Follow Us on Google
By Omoniyi Salaudeen
Senator Anthony Adeniyi (SAN) is part of the inner caucus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In this interview, he bared his mind on the imperative of the change of leadership that threw up Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State as the acting national chairman of the party and a host of other issues.
It appears the leadership crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) is becoming an unending one. What exactly is the true position of things now with the sudden emergence of Governor Bello of Niger State as the acting chairman of the party?
As you have heard it, Bello is now our acting national chairman. You have asked me questions in respect of this issue on a number of occasions, Bunni was not constitutionally, lawfully, or legally appointed to that position. It is only out of respect for President Muhammadu Buhari and the party that many of us deferred to him. I am not a party to it, but we are prosecuting many cases challenging his ascension to that position. He ought not to be there in the first instance. So, if he was upstaged, he cannot complain. If he ascended the position illegally, he cannot complain of illegality in his removal. We are only destroying an illegal structure. What has been done is to put away an illegal structure of his ascendancy to that position. Buni wasn’t qualified, in the first instance, to be in that position, going by the party’s constitution. He is holding an executive position as the governor of Yobe. By the position of Section 18 or 19 (4) of the constitution of our party, he cannot concurrently hold the position of Chairman. Some of our members went to the Supreme Court to challenge that, and the Supreme Court clearly stated that he could not be there. So, Buni cannot remain there. From what we heard and I have a copy of the proceedings, he obtained an order through a stage-managed judgment, and hid it, hoping to flash it at us maybe two or three days to the convention. I don’t want to use any caustic language against him. Buni has no reason to be there. We knew him when he was the secretary of the party; we knew the depth of his capacity.
As things stand now, is March 26 planned convention still feasible?
It is feasible. As I have been made to understand, we have to do a fire-brigade work. But if it becomes absolutely impossible, maybe we consider one or two weeks’ extension to enable us to put the right things in the right places. Buni never wanted the convention to hold, he was only waiting to flash the judgment at us when the time comes so that nobody would hold the convention. Sorry, I can’t restrict myself; that is very fraudulent. It is extremely fraudulent for someone we call Extraordinary Convention Committee Chairman to do that.
What does he intend to achieve by obtaining a restraining order of the court?
I don’t know. He has his own programme. He obtained an order, hid it because he never wanted the convention to hold. He was only waiting for either 22nd or 23rd of March to flash it as us. Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, who is close to the hierarchy at that level, said it. I think Buni does not know God. If he knows God, he won’t do that. If he had the privilege of being made a governor, he should thank God. There are many eminent people in Yobe that qualified to be governor. In Nigeria, when we get to a certain position, we play God.
But Governor el-Rufai already noted that any extension may likely affect the schedule of primaries due to the timing of Ramadan fasting?
I think we can manage to move on and hold the convention. But this guy has messed up the whole thing. As el-Rufai said, what he did will be on record.
Are you then looking at the idea of a consensus candidate to minimize further bickering within the party?
The convention will hold and people can vote. But that does not foreclose the idea of consensus.
How would you react to the position of the National Assembly on President Buhari’s request for the amendment of Section 84 of the new Electoral Act?
That means Section 84 subsection 12 of the electoral act remains. You can’t eat your cake and have it. If you want to contest, leave your position so that you don’t use it to oppress other aspirants. That is my view and I think the National Assembly has done very well. I watched the proceeding on television; the nay was extremely overwhelming across party lines. I think the president was misled to cancel that Section which actually led to the delay in signing the bill. It is not every time you get what you want. But some cabals want things to go their own way. So, whoever wants to contest should resign.
Are you saying in effect that all present political appointees who have ambitions to seek elective positions are already caught up by the new act?
Yes, they are already caught up by the act. In my own view, it is good.
The fuel crisis in the country is still lingering. And it is particularly curious that the sudden scarcity came almost at the same time the government announced its decision to defer the planned removal of subsidy. Is the government not playing double standard with this emerging scenario?
Economic decisions are taken based on the existing circumstance. That is the little I know about it. If fuel is sold for N500 per litre, it will worsen our economy. I will want to say that prudence dictates that the fuel price should be subsidized. It is a major product we use in travelling around, to power our generators and things like that.
The presidential primary is another big hurdle for the APC. Looking at the profile of aspirants who have already thrown their hats into the ring, what is your take on the 2023 presidential race?
Whatever opinion I give will be biased because I am an unrepentant supporter of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am a member of SWAGA. In fact, I am the Chairman of SWAGA in Ekiti State. So, whatever I tell you will be biased because of my position as an unrepentant supporter of Asiwaju.
There is a strong indication that the position of presidency is likely to come to the South…?
(Cuts in) We have not heard authoritatively that the party has zoned it to the South, but everybody is smelling that that is the way things will go. The essence of the Southwest Agenda for Asiwaju Tinubu (SWAGA) is to make case for the Southwest to pick the ticket of the presidential ticket of the APC. Apart from being the chairman of the group in Ekiti State, I am also a member of the national executive of SWAGA. So, as I told you earlier, whatever opinion I express will be biased.
But looking at it from the point of view of fairness, don’t you think that Southeast stands a higher ground to pick the ticket?
How do they stand a higher ground? Southeast has been patronizing PDP, let them stay there and patronize their PDP. Power is not served al-a-carte. When you talk of fairness, how much have they supported APC? Fairness is decided on how much you have contributed to the party by way of support. That is why I disagree with the view that Southeast should have it. If they want it, let them start by patronizing APC.
As usual, nocturnal meetings are ongoing towards the realignment of forces. Already, there is the rumour of the coming of the New Nigeria Peoples Party…?
(Cuts in) Let them come. When they come, we will look at them and see what they are up to. For now, they are still at the rumour mill.
Are you pre-empting that it cannot be formidable enough to outstage the APC?
Politics is not played by talking; politics is played by being on the ground. We know those of them who have managed some things in this country, but are now saying they want to bring up Nigeria. We don’t want to mention names now.
What is your opinion as to the major achievement of this government that would make APC sellable in the next election?
We have done a lot in infrastructure. Apart from infrastructure, we have done a lot of other things. It is when Buhari leaves that you and I will know. How many presidents in this country had done what he did? I am not saying he has performed excellently in all the fields, but he’s done very well compared to the 16 years of PDP. When campaigns start, we will lay down those issues. I am not the chief campaigner for APC, but things will be put on the table and comparatively, we will see how well this government has fared.
And how have Nigerians fared in the last six and half years of the administration?
When you see the performance of the government, you can say Nigerians have fared very well in view of the problems we have had like the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors affecting the economy.
You as the chief campaigner for Asiwaju in Ekiti State, what are you bringing to the table to change the narrative about the economy, insecurity, rising debt profile, and alarming rate of unemployment in the country?
What Asiwaju did in Lagos is enough. There is security in Lagos. Electricity would have been settled a long time ago, but for the fact that Heron Power he brought was diverted to the national grid. These are some of the trajectories we are going to use as part of his achievements in Lagos. He will replicate them when he becomes the president. He has the capacity, he knows how to fish out people and he is not tribalistic. He knows how to pick his own men. Igbo have been a commissioner in Lagos, Ekiti has been a commissioner in Lagos, Ogun has been a commissioner in Lagos. He dug up those who can perform and used them in governance, which is the secret behind the success of Lagos. If not for his foresight, with the current population, Lagos would have been a state where people would be running away from now. He can bring that experience into governance in Nigeria.
