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| Tosin Arile |
PoliFocus had an extensive interview with an unrepented social media activist and commentator, Tosin Arile on the state of the nation.
Arile who also spoke extensively on the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration and the present development that is trailing the death of Prince Abubakar Audu in the last Saturday gubernatorial election in Kogi State.
I bring to you the full interview:
Excerpt
Can we meet you?
I'm simply Olutosin Arile, a teacher in a tertiary institution and a political commentator.
You are known to be a passionate social critic.... Can you tell us why you do that?
I like the word passionate, yes it's true I'm passionate about development of my people which I strongly believe criticism in form of activism is but the right tool to deploy making our government more responsible taking care of our plight, it's a fact that every government is lazy especially those in Africa where aura of being in power is the only thing motivating many aspiring to political offices, so the critics many called them are morally indebted rescue
democracy in form of restraining the excess of elected officers, you would agree being passionate doing this is but a right thing .
So what is your assessment of the last general elections?
The election exposed the ethnic induced Nigerian atleast judging the result which no doubt rigged in places where each party actually has an advantage or what some nick stronghold, Buhari won the north, Jonathan won in the south south and east, only the west voted massively a northerner and you would agree the position of the All Progressive Congress vice presidential slot conceded to the region assisted luring many the Yoruba people, so as far as I'm concerned the last election is the poorest conducted in the history of the country, even in 2011, Jonathan got more votes in the north, why now if not because the political hatred has succeeded eating the moral fabric of the nation,
there's mistrust in the polity.
Don't you share the opinion that Goodluck Jonathan erred as to policy formulation and implemention in some areas which made people to clamoured for change?? For instance, issue of
corruption
As someone who believe in justice, equity and fairness, I don't agree Jonathan failed, I've said it countless times that emergence of Jonathan is a political failure on the part of those who consider no shoe and goodluck sentiment in 2011, a man can't give what he doesn't have, it's justified that Jonathan failed in office because he only proved those who never voted for him in 2011 right that the outgoned president is intellectually incompetent to lead a nation like
Nigeria, we must also thank Jonathan because his governic ineptitude popularly called cluelessness gave the change people a voice, for instance if Jonathan had performed, we would never need a Buhari, yes it was apparent Jonathan has lost his headship because at a time he was quoted that if he fights corruption, that corruption has potency fighting his second term ambition, which is more important to the people, his ambition or removing the cancer that has eating the political fabric of the nation, our only problem is corruption, so if many banked a believe that it's because Jonathan can't fight corruption they supported Buhari, the question we should ask now is if Buhari is actually fighting corruption.
In your view, what can you same to the introduction of "Card Readers" by INEC?
Card reader achieved one thing, it gave the election a form of what I nicked technological credibility, in Nigeria we trust technology that the card readers merely been used as a form of accreditation gave the election in the unconsciousness of an average Nigerian a feelings that election are credible , it's untrue, for instance one don't need be a seer to know election were massively rigged in Kano and Rivers for instance. Yes card readers doused the
emotions of our people because without it and perhaps Jonathan had been declared a winner, strongly doubt if there would not be post election violence that is capable of threatening the sovereign integrity of the nation.
What can you say about the state of the nation now, I mean Muhammadu Buhari led federal government?
So far so good Buhari hasn't delivered anything other than political rhetoric, in fact the noise about fighting corruption has been loud and yet nothing worthwhile has been achieved, I wish he succeeded taming the cancer corruption
but every day event proved otherwise, he seems to have soft spot for members of his political party who are corrupt atleast we saw how some ex governors with corruption allegations yet rewarded with ministerial appointment, in
my view the president hasn't done anything substantial to know if he has delivered, the appointment so far is the only thing that could be credited to this incumbent administration and I make bold to say that it does not represent the collective yearning of a new Nigeria because
it's a fact that it was ethnically skewed favouring a section of the country.
So you mean President Buhari has no political will to fight corruption head long? Because majority of us voted for him based on probity and his antecedent.
Well I once too subscribe to the beliefs that Buhari has a will power to fight corruption but everything since assumption of office suggest otherwise, the President seems to believe fighting corruption is actually fighting political opponents which fault the true essence of fighting the menace, so if one steals and decamp to the ruling party, technically his political sins are forgiving, is that a responsible way to deal with a vice that has threatened our collective welfarism in these past years ? If the president
is serious about fighting corruption that would have significant effect on the psyche of our people then the fight charity must begin with the ruling party members, in fact Obasanjo should first be prosecuted, anything short is mockery of the president allege reputation anything some
may erroneously believed is his antecedent.
So what can you say on the present conundrum cum hullabaloo that is trailing death of Audu Abubakar and decision of INEC as regards last Kogi gubernatorial election by declaring it inconclusive?
Maybe I should say that the INEC declaration of the poll inconclusive is political, there is no antecedent worth using to emphatically predict the court but one thing I know, INEC has no legal jurisdiction to make further pronouncement on
the said election, the court would say the next thing, many had said a lot, though many opinion is geared towards supporting their partisan political interest but some issues worth considering are these, is the deputy gubernatorial candidate duly elected, if he is duly elected then there would be no need for a supplementary election, the next thing is that any candidate of a party must be sponsored by
the party which technically mean any party political aspirants must participate in a primary election or other modeof reaching a consensus candidate , do the deputy gubernatorial aspirant actually participated in the last party primary election, the answer is negative, so those forcing
his elevation down our throat are just day dreaming, can the ruling party afford to go to another primary election, maybe Audu runner up should be giving the slot, you would agree changing a candidate should rather succeeded
cancelling the old election , some said the votes cast in favour Audu is first for the party but I insist that many may had been tempted to vote the party simply because of the party candidate which technically mean changing the party candidate can't but either encourage or discourage many from electing a party, what are we saying, if the ruling party is changing its candidate, let the party agree on a fresh election , this I don't want to say would be the position of law eventually if interpreted soon, I see a fresh
election even if the supplementary election hold next week Saturday as scheduled.
Your advice for our leaders most especially President Muhammadu Buhari
Who I'm I to advise Mr President? Well he should listen more to his critics than political sycophants.
Thanks for your time sir
You welcome!
