‘Lack of party supremacy hurting Nigerian politics’

Senator Adelere Oriolowo, represents Osun West Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview, he talks about the crisis in the APC in his state, Osun which he blamed on erosion of party supremacy in Nigerian politics. He also spoke on the forthcoming APC national convention and presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu among other issues. JOSHUA OMOLOYE brings excerpt.

Whether the national convention of your party, the APC convention will hold or not is the major concern of every member considering its several postponements. Is the March 26 date a reality going by developments in recent times?

The past postponements of the convention will make it perfect whenever it was invariably held. It is not how far but how well. When you want to do something and you discovered that the timing would create more problems than solving it, definitely it has to be postponed. There is no problem with the March 26 convention date.

All is not at ease with APC in Osun State and the July governorship election is fast approaching. Don’t you think an unresolved crisis may affect the fortunes of the party at the poll?

I think that is an internal affairs of the party and I think it is never late. It is not over until it is over. I am sure that people are running round to solve the problems especially when a member of the party has declared that there is a division in the party at the state level. Many of us are of the opinion that it has to be solved and we are running round to make sure that it is solved . I am assuring you that it would be resolved. Any party which has unresolved internal crisis usually perform woefully in elections. I can cite the case of states like Zamfara , Rivers, Edo, and Oyo, among others. That is why I am calling on all the gladiators and those concerned to think and prevent the escalations of the crisis, The Trumpet gathered.

Definitely one can say that internal democratic mechanism in your party is weak. How then can internal democracy be enshrined in Nigeria’s political parties?

We have to separate the running of the parties from that of the government. The governor or president has to be in charge of governance. The party has to be run by the executives of the party. The Chairman of the party must be given the responsibility to run the affairs of the party. When there is a crisis within the party, the leadership of the party should be allowed to resolve it. Political party administration should revert to the olden day’s practice where it would be funded by members through their dues and levies. As long as the parties are looking forward to individuals or groups for funding, crisis will continue to happen because he who pays the piper calls the tune. In the defunct Second Republic for instance, the chairman is in charge of the party. There was a case when President Shehu Shagari was travelling abroad and was about to board his aircraft when the chairman of his National Party of Nigeria, Chief Meredith Adisa Akinloye summoned him for an urgent meeting. Shagari had to suspend his trip abroad to honour the invitation of his party chairman. Political parties sponsor every candidate in Nigeria today. As long as you’re sponsored by the party you should be responsible to it. So all political party members should be financial members. The internal democracy within parties will linger for as much as parties rely on patronage from certain individuals or groups.

The National Assembly recently empowers the local government, state legislature and the judiciary during the constitution review process. Do you subscribe to the belief the state governors will frustrated its passage at state assemblies?

It is left for the local government functionaries and Nigerians in general. I expect the people to meet with their governors and state legislators and impress it on them to pass the law because it is what they wanted. It is not the duty of the National Assembly to do that for them. What we have done is to strengthen the local government structure in such a way that they would be useful for the people at the grassroots but if the people fold their arms and allow a political office holder to tamper with it and change it, it is no longer our fault. We’ve done our bit, we should allow others to do their own also. The laws should not be about the interest of an individual, rather it should serve the public interest. If the local government administration is strengthened and empowered, the issue if insecurity would be a thing of the past. People are taking into criminality because they are neglected. Most of the challenges we are facing in Nigeria is as a result of weakness of the local government.

Read Also: APC moves to quash court injunction against convention

The National Leader of your party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has declared his presidential ambition but popular demand is that the South East should produce next. What is your take on that?

What I know is that the presidency has been zoned to the South. By that, any part of the region could produce the candidate. My leader that is contesting is capable and Nigeria would have a breakthrough especially if he replicates all what he did in Lagos, in other parts of the country. What is happening now is about his capacity.

Are you not concerned about his health condition?

As far as I know, he is healthy. I visited him in London during his medical trip for knee surgery even younger person could also have such challenge. There is no one on earth that doesn’t have his own challenges in terms of health. However, if you are talking of age, that is no barrier at all. He has functional brain and healthy body to perform his functions effectively. His health has not deteriorated to the extent that he would not be able to carry out state functions effectively.

There are rumours that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is contesting the presidency. What’s the South West caucus of APC doing about it?

You described it as a rumour and I don’t act on rumours. The alleged presidential ambition of Yemi Osinbajo remains a rumour to everyone of us in the South- West APC. He has not told anyone that he wants to contest and there is nothing yet to suggest that he would contest. Let us leave it at a rumour stage.

During the constitution review, the critical issue of state police creation was dropped. Does this not potend the fact Nigerian leaders are treating insecurity with kid gloves?

Senators are here representing their
people back home and constitution review committee is composed of two-third majority of the entire members of the Senate because they are 69 out of the 109 senators. What comes out of the committee in form of recommendations can also be described as the minds of the people across the country. When
you listen to criticisms it may not be in tandem with what our constituents want us to push forward for them. The
committee travelled to all parts of the country to get the input of the people and since democracy is about majority.

The argument of the people is that the major challenge of an average Nigerian today is insecurity and you didn’t give them state police?

Those who are telling you that, are saying all those things because they are
vocal and can talk but we had gone to the grassroots to find out what our people who had sent us wanted and it
was their requests that we carried out in the amendments. Another thing is that if all the senators in the South West for instance canvass for state police, other five geopolitical zones might not see it as necessary and the majority opinion may carry the day.