Paseda: Scrap State Electoral Commissions‎ Now

‎To stop the charades often perpetuated by governors in the name of local council elections, an Ogun State governorship hopeful, Olatunde Paseda, is of the opinion that the country would be better of if the Independent National Electoral Commission is empowered to conduct such elections. He also suggests that governors’ powers be drastically reduced. Femi Ogbonnikan presents the excerpts:

Do you agree with the call to strip governors of power to constitute officials of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC)?

I totally agree because the governors are abusing that power. But if elected governor, I will not be able to do it because it is a constitutional process. I think, we need to reduce the powers of governors. It is too much! It is as if they can do anything and get away with it. There are some who very good among them though. There are some very good governors that are being praised and blessed by their people, because they are doing the right things. But when there is too much power, power corrupts and when power corrupts, it corrupts absolutely. So, we need to reduce the power. Yes, SIEC should not exist! Let the federal government take care of all elective processes, and make sure the processes are sanitised. How can you say that in a local government election, one political party scored 100 percent. Excuse me! So, are you saying nobody voted for another candidate, not even his wife, not even his son or daughter? In some cases when 200 people voted they only vote for one candidate meaning that even the candidate didn’t vote for himself?

Your party, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) is a regional party, how is it funded?

It is not a regional party. UPN exists in all the states at different levels. I must say that during the 2015 general elections, the party was tested in 19 states across the country. So, that means, it is not regional since we contested in both the east and the north apart from the west? However, because of what we stand for, we have maintained the original name, the original manifesto, and everything about UPN remained the same, nothing has changed. So, it is not a regional party, it is a national set-up. The party is being funded by me.

Your party’s membership strength is low. Aren’t you considering merging with one of the big parties preparatory to the 2019 general elections?

You can’t make decisions based on assumptions. You need to have correct data. You have to analyse things. You have to do surveys. Let me tell you what I had done, just before the October 2016 local government election in Ogun State, I did a survey across Ogun State, and the result gave me the courage to decide to go for local government election against the ruling APC. When we discovered, that people wanted something different, I would not use the word ‘change’, because that word has been bastardized. But the people wanted something different. We set out and we did a survey across the three senatorial districts. It took us several weeks and we came back with the result that the people are ready for another party, barring the fact that I contested the governorship election in 2015 and I came third from nowhere. UPN was there, and it did that within a short space of time. So, if the people were looking for something different, let us test it, whether it was a fact or fiction, whether the result of our survey is factual or fictitious. So, we went out and we found out that in all local government elections, the governors of various states, always decide who they want and who should contest. They will write the list, whether you win or you lose, and that wasn’t the issue for us, but we wanted to know, what the people are saying. So, we went, and we contested for local government election. And it was the UPN versus the APC only in Ogun State. I had the result and we were really happy. We won 85 percent of the votes in Ogun State. Look, that result alone, whether or not, we were given any seat at the end of it all, that result speaks volume. It makes me happy, that yes, people want us. People want Paseda. So, when the result came out, we got the results and I told my people, please, don’t be discouraged. Don’t worry, they may not have given it to you, but the fact is, you have won and the people know that you have won. Yes, they gave us two token seats. In fact, I wasn’t expecting them to give us any seat. Whether they gave us or not, our target is 2019.

You lost the 2015 governorship race, what is your plan for 2019?

I didn’t lose. I came third. We have first, second, third. Also, there are fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, to tenth. There are so many political parties. When you contest in a race and you came third, you haven’t lost. You have won. You may not have the trophy but you have won. But I believe, yes, that I won. The other thing is that, I had only four months to prepare for the 2015 governorship election and I came out four months before the election. If I had had time, I would have won. It is not about the name of the party but about what the people say, ‘enough is enough’. The other thing that went against me is the fact that, at that point, everybody has this euphoria of ‘Sai Baba’ Even me, I wanted Buhari. Initially, I was against Buhari. I was against Jonathan. I was on television saying they were birds of the same feather flocking together; that they were not good for Nigeria. It is on record. When we looked at the two men and we assessed their credentials, we discovered that Buhari was a much better candidate. So, we gave our support and supported Buhari’s ambition, like anybody else in Nigeria. There is no one person, except people who are blinded that followed the PDP or say that didn’t want Buhari. Every sane, right thinking, legitimate and good Nigerian wanted Buhari and that was the position of things. So, I lost the governorship election per se, at that point. But the day after the election, I declared for the 2019. I didn’t have to wait because I knew what was going on and I knew the mandate that I have. My mandate is, let us give our people, the little succour that you can give them.

Why are you still insisting in governing Ogun State, and not seeking to go to either the Senate or the House of Representatives?

I don’t want to be in a position where I can’t deliver the mandate given to me by my people. Let me take it one-by-one. If I go for Senate and I am still going to be dependent on the president to implement decisions made by the Senate. I will have no direct impact. Also, I am still going to be dependent on the House to make that decision. If I go for whatever else, ministerial, I will only be but a file carrier. But for you to make a real change, you will have to be in the position to make things happen.

What has Governor Ibikunle Amosun not done right that you want to go and correct?

We have been talking about it. All I have been saying here are all parts of it – education and health. Our educational system is in shambles. They are only pretending. Students are staying at home. Students, especially genius, are being kicked out of schools. Those that could come and develop our country and state for us are staying at home. Our kids are being forced to do things that are unheard of just because they want to survive. These are the things that the current dispensation in the state should have done to better the lots of the people. The other thing is that there is so much recklessness in the government and so much wastage of resources in the name of building a modern city, a modern town and a modern state. A modern state where the people are dying; a modern state where teachers are not being paid their salaries. Is modernization all about school buildings, the roads and the infrastructures and all that? The first thing every God-fearing person in government needs to do is to invest in the people. China built its people and the people build the nation. Let us build our people. Let us invest in our people. Let our kids go to schools. Let them be well educated, good quality education. Let them have opportunities for employments. They would in turn build the country. The other thing is, as the governor, you must listen; you must listen to your people. They are not there to serve you but you are there to serve them. We have to move away from this idea, that Paseda is the governor and so, he is the lord and master. No! The governor is a servant. You are there on people’s mandate and you must listen to them. In Baba Awolowo’s time, they were doing town hall meetings where decisions were made.

What is your take on the resolve of INEC to allow independent candidates during 2019 general elections?

Is it INEC that does not allow it? INEC will allow anything that is doable, that is acceptable, that is possible. The people that are preventing it are the politicians. They would like to protect their sources of income and power. Let me tell you, if they do ‘independent candidacy’, in the states, nobody can beat me in Ogun state. I want that man who can beat Paseda to step out. Let us have one-on-one debate. When you allow ‘independent candidacy’, you are throwing it open. You will get legitimate, well-meaning, well-deserving people, coming out. Independent candidacy is the way to go. We must make sure that it happens, sooner or later. It is the best thing to do and it happens everywhere in the world. There are so many things that should change.

Quote

The first thing every God-fearing person in government needs to do is to invest in the people. China built its people and the people build the nation. Let us build our people. Let us invest in our people. Let our kids go to schools. Let them be well educated, good quality education. Let them have opportunities for employments.

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