Follow Us on Google
• Tinubu’s govt has impoverished virtually everybody, but I see ADC as Atiku’s party
• 2027: My advice to electorate is, take their money, vote your conscience
By Christy Anyanwu
Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele is a Nigerian politician, a former senator and former Deputy Governor of Lagos State. She served alongside the then Governor Bola Tinubu from 1999 to 2002.
Born on April 30, 1939, BucknorAkerele is a law graduate from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, and has had a distinguished career as a lawyer, journalist and politician. She worked as a freelance journalist for BBC and VON Magazine and was a member of the Nigerian Constituent Assembly from 1977 to 1978.
She was a prominent activist during Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle and is known for her strong stance on political integrity and public accountability. At her Ikoyi residence, recently, she spoke with Sunday Sun on the state of the nation.
How would you describe the state of the nation today?
It’s a very frightening situation. I think we all have to be on tenterhooks. Because, as we say in Yoruba, ‘on bo on bo, awon lande dee.’ It’s coming, it’s coming, you get prepared. That means, when you’re anticipating a situation, you’ll get prepared for it. And, really, it is coming. This problem of insecurity started in the North. It has now reached the South-West. And it seems that either the government is unable or incapable of dealing with it decisively. It’s a very sad situation. I understand that the Americans have sent some troops in. I don’t know how effective those are going to be, whether they will be able to supply us with the right intelligence for us to combat insecurity.
But, you know, I’m really worried for Nigeria. The way we’re going, let us not descend into another civil war. Because, let’s face it, we’re at war. We’re fighting these people and we euphemistically call them terrorists or bandits. They’re not bandits, these are terrorists. These are people who go around killing people, slitting people’s throats, burning people’s houses. And you’re saying they’re bandits? Which kind of bandit is that? This is pure terrorism. And they’re doing that, going from village to village, doing it. And the government seems unable and, as I say, incapable of doing something about it. You know, General TY Danjuma at one time said we should all get ready to defend ourselves. I’m beginning to think that he’s right: we should all get ready to defend ourselves. Because, if the government cannot defend us, then we have to defend ourselves.
Talking about insecurity, there is this collaboration with the United States. Is it okay with you? Do you think it’s a worthwhile effort?
Well, I don’t know whether it’s worthwhile. I hope it’s going to achieve some results. Because, if it doesn’t achieve some results, then, you know, we’re just going further and further downhill.
It’s three years now of the current administration. If you were to assess it, what would you say about the Tinubu administration?
All I can say about this administration is that it has impoverished virtually everybody. Even the so-called middle class and the rich are no more. I have to think twice when I go to the market. Because, you know, we are fed with all sorts of statistics that things are getting better. But every day you go to the market or you go to the supermarket, you find that the prices are increasing. They keep on saying that they’re doing something to encourage food production, there’s plenty of food in the market. The problem is that people cannot afford to buy it. And that is what the government should look at. Enhancing the buying power of ordinary Nigerians so that they can feed themselves and feed their families. The first basic thing for a human being is to be able to feed himself or herself
The opposition has put together the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition to challenge APC in 2027. What do you make of that?
It is like all the governors, all of them, they’re all in APC now. Then thank God for ADC.
But I don’t know whether I should really say thank God for ADC because I believe that ADC actually is a, well, I would say, I see it as Atiku’s party. And so all the governors that are going to APC, I say, good luck to them. They only have one vote. That doesn’t mean that because you as governor have gone, the whole of your state is going to follow you. We all have our own voter’s card. We all have our own minds and we should, I think, everybody, in this next election, people will actually choose whoever they want. And you’ll be surprised that a lot of governors will actually lose out.
All talks lean towards 2027 these days. What is your advice to the Independent National Electoral Commission concerning the 2027 elections?
Well, a lot depends on INEC, if they want to be credible. To me, I think people are disappointed in INEC. INEC? People don’t have faith in our institutions anymore. They don’t have faith in the INEC, they don’t have faith in the judiciary, and it’s a shame. First of all, I don’t even believe the judiciary should be involved in our elections. If we have our elections and we use electronic transmission real-time, we will get the result and everybody will be able to see it. There will be no need for rigging and nobody will have to go to court. The fact that our elections are being decided by the courts is not giving the average Nigerian any sense of respite. They don’t believe that we’re getting what we should be getting, even from the judiciary, which is very sad.
What would be your advice to the electorate?
Other News
My advice to the electorate is, stop taking money – N10,000, N5,000, N20,000, N30,000, two cans of Derica rice is not going to do anything for you. In any case, the money they’re giving you is your own money. It’s not that they’re giving you their money; it’s your own money. So, if the worst comes to the worst, take their money, but vote your conscience.
The federal government recently introduced new tax reforms. What are your views on the tax reforms?
Well, I’m not really quite clear on tax reforms. Nobody seems to be really clear on tax reforms. Not only that, you’ve got to look at it from the point of view that we’re already over-taxed. Those of us who are paying tax are already over-taxed. If you look at Lagos State, for instance, most of the industries, because of all the various taxes and levies that the industries have had to suffer, many of them have closed down and gone to Ogun State. If you travel now, you’ll see all these industries coming up in Ogun State and all the ones in Lagos have closed down. Why? Because of the excessive amounts of taxes and levies that people are having to pay. We should find a way of generating and using our revenue judiciously. I’m not saying one should not pay tax. Of course, we should all pay tax, but I think there’s a limit to the amount of taxation that people can bear, especially now. They keep saying the lower income people will not pay tax. We have not really seen how this new tax regime is going to come into effect. Let’s wait and see what happens.
How can the crisis in the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) be resolved totally?
Well, the point is this: First of all, I don’t know what Nyesom Wike is still doing in PDP, he and his followers. He says he’s going to vote for President Bola Tinubu. If that is the case, he should go to the APC. Why is he staying in our party? To disrupt things? He should leave. In any case, he has been expelled. So, why is he still trying to disrupt PDP? PDP is very much on the ground. There’s hardly anywhere you will not see PDP in this country. So, I’m sorry, he’s just playing the role of a spoiler and he should stop doing that and go to the party of his choice, which is APC.
What would you say concerning women in politics in Nigeria today? Women are still few in politics. Why is it so?
Well, I think politics has become so monetised now that not many women can muster the sort of funds that is necessary to contest elections. And then I think the political parties, although they say they reserve places for women, but, really and truly, you know, the way they have done it, in the political hierarchy of most parties, you have a woman leader. Now, why should they have a woman leader? Why don’t they have a man leader as well? Forget it. You know, they use certain places to be able to actually push women into certain compartments, which I don’t think is right. And I think we as women should resist it.
What’s your advice for women in 2027?
Come out. Come out. If you want to contest, try and contest. Go around. Go and meet the people at the grassroots, because that’s where the votes are.
Talking about money in politics, if women don’t have enough money, how would they participate and meet people at the grassroots?
Well, that is also the problem. I think it’s also up to the political parties to try and find ways of supporting women who want to contest. I remember when I was contesting…
For the governorship?
No, as a senator. As a senator in SDP. I remember our party, in fact, had stipends, which they gave to women. It wasn’t much, but it was something to help, at least, in Lagos State. I don’t know whether it was done in other states. I guess it’s not really the case in other states, too. Women are really few in Nigerian politics.
There is this issue with Nasir El-Rufai and the National Security Adviser on this phone tapping matter. What’s your take on that?
They all know themselves, so let them sort it out among themselves. They all know what they did to get to where they are. Yes, I think many of us know that we are not safe talking on the phone in this country. At least, most of us politicians know about that.
Really?
Yes. We believe that our phones can be tapped.
