A former Minority Whip in the House of Representatives and currently the National Leader of the pan-Yoruba organisation, Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, in this interview with OLAOLU OLADIPO, talked about his impression of the country as well as the seeming drift of the country towards a one-party state. Excerpts:
…says this govt can’t be changed through democratic means
The political scene has been so abuzz in recent times with the decision of INEC to withdraw or withhold recognition to the David Mark-led National Executive of the opposition coalition, the ADC; what is the view of Afenifere on this decision?
It is clear now, more than ever before, that INEC is compromised. I say so because the chairman of INEC is a professor of law, so we must give him the benefit of the doubt to understand simple tenets of the law. The chairman must be asking himself now whether the public was able to pass judgment on him and what he has done.
Is he going to say that he doesn’t understand the law or that wilfully he has decided to tread the path he has taken now? That is, what we are talking about is so simple that the chairman understands what he says. You yourself witnessed the installation of David Mark and the secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.
The INEC witnessed the installation of those people. INEC filed a report on it, consequent to all that, INEC uploaded the names of these two gentlemen on their web- site. Now, what has happened? If the court says status quo, what does that really mean? Is he saying that he doesn’t understand what that means?
Very simple interpretation of that by anybody is that the interpretation is that before the court, before the court started, you came to court to resolve a matter and you now accuse status quo held by them. If you go back to that, what he is saying is that let us maintain what you had before you came to court.
So, INEC portal had the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola before the complainant came. So, simple interpretation means that, okay, ‘let us stay where you were before your complaint started.’ And where were they? They were at a position monitored by you. So, that is status quo. I don’t understand why he finds that difficult to understand or to execute.
Why do you think the INEC boss is acting this way?
I think there is an unseen hand in what is happening. God forbid, Nigeria would not be a one-party state. But the way things are mov- ing, unless Nigerians stand up and say enough is enough, we may have a terrible situation on our hands.
You talked about Nigeria drifting towards a one-party rule. The President has come out on a number of occasions to say that he doesn’t like a situation of a one-party state…
(Cuts in) We’ll, Afenifere does not believe him. I don’t believe him because we are a victim of his shenanigans. The President came into politics through Afenifere and we all know what he did to Afenifere. He tore Afeneferi to pieces and that’s what he’s trying to do with the country now.
He has divided it into various parts. He says it without mincing words to anybody that cares to listen, that as far as he’s around, he will never allow Afenifere to ever own a political party anymore.
The registration of AD is in his hands. It’s in the President’s hands. We know him, if Nigerians don’t know him, Afenifere knows him. This is his style. This is his method. That is how he understands politics.
What do you think he stands to gain? Since, I mean, structurally, in terms of party structure, he’s well on ground, and that he’s poised, from the look of things, to win. What do you think he stands to gain by fomenting crises in the opposition party?
Nigerians should be careful, and I’m saying this because of what I know. Well, if you don’t know this much, you ask that question. Why is he still holding on to power in Lagos State since 20 years ago? Nobody becomes a governor in Lagos State today unless Tinubu says so.
Nobody becomes anything in the local political situation in Lagos State today unless Tinubu approves of it, 20 years after he left office.
So, he stands to gain a lot. You ask him. He wants to be an emperor. Nigeria has created an emperor. We will get it. Now, Tinubu is not talking about 2027. Nigerians should know this. He’s not even talking about 2031. This man wants to be a life president of Nigeria. Go and write it down, by the way he’s going, nobody will be able to stand up to him again.
You’re asking me, what does he stand to gain? You see, when a greedy power monger has no limits, the more he gets, the more he wants. The more power he gets, the more power he wants. Why are you asking me, what does he stand to gain? If he still holds on to powers in Lagos State after 20 years, why can’t you hold on to Nigeria for 20 years?
You talked about Nigerians rising up against him. In what way do you think he can be stopped? Do you think the opposition is well primed to stop him?
It’s not the opposition alone, it’s Nigerians. I mean right thinking Nigerians. Suffering masses of Ni- gerians. They should stand up to him.
