Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu
The governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria during the 2012 election in Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about his experience
What prompted you to contest for the Ondo State governorship election in 2012?
One major factor that was responsible for my decision to run was the way and manner in which the government of Ondo State was being run. I was more than convinced that the approach of the incumbent governor who is still in government today to governance was wasteful, and there was a need for re-direction, to have a people-oriented government that can focus on the problems of the people.
How would you describe the campaign experience?
It was a wonderful one. I had always been in politics. I campaigned across the country for the office of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association. It’s always interesting to campaign. The experience was worth the while. And to me, it was a great investment. The time spent was worth it. Also, the money spent was worth every penny. Therefore, it was a wonderful experience.
Do you see yourself contesting for governorship in the near future?
Ondo State is getting deeper into more of a financial mess because of the wasteful nature of the current government. Hence, one may still say that if one has the opportunity, one may still run, and at least salvage and put an end to this decadence in government. No doubt, since there has not been anything positive, no change, and the people yearn for good governance, I will still put myself forward to offer them the best of my abilities.
Why did you choose the Action Congress of Nigeria platform to run in 2012?
I couldn’t have been in any other party. I’m a progressive and the ACN was the only progressive party; the All Progressives Congress now is the progressive party. So, I remain in the APC. I can’t be in any other party. Luckily, we won the federal (presidential) election. Even if we didn’t win, I wouldn’t defect to any other party. I will always remain a progressive.
Did you have a political godfather when you contested the governorship election?
No doubt, there are people who would support one’s bid to become governor, people who believe in you. Some people believed in me and gave all their support. But they never came out as political godfathers. They believed in my cause and supported me. I don’t believe in political, godfatherism, but there are leaders of one’s party that one must continue to have respect for, and a number of them, if not all of them, supported me when I ran for the office of the governor.
How much did you spend for your campaigns?
That I will keep to myself. I am not going to disclose that.
Did you fund your campaign single-handedly or you had sponsors?
Nobody can singlehandedly fund any campaign, it is not possible. Even if you have the money, people would still want to contribute to your campaign. A lot of people contributed to my campaign, the funds that came were more than what I had myself. There were people who contributed. The party also was the major financier of the campaign.
What did you think was/were the reason (s) for your loss in the governorship election and did you think the votes counted?
I don’t think the votes were justified. I went to the tribunal and the matter got to the Supreme Court. I made my case. I do not believe that an election which has a faulty voters’ register can be a valid election. It was found out that there were injections into the voters register of up to 150,000 names; and if the court found that out, the basic thing was to look at the register. And if the register was faulty, then the election itself was faulty. Therefore, I believe the election was rigged and I stand by that.
With the introduction of the Permanent Voter Cards, do you think the country’s electoral process is better now?
The electoral process is expected to be better if the PVC would work. But I have my doubts about the efficacy of the PVC. I do not believe that the PVC is effective yet. Those of us whose fingers could not be authenticated (during the presidential election), were allowed to vote using the manual register, and this was as directed by (INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru) Jega himself. Hence, it was still not strictly voting by PVC. Manual registers were used.
In the light of the Ekiti saga, some people believe that an impeachment process in the country today is more to settle political scores than to address fundamental issues. What is your take?
My honest view is this, I don’t believe impeachment proceedings are meant to settle political scores because there would be allegations, and the panel that sits must find out that the person has committed those offences in breach of the constitution. If, for instance, it is true that he (Governor Ayo Fayose) invaded the House of Assembly and prevented the operation of one of the constitutional arms of government, is that an impeachable offence? If it is, then it is not settling political scores. The point is that a number of these allegations of financial impropriety and constitutional breaches can be raised by one’s political opponents, but the person caused it. As long as the person committed that offence, that person is the cause. Therefore, I don’t believe impeachment is meant to settle political scores; the offence itself was a risk.
During your campaign, you talked about creating 30,000 jobs if elected. An estimated 10,000 curriculum vitaes were sent to your campaign office afterwards. How can governors truly create jobs for the citizens of their states?
It is quite possible. We must go back to the basics. What I mean by that is this: we cannot totally neglect our industries and farms and expect that there would be jobs. Agriculture is in many facets; there is poultry, fishing, and so on. I can assure you that agro-allied industries and agriculture can provide more than enough jobs for our youths. Not only that, industrial aquifers would also enhance a number of our industries that would now provide employment for our youths. There are many things that can be done because employment is very key. We cannot continue to have an army of unemployed youths and expect that we would not have crises at the end of the day. I believe that government at the federal and state levels must set up employment generating outfits so that this would be addressed immediately.
As President of the Nigerian Bar Association, you were vocal about Nigerians protecting their votes and about other national and political issues. How do you think the judiciary can strengthen the country’s democracy, especially in the light of the Ekiti saga?
The judiciary must remain impartial. The laws are there. As you said, as the President of the bar, we spoke to power then in an honest way. Also, my campaign for the presidency of the bar was propelled by my campaign mantra, which was that we would prosecute our convictions with courage. That was what I stood for. And then we have our beliefs and convictions as the bar association about how the judiciary should be run, how the government should be run. And we were courageous about it. I believe sincerely that the judiciary must be courageous and remain impartial. We undertook so many interventions because we believed our convictions.
The election petition we have on the Ekiti elections is at the Supreme Court now, and the major point raised by the council is that a governor that was impeached should not have the right to contest or return to office within 10 years. This can help the situation in Ekiti State. I am not asking for judgment in favour of my client, but with all respect, I stand by that point. The man was impeached and that impeachment stands for all purposes. The present impeachment proceedings should be allowed to be carried through. The House of Assembly should be unfettered. If there are little offences he (Fayose) has also now committed, set up a panel and if found guilty, the gentleman has to leave. That should be the process. I believe that the police and the judiciary have a role to play. They must do it as impartial arbiters.
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