May 23, (THEWILL) – The presidential candidate of KOWA Party in the 2015 general election, Prof Oluremi Sonaiya, speaks with AYO ESAN about political parties’ preparation for the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission and other issues. Excerpts:
The two major political parties, PDP and APC, have abandoned the zoning arrangements by throwing the presidential ticket open. Are you a supporter of zoning? Do you think this is fair to the South?
I have never been in support of zoning, because I think it demonstrates a lack of focus for what is truly important in the running of public affairs, which should be merit-based; that is, demonstrable competence and capacity. Has the fact that we have practised zoning delivered good governance? So, I am actually happy that it has been jettisoned, although I recognise the fact that those who believe it is their turn now, and who have supported zoning all along, have a right to feel offended and betrayed.
How do you see the calibre of people that have come out for the presidential ticket?
I see people with different levels of ability, as should be expected. I am not impressed by many and would not love to see them as the Number One representative of my country. I think we do not place enough importance on that fact that the President represents us to the world. What image would the world get about us based on how we are represented? There are so many aspects to it: How the person carries himself or herself; is he or she strong and in good health; will he or she be able to hold conversations intelligently and intelligibly with other world leaders; are they up to date on recent technological developments which drive communication in the present era?
Can you please compare the political terrain now and when you contested the presidential election?
There is a lot more viciousness and a lot more greed now. One gets the impression that people are desperate about something. Why should so many people have rushed to pick up forms at such exorbitant costs? And not a single one of them could protest publicly about it, given the serious economic distress in which most Nigerians currently find themselves?
Many have seen the PDP and APC as one and the same. Looking at the two parties, what can you say about them?
I agree with the people who see them as the same.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2023 general election, some people are afraid that insecurity may hinder the conduct of the election. What is your take on this?
I hope that our security agencies will do their work and ensure a peaceful atmosphere in which the elections can be conducted. But the desperation of the politicians is quite worrisome.
What do the exorbitant fees fixed by the PDP and APC for nomination and expression of interest forms portend for our democracy?
As many people have commented already, it shows that our politicians are uncaring people, without any feeling for the generality of Nigerians. All they care about is to get to positions of power, obviously for personal advantage. Otherwise, they would not agree to those humongous fees. All of that does not augur well for our democracy. They are turning the country into one that works only in the interest of the rich and powerful.
What is your advice for INEC as it prepares for the election?
Let INEC be truly impartial in administering the rules and regulations. I think they should be monitoring how much money is being spent too. For example, although it might not be quite within their jurisdiction, maybe they should have issued a statement on the high costs of forms, because it definitely disenfranchises those who do not have that kind of money. They should be interested in ensuring that parties conduct their affairs in a fair and sensible manner; they should protect the interest of all Nigerians and their right not only to vote, but equally to be voted for.
Since the law has not given support to women in politics, what do you think can be done to enable them to occupy political positions?
This is an ongoing issue, as you well know. Women will continue to demand for their rights to be full participants, not mere spectators, in running the affairs of our country. Of course, one thing we must do is to vote out most of the current legislators who see women as second-class citizens. Some of them are people who are marrying girls they could have as grand-daughters; they don’t believe that girls and women should be educated and enjoy the same rights as boys and men. We need to get them out of our National Assembly and vote in people who are more fair in their judgment and who believe that women have much to contribute to the development of our country.
Do you nurse any fear about the forthcoming general election?
My greatest fear is actually that we might not be seizing the opportunity to make the fundamental changes needed in the country as we go into the elections. Personally, I really don’t think we should be conducting the elections under the current flawed Constitution. We need to renegotiate the future of our country so that we can know peace and prosperity. The centralized government bequeathed to us by the military is simply not going to work. How wonderful it would it be if we agreed to come together and redefine our co-existence, and begin to practice a truly federal system, where the federating units will be able to develop the resources found in their localities for the advantage of the whole country.
What is your advice to the electorate as we begin preparation for the 2023 general election?
It is time for the electorate to begin to truly occupy their position as citizens of this potentially great nation. Luckily, there are several initiatives and CSOs that are engaged in this effort to create awareness among the electorate on how to approach the elections; that is, they cannot continue to succumb to “stomach infrastructure” and keep electing people who are not going to provide them the services they need and improve their quality of life. So, everyone should make sure they get their PVCs; especially most of the so-called elites who tend not to come out to vote on Election Day. Let us all get involved and vote for people who have capacity, competence and character – not the corrupt and selfish people who are parading themselves as leaders.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
