Hassan Ibrahim Sani is the Kwara State Coordinator of Kwara Consultative Forum, a support group for the political aspirations of Prof Shuaib AbdulRaheem Oba. In this interview with Head Politics, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, the Managing Director of Shelter Setters Aluminum Limited, Ilorin talks about the struggle for ministerial appointment among other sundry issues within the party. Excerpts:
Prof Oba contested the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and also wanted the ministerial portfolio but lost out eventually. Some of his supporters are of the opinion that there appears to be a gang up against him by political opponents in the party. Do you share that view?
I will say the denial of the mandate which was assumed to be his during the last APC governorship primaries was only Allah’s wish and I wouldn’t say people are working against him. Politics is a race and everybody strive to emerge. Whatever might have led to his being dropped out of the gubernatorial primaries, one would still assume there were people behind it because many people believe he’s too straight forward and equate the ordinary people with the so called well-to-do by empowering them with appointments. As the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) people created the impression that he gave only Kwarans jobs while other senatorial districts accused him of concentrating on Kwara Central. Those in Kwara central said he only used the office to favour his local government while in Ilorin West, the accusation is that he only concentrated on his ward. Those at the ward said he’s only concerned about his family. This has been the situation and so those who felt they have not benefited will not want him there again. That is a wrong and crude impression. They also campaigned against him that he is too old for the governorship and his health might be an issue but that is just lavish talk. How long has he left the FCC, did he not perform and has anybody given any proof that he is not healthy or cannot think straight. So why capitalise on his age, we have people in other places that are older than him and running governance including President Muhammadu Buhari.
What is the situation in the party as regards this?
What constitutes APC today we know is an amalgamation of different political parties and so there are factions. For this reason, every individual camp is fighting for its own members and the centre could hardly hold. Luckily enough for us, we pacified people until we won the election as God would have it. Now having won, we didn’t realise the need to unite and harmonise ourselves to drive the affairs of the state and the party itself. There were camp differences that also contributed to denial of some privileges due to him.
Is it true that Prof Oba is not supporting Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq?
You see, people have been poisoning the mind of the Governor that Prof Oba is against him and the Governor therefore finds it difficult to work with him (Oba). Prof Oba initiated the agitation for freedom in Kwara long before anybody joined the queue despite whatever anybody might want to say to the contrary, I can say this with all certainty because I was there with him.
But he has been criticised for also benefiting appointment from the dynasty he fought against.
Appointment belongs to anybody who is qualified and eligible and those who argue to the contrary about our position on the freedom cause in Kwara should come and tell us what they have done.
After missing out of the ministerial appointment, what next for Prof Oba?
We have neither lost our hope nor relented. When the list was released and we realised that our principal was not among the nominees, steps were taken because we envisage what will be the aftermath of the action by the Federal Government. The ministerial nominations for Kwara State was politically influenced and because Prof Oba has nothing in mind as a politician other than service to his people, he didn’t lobby for any position per se. The little we made on this issue was carried out by his disciples who believed in him and his resolve to bring great relief to the masses if appointed. How many political stakeholders in Kwara have been always associated with provision of employment for the people like Prof Oba? The hope is not lost and we believe he would still be considered for (top) appointment by the President including even ministerial or any other office where he would be useful to the Federal Government in terms of performance rate and his immediate community by using the office to influence his people positively from the grassroots. However, it is quite unfortunate that some believe it is until when you have money you can win people’s heart. People are wiser now that whoever gives fish has not done one a favour unlike the one who teaches how to fish. It was that impression that was given (during the primary) that he who has not won will be given consideration to fight the freedom cause and that was why Governor Abdulrahman was considered. And I am sorry to say this that on the long run, nothing was spent to bring the governor on board; people were not ready to collect money but only desired change in Kwara State.
Do you support the call among some APC stalwarts that it’s time for Prof Oba to retire from politics?
The only person we trust is him and the issue of retirement has not even come in at all. We still want him to be given the chance to serve because we believe, trust and are confident that he will truly represent us when he gets there. Some have said he should nominate somebody and remain a ‘Godfather’ in the next political dispensation. But he has the liberty to decide his next line of action and if retirement is the right thing to do, he will give us reason for such decision. But for us, we want him to serve us more. We are clamouring for (ministerial) position for him because of the trust we repose in him, not that he is the one looking for it.
Do you agree that the ministerial tussle has further widened the gulf among APC leaders?
The gulf is already there and all the camps that formed the party have since failed to harmonise themselves to form and follow an ideology. The gap preceded the ministerial list. Even when Abdulrahman was declared governor, there has not been any yardstick to synergise and up till now appointments were conducted without other stakeholders being brought on board, the Governor, party chairman and other stakeholders are on their own. Tell me what is the synergy between Senator Gbemisola Saraki and other stakeholders other than that she only has followers and those followers see themselves as a camp, not as APC members. The Governor is conducting his programmes with his camp and same thing with the party chairman. So, people who really fought for the cause are not the beneficiaries of its dividends. I believe influence should not be used to nominate a portfolio that is germane to the development of the society and growth of the nominee’s grassroots. When last did people like Gbemisola and some other party leaders come to Kwara or contribute to party issues. But they are there in Abuja and only come home to share token. This is it. People now feel jilted and the cry of Kwara North Senatorial district on the issue has not subsided. There are a lot of articles from the Kwara Central and Kwara North complaining over the appointments.
Should the party have done better in managing this situation?
Yes and I believe if everybody was given sense of belonging, we can all sit together to bring ideas that will move the state forward. One post that is left debarring the progress in harmonising the party is who will be the state’s party leader among all the stalwarts. The Governor, party chairman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who has even already been addressed as the state leader at various programmes and other leaders within the party, who believe they are entitled to it, whereas the leadership issue has nothing to do with the masses. Whether or not we like it, I believe Prof Oba should be leader of the APC in Kwara because he has made impact and shown the capacity to serve and impacted the people whether in office or outside office. This leadership issue is one of the core reasons all these are happening.
What is your advice to appointed ministers from Kwara?
First is for them to learn their lessons from the past and don’t try to use the office to prepare for a futile ambition because as politicians even if they don’t have the interest, those around them will tell them to prepare for 2023. That is where most of them lose focus on the basic reason they were appointed. Those who want to become leader of the party should go and work to merit it and if they don’t know how to go about it, they should go and learn from Professor Oba how he has been able to do it all along since his days in Bayero University Kano (BUK), University of Ilorin and at the Federal Character Commission (FCC) among others. His leadership style cuts across religions and tribes. The likes of Gbemisola and Lai Mohammed should use this opportunity to clear the coast of the past and fight for the benefit of the state in all ramifications. People should not jettison the struggle yet because the situation we are in now is only half way. The masses should continue to demand and fight for their right and freedom which is my main concern. Let us see what will come out of those in power now, if they mess up the situation, we should still use out votes to tell them they have not really represented.
