticket. That time, he didn’t reject the offer, he didn’t say ‘no, this is not democratic.’ Generally, I don’t want to talk about him or join issues with him. For him to think he is more popular than me, it is obvious he doesn’t know my antecedent.
How do you react to reports that the Senate is consuming high percentage of the budget to the detriment of capital projects that will develop the country?
First of all, people are just peddling rumour or false information about the Senate financial activities. Let the statistics give out the correct figure of what a Senator earns on monthly basis. You don’t need to rely on rumour and things that cannot be substantiated.
The national conference was introduced by this government for a purpose and not to benefit Nigerians. It was introduced for tenure elongation of President Jonathan’s administration and this was introduced because PDP knew that with the implosion in their party, they cannot win the 2015 election.
We have been clamouring for a Sovereign National Conference for quite some time and this government has objected to it but suddenly, same government came up with the idea and we smelt a rat.
A conference that the presidency will select its delegates is not the type of conference we demanded. We called for a kind of conference where we would be able to discuss about Nigeria, where we want to go; how we want to associate and all others like that, not this kind of guided talk where the decision has been pre-determined before they even started. We have called attention of the people to this, that is what Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did, that is what I have done, and that is what I stand by.
There will be governorship election in Ekiti and Osun States this year. What is APC doing to forestall repetition of the shortcomings seen in Anambra?
Well, we are not deceived that people will try to manipulate that register. They will try to manipulate the election itself. But, let me tell you, we have come a long way too, those of us involved. We know what we went through in 2007. We had election, we had re-run, and we went to court and all of that. But, let me just assure the government that we are going to be extra vigilant. We are not going to sleep after voting and hope they will announce us the winner and then celebrate thereafter. We would mobilize our people to stand by their votes and insist that their votes must count. We are not going to wait till the day of voting; we would be vigilant from the day registration commences. We are going to take it very seriously because it is about people. It’s a matter of life and death because if we put people who do not have the interest of people at heart, then they will abandon their healthcare and people will be dying of minor ailments, education system will collapse and our children will attend schools but will remain illiterate. They will abandon environment and the road will be dilapidated. Getting it is a matter of life and death for our people. They have been mobilized to see it that way. It’s not going to be only in Ekiti State that is how we are going to handle it in Osun State. If they think that they can come to Ekiti or Osun State and play the pranks as witnessed in Anambra State recent governorship election, or repeat what they did during the last Senatorial election in Delta State, we would not give room for such things and they should better respect us and know what we are capable of doing. I hope Mr. President will go back and look at the history book to know what happened in Ondo in 1983 and its effects across the nation generally and on our political history. Nobody should dare to come and play pranks in Ekiti and Osun governorship polls. Let them stay away. Our people should be left to decide who meant well for them. They know those who meant well for them. They know those they want to follow. They know who they want to vote for.
Five governors from PDP have joined your party. How would this impact on governance?
Even before some of them joined us, they have been sending their officials to come and learn what we are doing in the Southwest. They’ve been sending their officials and staffers to come and learn those things. Look at the case of Ekiti State where we gave N5,000 to the aged monthly. A good number of governors have joined us by coming to learn about how it is being done in the state. How we sourced money for the programme; how we ensure the money gets to the needy and aged people. Many of them have come out to commend Fashola’s administration going by what he has done in Lagos. It is not new to those governors, they travelled around and they have seen the impacts on the people. They’re with us because they want to imbibe those ethos of the progressiveness that has made us what we are. All what makes the Southwest centre of development is what we will ensure in the state of these governors that have just joined us. And it’s going to happen because we have a manifesto that is people friendly. What they need now is to market it strongly and let entire Nigeria buy into that manifesto. If they do and they see that it is this same manifesto that the southwest used in achieving all that has taken place in the south west they will know that APC is the party to vote for.
All manners of politicians are now joining the APC. Will you still say this party is truly progressive?
Already, anybody that comes to APC knows the party’s character; the progressive nature of the party. When you come in, you have to subscribe to this ideology. You may join and say you want to be the presidential candidate but as you are coming in, you are handed the party’s manifesto to go and read. In addition to that, you will attend seminars and party meetings and you will know clearly that the kind of words you hear at such places are quite different from what you have been hearing from your former party. At APC, we share ideas.
Opeyemi Bamidele was a staunch member of your party but has crossed to Labour Party and his grouse is that APC is not democratic. What’s your reaction to this?
We are waiting to see how they are going to conduct their primaries for him to emerge as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming governorship election. Here at APC, nobody told him there won’t be primaries. The campaign has not even started not until March and there is a regulation on when election will take place, when to choose your candidate and when to start your campaign. Has he waited till that time to see if there won’t be primaries? What he is saying is not true. Even before Fayemi came in, we had primaries and he won. Some of those who lost to him and felt uncomfortable left the party at the end.
He also said you are in the Senate on the strength of his ticket.
Again, that is not true. As I said earlier, I don’t want to discuss personalities. Anybody that is familiar with Ekiti State will know that what he said in this regard is untrue. Tell him to bring out the figures to back up his claim. I come from Ado-Ekiti, there are 15 wards in my constituency. Ado –Ekiti was not allowed to vote because there was violence here and there and the submission date for the candidate was close by. The party leaders met (including him) and took decisive decision. It is a joint decision to choose a candidate so as not to miss the submission date. That is how this thing was decided. When they did that, even in the House of Representatives primaries where the election went well, we already had somebody, they said, in the same way, this young man, Opeyemi Bamidele will be good for us at the House of Reps, and they gave him the ticket. That time, he didn’t reject the offer, he didn’t say ‘no, this is not democratic.’ Generally, I don’t want to talk about him or join issues with him. For him to think he is more popular than me, it is obvious he doesn’t know my antecedent.
How do you react to reports that the Senate is consuming high percentage of the budget to the detriment of capital projects that will develop the country?
First of all, people are just peddling rumour or false information about the Senate financial activities. Let the statistics give out the correct figure of what a Senator earns on monthly basis. You don’t need to rely on rumour and things that cannot be substantiated.
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