Abiodun Ogunleye, a former deputy governor of Lagos State and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in this exclusive interview with INIOBONG IWOK, assesses the state of the nation, the Buhari administration, among other issues. Excerpts:
Before the election yesterday, there were allegations by the opposition parties that the APC planned to rig the general elections?
I am a party a leader in Lagos and my constituency; there have not been any time we sit down to strategies on how to rig the general elections. What the opposition parties were saying was not true; maybe they were saying this out of the fear that they would lose the general election.
The President said even in Abeokuta recently that the people are to vote any candidate they liked in this general election, its shows a fair mind. I have not sat down where we planned to rig; why should we rig? It was all speculation.
But recent actions of the president and utterances of some leaders of the APC have shown desperation, look at the manner the CJN was hurriedly suspended?
In other countries, the CJN would have resigned from his position voluntarily, but we accepted that he forgot to declare his asset.
I studied in Britain, and lived there for so many years; a mere allegation would push you off your seat; then if after investigation if you are found not guilty you may not go back to the position, but you would be given a post.
The CJN should be treated like that. I am surprised by the reactions from Nigerians; we can never get anywhere like this in this country; how can he sit on his own judgment, it is wrong. If they are going to probe him, he should not remain in office. The president’s action is justified; it is justified.
Let me give you my story; When Bola Tinubu won a second term in office, I was the state chairman of the party I served as Commissioner for health and finance in Lagos State. But Tinubu asked if I was ready to come into government again? Already, Tinubu had a deputy which was Femi Pedro, if I have to go into government again I would be serving as commissioner, and I had served in the same position before, but I replied and said to him that I was ok, and he said ‘thank you and forget it’.
It is simple; if I was in his position I would leave and asked them to do their investigation and whatever the report says.
But there have been criticism over the appointment of Amina Zakari as the head of the collation centre; she was alleged to be a relative of the President?
It was the former president, Goodluck Jonathan who appointed her into office, it is not Buhari as people are saying; she has been in INEC for some time before Buhari assumed office.
And if they posted her to head the collation centre I don’t see anything wrong; they can’t bribe her, even the INEC chairman has said he is the head of the collation centre.
If you have information that Buhari put her there fine, for me I don’t know, she was there before, I don’t see the fault of Buhari, we have to move beyond this to develop, countries that are developed often agree on what is good and bad, no matter the political divide, that is what we have not agreed on in this country.
Let me tell you another story of mine; my son was the sole administrator of my local government area; some people went to destroy the Sabo market here and they said it was the former head of the council that stole a lot of money from the council and gave part of it to my son to go and destroy the market, and my son now gave me part of it.
I don’t read social media because it is full of lies; the governor set up a committee; my son was queried and he was left there because he was not guilty; people in Lagos know my pedigree.
Unless we change our character things may not change. The opposition parties are just crying wolf, where there is none, let them station their people and let them watch the polling unit and stand there and watch it.
I have not sat anywhere to plan rigging the general election with anybody.
How do you react to the division in the Afenifere over the endorsement of Buhari, you were in Ibadan when they had that Yoruba leaders’ summit?
Yes, I was in Ibadan for that summit, the Fasoranti-led group, where is their constituencies? We have all the Governors, National Assembly members with us. How many of them have contested elections in the region before? They just want to take us to Atiku which we didn’t agree. Obasanjo who is their leaders said he spent billions on power, where is the light?
You don’t accept that late Bola Ige handed over the leadership of the group to Ruben Fasoranti?
Bola Ige contested elections and was a former governor, but these Afenifere leaders are not accredited leaders of the Yoruba people, with due respect to them, which of them has contested elections and win? So they cannot speak for the Yorubas, for you to speak for the people, you have to have their representation.
They said we did not talk before; that was because we taught it was not necessary; Awolowo legacies have been rubbished. The moment they said we are going to Atiku because of restructuring we knew.
APC want restructuring, the committee set up by this administration has submitted its report, I would show you the document that was submitted to the nation.
But the reports have not been implemented?
The report has been submitted to the government; they would sit down and look at it; the National Assembly is there, if the party wanted to implement the report, it would be done through National Assembly members, but we have seen that those people there are not doing what they were elected to do.
That report everything has to be modified, but with the present lawmakers, it would not be easy. The Senate president and the rest leadership in the National Assembly are there for their personal interest.
You seem not to have confidence in the National Assembly members?
Yes, I don’t have confidence in them; their action has shown who they are. Buhari said there was no law that bars them from defecting but you have to start from the bottom. The people were from the PDP; they took control of the National Assembly, how do you want the President to operate with them when the leaders of both chambers have their personal agenda?
But the APC failed to curb the crisis even when there was a petition to the President and to your party chairman?
The President was not too fast when the leadership of the National Assembly was to be elected.
If I were the President, I would make sure the leadership of the two chambers was my people, because without them you cannot make some of your decisions. I believe he made that mistake. He should have made sure the leadership of the National Assembly is his people.
Those people were not really APC members or how can your party say sit down and you would not sit.
What are the chances of your governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the gubernatorial election?
Sanwo-Olu would win Lagos governorship election come March 2, you can see in recent debates that he is sound and have policies. The people are going to vote the APC, in spite of all that has been said you can see that the current governor is with him, we are united ahead of the elections.
Of course, what happened to Ambode was party decision; he did not fight because he agreed with the party, that is why a lot of us are still in the party. When I was much younger we used to say minority have their say majority have their way.
But the PDP candidate, Jimi Agabje says he is sure of winning?
The people are the ones that are going to vote, it will not be ghosts; let wait till then. If I am going to war I would be going to win or what do you want him to say?
How do you feel when they say they want to free Lagos State from the grip of Bola Tinubu?
If they have their evident let them take it to the right place and present it. They are an opposition party, some time ago Tinubu was taken to court in Abuja somewhat came out of it? What they are saying is immaterial. March 2nd the people would decide who will rule Lagos and I believe it is APC.
But there is the popular belief among Nigerians that APC has failed at all levels?
I have not seen a head of government in Nigeria that has a head like Buhari; the people talking are illiterate people. There is no day I don’t have light but during Jonathan administration four days we don’t have light. What had been damaged for sixteen years could not be corrected for three-and-half years.
But the opposition says the administration’s anti-graft war is targeted at them?
It is not true, the anti-corruption agencies have been working; there should not be a situation where somebody who is just coming out of poverty, but because he is in public office becomes a billionaire overnight.
The administration has tried in terms of fighting corruption; look at Dariye, Babachar Lawal and Oke they have been taken to court. Lai Mohammed said some time ago if you have allegation against anyone take it to the appropriate quarters.
