Shuaibu Oba
AbdulRaheem was the immediate past executive chairman, Federal
Character Commissions. He is the Director General, Legacy Continuity
Campaign Organisation, which handled the campaign of the Kwara State
governor-elect, Abdulfatah Ahmed, during the just-concluded general
elections.
As the Director
General of Legacy Continuity Campaign Organisation, how does it feel to
be victorious? I feel happy and satisfied, at least, one has been given
a position of trust and one was able to deliver with the help of
almighty Allah and a very good team of men and women. It is quite a
cheerful relationship that we had and now that we have succeeded, we
need to pay debt of gratitude to Almighty Allah and to the electorate
and people of Kwara State who have conducted themselves throughout the
campaign period very responsibly, maturely without any unusual rancour,
act of violence, intimidation and harassment by hoodlums. These are
things very rear in electioneering campaigns in the previous elections.
This shows a very heart-warming experience for one to have worked in
that kind of environment.
Yes, we have led
PDP campaign team to victory in the just-concluded election, but we
must also remember that behind the scene has been a very supportive
contribution from the party leadership under the leadership of the
Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki and other party executive members
with their experiences, and other facilities at their disposal made
available to us has contributed in no small measures to the
achievements we recorded. Now that we have left the elections behind
us, it is time for reassessment to think of our position and see how we
can continue with the duty and job of our social engineering so as to
move our community forward.
Why did you offer to step down for the governor-elect during the party’s primaries or was there any act of intimidation?
Just on the eve of
the primary, the party’s leadership called all the aspirants to a forum
where the community interest was placed before us and stressed on the
ideology of the spirit of sharing and equity as it entails in politics.
Though, I am
already familiar with the equitable distribution of resources as
regards my position as the executive chairman of the Federal Character
Commission which I held until my resignation to contest the
governorship election. So when the idea of zoning came about, I quickly
understood and recognised the constitutional provision of the party.
I thought that yes,
I am from Kwara Central and since the district has been holding power
for the past 12 years, there is every need to ensure that other
senatorial districts also be given sense of belonging by adopting
zoning system. So, when the issue of zoning was adopted, I had no
choice than to accept and reason along with the party’s decision
Though, I am not an advocate of zoning system; that has been my
personal view because zoning itself is an undemocratic principle and of
course the practice of democracy is all about number. I believe that
even if we have to take a long time negotiating that, there would not
be a head way because that is what our system requires for now. By the
time we grow maturely than we are now, nobody will be interested in
asking the question of where you come from but what do you have to
offer?
How would you assess the eight years of Bukola Saraki’s administration in Kwara State?
Well, the
achievements of the Bukola-led administration is something that
everybody can see because he has transformed our community and the
period also witnessed unprecedented developments in terms of social
amenities, empowerment of the people as well as the exposure of the
citizens of the state. Good governance has been the hallmark of his
administration in the area of the provision of physical infrastructural
facilities and making lives more meaningful for its citizenry. Though
there is no administration without its shortcomings but this period has
been adjudged as the best administration Kwara State has ever had, by
creating a socio-economic environment that is most desirable for the
people of Nigeria.
As an academic turned politician, what are your challenges?
I don’t like to
make the dichotomy so wide between the academic and the politician
because by nature, human beings are all political animals and even in
the academia, you find a lot of politics. So it is not that one is
coming from an environment into a new environment that one is not
familiar with. Though party politics may be a bit different from the
kind of politics that one plays day-by-day but all the same, there has
been a lot of challenges but it was not too difficult for me to cope
with because of my involvement in social and community responsibilities
over years. But I believe that challenges are part of what makes human
beings and the entire communities grow.
Though I have
found the experiences in politics so far as quite interesting and
challenging, I have resolved to participate in political activities in
my capacity and contribute to the development of my community both far
and near. It is time we do away from artificial dichotomy between party
politics and other types of politics we may engage ourselves, and marry
various versions of politics we may understand in the interest that
together we will build a nation that we will be proud of in future.
Going into politics from the academia is a way of contributing the
ideas that one has gathered over the years toward nation building.
With the performance of INEC in the April 2011 general elections, what is the future of democracy in Nigeria?
I believe that for
the first time in our history, we had a consensus and organised
election that was adjudged to have been free, fair and credible. With
this, I believe that we have showed to the world that we can really
mature to true and real democratic practice in Africa.
Collectively, the
politicians, electorate, and the Independent Electoral Commission
(INEC) under Attahiru Jega have made history by marking a collective
achievement. Though it can not be credited to a particular political
party or individuals but to all stakeholders who have the interest of
Nigeria at heart and responsible leaders both in Nigeria and Africa at
large. I can therefore conclude ultimately that the man on the spot,
the institution on the spot has been the driving force for the real
democratic practice and that is the pointer that the future would
always be better.
What advice do you have for the newly elected public office holders?
It is always good to have a free, fair, transparent and credible election of mutual satisfaction by participants.
I think that the
lesson therefore is that in a true democracy, there must be general
participation and we must also learn from the past leaders who have
ruled with honesty so as to move our economy forward and be among the
20 leading economies by the year 2020. It is one thing for the
government to set its own programmes and it is another thing for the
electorate to play their own part. It is now left for those who will be
holding public offices to take their duties very responsibly and lead
people to the promise land by shunning corruption and be committed to
the socio-economy of our great nation. They must also remember the
series of promises made during their campaign tours.
I think this time,
we have very responsible people who know that they can be held
accountable for their actions and inactions and I believe this would
guide their conducts for the betterment of their people.
