Division has created imbalance between geopolitical zones – Longe

Shamusideen Alade Longe, one of those who took part in the fight for rehabilitation in the annulled election of June 12, 1993, reportedly won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola, speaks to BIOLUWATIFE AKINYEMI about the upcoming general election.

How would you describe the days of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Republican National Convention (NRC) compared to the current political dispensation?

It’s going to be hard to compare that era to this era because the people who oversaw that era were military and were more or less dictators. They told the people that this is what they want and this is how they are going to do it, but at the same time, because the masses wanted to get out of that military control, they worked together. In the current era, many things are disorganized. But because we want good government, we have to work together to make things work.

What is your opinion on the current political atmosphere in the country?

The political atmosphere in the country tends towards different tribes. In the north they are divided in two. In the South West they are tuned to a group. In North Central, they are aligned into a group. In South-South they are divided in two. This division has created many imbalances and has taken away peace from the country’s political system. It predicts that much reconciliation between the different parties is needed to avoid confrontation with each other. We are talking about the political situation in the country. Everyone knows that we take a look at what is happening in South-South, for example. I said there is alignment. Some groups belong to a certain party, but have problems with their party. Some groups are from a particular tribe, but do not support their tribe’s candidate. That’s what I mean by alignment.

Do you see any of the presidential candidates abandoning ambition to support others?

This is what I said when I said that an alignment from different areas, they must come together and make peace with each other. I don’t know how you came across a presidential candidate was about to drop his ambition as of today I still feel like he’s still a contender but if he’s going to drop out there’s still a possibility for others to drop out . And it will be more beneficial for us if we look at one of the political parties that is the strongest and support that person to move forward. And if I’m going to pick, I’ll pick three that are making waves right now. The three are Peter Obi, Abubakar Atiku and Bola Tinubu. I don’t know much about Obi, but I’ve read about his political achievements in Anambra. Speaking of Abubakar Atiku, I can refer to his records during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime. And speaking of Bola, Bola is someone I know personally, way back to 1991 at the time of Abiola’s campaign, and his role in particular in trying to criticize organizations to make sure they’re doing the right thing. From that moment on I got to know Bola as someone who is very determined. I’m not surprised to see him where he is.

What are the qualities Nigerians should look for in a presidential candidate?

This is not the time to discuss the qualities they should possess. They have already been appointed by their various parties. If they don’t have the qualities, are we going to disqualify them? But the voters would look for certain qualities before making their choices with what we have, the candidates put forward by the parties. Let’s look at it this way, it’s not for us to judge them this time, we’ve moved on. There are committees responsible for judging or choosing who is qualified or good. The party has a role in this; the INEC has a role to play; the Federal Character Commission plays a role in that, and so on. They had rated them for us because they have the power to do that. I can tell you categorically that Bola Tinubu is the best. Why? If you look at the state of Lagos, he has done well for the state. Everyone keeps saying this is him; he is. During Abiola’s ordeal abroad, he was there in support of the man and what he believed in at the time. Before the emergence of Buhari, he also played certain roles. When he was governor, he showed that he was a good leader and a team player. He must have been a fantastic manager to have been relevant in Lagos State for 23 years and to have had a major influence on the political activities of the southwestern states. I think such a man deserves to have the chance to rule the country. What he has done to bring Lagos to what it is today should give him the opportunity to replicate across the country.

How would you define good government?

I am not a politician, but since I retired I have supported politicians from their retirement. For example, when Buhari’s campaign was going on, I joined APC in supporting Buhari because I believed he was good. I have used my personal money to support Buhari. It wasn’t like I was expecting anything, I just wanted good government. Now your question of what good government is. A good government should alleviate the problem of the masses. Good government in Nigeria may not be good government in Tanzania. A good government should be able to provide what the people want in education, what the people want in agriculture, what the people want in finance, what the people want in finance, what the people want in tourism, and so on and so forth . It’s not just ruling over people. Another important area in which a good government must perform is foreign policy, because no country can operate in isolation. That is what I expect from a good government

What is your opinion on the same creed issue in APC?

The shades and howling about the Muslim/Muslim ticket is a political gimmick by some of the people to satisfy their own political gain. Whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, as long as you can deliver the good, why criticize them? Let’s look at it this way, we’ve done this before, we used a quota system to make sure everyone got caught up, but it destroys our system because good people are set aside for mediocrity. The same faith is futile, but as far as they can deliver the good, I have nothing against them. If they bring everyone from the southeast into all positions and let them if they can do the job, we’ll line up behind them and support them. By submitting religion, nepotism, tribalism and other aspects of life to the government, the government will not function properly. I’m not saying there aren’t Christians who are right for that position, but if I’m the candidate, I should choose who I’m comfortable with. Why do we cheat ourselves? If I feel comfortable with a Muslim I will choose a Muslim and if I feel it is a Christian who will do the job then I will choose a Christian. Let’s not put unnecessary sentiment into this. Let’s not kid ourselves, we have a Christian as our Vice President as of today, what benefit has that brought to the people of South Kaduna or people of the South East? They should let us know. In Abiola’s time, we had Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and Abiola and the whole country lined up behind them and they won. This is what I keep saying, we have to believe in ourselves, until we enjoy working as a group that loves each other, we will not be able to progress in our democracy.

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