Chief Sharafadeen Alli has been in politics for three decades starting his political career as Ibadan North Local Government Area chairman in 1991 at age 28. In 1996, he was elected Senator for Oyo South under the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in the aborted Third Republic. He was appointed Secretary to the State Government in the state under Governor Rashidi Ladoja in 2003 and later, Chief of Staff to the governor. He was in 2011 appointed chairman, Oodu’a Investment Company Limited and elected Senator for Oyo South in the February 25 election. A pioneer member of the Senator Godswill Akpabio Stability Group, he speaks to DARE ADEKANMBI on how the Tuesday election will pan out in the Senate.
It is looking more like there is not going to be a consensus candidate for the Senate president position four days to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly. What is responsible for the non-resolution of the matter?
I don’t know what you mean by non-resolution. The matter has been resolved by our party and so shall it be. We can’t get 100 per cent support. The kind of democracy we are running now is such that even if you win your party’s primary, some people will still go to court to challenge you. President Bola Tinubu met with all the members- and senators-elect from APC yesterday [Wednesday]. Today [Thursday] he also met with senators and Reps from all other parties. He has told him mind. He persuaded people and told them that because of the interest of Nigeria, we can’t have a Muslim president, vice president, Senate president and a Muslim speaker of the House of Representatives. The Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima also said the same thing. How will people look at us from outside? Some people are already talking about Islamisation agenda in the country. So, we should not let it look like it at all. Quoting the Vice President now, he said the most corrupt and the worst Southern Christian is better than the best Northern Muslim. The party has decided where it is going. After today’s meeting (Thursday’s], I am sure a lot of the people who were standing on the fence before now will just jump in. The truth of the matter is that before today, Senator Akpabio has the number to make him win. But with the president’s declaration today [Thursday] after meeting with lawmakers-elect with the attendance of the Senate President, Speaker and the SGF, Akpabio’s victory is assured. They have all said we need a harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. And on account of the Nigerian Project that we have, we must ensure we do the right thing. If we go for election on Tuesday, Akpabio will carry the day and Jibrin Barau will be the Deputy Senate president by the grace of God. The same thing will happen in the House of Representatives where Tajudeen Abbas will be the Speaker and Ben Kalu, the Deputy Speaker.
Why are you so confident?
It is about having the numbers. We know ourselves. I am a foundation member of the Akpabio project and that is where the president stands. We all campaigned in our states and went around the country to ensure that the president wins. It is not just about winning; it is also about succeeding. The Yoruba have saying that more wisdom will be required to live in a house than the wisdom deployed when building the house. This means that we must stand by the president to ensure he succeeds because we all know that he means well. One thing about President Tinubu is that not only is he intelligent, he is courageous. It takes courage to take some of the decisions he has taken in the last one week.
When you said ‘it’s about having the numbers’, a lot of people will tell you can’t be sure of anything yet until voting takes place and your candidate wins and voting will be done through secret ballot…
That of the House of Representatives is clear because it is going to be by show of hands. But that of Senate is by secret ballot. But the truth is that we have people who have signed on both sides. Those are not honourable people. In our position today, we must be honourable people. We also have people who have not signed on both sides and they are more in number. We know ourselves. I keep saying that by the grace of God, Akpabio will carry the day.
Pundits and analysts have said the idea of the ruling party and the Executive branch dictating who will be leaders in the Legislative arm is not democratic. It will not make the legislative institutions independent…
This is not about dictating. Let me take it from the campaign time. We had a lot of problems persuading Nigerians to vote for a Muslim-Muslim ticket. We had to let people know, like the Vice President likes to say, that he is the candidate of necessity. Now that we are in a position to make sure we correct things, people should support this position. It is not that what we did earlier by picking Muslim-Muslim candidates was not correct. It was politically expedient to catch the votes. So, now that we are in a more stable position, we should now think of assuaging the feelings of our Christian brothers and sisters. That is exactly what the president is trying to do.
But Akpabio is not the only Christian from the South. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is also in the race from the South…
The proposed deputy speaker is from the South-East and the South-East can’t have the Senate president again.
Why?
What are we going to give the South-South?
There is even complaint from the South-East that the zone is being punished for giving its block votes to Peter Obi, hence the zoning of the Senate top position to the South-South…
It is not about punishment. It is about compensating hard work; hence we need to give it to the South-South. You have to reward those who work hard and ensured your victory. That is not punishment.