You see, you can only rule the people who want you to rule them. If Nigerians start peaceful disobedience, he will give up. You can only rule a person if he wants you to rule him, if he allows you to rule him.
If Nigerians commence peaceful dis- obedience, stay at home. Don’t take any orders from him anymore. No violence, nothing. Just sit at home. Refuse to take orders from him. That’s the end. Nigerians wake up, Nigerians wake up.
Let’s stand up to this man. Let’s stand up to him. Let’s say no, we don’t want this. That’s all. Going to court against him is a pure waste of time, what we can do is just peaceful disobedience. Stand up to him, say no.
Who do you think should take the lead in effecting this change that you want?
We will get there very soon. I was looking at social media this morning, I saw people on the streets of Abuja saying enough is enough. Wait, when you have this in Abuja, you have it in all the state capitals of Nigeria, you will think twice.
You can’t rule us by force. You cannot rule us by force. You cannot rule us by force. It’s simple, very simple. See what is happening in Iran. The US said it was going to blow up the bridges in Iran. What did the Iranians do? They went and lined up by the bridges.
Went and lined up and asked him to bomb the bridges, he couldn’t. With all his power, he could not. Nigerians will say, no, enough is enough. Occupy all the state assemblies. Occupy all the streets. That’s all. No violence, nothing. Just sit down there.
Give orders and nobody takes orders. When a policeman comes and believes he is a master of people, he will run away when the people swarm towards him. How many people can you kill? I’m not advocating revolution. I’m advocating peaceful disobedience.
From the way you’ve spoken, it’s like you believe that this present government cannot be changed through legitimate democratic means?
I doubt it because he has compromised the judiciary, he has compromised the executive, he has compromised all the arms of government. So who do you talk to? Can you believe that a professor of law is talking like this? Can you believe it? They just got a loan approval for how much? $6 billion or whatever it is some days ago under 24 hours and you’re talking.
The Senate is compromised. The House of Reps is compromised. The courts are compromised. So whom do you turn to? Turn to yourself. It’s very, very simple. All around the world this happens. It is not violence. It is not revolution. I’m not saying any- body should carry guns. I’m not saying anybody should fight. I’m just saying sit down in your house.
Enough is enough. Sit down in your house. That’s all. I’m not advocating revolution. That is enough for me. I can’t cope anymore. Sit down in your house. Can that be an offence? No, it can never be an offence.
You believe that that would be enough to dislodge him?
Certainly! You can only rule a person who allows you to rule him. No, we don’t want this. It’s simple.
How well do you think rally and protest will force the hands of the INEC to do the right thing?
Well, we had a rally today (Wednesday). Let us see. They should not give up. That’s the thing. It shouldn’t be a one off thing. It should be a continuous thing. They should start tomorrow. Continue to do so. If they just do it once and leave the place, it won’t mean anything.
If ADC says truly that it has the support of Nigerians, tell your members throughout Nigeria to walk on the streets and show their stance. Let ADC show their stance. Let them show that they don’t accept what is happening.
Let all members of ADC, wherever they may be in Nigeria, show civil disobedience. It’s simple. If truly ADC claims to be this large party they call themselves, then en- courage your members throughout Nigeria, wherever they may be, to say no to this.
Your organisation is a member of the Southern and Middle Belt Consultative Forum. Am I right?
Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum.
On your part, don’t you think that’s another area or avenue or platform to…
We are working on it. Our statement on this will come out in another 38 hours. I’ve just finished putting my hands on that.
Let me now ask you pointedly. Is there any kind of consensus among all of you on President Bola Tinubu?
We’ll see what is happening. All we are asking is correctness, fairness. We are not against Tinubu as a person. We are against his style of governance. We are against the type of government that he is running. Tinubu is a human being like you and me.
We are not against him as a person. We are against the type of government that he is running. So, that’s it. We are not against Bola Tinubu as a person.
We are against the type of government that he is trying to put in place. It cannot keep democracy for Nigeria. It cannot run us out of what we believe in this country.
That’s what is happening. So all Nigerians, all right thinking Nigerians, should come out and say enough is enough. We don’t want it.
Credit: New Telegraph