By Fred Itua, Abuja
Senator Ayo Arise represented Ekiti North senatorial district on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 2007 and 2011 and served as the chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation.
In this interview, the All Progressives Congress (APC) member, spoke on 2023 presidency, his plan to return to the Senate, among other issues.
The APC has unveiled the timetable for the presidential convention and other primaries; N100 million for presidential nomination fee, N50m for Governorship; N20 million for Senate; N10 million for the House of Representatives and Nigerians are saying the fees for the form for the Presidency is appalling; that politics is being heavily monetised. What is your take on that?
I believe that is to ensure that only serious aspirants are entertained. From experience, most people who obtained forms in the past particularly those with deep pockets, they ended up buying forms for several people with the hope that they might have to go into some arrangement of consensus and their surrogate candidates will not be the ones voted or one of those machinations on the consensus. So, that is fairly eliminated because N50 million is not peanuts to pay as a fee for governorship aspiration and ditto N100 million is not a cheap money to go and recruit very unserious aspirants who already are aware that they do not have the wherewithal to run an election.
I believe on that note; that is the major reason why the party decided to use fee as deterrent to those with such tendencies to put the high figures and this can only be met by very serious candidates.
Now, I will agree that in a way, it is a lot of money to pay for aspiration but considering what the other parties are charging for similar positions. For example, I am hearing that some other parties are looking at about N3.5 million for a Senatorial seat whereas, in our own party to obtain the form for the Senate is N20 million and for the House of Representatives is N10 million. But like I said, the pay is a form of deterrent for those who are used to buying multiple forms for different people with the hope that when the chips are down, those ones will step down for them to show some level of popularity. For example, if 10 people buy forms and nine of them are stepping down for you, may be other serious ones may be they are two or three, they can easily get intimidated, not realising that it is the same person who obtained for the 10 people. But anyone that is going to pay N50 million now for governorship, if he pays for 10 people that is already N500 million so they will feel it. Some people may not feel it but they belong to the minority; very few people in that category. But, again, if you look at every election, the fees structure to pay and if you juxtapose that with the background of inflation, you will discover that somehow, it might be comparative with what obtained in the past.
For example, during the election of Mr. President, the first time he went was N27 million, then went to N40m, then now is N100 million. So, if you recollect, may be in 2015, the exchange rate of the dollar was under N200. Today, is about N600, that is clearly three times and you will also realise that those in business, must be reacting to the market forces. So, invariably what sold for N27 million in 2015, today that same will be more than N100 million. So, when you look at logic and mathematics and the economy, this is just answering to what obtains in Nigeria of today. So, that is what I think informed the National Executive Committee, (NEC) to put the price based on economy and based on the sense of deterrence for those who undermine our democracy through the idea of being money bags, buying forms for 10, 20 people. People now know the cost. If you are able and you have the capacity, you go into it. I think the party has said for those other specific ages, these prices are reduced as much as 50% to encourage other people to come in. Let me tell you, there is no election, either presidential or governorship that does not cost a lot of money. If you even look at the American system, you look at how much the American President gets paid, it is about $400,000 a year. But to run for a presidential election, we remember that Obama raised over a billion dollars for his election, ditto Trump almost a billion dollar. You look at it that election is expensive everywhere and that is why not everybody can be a president neither can everybody be a governor. These are simple positions based on geographical formations. I think on the basis of that, that is what has informed the party (decision). Because all of us, for example I left the Senate 11 years ago, so how would a person like me if I don’t have little jobs I am doing, go and pay N20 million for a form, but it is because I think my people deserve it and I am ready to put my neck into it.
But some observers have said that the party has automatically given undue advantage to money bags politicians and shutout those that have the qualities to rule this country but they do not have the money. What do you have to say?
