By Omoniyi Salaudeen
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consistently continued to raise the alarm over the threat of election-induced violence on the conduct of a free, fair and credible poll in 2023.
And from the series of attacks on the Commission’s offices in the different parts of the country, including the latest incident in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the threat has obviously become a clear and present danger.
In this interview, a former member of the National Assembly, who represented Ogun Central Senatorial District between 2011 and 2014 at the upper chamber, Senator Gbenga Obadara, blamed the worrisome trend on the recklessness of the state actors, calling on the concerned authorities to sanction the erring ones among the presidential contenders.
The alarm raised by the INEC about the threat of violence to the conduct of a free, fair and credible poll in 2023 has become a clear and present danger. What is your view about this?
It is very worrisome. Any discerning mind will know that this is not the best of time in Nigeria. Election will come and go and Nigeria will survive. Why do we have to destroy ourselves or tear ourselves apart because of election? What are we doing all this for? As you can see, Abdulsalami Abubakar/Mathew Kukah Peace Committee has been ringing the alarm bell in the past two days, lamenting the way politicians are talking, uttering destructive statements and beating the drum of war. This is unnecessary; after all, elections will come and go and Nigeria will remain. I think everybody should take caution.
What are your thoughts about this incessant attacks on INEC offices particularly as it concerns the conduct of a hitch-free, fair and credible election in 2023?
My fear still remains. From the look of things, we are going to over-stretch the security forces. Instead of keeping watchful eyes on the situation in the country, maintaining peace and security, they will be deployed to all these places where there may be likelihood of violence. And we know already that we have short supply of security forces. It is a very disappointing situation that we have to use all our security men to police INEC offices all over the country.
To douse the tension, what measure would you suggest as a way of curbing this threatening trend of verbal and violent attacks on political opponents?
Government should come heavily on all politicians with reckless statements. If they impose fine on them in millions or disqualify them, I think that will serve as a lesion and a deterrent.
There are so many national questions begging for answers. At this time, one would have expected the front runners to focus their energies on the issues of restructuring, security, et cetera. Do you see these issues being given adequate attention they deserve by the candidates?
It is a pity that the kind of politics we play in this country does not encourage them to focus on issues of ideology.
But looking at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to which you belong, what is the exact position of your candidate on restructuring?
What I know is that when Asiwaju comes into office, by God’s grace, he will do the needful. I know that he wants power for the states. As a legislature, I know that there are lots of things on the Exclusive List. Many of them have to come under the concurrent. If we do that, our states will be better for it. For me, that is the beginning of restructuring. And I am sure all these will be addressed when Asiwaju comes to power by God’s grace.
The next general election is just some three months away. From what you have seen of the four leading political parties and their candidates, how competitive do you think this election is going to be?
This is not what anybody can determine. As things are now, you cannot overlook anybody. You have to give all the candidates their due recognition. You cannot wish away Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso because they have their own supporters. The rest is up to APC and PDP to put in their best into their campaigns. And that is why we are working tirelessly to ensure the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Talking about empowering the states, do you think the National Assembly has the will-power to effect the necessary amendment to achieve that objective, bearing in mind the resistance of the state house of assemblies to the adoption or concurrence of the 44 proposed amendment?
Definitely, we need 24 states to concur with the changes in the constitution. And today, we have not got that figure. We cannot throw away the baby with the bathwater. They need to look at the ones that are good and remove the bad ones so that we can get the nation going. But the problem we are having is the interference by the state governors. Because many of our state lawmakers do not have a mind of their own, they have to go and take instruction from their governors. And when they take instructions, they end up doing the governor’s bidding. That is one of the problems we have going by my legislative experience.
Coincidentally, another national headcount is coming up next year. Do you think the time is auspicious for this exercise, knowing the sensitivity of census to political calculation in this country?
It is neither here nor there. If we are able to get it right, it will be better for us as a people. Between the last census and now, millions of children have been born. Bringing those children into the enumeration will not be a bad idea. But looking at it in terms of political suitability is entirely a different issue. If the government can fund it, fine. No doubt, the election is going to stretch the purse of the Federal Government. But if the government thinks it can do it, so be it.
What is your perspective on the redesigning of the naira, which is also coming into effect in the year of election?
Whatever reason the Central Bank of Nigeria has for its decision to redesign the naira, nobody has told us. It is just a conjecture that they are doing it to checkmate the trend of people keeping money at home. Until the Central Bank tells the nation why they are doing it, all this remains a matter of conjecture.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has become one of the black spots in the Southwest with the rampant cases of kidnapping happening along that corridor. What’s the way out?
As we are all aware, insecurity is everywhere in the country. It is unfortunate this is happening in the Southwest. Before now, Ibadan-Lagos Expressway used to be a death trap. But now, it has become a banditry-trap. We need more security along that corridor. There must be constant checking with the presence of security operatives. I believe if we have enough security to monitor the corridor, all this will become a thing of the past.
Having said that, isn’t it high time we strengthened the Amotekun security outfit in the Southwest to nip the situation in the bud?
The problem is that not every state in the Southwest has enough strength on ground. But if we are able to ensure the cooperation of Amotekun in the six states of the Southwest, it will be a very fantastic thing and a lot will happen. The challenge again is that they don’t have ammunition. Without ammunition, how can they effectively fight these bandits with sophisticated weapons? It is necessary to equip them with enough ammunition. It is not over until it is over. I believe we will get there. I am very optimistic about that.
What then is your take on the issue of state police in the present circumstance?
No criminal comes to any house with prior information. All these bandits have their intelligence reports before they strike at any point. When we were growing up, we virtually knew the police officers in our neighbourhood, they too knew nearly everybody. That time, they called them constabulary. What stops up us from reinvigorating the same system? If we have community watch, all this will be a thing of the past.