There are fears that the independence of the national legislative institutions is going to be compromised again…
There is not going to be anything like that. The point is that we had a terrible experience before now when there was a problem between the Executive and the Legislative arms [under Senator Bukola Saraki]. Those who were in that Senate told us what they went through. The 10th National Assembly is just about to take off. Let us have a smooth sail. Like I told you, the president persuaded people today [Thursday] and it is not about imposing anyone on us. There is a difference between imposing people and persuading people to accept something. The president is such a personality that very many people, including those who are on the other side, have high regard for because of his antecedents, his relationship with people over the years and so on.
Each time, a case will be determined on its merit. The way we are today, that is the best we can get. Maybe in another four years, we may say the party might not be able to have a say. But today, that is the way it should be because of the Nigeria project that we all have.
National Assembly leadership inspired by external forces outside the institution has been seen not to be working for the interest of Nigerians. A ready example is the expiring ninth Assembly…
I don’t agree with you. One of the best National Assembly we have had is the outgoing ninth Assembly. They have passed the highest number of bills, whether executive or private member bills. It was said at that time that it was the Executive that imposed that leadership of Ahmed Lawan. These leaders are people of means who have seen it all. Some of them have been governors, some have been senators and some have been successful business men. So, they won’t be rubber stamp like some people will want to say. There will be proper consultation, coordination and agreement. In a situation where you don’t see yourselves as enemies, you can’t tell yourselves the home truth. If not in public, you can do so privately. What we have today is the Nigerian Project, not a Tinubu project and not a project of the National Assembly or the Executive. We all know the kind of situation we have found ourselves as a country. How do you remove subsidy in Nigeria and Cameroonians, Nigeriens, Chadians will start abusing our president. It means he is doing the right thing. So, let us just continue like that.
Nigerians will not agree with your verdict that the expiring ninth Assembly is the best. The same Assembly that said anything Buhari brought would be approved and consequently was just approving all loan requests, plunging the country into huge debts which interest is being serviced by about 90 per cent of generated revenue…
The same National Assembly threw out the Water Resources Bill.
That was after Buhari had exited power…
No, that is not correct. If the president makes a cogent reason to borrow money, there is nothing wrong in borrowing money so long as you able to show what is going to be done with the money and convince Nigerians that the money is well spent. Maybe you were referring to the money that was to be borrowed to give succour or palliatives for the subsidy removal. The president announcing that subsidy is gone is just by words of mouth. In the budget, there is nothing like subsidy again. President Tinubu just went ahead to make an announcement. The ninth Assembly was never a rubber stamp. There were bills the president brought that they killed. There were bills they amended.
How is the National Assembly going to ensure that the poorest Nigerians who are going to me most impacted by the removal of subsidy are the ones that will get the best of the palliatives?
We are going to ensure that we do so. Today, you will see that in the National Assembly that we have today, there is a Senator who is a former president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Adams Oshiomhole. He was involved in the negotiations. The president publicly acknowledged his contribution to the negotiations. You know he is representing both sides. He will want to ensure that he protects the interest of his primary constituency as well. We are going to ensure the palliatives get to the right people.
Will the National Assembly probe the immediate past government if need be?
Let us get inaugurated first. By the time we get there and see how things are, then we will decide what to do. Note that about 60 per cent of the 10th National Assembly, particularly the senators-elect are new members and as such, we will be able to look at things dispassionately. Only about 37 per cent or so are returning lawmakers. Nigerians should rest assured that we are going to give our best. We will be independent and make the Executive and other arms accountable. That is why we are there.
What is your own legislative agenda for the people of Oyo South who voted overwhelmingly for you?
I will give them quality representation and along with my colleagues, I will ensure we make good laws for the peace, order and good governance in Nigeria. One of the things I plan to do is to ensure that I persuade my colleagues to get the health facility in Igbo-Ora to be made a Federal Medical Centre. That was started by the outgoing member of the House of Representatives, Dr Jibola Muraina. I will take it from there and ensure I get it done. Apart from this, I will focus on youth empowerment. I am not talking about just empowering people by giving them just anything. Some of them will get paid jobs, but certainly the way things are in Nigeria today, not all of us can get things like that. We are going to ensure we skill our youths and make them employable. The issue of women will not be left out. Our market women will get revolving loans or grants for them to improve on their trade. The issue education will also be upper most in my mind, not leaving agriculture.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
