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The All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been advised to ensure that they pick their presidential candidates for the 2023 general elections from the Southern part of the country in the interests of peace, justice and equity.
Giving the advice in an interview with TUNDE THOMAS, a former Chairman of Conference of APC State Chairmen, Chief Henry Ajomale, noted that the only way to promote peace and unity in the country is for the nation’s next president to come from the South.
Ajomale who was also a former Chairman of APC in Lagos State, said the principle of zoning should be adhered to by the two major political parties as a way of fostering unity in the country, noting that the North should not contemplate keeping power beyond 2023.
The convention of your party has been fixed for February 26. What ‘s your advice to the party leaders and the planning committee?
My advice is that they should carry out the assignment objectively. Not only that, they should be seen to be fair to everybody so that everybody will have confidence in officers elected to run the affairs of the party. They should be able to organise a convention that is acceptable to all. If we have a convention that is free and transparent, it will increase the level of confidence that members have in the party’s leadership. The convention should not bring up any crisis or issues capable of jeopardising the party’s fortunes in next year’s general election, and this is why I’m appealing to all APC members, especially those who want to contest for one position or the other, and their supporters not to see the convention as a do-or die affair. The convention should serve as a platform to strengthen and not weaken the party.
There have been different reactions to the presidential aspiration of the APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What’s your take?
Tinubu’s presidential aspiration is in order. He has the right to contest for any position that is available in the country. He has the qualifications. And not only that, he also has the credibility. His past records also speak for him. Tinubu’s decision to come out to run is a good omen for Nigeria. We are all living witnesses to how Tinubu transformed Lagos State when he was the state governor, and I believe he still possesses the same magic wand to transform Nigeria. He has what it takes to turn around the fortunes of this country. Lagos State is mini-Nigeria as every ethnic group, and geo-political zone is represented there, and when Tinubu was governor of the state for eight years, under his stewardship he gave everybody a sense of belonging.
But some people are saying that Tinubu is too old to succeed Buhari…
For those saying that, I don’t agree with them. If somebody’s IQ is still intact, and he has all it takes to perform, then why discriminate against him on the basis of age? You can put a 45-year-old man there and he may still not be able to perform. The current President of the United States, Joe Biden is almost 80, and how old is Tinubu? He is not yet up to 70. So I don’t agree with those who are saying that Tinubu is too old to run or succeed Buhari. Tinubu’s decision to run is to help in turning around the fortunes of the country. For a man that was able to run Lagos State without borrowing when Lagos State allocation was withheld by the Federal Government for years, I believe that he will be able to run the country successfully without borrowing or taking foreign loans as we are presently doing now.
Are you saying that foreign loans that the Federal Government is taking is not good, more so when government has declared that they are being taken to execute developmental projects?
These loans we are taking are not necessary. If we have a government that is inward looking, we can generate enough funds within Nigeria to execute these developmental projects without going cap in hand outside to borrow money. The dangers in taking these foreign loans are enormous. By taking these loans, we are not only mortgaging the future of coming generations, we are also in a way making Nigeria to be subservient to those nations lending us the money. Again, there is no way you will take foreign loans and hope to be a free nation. Some conditions will be attached that will make you to be subservient one way or the other to those nations lending you the money. I wish the Federal Government will put a stop to it but I don’t think anything can be done about that again since Buhari’s administration will be leaving office next year.
What’s your position on zoning, and which zone do you believe deserves the presidency in 2023?
There should be no controversy about that. It is the turn of the South. President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner is there now, and by next year he would have spent eight years in office, and so naturally it should be the turn of the South. And when it comes to the South, the President can come from any part of the South. Then apart from this, for us in the APC, zoning is entrenched in the party’s constitution, and what this means is that power will rotate alternatively between the North and the South. Anybody saying that there is no zoning in the APC constitution is not saying the truth. According to APC constitution, it is the turn of the South in 2023. Any attempt to truncate this arrangement may have consequences.
Although I’m not in PDP but I believe that it will be in the party’s interest to also zone the presidency to the South since the President we have there now is a northerner. For peace, equity, fairness and justice, I believe that it should be the turn of the South in 2023. Any attempt by the North to hold on to power beyond 2023 will boomerang. It may have devastating effects on the nation’s unity. To me, it will be unfair for any northerner to aspire to rule after Buhari might have spent eight years in office. It will not only be unfair but also unethical to other parts of the country. If we are talking about a united Nigeria, no part of the country should be seen to be dominating other parts.
