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Tolani Animashaun, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member in Lagos, recently contested for the deputy woman leader of the party in the last national convention; a former candidate for the House of Representatives in Lagos. In this exclusive interview with INIOBONG IWOK, she says women have not been given enough opportunity in the political space in the country. She also talks about the Muhammadu Buhari administration, among other issues in the polity. Excerpts:
You ones contested for the House of Representatives; will you be standing in for election again next year, and what has changed in the political terrain since 2011 when you contested?
You know one would always say as you grow older you look at issues from different perspectives. Contesting is not in my agenda for now; but you know like we say in politics you never say never.
But I am more interested in mentoring the youth which is a necessity. Nigeria is about half a century now; we need to get the people to think right, especially the youths who are the majority, we need the young people to think in the right manner.
Politics has not changed much since 2011 when I contested; it is still the same; just that the country was more flourishing at that time. But anybody contesting now must have seen that the people are asking more questions than before.
Are you saying you would stand in for election in Nigeria again?
I am not giving up; I just want a transfer of opportunity and do more of what is lacking; which is transfer of power in the country ; the older generations are still the ones in power in the country, but see the mistake they are making; we never groom people here; we don’t have that culture. A lot of people living in Canada want to come back here, who is grooming you? We need to do more on that; change those cultures; that’s where I am coming in.
But the youth would, say may be, you had a political background …?
That is what am saying the opportunity are there, I was actually in the banking sector no one groomed me; but I was passionate about politics and fighting for the masses and I went for it actually; my family gave me all the support but they are not involved directly in politics, I don’t come from a political background, it was just a passion. I think the good support I got from my family mattered. But unfortunately, these days when you talk about politics with a young person they don’t see the good they only see the bad side.
You recently contested for the deputy national women leader of your party; we did not hear much again; was it because you were in Bode George camp?
It was not about being in Bode George camp; the chairmanship position and the deputy woman leader position was initially zoned to the South-west, so after the chairman was later zoned to the South-south, the deputy woman leader too was zoned to the South-south as well.
Do you think women have been given enough chance in the Nigeria political space?
It is glaring that women have not been given enough chance; out of 109 senators we have about 7 women and out of the 360 House of Representatives members we have about 14 women. In the Lagos State House of Assembly it is the same situation, we have about three or four women here in Lagos. I think the older generation agrees that we need more women in politics and electives positions. The Obasanjo and Jonathan administrations did a lot for women in politics but this government is not doing enough.
But most states in the southwest over the last decade have women as the deputy; it is only now that we don’t have that in practice in one or two states in the southwest. Why should women just be deputy? Why have we not gotten to the stage of a woman been a governor; we had that briefly in Anambra and they push her out. In Taraba, it nearly happened but the situation of that state was not ready for woman.
Is the climate conducive for women to aspire for elective positions?
Yes can be more; we are clamouring for women to be vice president; why should we remain as women affairs minister? We had a fantastic woman minister of finance who knew her onion before this one. I cannot see how a woman cannot rule the country; it is a man’s world that is why they are in charge.
A lot of people would say may be present day women are not ambitious enough; in some instances when forms are free in the parties we don’t see them come out?
The decision-making people are the men; that is why they are on top. But we have realised that the voice of the women are stronger than the men; we are the majority that is why we are trying to teach women now that we are more than them and that with unity we can succeed.
But the Affirmative Action Bill failed in the National Assembly?
I want the Affirmative Action Bill and it is our right it has been signed in Beijing and it has to be implemented.
Of course, it must have failed because it did not pass through the right process, we are trying to put it back and represent it on the floor of the House.
But in Africa the civilisation that we are trying to get is probably affecting us if you look at the traditional societies in Africa, women were the decision makers at home; But around the world America is obviously not ready for a woman president, so is Italy and France, but in Pakistan and the several other Asian societies, we have seen women involving in politics and ruling their countries.
Can the PDP in Lagos win the state next year? The party lost several lawmakers who defected to the APC; is this not a minus?
That was unfortunate because of the state we were in at that time; between the Sheriff and Makarfi and we still have one, who I doffed my cap for; he has been victimised but he is still there and he believes in the party.
We won the last election in Lagos; we know the returning officer for Lagos is now the Minister of Health; so many things happened and you know that. But we are reorganising and we are going to work for the same goal, all round the state we are mobilising members; with hard work we would get Lagos back; everybody is working round the clock we are confident we would get Lagos.
What is your view on restructuring of the country?
Restructuring of the country was part of last administration’s agenda for which we had the national conference; which would have been implemented if we had won the presidential election. The country needs to be restructured because what we have now is not working and this government has to realise that the system is bad and that shows restructuring is inevitable.
If the president says he does not want it, that is his opinion; it is not him, it is what the country wants.
But they said that Jonathan handpicked the delegates of the confab?
If you look at the composition of that confab, it was made up of ethnic nationalities, groups, everyone had nominees; the president had to choose some people to represent the government: It was a fair representation so it is wrong now for anyone to say it was Jonathan that handpicked the delegates.
How do you assess the Buhari administration?
I am dump-founded. My assessment is that the President is in a trance: he has no idea of what he is doing because if he were in a serious country where people know what is right, he would not be by now. There are lots of things that do not make sense going on.
But he says he wants second term?
The people would tell him if he deserves second term,; if he would win he would know.
Are you confident in the electoral process to guarantee credible elections?
Well I want to believe it; but we know people are desperate. We know we have people who are behaving very desperately. This administration has been telling people that only looting is all about corruption; it is not. Corruption is not only about stealing money; there is a whole lot but we saw the election being rigged; that is part of the process.
How do you react to the killings in the country?
What is happening is inhuman and the government is not doing anything; people are dying and they are saying it is a family affair; how can two people be killing each other and you are just looking as a government?
A lot of people think the PDP seems confused on 2019 in terms of who to present as its presidential candidate? What is your take?
How do you know, we are not doing that behind the scene; do people do that openly? You don’t strategise openly; we have election in Osun and Ekiti and we have are plans for that; we are working for the party on that.
Who would you support for the president?
I am rooting for the best man that can carry everybody along; that is north, South, Muslim or Christian; someone that is accessible and understands Nigeria and can lead us into an economic boom.
