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•General elections shouldn’t be seen as do-or-die affair
By Tunde Thomas
Ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Henry Ajomale has appealed to political leaders and their supporters in the country not to see the elections as a do-or-die affair.
In an interview with Sunday Sun, Ajomale, a former Chairman of the Conference of APC States Chairmen and ex- Lagos State APC Chairman urged political leaders to be issue-based and tolerant in their campaigns, and refrain from any acts capable of endangering democracy in the country. He also spoke on other national issues.
What’s your take on the recent governorship elections in Osun State?
A lot has been said about the polls. But for me, the elections clearly showed that all the stakeholders, including political parties and their leaders, different security outfits, and the INEC, can work together in harmony to ensure the success of democracy in Nigeria. If we continue this way, democracy will be more strengthened in the country. Contrary to the expectations and fears of many people that the so-called federal might would be used to manipulate the polls, nothing of the sort happened. The electoral umpire led by Prof. Joash Amupitan ensured a level playing ground for all the parties and their candidates. Amupitan and the INEC did very well. They should sustain the momentum as preparations for the 2027 general elections get underway.
Before the polls, some Nigerians actually expressed fears that federal might could be used to manipulate the elections or influence INEC to favour the APC. What’s your reaction to that?
Actually, many Nigerians, especially those within the opposition fold led by the usual noise makers, including serial presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Mr. Peter Obi, raised such an alarm, but President Bola Tinubu proved them wrong. Tinubu, a patriot and genuine democrat, remained neutral. He didn’t use federal might. He didn’t use the security agencies to harass and intimidate anybody. He allowed free and fair elections. This clearly showed that the opposition and Nigerians have nothing to fear about the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu will ensure a free and fair general election. He is a patriot. He is a lover of democracy. Before the Osun gubernatorial elections, he also allowed a free and fair election in Anambra State, where an opposition party, APGA, won the gubernatorial election. Anambra State Governor Prof. Charles Soludo, and other prominent Nigerians who were impressed by the conduct of Tinubu during the polls have since been commending him. Tinubu was one of those who laboured to enthrone democracy in the country. He was one of those who fought the military to a standstill to ensure that the nation returned to democracy after many decades of military rule. Therefore, I can vouch for him that he will never do anything that will endanger democracy.
As preparations gather momentum for the 2027 elections, a formidable array of political leaders spread across different political parties are poised to challenge President Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in office. How would you assess the chances of these prominent Nigerians?
All these people you mentioned, I don’t see any of them posing any threat to Tinubu winning the 2027 presidential elections. Even a combination of all of them is not a match for Tinubu. Tinubu is an achiever, a goal getter who has been scoring a lot of goals in terms of concrete socio-economic achievements his administration has been recording since 2023 when Nigerians elected him into office.
Before he assumed office, Nigeria’s economy was in a serious mess. He inherited a serious economic burden from his predecessor, but not one given to complaints, he set to work immediately, and his intervention led to Nigeria being rescued from economic collapse. His removal of petroleum subsidy also boosted revenue for the nation. It led to a phenomenal increase in revenue allocation being collected by the three tiers of government. State governors and local government now have access to funds that are more than sufficient, and this is why the President has called on Nigerians to hold their state governors accountable, as they no longer have any excuse not to execute developmental projects in their states. Tinubu’s economic policies are so good that even the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have not only been commending him but have also been urging him to sustain them.
Now coming to my candid assessment of these opponents of Tinubu, they are all political featherweights. They are not going anywhere. For Atiku, Tinubu will retire him from politics in 2027. For Atiku, the 2027 general elections will be a valedictory election for him. By 2027, he will be over 80 years, and that is even officially, mayb e he is even 86 or 88 years now- who knows? Atiku has become a serial presidential candidate. He has been contesting presidential elections more than seven times. He contested it in 1993, 2003, 2007, 20011,2015 and 2023, and on each occasion, he suffered a heavy defeat. He should have remained contented to being addressed as a former Vice-President. Atiku is desperate to become President, no doubt about that, but Nigerians have always been rejecting him. It is time for him to quit politics. He should not wait to be disgraced in 2027.
