2023: Otoge Spirit Still ‘Alive’, ‘Relevant’…Kwarans Ready To Vote For Credible Candidates Not Parties..Yes, I Won 2018 APC Guber Primary But…-NNPP Guber Candidate Oba Abdulraheem

Ahead of  the 2023 Kwara state gubernatorial election ,   members of  the editorial team of orientactualmags.com  comprising  Editor –In-Chief  and  the Editor,  sat down with  the Kwara state NNPP gubernatorial candidate, Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem  for an interview at his residence in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital on Tuesday .

Professor Shuaib  Oba Abdulraheem , who had at different times served as Vice –Chancellor of  University of Ilorin, and Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, FCC,  discussed his vision for the State of Harmony, why he did not go to court to challenge the 2018 APC gubernatorial primary election outcome,  steps  being taken  to ‘market’ his candidacy and his party; the NNPP  and other issues.    It was actually a wide-ranging interview.

Read On:

You’re the Kwara state NNPP gubernatorial candidate and the  guber election is just a few months away, how prepared are you?

 Thank you very much, as politicians; we are always ready for elections. We’re used to participating in elections but we are concerned about the coming general election especially the gubernatorial election in Kwara state.

All the bolts and nuts are being adjusted appropriately for appropriate and correct responses from members of our party and other members of the society.

Kwara is a peculiar state for some reasons.  It  had  somewhat  been about  three  families competing for the control of the state, although you first registered presence as  a guber aspirant in  2010,  this is the first time you will be  getting   party nomination what difference do you think this will make?

Thank you very much. Family control of elections and electoral processes is quite anomalous especially in Kwara state that we have had  that strange arrangements where the political future of the people are often determined by the activities of  some families.

 It is against this  kind of background, giving our own background as well as our people that we are struggling to get out of  a situation where  one family determines  who becomes what and who gets what, it  is no longer acceptable by the people of Kwara state. That was one of the reasons why the Otoge mantra gained wide spread popularity during the 2019 General Election.

The spirit that rose at that time against family control of the political structure is however still alive and very much in place, the people of Kwara state are determined that they want to take their future in their own hands and this time around, they will vote for persons they can identify with.

Otoge Movement propelled APC to victory in 2019 and the current governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq has spent over 3 years in office, do you think he has justified the actions you and others took by  coming  up with Otoge?

 Otoge is simply an expression of rejection of bad governance and the demand for good governance. There was bad governance in the state at the time that Otoge became prevalent. The situation has not changed in any way and the Otoge spirit is still alive until we can get the kind of government and the good governance  the people of Kwara state  have demanded for which will allow them to take part in governance process  and get the needed benefits of democracy, it will remain relevant.

 That is what the struggle is about. So, Otoge movement is still on. 

Politicians are usually seen with or known to enjoy the support of one popular thug or the other but  no one has been linked to you, do you think you’re actually ready for the guber election?

 That’s a very strange question. You should never premise our electoral process, the success or otherwise of it on the presence of thugs. Thugs are not part of the political schemes of any party. It’s only unpatriotic politicians who want to bring mayhem into the polity that go to employ the services of children that  are grown and  encouraged to  engage in  act of violence.

I think in the last three years, activities of political thugs have been very minimal apparently  because the electoral process itself is getting improved.

 The era of sending thugs to go and snatch ballot boxes and chase people from the polling booth is over because the security agents have become alert to their responsibilities and owing to the new electoral law too, the people themselves have also become very enlightened so the issue of thuggery is an anomaly in politics and we are going to fight to minimize and eradicate it.

  I’m glad that this time around, things have changed, in 2002 for instance, when we were approaching the general election, we couldn’t move freely in town anywhere without being accosted by the thugs of one party or the other; we’ve come far away from that era because of the political maturity that has grown among the people.

 Another factor is the awareness of the young people that they should never let themselves become the instrument of violence for the benefit of any politician. So I think I’m very pleased that we have  minimal impact or presence of thuggery in our political process and I hope that we will be able to eliminate it as time goes on.