Former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar recently said that zoning is not in the Nigerian Constitution and should be jettisoned.
Atiku is saying that because of his personal ambition. Atiku has become a serial contender for the Presidency. I don’t know why he wants to contest at any given opportunity. He had contested three or four times, so what is he looking for again? Why the desperation? The Presidency is not a family business. I think Atiku is wasting his time. If you have contested four times, what are you looking for again? I believe he should go and sit down. Everybody knows that he has tried his best but he should not allow the issue to become a compulsion. If he had contested four times and nothing came out of it, he should know that Nigerians don’t want him. It means they have rejected him. As a seasoned politician, Atiku should read the handwriting on the wall. He should quit when the ovation is still loudest.
Even when people are deceiving him, he should know how to say no. It is not every time that you succeed in everything. Atiku has succeeded in business, so if he can’t make any headway in his presidential ambition, he should let go. It should not become a do-or die affair. As an elder statesman, there are still a lot of ways he can continue to make contributions to the socio-economic development of the country. It is not only when you become the President that you can be useful to your country. However, it is left to him either to take or reject my advice, moreover I’m not a member of his party PDP. But sincerely speaking I believe it will do him a lot of good if he can let go of his presidential ambition.
What’s your position on the controversy over collection of VAT between states and the Federal Government?
The Federal Government should not interfere in the collection of VAT by the states. There should even be no controversy over this because everything has been clearly spelt out in the constitution. Any tax made on consumption made by any state government should be left for that state government to collect. There are some states which places ban on the consumption of alcohol in their domain, but the irony of it is that these states still go ahead to collect shares from VAT collected from those companies producing alcoholic drinks. Where is the fairness in that? This is why we have been clamouring for true practice of federalism.
In a true federal setting, the Federal Government will have no business with VAT being collected by the states. This is part of the reasons why restructuring of this country is imperative. Without restructuring, Nigeria can’t move forward. Some states can’t survive without the monthly allocations, and VAT they collect from Abuja, and this in a way has made many states to become lazy. But with restructuring, states will become autonomous units, they will become federating units, and will no longer be depending on all these allocations. State will have to work hard and generate revenues on their own. All these ideas of sharing, and sharing will have to stop, otherwise Nigeria will remain stagnant.
What’s your view on open grazing laws in the Southern states?
All over the world today, it is ranching that is being adopted. Why should Nigeria be left out? It is not even in the interest of the herdsmen and the cows that they should be moving on foot across the country. Again, look at the monumental damage being done to the farmlands of farmers in many parts of the country. I fully support the ban on open grazing. The ban will help both the herdsmen, and the farmers. We should not allow the issue to become a source of division between the North, and the South. We have been on this contentious issue for many years now, but I believe that the ban by the Sothern governors is the final answer to the problem. We should allow the ban to stay because it is the only way to stop the perennial crises between the herdsmen, and the farmers.
What’s the way out of the present state of insecurity that has continued to be a source of concern to Nigerians?
My advice is that the Federal Government should continue to sustain the present military offensive against Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal elements who have continued to hold the nation to ransom through their nefarious activities. The military should be well equipped to face the challenges. I don’t want to agree with those who are trying to bring politics into the issue by saying that APC has not found an answer to the issue. It is only those who have short memory that will forget how bad the situation was under PDP leadership when these bandits and Boko Haram were causing so much havoc until when APC came on board in 2015.
I know that insecurity across the land is giving a lot of Nigerians serious concern, but I believe that the Federal Government has been trying to bring the situation under control but much still needs to be done. I also want to appeal to the Federal Government to do something on poverty alleviation. Some of these people that go into crime are pushed into it by poverty. Look at the way these insurgents are being killed, and also look at the way new recruits are being brought into their fold again. I mean new Boko Haram recruits, including bandits. Look at the way their ranks are being swelled. This is why I’m suggesting that the Federal Government has to do something about poverty alleviation.
What are your fears about 2023?
I have no fear about 2023? It will not be the first general election we are holding, and it will not be the last. My appeal to fellow members of the political class is that we should play the game according to the rules. We should not see the election as a do-or-die affair. Politicians should avoid any act capable of truncating the nation’s democracy. We’ve laid a solid foundation for democracy, and we should be able to sustain it.