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As for Peter Obi, he should just forget it. Like Atiku, he is also desperate to become President of Nigeria. To show his desperation, he has become a political prostitute like Atiku, his political soul mate. To show his desperation, when it became obvious that Atiku had hijacked ADC, and that the party will not give him its presidential ticket, he jumped ship and ran to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) where the party then gave him a stringent condition that he would only be allowed a single four year term if he wins the election and became the President.
Just because of his desperation, Obi quickly agreed and in the process betrayed his people in the South East who had been clamouring that should a person of the South-East extraction becomes the President that he or she will also serve a two-term of four year each just like their other counterparts from the North and the South-West. This clearly shows that Obi is desperate. But his desperation will not take him anywhere. It will only send him into political oblivion.
As for Omoyele Sowore, he is going nowhere. He is just another noise maker. It is not noise that wins elections. He should forget 2027, and wait till 2031.
A faction of the PDP actually submitted former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections; what’s your reaction to this?
Those urging Jonathan to run for presidential elections are his enemies. They wanted to disgrace him. That ticket they offered him was a Greek gift, but thank God he didn’t fall for their bait. In the first place, why should anybody or group invite Jonathan to come and run for the presidential election?
Is this not the same Jonathan they all described as being clueless? Do these people think Nigerians have short memories? Is it not the same Jonathan that said that stealing is not corruption? Is it somebody that openly made this statement that will fight corruption? Jonathan has nothing to offer Nigerians. He should just respect himself and stay away from politics. He should remain an elder statesman and be enjoying his pension benefits. Are these so-called admirers of Jonathan expecting him to come and help tackle the problem of insecurity? They should be reminded that insecurity became worse during the Jonathan era. It was under his watch that Chibok girls were abducted, and since then, the majority of the abducted girls have not been rescued. Under Jonathan’s nose in Abuja as a sitting President, terrorists were having a field day bombing everywhere, including Police headquarters in Abuja. Almost every day, kidnappers and bandits were bombing everywhere. The situation became so terrible that rather than seeking military and technology expertise to combat terrorists who had laid siege on Abuja and other parts of the country, Jonathan sought help from religious leaders of all sorts to pray. My candid advice to Jonathan is that he should not allow some selfish politicians to rubbish him.
What’s your take on state governors who have been accused of not utilising the huge funds they get to help the masses in their states?
We should be grateful to the President for exposing them by revealing huge sums of money they are collecting in revenue allocation. It is time Nigerians started holding their elective representatives accountable. State governors and local government chairmen should deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians. Nigerians should also ask questions. Leaders that are not performing or not living up to expectations should be voted out of office. Dividends of democracy should be enjoyed by Nigerians.
There are plans to introduce state police across the country. What’s your view on this?
The clamour for state police has been increasing as a result of rising insecurity across the country. State police is a good idea, and its implementation will go a long way in helping to tackle insecurity. However, there must be safeguards to prevent abuse by some state governors. State police should work with the Nigeria Police for the common good of all. State governors are advised to co-operate with the federal government to allow its smooth implementation. In other climes like the United States of America, which is practising federalism like Nigeria, they have state police, and both the state police and the federal police work together in harmony, and this allowed them to get desired results
Some Nigerians are expressing fears about the 2027 general elections…
Nigerians should not entertain any fear. The elections will be free and fair. President Tinubu, just like he did in Anambra and Osun states, will ensure a free and fair election. My appeal is to our political opponents in ADC, NDC, SDP, Labour Party and others. They should not see or regard the 2027 general elections as a do-or-die affair. Politics should be seen as a game where a winner and loser must emerge. If you don’t win today, another opportunity will come. Don’t resort to violence or instigate your supporters to resort to violence. Elections will go, and Nigeria must be allowed to remain.