 Interviews are designed to serve as a good opportunity for the interviewees to clarify issues, give correct picture of things and make people have a change in perception.

Some people have said the only people you feel comfortable with are those from the  Kwara Central and that you don’t also feel comfortable with the Christians, how true is this?

 I’m sorry that at this time and age you’re still raising such kind of question. I believe that our people have gone far beyond that. We should be practicing issue-based politics, not politics of religion or ethnicity.

 How far will that take us? No politician will deny his or her place of origin. Do you ask any politician who wants to contest that they are only concerned about their own people.

Why would people ask me such kind of question or say such a thing about me? 

Why do you actually think they say such a thing about you?

 Those who also say it have their own purpose, they have their particular audience who are narrow-minded as they are but those who have had contact with me in academics and in public office know that I’m a patriot to the core and anyone who says things that you’re saying about ethnicity and religion are saying it out of ignorance or mischief. 

There is an agitation for regional government and governorship in Kwara state. I think that is  as bad as asking for religion discrimination. When people say we want  a Kwara North governor, we want  a Kwara South governor or a Kwara Central governor. I think that’s reading the political climate upside down and I think such a  system  will not lead to good governance and it  will not lead to a kind of government and the  good governance  that we want.

 I told people that  it’s only an accident of birth that I’m from Kwara Central, it’s only an accident of birth that I’m from Ilorin, it’s only an accident of birth that I’m a Muslim.

 But when it comes to the political organization of our lives into the kind of society we want, we are not going to talk about Kwara North governor, I’m not going to be a Kwara Central Governor, I’m not going to be a Kwara South Governor. We want a Kwara State governor who will be concerned about the south, north and  the central, who will  bring equity and justice to all communities  when it comes to  the policies and administration of policies in government. That’s what we should be concerned about, not where the governor comes from. But Nigerians like to play ethnic and religious politics. It’s not going to take us anywhere.

 We should find and identify among us those who are nearest in their ways of lives, beliefs and practices, closer to people’s understanding of what a good society and good governance should be. The governor can come from anywhere, but he must have the orientation of a person who believes in complete integration of the society where in the distribution of available resources of government he  is openhanded,  fair and just in the distribution of infrastructure projects , in the  distribution  of opportunities to access wealth,  opportunities to create wealth and  opportunities to advance in our various preoccupations.

That is the kind of governor we want not a regional or ethnic governor. I think we should go away from that regionalism and regionalist orientation in Kwara state. It’s happening in Nigeria yes ,but we can lead the revolution in that area. Like I said, I’ve had the experience and opportunity to  head an agency   which is  an  equal opportunity institution;  the Federal Character Commission its anchor is equity, fairness and justice.

If you practice that as a way of life you can influence a lot of things. For instance, I recall  that after my swearing-in as executive chairman of  the Federal Character Commission in 2008,  a journalist like you threw   what many may had considered  a strange question at me  ‘Sir, what will you like to be remembered for when you leave this office? He asked.

I said I just assumed office and I have a five -year tenure and you’re asking me what I would like to be remembered for. ‘Okay, I would like to be remembered as someone who has worked to cancel Federal Character Commission as an  institution’.

He expressed surprise and asked ‘You want to destroy the institution?  I said ‘yes’. If I can work according to the provision of the constitution and the desires of the people of Nigeria for equity, fairness and justice and ensure that practice, we can leave Nigeria to go ahead without a policeman because the Federal Character Commission  is the  policeman of that constitutional provision.

So if we work and practice equity and fairness and enforce it over a period of 5 years, I should be glad that  if at the end of 5 years people can plainly practice this without needing the Federal Character  Commission as a policeman.

You’ve been recognized as the person who launched transformational leadership in University of Ilorin.  Can you tell us the changes you made as Vice-Chancellor of the institution?

The changes are there for people to see. I’m pleased and I’m proud that I was lucky to lead the team that transformed the University of Ilorin  in respect of  a particular situation in 1997 and brought it to what it is today. It is the same spirit of 1999/2002 that is still prevalent in the University of Ilorin.