I have answered that, to tell you that leadership is not zoned to people who have ideas but do not have the money. Because there is nobody who wants to be a president, even those of them coming out now that have not paid their dues in one aspect or the other. You now look at it that you are arguing that those who have ideas, if you have ideas you should probably not be poor. A person like Bill Gates is not running for the president of any nation but you look at it that at the age of 21, he had become a billionaire. So, if you have good ideas and you are brilliant, it is likely that that brilliance would have shown in your prosperity because you can’t just be a brilliant man and be a poor man. No, it is either you are selling what is in your brain either through software development, or through some business investment, through hard work and or may be multiplying that your brilliance by imparting many people with knowledge and they are looking at you that it is time to pay back; this man has been good. So, there is no way a person can argue that you have zoned that to those who don’t have ideas. There is nobody who wants to become president that does not have an idea. Whether the idea is to better the interest of the society as we view it or not is a different issue and different debate all together. I mean look at all of them running, if a person who has ideas comes in, he would come with a lot of money because his ideas have been able to translate into prosperity. So, he would be in that league. It is not for everybody and that is the way I look at it. And there is no society that will say they are zoning presidency to those who have ideas but have no money. It’s a problem all over the world and it is a big problem. If you have ideas always start from the local government to State House of Assembly to the House of Representatives and Senate, may be from Senate to governor or vice versa and to the presidency. So, those opportunities are there, you can start at your own level. There are people who are spending N2 million or N5 million for their own contest. If the person knows that his capability is only N5 million, he should go and run for the post of N5 million and from there you will be noticed to be different. From there, you will start moving gradually. So, I think it is a societal thing, it is not actually a discriminatory thing.
About the Presidency, your party has a lot of aspirants, those that could be referred to as contenders and pretenders. What do you think should be the central message amongst the aspirants because already many of them have started attacking personalities?
Thank you very much. You see you have several people running. Everybody is coming out with one credential or the other and for me, I know that my governor is coming; he is going to run; may be he has not launched his campaign and so my reasons that make me feel he is the most qualified centres on one; his age is a big advantage; his experience is a big advantage; his antecedents are also a big advantage and of course, when you talk of academic qualifications, you know we have a professor running, the Vice President. Now, beyond that Dr Kayode Fayemi got a Ph.D from Kings College, Professor Osinbajo got a Ph.D from the University of London. They both attended University of Lagos, may be Professor Osinbajo for his LL.B, Dr Kayode Fayemi for his Master’s. So you look at the two, if it is academic qualification, the two of them are super brain. Now, when you talk of experience, Dr Kayode Fayemi has been governor of Ekiti State twice, he had been the Minister of Solid Minerals. We can see the changes that he made when he was in the solid minerals sector. So, in terms of federal position, state position, he has served at the top executive management level but he has never been president. In the last two, three years, he has been the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum; he has been exposed to all the problems and the challenges each and every governor is facing and he understands the problems of the grassroots through these interactions with his colleagues as well. And if these people under his leadership have very little – zero crisis, I believe his management and humility in being the first amongst equals prepared him sufficiently for this job (president). So, I can only be talking of him and the fact that we are from the same local government, it will be my joy to see him become the president of this country because I know he is capable and besides, he been abroad as well. He lived in England for many years before coming here (Nigeria); he has been at the centre of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) struggle as a young man, so he understands the politics of this country. His credentials will speak for him but again when we look at our South-West as a bloc, don’t forget that in the South-West, we have the Ijebu/Egba people, we have the Lagosians, we have Ekiti and we have the Oyos. So for us, if you look at it, those who have always enjoyed this power are each other’s throats. If they agree fine, but we believe it should be an open field. But for me, I will be more than happy to see the candidate emerge from the Ekiti axis, so that we too we will have that sense of belonging.
Most of the presidents that have come from Yoruba are from Lagos axis. This time, we will be appealing that they should look at their brother and say it is time for you to go and taste this thing. Some people are now asking me that if my governor does not get it, who will be my next logical person I will consider; then I will get back to myself because we are working and I am now hoping that by the special grace of God, Governor Kayode Fayemi will become the president of this country and I know he is more than capable to be the president of Nigeria.
By the understanding in the APC, the presidential candidate is expected to emerge from South since the North has taken the slot of national chairman. There are those canvassing the narrative that the ticket be reserved for the South East: that South-south did five years, South-West has had president and vice President for almost 16 years and the South East is the only region left out. Do you support the move to micro-zone to the South East?
