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2023: Tinubu has what it takes to govern Nigeria –SWAGA boss

• Says, Osun will go the way of Ekiti

Former Federal legislator in the House of Representatives, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, is the Convener of the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju Tinubu (SWAGA), a campaign organization, rooting for the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2023 general election. In a media interaction in Lagos recently,  Ojo expressed the delight that, at last, his group’s labour has not been in vain since their principal, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has come out victorious in the party’s primary election and now has the targeted AllProgressives ticket in his kitty, asserting that “Tinubu has what it takes to solve the country’s problems.” Razaq Bamidele was there.

What should we expect after your principal has eventually clinched the presidential ticket of his party?

Our campaign organization, SWAGA, of which I am the convener, started about four years ago, immediately after President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in. And as a student of politics, we realised the need to start early for Tinubu’s candidature. That is why SWAGA is a political movement. We started very early. I had to go round the country to look for like-minded people, to look for those who believe in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Thank God, at the end of the day, we were able to convene ourselves. We called on Senator Dayo Adeyeye to be our leader, having looked at his profile. Right now, we have completed a phase.

What phase have you completed?

Our Principal, Bola Tinubu, has emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). We are going into the next phase, which is the most important one. It is highly important.  We are beginning a sensitisation programme on Permanent Voters Card (PVC), collection. I am happy about the way the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said they are going to extend the registration for PVC deadline. We are going to the nooks and crannies of this country to make sure that anybody above the age of 18 gets his or her PVC. Without collecting your PVC, you won’t have the right to vote. Without your PVC, you don’t have the right to complain, you don’t have the right to change. Democracy is about people. So, people must come out to cast their votes. SWAGA has started its door-to-door campaign, telling people, first of all, to go and get their PVCs.  Once you pick your PVC, you will now be able to come out to vote. SWAGA is about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But, a lot of sensitisation still needs to be done. Considering the literacy level, sensitisation is very important. The literacy level is still low; less than 50 per cent. So, we are using the door-to-door campaign to sensitise people to register, collect their PVCs and cast their votes. So, it is ‘Operation Collect Your PVC’ for now.

What is your view about his choice of a running mate? 

You have to leave the choice of running mate to the presidential candidate. There are some certain things he knows better. Some people are talking about Muslim/Christian tickets, knowing the way the country is. Some people are saying, on the other hand, that for you to get votes there is a region in the country with more states. You have to look at issues from all angles. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is someone who consults widely before taking any decision. Remember SWAGA is about Asiwaju Tinubu. We don’t want to get involved about who his running mate is. The goal of SWAGA is for Asiwaju Tinubu to emerge as the presidential candidate of his party. On running mate, we need to leave that decision to him. That is why the choice is extremely key to the presidential candidate himself.

Secondly, a lot of issues are coming. A lot of high-wire discussions are going on. But, in SWAGA, our focus is the presidential candidate. And in some of the issues that would shape the 2023 general election, candidacy matters a lot. Past records of candidates matter a lot. In this country, we are facing challenges. We cannot deny that. There are challenges. On inflation, you know where the dollar is now, and what the economy is talking about. There is a bit of a religious crisis. You know the issues of banditry and terrorism. So, you need somebody who can tackle all these. It is not that the present government is not doing all these. They are doing it. More can still be done. The candidate understands these issues. It cannot be done by one person. Nigeria is a country of about 200 million people. So, you need somebody that really understands the length and breadth of this country and the crises. The APC government met some deficits on the ground. I am not talking about the fiscal deficit. I am talking about the security deficit, and economic deficit. At least, dollar to naira was not zero, or one to one to a naira. When a government comes in, and with the technology in place, you cannot compare what happened in 2015 to what is happening now. So, Nigeria should

Tinubu to move the country forward to a greater height; he has what it takes to do that.

How do you think Tinubu can handle those problems if voted into power next year as president?

These problems have been existing for a long; religious, ethnic, economic, infrastructural, and electricity. But, it is not only about Asiwaju alone. It is about getting the right people by Asiwaju to do it. The man is never in a rush to do something. He will pick the right set of people to do the right job and have results within a short period. He has done it in Lagos. He can replicate the same thing anywhere. He knows what everybody is capable of doing. Asiwaju will not put a financial expert to go and be a security intelligence officer. Asiwaju will put people in the right place and at the right time. So, what we are praying for, first of all, is for him to emerge president. When he eventually becomes president, these will be the questions: what team are you putting together? He has a lot of blueprints on his head. He has been preparing for this job. So, his blueprint is on the ground. Once he enters into power, he will kick-start it immediately.

He is not someone that gets to power and he starts planning. No. With the problems on the ground in Nigeria now, the country needs a leader who has the solution. To be honest, he is not going to achieve it in one day. But, getting the right set of people to do the right job will really make things work. You cannot solve all the problems. But, I assure you that Asiwaju will solve a lot of problems on the ground. There will be changes.

