All over the world, there is no overreliance on electronic processes – Ajisola, spokesman, APC UK

•Govs trooping into APC because they align with Tinubu’s positive policies

In this interview, Publicity Secretary of the United Kingdom Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Tunde Ajisola said Ptresident Tinubu’s record of achievements across Nigeria makes him the man to beat in the 2027 election.

He also defended the decision of the Senate regarding the electronic transmission of results. He spoke with KEHINDE ADEREMI.

The country has been grappling with. Do you think President Tinubu stands a chance of being re-elected in 2027, given the rising spate of insecurity in the country?

First and foremost, I think President Bola Ahmed Tinubu still stands a chance of re-election, not only because he has done very well, but because he has also embraced the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria as a personal challenge. He has also demonstrated that by restructuring the security architecture of the country. In the last few months, we had a reorganisation whereby the former Chief of Defence staff has now come back and is now the Minister of Defence.

The return of Christopher Musa as Minister of Defence really excited Nigerians because he is a man who knows his onions.  He is a general on the floor, and now he is coming in to lead the political wing of that defence as well. He is a right peg in the right hole.

So, I believe  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continually heard from  the people of the country that the spate of insecurity is alarming and  of course he has been able to secure our  borders.

So, the security challenge is being dealt with and we have seen results, especially with the United States of America coming to assist. People were scared initially, but now we can see the result of the Nigeria – US collaboration.

America is now seeing us as an equal partner in the fight against insurgency, and that is one of the things that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing. With the US partnering  us, in few months’ time, the remnants of the security challenge is going to be a story of the past.

But many people were saying that despite the US intervention, nothing has really changed, especially with the recent killings of over 100 people in Woro, Kwara State and that of Benue State?

Well, it is still work in progress because the president has come out to say it confidently and repeatedly that Nigeria will surely defeat terrorism and banditry, describing it as alien to Nigeria’s core values.

President Tinubu’s assurances came at the recent National Executive Council meeting of the APC and with the assurances, I believe Nigeria will surely win the battle against insurgency.

The defection of governors from PDP to the APC is a major concern to many Nigerians. Many are saying that the defection of governors threatens the foundation of this democracy, describing it as a drastic drift to a one-party system. Do you agree with that?

I want to say that in politics, there is freedom of association. People can decide to be in Party A or Party B or to be members of whatever party they want to be for as long as it is legal within the confines of the law. So people’s defection to APC is not new, and it is not limited to Nigeria.

For instance, we have it in America, we have it in the United Kingdom, where I reside as well. Not too long ago the Shadow Justice Secretary of the Conservative Party in the UK moved to the Reform Party, and so we have some councillors who are Labour members who have moved to the Reform Party and some have moved to the Conservative Party, so it’s not limited to Nigeria. As I mentioned, people all over the world have freedom of association.

It is good to associate with anybody that you think you are comfortable with or any group you are comfortable with. So coming back to Nigeria, I want to say there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s part of the democratic process.

Democracy is about choices. Some party members are also leaving the APC, but it was not pronounced and there are others also coming to our party. So it is to strengthen democracy.

Those governors defecting to APC are no fools. They see the ongoing transformation across the country and they wanted to be part of the progressives. They just want to show President Bola Tinubu their unalloyed support because never in the history of this country had we generated the kind of money we are generating now. And that is down to the acumen of President Bola Tinubu. Never in the history of Nigeria that governors  received such allocation, but I think they should be able to use the money for the well being of the people of their states. So, this has really made people realised that President Bola Tinubu though, not a magician, we can see his magic wand all across our finances, our security and in all sectors including our health and in our education sector. The governors believed that the best way to show support for him is to move to the party that the president represents, who is delivering his promises for the country.

But this transformation you are talking about has not translated to economic prosperity for the country, as Nigerians still grapple with negative impact of the economic policies of this administration?

The positive economic impact of this administration is visible and very obvious for everybody to see, except for those that don’t always see good things. Recently the World Bank acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s administration reform initiative. World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde said recently that Tinubu’s reforms are now a global reference point.

What that means is that this administration has done well in changing the ugly narratives of the past and Nigeria is standing on a right footing on the global economic framework.

Let me say it also that all over the world, even in US and in the UK  and across Europe, reforms are most times very difficult and challenging. But the necessity of reforms in Nigeria’s case is long overdue. And Nigeria must be grateful for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s courage and determination to use the Renewed Hope Agenda to renew our lost hope and bring Nigeria back on her feet. Even when reform implementation is difficult, there is no turning back. Tinubu stayed the course.

President Tinubu has signed the Amended Electoral bill 2026 into law, in spite of the controversies that trailed it over the electronic transmission of election results. What’s your opinion on the issue?

Honestly, the debate should serve purely for educational purposes  and I believe many Nigerians would have come to understand an important truth: there is nowhere in the world where absolute trust is placed entirely on technology.

It has never been so. This is why the human element will always remain essential in every facet of life.

For example, in the United Kingdom, no ballot box is opened at the polling station. Instead, ballot boxes are taken to a central collation centre within the local authority, where ballots from individual wards are sorted and counting begins. There is no overreliance on electronic processes.

Those that protested should reflect on the lessons from the debate and seek greater enlightenment on how electoral processes operate globally. The National Assembly has taken a responsible step by introducing the necessary conditions into the bill, which I believe is a sensible and balanced approach. And now that  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assented to the bill and it becomes law, I am sure Nigeria will be better for it, especially in future elections