Well, let me put it this way. Ordinarily if the APC has been a strong party in the South East, my response would have been different but the danger here is that the party isn’t prepared to take that gamble because the majority of the South East is mostly PDP; so if the PDP zones presidency to the South East and APC zones it there, then the chances are higher that the PDP will knock us off there because we do not have a base there. So why would we want to take the risk and leave your base where you are almost sure that you will win election and get votes from the catchment.
Ordinarilly, if you are to choose based on the logic on the ground, the South East should have a good shot at it. If it has been well planned and managed, it should be going to the South East but the fear of the known is also there.
Again, when you look at it critically, among all of us from the South, we should be able to tender our credentials and say what am I bringing to the table, beginning with education, experience, exposure and other indices, you will see that some people have done very well with the meager resources at their disposal. For example, I spoke with my governor on the airport he is building in Ekiti and I have heard several arguments, some said we should be using the Akure own but based on my own experience, I am resident in the states, in the city of Atlanta. It has seven airports including one which is the largest airport in the world. Why would anybody be building local airport because they aid in local transportation from counties to counties. So, when you know that counties have airport, you can’t discourage state from having airport. It is that drive to ensure that most of the locally produced goods that are perishable such as pineapple, vegetables, and all that can be exported. A cargo airport that will move your goods straight to London or US is critical. Since we have many airlines coming, we can have training centres for pilots or logistics centre for airlines and of course employment opportunities.
We have a very famous university, Afe Babalola University, their parents may not want them to travel by road which is extremely dangerous now. For example, the day I was kidnapped I was supposed to fly from Akure to Abuja for an appointment but since I missed my flight, I thought within five to six hours I will be in Abuja. I jumped on the road only for me to spend one week in the bush with kidnappers. For me, I cannot fault anything that is about development for my state. So, he is a very forward looking guy and very progressive and he listens. If he can do that, already as president he will be encouraging every state to have functional airports where people can travel to do business.
You have been in the Senate before, you were Chairman Senate Committee on privatisation. Why do you want to return to the Senate?
Thank you very much. You begin to have influence or a standing when you come back as a ranking Senator. As a ranking Senator, you stand a chance of becoming either the leader or the deputy or the president. All the positions in leadership are now open more or less and you can contest for and hold. So, because most of the time, some things are zoned to regions just as the presidency is more or less, zoned to the South. Whatever is zoned to the South-West, I will certainly be able to make a bid for it and that will give a better voice to champion the interest of my people.
The first four years of my stay there, I was fortunate enough to influence the location of a federal university in my local government which is in my senatorial district. And that same senatorial district now has the main campus of the university and it has about three faculties in another local government within my senatorial district.
My focus in going to the Senate is about service. It is about the benefits to my people, less of my personal benefit. And I have told them, the only way I can be strong enough to have any influence is to be, not only a ranking Senator but be in the ruling party and have a good voice to lobby my people for whatever I want to influence to go to my senatorial district. I have looked at that.
The second reason is that I am still not too old to go and be in the Senate because I believe I now have more experience and I have been following up on things going on in the Senate. I have my own opinions and about how things can be done properly for the good of our country and I intend to pursue that through legislative means.
There are so many things that we need to do and so many things that this country is yearning for that the legal process or the legislative process would actually empower our people to run some of those policies because that would be the law. And for us, I personally having read about legislature around the world, you will see my commentaries even before now on the electoral act; when my colleagues got it wrong, I said it. When the corrections were made, I said it as well and there are few things that I will rather seen done. Right now, we are still not doing electronic voting; it is only electronic transmission and there is no reason why our people can send messages on Whatsapp, they can send messages by text and we are now saying that they cannot even do electronic voting with the machines that will be supplied by INEC which will be at polling units. Of course, it is a welcome development that we can transmit electronically now. It is a great movement.
The next assignment is for us to start doing electronic voting. You don’t even have to go to the polling unit to vote on the day of voting. You can vote on your phone and we are already prepared for that. Every Nigerian is being registered to have a national identity. And when I look at that, I am always also in support of independent candidature which is not on the table now and I don’t know why not.
These are some of the things that we need to go and tackle. Then, apart from that, we are looking at our population in the Diaspora. They are increasing by the day and they want to vote. Other nations are allowing that to happen. With the national identity movement, if you don’t have one and you live abroad, you cannot vote. Once you have that and everything is linked together, it is going to be very possible for you to vote. I know that there is great effort by this government to register every Nigerian.