The spirit of communal development, the spirit of transparency, the spirit of hard work, commitment  to sourcing  fund independently to build infrastructure projects in the University and of course the advancement of academic records and achievements of our children which has made the  University of Ilorin to become the leading light of universities in the country. 

You served as head of other institutions including  the Kwara state Polytechnic after leaving University of Ilorin as Vice-Chancellor,  what were the reforms that  were achieved on your watch?

 I think it came as a result of my activities at the University of Ilorin. I had completed my tenure as the Vice Chancellor  before  I was called upon to lead the reform in Kwara state Polytechnic, Ilorin. We found it in a very bad shape academically, socially and financially. We were able to grow the institution as a team from a position of penury, lawlessness to one of tranquility, and academic stability. 

 Who was the real winner of the 2018 APC gubernatorial primary election? 

 The people of Kwara state know who won the said primary election.

 But some people said you won; some however insisted that it was some among your co-former APC guber aspirants that won the primary election?

There was nothing hidden about the primary election process. It was the first open direct-primary election since the one that was held in 1993. So being a process that is driven by the people themselves, there was no controversy over who won the primary election.

 The general acceptance was that I won that primary election just like late MKO  Abiola was  the  acclaimed  winner of the 1993 presidential election. So there should be no controversy over who won or who didn’t win.

The powers that be had the control to turn the will of the people against the people and against themselves. That was an aberration, an accident that has happened which we will never allow to happen again in the history of Kwara state.

What informed your decision not to go to court or seek for a political party to pick up its  guber nomination, what really made you  stay put  in  the APC ?

 I wasn’t inclined to respond positively to such kind of agitation because we had set goals. The goal we all set out to achieve was to change the form and character of those who  had  then dominated the government . We were tired of the rule of one dynasty, we were tired of the rule of impunity, and we were tired of lack of progress in  respect of infrastructural developments, education and other sectors and  we wanted a reform.

That was the spirit behind the agitation, and because it was then considered as a family disagreement and we decided not to throw the baby out with the bath water. Ultimately, the people of Kwara state were going to be the loser.

If I had gone to court   I might not be the final beneficiary, it may be the then ruling party that will be the beneficiary.

And if I  had  by my own action which could  have been seen at that time as  betraying the cause, it  would have been really unfortunate for the political struggle for which we had sacrificed so much already. So I didn’t go to court and I didn’t challenge it. I had reasoned that we should patch our internal differences and work for the actual election itself and get government into the hands of one of us because we had assumed that we belonged to the same camp. 

 In retrospect, would you  consider it  a regretful decision?

 Actually, my only regret is that I’ve not seen the kind of Kwara that I dreamt of coming into being because of the inconsistency of the current policies of government which are not in line with my own aspirations for Kwara state. So I cannot say I’m satisfied. I’m actually thoroughly dissatisfied.

 Now that you are the gubernatorial candidate of the NNPP, it is a new party though your political structure has always been there. What do you think is the future of NNPP in Kwara state?

The party is new but those of us who are occupying it are not new. We’re known to the people. We have antecedents; we have people who have over the years now been with us and bought into our own ideas of   how to run Kwara state. So all we do is to identify ourselves with whatever party we belong to and say now is the time we regroup again into a new identity and this is our new political party.

So if the name of the party is new, we can easily get that addressed by doing campaign posters and people will get to know it but those of us who are elites are the real issue, we are the real material that people are going to support. The newness of the political party is only a temporary issue but the consistency of the persons who are occupying the party, who are using the party as a platform is what matters. So people should never take their eyes off the ball at any point in time.

Some people have said the opposition may end up dividing votes which will stand the ruling APC in good stead during the election because the opposition has more than two major candidates?

Well, that’s the perception of some political observers. Yes, that might be it where there is plethora of parties. Just like at the national level, there are many parties and you can say they want to divide the votes but the people,  I mean  the voters know the party that they can trust, whose policy they can support with their lives and their money, so I think ultimately the one that appeals to the people through vibrant, energetic projects and programmes which are going to be beneficial to them is the one that they  would want to choose.

