By Gbenga Olarinoye

What informed the  decision of the Action Congress of Nigeria to choose Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the consensus presidential candidate of the party for April elections?

In August last year, our party decided to migrate from using the old hands and resolved to make use of the youths. That was why we encouraged the youths to pick our forms for the elections. We felt that the youth of this country have been denied the opportunity to be in the forefront in the political life.

So, we wanted them to be able to come forward and showcase their stuff. So, our party is determined to create opportunity for the youths to partake in the elections and governance. As a result of this, we allocated enough space for the youth in our party. It is our desire to see the youths operating while we are still alive and we are try to accomplish that.  Therefore, because Nuhu Ribadu falls within that bracket, he was able to get our ticket for the presidential election. I need to tell you that among the three persons that were presidential aspirants on the platform of ACN, there was unanimous decision that Ribadu should be the candidate. We thought there was going to be vote by the delegates to elect one of them as the candidate during our convention but when the three of them spoke, they came up with a decision that Ribadu should be the candidate. So, none of the remaining two, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and Malami is aggrieved over Ribadu’s emergence.

*Chief Akande

Do you think the ACN can win presidential election?

Honestly, we are very optimistic that we can win the presidential election in the forthcoming April poll. We are discussing with CPC and ANPP and we hope that with such people in those parties, we can easily strengthen the opposition and defeat the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party. The discussion is really progressing and I want Nigerians to be very assured that we are going to chase the PDP out of the presidential villa in Abuja this year.

Are you convinced that the Independent National Electoral Commission will conduct free and free election?

Considering the leadership of the INEC, I think one can say the election will be free and fair but we are not sure of the role that the police will play yet. The Inspector General of police needs to come out with his agenda and convince Nigerians on his own commitment to ensure free and fair election.

Some members of your party are accusing the ACN leaders of imposition of candidates in some states. Don’t you think this will affect the chances of your party in those states?

We are in a democracy. So, what do you mean by imposition. It is the same democracy that is being practiced in England and Canada as well as India. The style they are using there is the style ACN is using here and that is what you describe as imposition. It is only in America that they promote the style of primary election in choosing candidates who will represent the party. You cannot tell me that  America’s democracy is superior to that of the British. Such style practiced in America has the tendency of splitting the party into pieces and cause division among party members.

The British democracy is the oldest in the world and you cannot see political parties there conducting primary elections before choosing their candidates. They do it by picking competent hands that are trustworthy in the judgment of the party. So, we believe that elections under a democratic setting is when we are contesting with other political parties during polls. If election within our party is what you are trying to describe as internal democracy, then we reject such idea. Can we impose when we are contesting against PDP? But we can do something within our party if the leadership of the party feels that that is the best thing. This is because it is the leadership of the party that understands the manifestoes of the party and knows what the people really want.

This is not a matter of an individual but the party. Nobody should accuse ACN of imposition because that is our style. Anyone that is not comfortable with that should go and contest in another political party. So if you see anyone carrying placard around, he is wasting his time. We know the efforts we made before the party became what it is today and where are they when we were making the efforts.

It is when they see that the party is popular that they were attracted to it and we don’t expect them to come and hijack the party because of their dirty money. We won’t allow anyone to hijack our party and that is why we take decisions in the interest of the party.  

How do you feel about the influx of PDP members into your party in many parts of the country?

We welcome all of them and I can assure you that they will soon become good people by the time they mix with us. They will learn how to do it from us and they will also join us in doing it well.

Now that PDP has picked President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate, if Alhaji Atiku Abubakar comes back to ACN, will you accept him again?

Atiku is a businessman with a mind in politics. He thinks politics could be played the way business can be managed. If he is not careful, he will soon become a rolling stone that gathers no moss. The earlier he realizes this, the better for him. However, if he wants to come back to ACN, he is welcome. If Atiku comes back to our party again, we will remind him, had you known, you would not have gone back to PDP again. So, anybody can join our party from their wards in their local governments and no one can prevent them.

When are you planning to quit politics?

I will die in politics. It is not possible for me to quit. Even when I become older that I cannot move around again, my soul will keep playing politics. Don’t forget that politics is ordained by God and it is through the politics that you will be able to help other people in the society to be better. When you are in politics, you are an apostle of a kind. Oh! I love politics very much. I’m not going to quit. 

How do you think the issue of jumbo pay for the members of the National Assembly could be addressed?

The nation’s constitution did not allow the legislators to regulate their earnings and emoluments but it is a lawless act coming out from sheer impunity which is the major characteristic of the PDP government in the presidency that enabled the National Assembly members to decide what they want and to loot the treasury of this country. As far as I’m concerned, it is looting. My party does not support such a thing. Instead of benefitting the generality of people of this country, they are busy enriching themselves with the public fund.

That is what we call self aggrandizement and it is naked stealing which is not acceptable to our own political party. That is the reason why our party is striving to make sure that those who will serve the public through our platform must listen to the party leadership. We are trying to make sure that those elected on our party’s platform don’t misbehave or steal. We are making them to realize that the party is superior irrespective of the power that their offices give that after
the elections. So, they must listen to the party, promote the party’s manifestoes and shun self aggrandizement. That is why you see governance in Lagos and Edo changing faces because we don’t allow the governor to put themselves above the people.

Can you instruct your representative in the Senate and the House of Representative not to take such huge money just to set a good example?

It will be a little bit difficult. We cannot be able to give such instruction because it will provoke crises within our party. Our representatives in the National Assembly know our attitude on this matter and they know that we are not comfortable as far as the issue of jumbo pay is concerned but our lawmakers are helpless.

They are human beings and it may be difficult for them not to take the money when their colleagues from other political parties are collecting theirs. We can stop that aberration when our party takes over the presidency through the next election. We are going to make sure things are done well by allowing the body and institution of government that is supposed to regulate the earnings of political office holders to do the job without undue interference. The emolument for the members of the national assembly would be fixed by using the labour wage and in consideration of the revenue that is generated by the country.

What is your view of the recent outburst of Senator Iyiola Omisore castigating the nation’s judiciary on the victory of Governor Aregbesola at the Appeal Court?

I don’t think the judiciary did anything wrong by taking away the stolen mandate from the election riggers and returning it to the rightful owner, Governor Aregbesola. I don’t think anyone should fault the judiciary at all. When the same judiciary gave it to PDP in Ogun and Oyo state, Omisore did not complain. Why condemning the same judiciary now? However, I don’t blame him. The young man is frustrated. As you can see, he was very ambitious and his ambition just crashed. So, he is overwhelmed by the development and he was saying rubbish because he was confused.

What is your view about the former president Olusegun Obasanjo and former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu?

Obasanjo is confused while Tinubu is a focused party manager. Tinubu has some people he regards and listen to while Obasanjo has nobody to fear. That is all I want to say.