With the myriad of problems his party could not solve, what are the chances of Tinubu next year?

The chances are high. There are challenges too. At the primaries, less than 3,000 people voted. We are talking about an election where millions of people will be casting their votes. You have to look at areas where these votes lie, if you want to govern Nigeria because some regions have more votes than other regions. Well, is he accepted in places like Kano? Is he accepted in places like Sokoto? Accepted in places like Borno and others? The South-south region? The South-east region? Even in Adamawa? Asiwaju is a nationalist. He is a national figure. That’s why his chance of winning is very high. The South-west is a no-go area. It is a closed-door issue. Ten, 12 million votes will be delivered. That is why the door-to-door campaign will be sustained.

We are talking to our people to pick up their PVCs to make sure they go and vote. You are sure Lagos will deliver five million votes plus. Take Lagos, take Kano. We are sure we will win Rivers because there is post-primary reconciliation going on to resolve some of these political differences. In Rivers, there is a peace process going on between Chibuike Amaechi and Magnus Abe. In other states, like Jigawa, you could see the governor also talking to some people. In Ekiti, in the recent election, SWAGA had to work with Governor Fayemi to deliver Biodun Oyebanji. The vote was massive. There is conflict resolution going on in Osun right now. After the primaries, there will be a crisis. You cannot run away from that. There must be a winner, there must be a loser. You have to pacify both parties. It should not be a winner-take-all. That’s what is going on now, conflict resolution.

We still have about six months until the election. Government is a big area. If you don’t become something today, you can tomorrow. If you don’t become a governor, you can become a minister, or ambassador. Some of us have been in government for seven years. But, we are still relevant in government.  We are also called upon to contribute. One person has to emerge in a contest. In a football competition, the Premier League, one team has to emerge. The conflict resolution going on in the APC will help a lot.

Are you insinuating that APC is not feeling threatened by the presidential ambition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar?

Well, I will be honest with you. If we say we are not threatened by the presidential ambition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, I am not being honest. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is an old horse, who has been in this game for a long. That’s why it is said in APC that the only match for Atiku Abubakar is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is not a small fry, having been a vice president before and been in the race three or four times, he is not a pushover. We have never said anybody is a pushover. We need to work and work, just the same way we did in SWAGA; working for the presidential primary. We knew the vice president came out. We kept working. Governor Rotimi Amaechi came out, we kept working. We worked till the last day. That was what our principal told us; don’t underrate anybody. You cannot underrate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. But, we know that with hard work and the product we have on our hand, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  we will definitely come out victorious at the end of the day.

How are you engaging the youths, some of whom are threatening the two big parties – APC and PDP- on social media?

The election is not won on social media. Anywhere in the world, you have to go and cast your vote. Abroad, you send it by post through an electronic system. Let’s leave social media. It is a means of information, a means of communication. We have taken our campaigns to clubs, youth centres, everywhere.  We have to let the youths understand that this is a complex country that can be handled by an experienced person. We can sit down at the back of our houses and look at Nigeria in comparison with America. Some people say these things are not rocket science.  You need to know the geographical terrain of this country. You need to understand this country. You see youth in Lagos; he doesn’t know the way to Kaduna. You see youth in Zaria; he doesn’t know where Bayelsa is. For youths to take over power, they must go through a tutelage system. It is done everywhere in the world. You have to go through a tutelage system whereby you see the problems of this country. That is why we are appealing to them that this man, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been tested and trusted, as a senator, and political activist in the days of NADECO and governor of Lagos. He will lay a solid background for us in this country. I am also a youth. We can follow up on what he would do. We all saw what Awolowo did, what Nnamdi Azikiwe did. There is a need for them to see more of these things and learn.

You cannot view Nigeria, for example, solely from the angle of the problems of youths in Lagos. What are the problems of youths in Kaduna, Sokoto? The ones in Kuru, Jos, what are their problems? So, it is a combination of things. These problems can’t be solved at once. That is why we are appealing to them to join the Asiwaju campaign, get their PVCs and vote for him. In four years’ time, Nigeria will not remain the same.

Previous elections have shown that the South-east has not really embraced the APC, especially during presidential contests. How can the zone be re-engaged ahead of next year’s poll?

We have to look at certain things. We have to be honest at this juncture. There are PDP-controlled states. The governors have a lot of influence in those states. Before now, out of the five states, we had one, Imo. Thank God, for now, we have two – Imo and Ebonyi. One state belongs to APGA. You have two PDP states. Things are changing gradually. The rule of the game says 25 per cent. We don’t expect to win every state. But, we know that this time around, our chances are very high. We will win up to three states, aside from the two we have.

What are your comments on the post-primary reconciliatory moves by Asiwaju?

The reconciliatory moves by Asiwaju have been very fantastic. Immediately after the primary election, he visited the vice president, Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Yahaya Bello, former Governor Amosun, Governor Fayemi and all other aspirants. That was the first step. You must let everyone have a sense of belonging; that you are not running an individual government but a collective government. He was well accepted.