That there are many parties is just about being the  more the merrier.

The people will have plenty of opportunities to make choices but the choices is not also as many as the parties are. Even if there are ten parties the people know which one will minister to their aspirations and goals.

 Students at public universities in the country have been made to stay at home for more than six months now owing to the strike action by members of ASUU, what is your take on this?

Strike action by all unions of whatever shape is a legitimate instrument for the struggle for their welfare, for the improvement of the institutions they represent. These are all legitimate. But when relationship between unions and government degenerates to the level where the union has to take the sledge hammer in the struggle for their goals, it becomes a worrisome development.

Yes,  ASSU has been on strike  for 6 months. All parents must be legitimately concerned about the danger of their investments in the education of their children; they must be concerned about the social conditions to which their children have been made to face as a result of inability to pursue education.

There must be concerned about the loss in investment ultimately as a nation, in good governance and good education. The phenomenon of the strike has been going on for this long, it must be really troubling and worrisome to all patriotic Nigerians and I’m sure members of the striking unions are also aware, they are also parents, uncles and aunties of these students.

They know that if care is not taken and break is not applied in time, the strike can have negative results. But, I say they have a legitimate right to go on strike but must also put their eyes on the ball, on the constituency over which they are fighting, that is the future of our young people. It should never be compromised at any point in time. Yes, there are times when you go on strike but you must do it, withdraw and try to see adjustments. But to go all the whole and say ‘this or nothing’ can be a bit counterproductive.

So I say the unions;  ASSU, NASU, SSANU and whatever, even those in the  oil sector, they should all be guided by the overall national interest of the people of Nigeria, especially in the education sector we must be concerned about the future of our children who are the ultimate victims of  this industrial action. 

 The guber election will hold next year if elected as governor, what will you do differently?

Well,  we have a manifesto which is  developing  but there are certain things that are not negotiable when it comes to good governance, part of it is transparency, anti-corruption measures, economic policies that will   lead to greater prosperity for the people.

We must be worried about the quality and quantity and accessibility of education. We must also be required to address the challenges of the people to provide a sustainable agricultural policy as a way of growing the wealth of our people.

We are concerned that the present dispensation is not health-friendly. We must be worried about the vulnerable groups,  the aged and the young people  and their inability to access affordable health care, especially in public sector, the primary level of healthcare. These are the things that we must place our manifestos around. Let me say specifically about myself, I’m not about to use cut and paste manifesto which says everything about everything in the same way.

I think we must make manifestos that will address peculiar circumstances of our people and the way to take us out of the current political doldrums that we have found ourselves.

The National Assembly and Presidential elections will hold before the gubernatorial election, do you have bandwagon effects fears?

 I think that is the catchphrase of political pundits. Sometimes it can get overused. Bandwagon develops in political analysis but we have peculiar situations where mindless imitation or followership in setting directions  is becoming a thing of the past . You will found out that the parties and the presidential candidates this time around are different from what we used to  have.

 People are  now prepared to vote for individuals with credibility no matter the  party they belong to. People are educated politically now to know that it cannot be like 2015 or 2019 where because of the social perception and orientation in respect of  particular line of thinking  they  decided to vote an individual and made  other candidates  benefit from that at the first ballot.

That’s not going to happen this time around, people know the difference between red and green, between blue and yellow.

Yes, it is now possible for people to vote for credibility or the individual they can trust at one level and vote for somebody they can trust at another level, not necessarily in the same party.

 We can have a very brilliant and acceptable person  in one party at the national level but find nobody of credibility in the same party at the local level. So, people are sufficiently politically educated to know that someone can separate the wheat from the chaff..

This time around, I don’t think people are ready to do the ‘follow follow’ kind of politics where once you get the top, you get the bottom.

 Nigerians have learned very bitter lessons about following anybody blindly during elections. We have the opportunity now to identify who will adequately represent our interest at all levels of government. So we go for such individuals regardless of what party they belong to- Team@orientactualmags.com
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