I think I have unique experience in many of these areas that I can go to the National Assembly and promote such ideas and my colleagues will certainly support me for the greater good of our nation.
The presidential bid of Jonathan is in the public space. If you were to advise the former president, what will you be telling him?
The problems that existed during Jonathan’s time are still with us in Nigeria. We are still facing it as a political party. He knew what he went through and I believe that decision will be for him to take based on his experience on that seat. If he thinks that he has the magic solutions, there is no president coming in that will still not face many of this.
But we are expecting that as we grow politically, and as we grow in terms of our exposure to development outside the country, there are issues that may require new hands to resolve. But for me, as a person, I don’t know how he is going to get the votes unless we now believe that it is the president that will select his successor. If that is the case, then it is risky. But I believe the way things are on ground, those who are ready for this post, they are already canvassing, spending money, and they are talking to delegates and and everyone has his strategy different from the other. It is that same poll that he is expected to come in that, yes I want to be president now under APC. There will be a lot more than money. I want to believe that he will have more information than expected of what he wants to be. As far as I am concerned, if the party says that is what they want, and that is who they want, for me there are several ways that a person can be packaged. It is left for his handlers asking him to do that to know what he has in stock and how he intends to win the primary. Because we have seen that a lot of them running are very loaded. Maybe the only one that is not as loaded which I believe you all know but at the end of the day, Nigerians may not be looking at it that way. They are looking at the most loaded. It is an experiment. We want to see the desires of Nigerians. Do you want somebody who has the experience, humility and the brilliance to take us to the next level. And when you talk about brilliance, you will know like I have told you, there are two of them there. Let it be someone who will be able to take us to another level and not the old slogan. Even in this other level, we still have to sit down again. And don’t forget Fayemi has a Ph.D in War Studies viz-a-viz security and all that. And one of our greatest challenges today in Nigeria is insecurity. He has a specialization in that area. So these are some of the things that he will be bringing to the table. But if he decides tomorrow, until he launches his campaign, he already has some people waiting for him. The moment he says he is running, I will know. But if he says no, we will now be looking at what is going on. You know the way I am thinking. I am not going to deviate significantly from qualities that I am looking for. So, we will be looking at the next quality that I am looking for. I will search. But for now, I believe so much in the fact that Governor Kayode Fayemi will do very well as President of this country.
President Muhammadu Buhari got away with a consensus arrangement for Senator Abdullahi Adamu. Some persons are goading him on for consensus during the presidential primary. Do you think a consensus arrangement will fly at presidential convention?
If you do consensus for presidential primary and you say consensus by its definition, then that means he can get away with it. Consensus means everybody running must sign that he has agreed to it. So, that is the kind of consensus that I understand as consensus. It is everyone that must sign that I agree by this consensus. If they sign before the election, then if they now start making noise after, that will be campaign after election. But if they do not agree and a consensus is imposed, that is when I think there will be serious crisis in the party. But if they go by what the President is saying that all of you should go to the field and run for this ticket, then I believe the man has used elderly wisdom to know the solutions before the crisis will come up. If he says everybody should go, we will see it because it will be televised and there will be voting. Once they count the votes and somebody wins, I expect every other person to rally around that candidate. If they now try to do consensus and some people are grumbling that they don’t want, and you went ahead with it, then people will not rally round such a candidate and that might become a problem. The little that I understand about our president is that he understands how serious it is and he went through an election for him to become president. He had gone for that same seat severally before he finally made it. And most of the time in the parties that he was, I think they were just okay, you go and do just like that. But the one that he now finally won, was the one where there was an election and he now became a president. So, he is an elderly man full of wisdom and I believe he can see. I am sure when you look at everybody that is running, they must have one relationship or the other with him. So, how will he now say I am picking you and not you. It is a big challenge. I want to commend Mr. president. All those people throwing all manner of fireworks in the sky, I don’t think the man will buy that. He believes in this democratic system. And I am sure there will be an election to elect the next president. Once that is done, everybody will rally round him like I said.