The post-reconciliatory move has really helped in Ekiti State. It was his first step as a presidential candidate. You could see the margin of victory. He was able to reconcile all. In Ekiti, there were some issues in APC. The emergence of Asiwaju as a presidential candidate solved the problem in Ekiti. Now, Rivers State. Efforts are being made to resolve the problems between Amaechi and Magnus Abe as well as in all other states. Governor Amosun held a massive rally in Ogun for him. Those are fruits of post-reconciliatory moves. There are still some other areas. That is why I am happy we still have up to six months before the election. He is going to visit a lot of people, stakeholders, and business class. This is what most of our political leaders will be doing, even those of us in SWAGA, to make sure that everybody comes together.

How can this momentum be sustained till the day of the election?

The SWAGA movement started around December 2019. The election is in six months’ time. God who has helped us thus far will definitely see us through. And we are going to get there.

What is your advice to the governor-elect of Ekiti State?

The governor-elect has started well. He is making moves, visiting the stakeholders across party lines because he will be governor of all Ekiti people. Four years are like four days. He has to kickstart well, on a very right footing. He is doing very well, meeting with other stakeholders. He should find ground between him and ex-governor Segun Oni. He has seen former Governor Fayose. He has gone to the former Health Minister, Adeluyi-Adelusi, an eminent pharmacist. I have spoken with him on three occasions on the phone. He is my senior. In Yoruba culture, he is my senior. He has been reaching out to people. Ekiti is not a rich state. It has its peculiar issues. It is landlocked. You have to move around the leaders, especially people who have governed the state in the past, and those who had represented the state in the past. He needs their advice on what to do. Ekiti is not financially rich like Lagos. Ekiti has few resources, and time is nobody’s friend. Ekiti people can be patient and at the same time impatient. He has started well.

 

 With people’s complaints about this current administration, how can you convince Nigerians to vote for APC again?

These problems did not start today. They only got to a boiling point. Strikes have been going on in this country since 1992. I am not justifying anything. The issue of increase in fuel pump price has been on since. I have been queuing to buy kerosene since the nineties. It is just unfortunate governments have not resolved it. That is why we are saying APC met the mess on the ground. The former Finance Minister, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, said it was not Buhari that came to spend our reserves. If our reserve was there when Buhari came on board, we would have been very buoyant. Okonjo-Iweala warned the past government not to touch the reserves. So, when the man came, he started borrowing money for infrastructural development; the railway. The projects were initiated by the Jonathan administration. Buhari had to complete everything.

These security issues and terrorism started a long time ago. Some of these fighter jets are not what you can find in days. It may take two years, eight months, or nine months. It is not something you go and buy in the market like garri. There has been a population explosion, which was not controlled by successive governments as well. China introduced a one-child policy. I think they have lifted it now to two. The last time we had a census was more than 15 years. They are planning one now. APC government inherited all these problems.  That is why we are saying the best man, who had inherited problems in Lagos and solved them, is the same man that should resolve the problems at the centre, although his party is APC. A party ruled us for 16 years. APC has only done eight years. Let Asiwaju come to him. You will see what he will do. I can be honest with you. You will see wonders.

We have got to that boiling point whereby things have to start rolling down. As of 2023, we will be seeing the changes. At this stage, if you have a wound, there will be a healing process. Nigerians want to see a healing process. Not magic. Problems had piled up. We once had a Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). While in the House of Representatives, we had a discussion with a Chief of Defence Staff around 2013. The Naval General said the last time Nigeria bought ammunition; weapons was 1979. He is still alive. So, you look at problems that were inherited. Our soldiers were doing peace-keeping in Liberia, Sierra Leone. No training. We were not prepared for our own front.

Later, the Libya, and Chad issues came up. So, Nigeria became a battleground for mercenaries. When you look at their pictures, the northerners will say these terrorists, bandits are not Nigerian Fulani. We had a military that was not prepared. So, we have reached a boiling point and things would have to start cooling down as of 2023. This government is not the cause of the problem. We had money in the past. We were spending reserves. Our saving culture is bad in this country. I schooled abroad. I worked abroad. I know how those abroad saved for unforeseen contingencies. This government met a zero treasury and unfortunately, these problems came up. That is why we are now appealing that these problems will be solved by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

What are your expectations in Osun State?

Our expectation is that we will win in Osun. Governor Oyetola has worked well and justified the confidence reposed in him. We won in Ekiti. I am not an ethnic bigot. The Yoruba man is not looking at Governor Oyetola again. They are looking at Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, just as they looked at Chief Moshood Abiola on June 12, 1993, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo during the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) days. We don’t disappoint our fathers. We don’t disappoint our leaders. Immediately after Asiwaju got the APC presidential ticket, the music changed in Ekiti. You saw the reception when he came to Ekiti. Osun is for Asiwaju. In Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, they are for Asiwaju. Yoruba will not be disgraced during the election.

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