Buhari should be father to all -Mustapha

Brown Chimezie

Alhaji Moshood Bankole Mustapha is the Lagos State chairman of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). He speaks on the just concluded elections. 

How did PRP fared in the just concluded elections?

The just concluded elections were highly competitive but the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) was able to pull through. The party featured candidates in all the slots in Lagos State and today I am glad to say that Lagosians now know that the party is a national party. Today, virtually in all the nooks and corners of the state, PRP has come to stay. People have now accepted the party in the state.

Would you say the party has lived up to the expectations of its founding fathers?

PRP under Alhaji Balarabe Musa our charismatic leader who believes in the interest of the masses has really met the goals set by its founding fathers. Since the Second Republic, he has been in the forefront championing the cause of the talakawas. He has always been on the side of the down trodden. When you look at his way of life and his political career, you will discover that he is not materialistic. It was these qualities that attracted him to me and I have no regret identifying with him. So far, he has been able to attract people of like minds to the party. Similarly, those of us who are his political children took after his footsteps by championing people oriented programmes.

With the elections over, what is the next agenda of the party?

The journey for 2023 begins now. With the elections over, we have re-strategised by mobilising our people for the next level. In the just concluded elections, we joined other political parties’ coalition to support the in-coming governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Now that he has won, our party is ready to work with the governor -elect to promote good governance in the state.

My advice to the in-coming governor is to be father to all in the state.  He should carry everybody along by giving appointments across party lines. Also the governor -elect should aggressively tackle infrastructure decay in the state by embarking on massive road construction. He should also continue and complete other projects already embarked upon by the outgoing governor, Akinwumi Ambode. By so doing, Lagosians would heave sigh of relief that a Daniel has come to the throne.

 How would you describe APC chieftain, Ahmed Bola Tinubu?

 Tinubu is no doubt one of the greatest politicians of our time. If you call him Awolowo of our time, it won’t be exaggeration. From the days of Alliance for Democracy (AD) to ACN and APC, Tinubu has been able to play rugged politics that put the South West at the center. Today, that region has been able to produce the president for eight years, Vice President for four years and another four in the making. No any Yoruba man after the late Obafemi Awolowo has been able to attain such political feats.

 Should Atiku Abubakar challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in court?

If he feels unsatisfied with the election results, he is free to challenge it. That is the beauty of democracy. My advice to all parties is to seek redress under the ambit of the law. No one should incite Nigerians to violence. Politicians should bear in mind that no one is bigger than Nigeria and as such uniting the country along ethnic and religious lines should be paramount. What I expected Atiku to do was to congratulate the winner of that election just like the former president, Jonathan did, but if he decides to challenge INEC’s verdict in court, he is absolutely free to do so.

Were you surprise about the post election violence that broke out in some parts of the country?

Not at all. Throughout Nigeria’s almost 20 years of unbroken democracy, there is hardly any election year that the country doesn’t experience one violence or the other. We thank God that this time around, our security forces were able to rise to the occasion by stemming the crisis in the bud. Parents should ensure that they keep their children away from disgruntled politicians who may want to use them as thugs to foment trouble.

What is your message to President Buhari as he gets set to be sworn in for another term?

Our president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari should be father to all. In his appointments, he should follow the federal character by ensuring that he spreads his appointments across the six geopolitical zones. By this singular act, agitations, militancy and other knotty problems, would die down.Also Buhari should consider the yearning of the people especially the call for restructuring. Yielding to such popular demands would warm him into the hearts of millions of Nigerians who are still skeptical of his democratic tendencies.