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The national chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Adebisi
Akande, speaks on the party’s controversial consensus method of picking
its candidates, its chances on the national level and the choice of
Nuhu Ribadu as its presidential candidate.

The choice of Nuhu Ribadu as the consensus presidential candidate of the party

In August last
year, our party decided to migrate from using the old hands and
resolved to make use of the youth. That was why we encouraged the youth
to pick our forms for elections. We felt that the youth of this country
have been denied the opportunity to be in the forefront in the
political life. So we wanted them to be able to come forward and
showcase their stuff. So our party is determined to create opportunity
for the youth to partake in elections and governance. As a result of
this, we allocate enough space for the youth in our party. It is our
desire to see the youth operating while we are still alive and we are
trying to accomplice that. Therefore, because Ribadu falls within that
bracket, he was able to get our ticket for the presidential election. I
need to tell you that among the three persons that were presidential
aspirants on the platform of ACN, there was unanimous decision that
Ribadu should be the candidate. We thought there was going to be an
election by the delegates to elect one of the aspirants, but when the
three of them spoke, they came up with a decision that Ribadu should be
the candidate. So, none of the remaining two, Bafarawa and Malami is
aggrieved over Ribadu’s emergence.

The chances of an opposition party defeating the PDP at the national level

Honestly, we are
very optimistic that we can win the presidential election in the
forthcoming April poll. When we felt that our party may not be able to
do it alone, we are trying to form alliance with other parties of like
minds. We are discussing with CPC and ANPP and we hope that with such
people in those parties, can easily strengthen the opposition and
defeat the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party. The discussion is really
progressing and I want Nigerians to be very assured that we are going
to chase the PDP out of the presidential villa in Abuja this year.

Conduct of the general election

Considering the
leadership of the INEC, I think one can say the election will be free
and fair but we are not sure of the role that the police will play yet.
The inspector general of police needs to come out with his agenda and
convince Nigerians on his own commitment to ensure free and fair
election.

Protests within ACN over imposition of candidates

We are in a
democracy. So, what do you mean by imposition? It is the same democracy
that is being practiced in England and Canada as well as India. The
style they are using there is the style ACN is using here. It is only
in America that they use primary election in choosing candidates. You
cannot tell me that the American democracy is superior to that of the
British. Such style practiced in America has the tendency of splitting
the party into pieces. The British democracy is the oldest in the world
and you cannot see political parties there conducting primary elections
before choosing their candidates. They do it by picking competent hands
that are trustworthy in the judgment of the party. So, we believe that
election under a democratic setting is when we are contesting with
other political party during polls. If election within our party is
what you are trying to describe as internal democracy, then we reject
such ideas. Nobody should accuse ACN of imposition because that is our
style.

Anyone that is not
comfortable with that should go and contest in another political party.
So if you see anyone carrying placard around, he is wasting his time.
We know the efforts we made before the party became what it is today
and where were they when we were making the efforts. It is when they
saw that the party was popular that they were attracted to it and we
don’t expect them to come and hijack the party because of their dirty
money. We don’t allow anyone to hijack our party and that is why we
take the decisions in the interest of the party.

Possible return of Atiku to the ACN camp

Atiku is a
businessman with a mind in politics. He thinks politics could be played
the way business can be managed. If he is not careful, he will soon
become a rolling stone that gathers no moss. The earlier he realizes
this, the better for him. However, if he wants to come back to ACN, he
is welcome. If Atiku comes back to our party, we will remind him, had
you know, you would not have gone back to PDP again. So, anybody can
join our party from their wards in their local governments and no one
can prevent them.

His long romance with politics

I will die in
politics. It is not possible for me to quit. Even when I become older
that I cannot move around again, my soul will keep playing politics.
Don’t forget that politics is ordained by God and it is through
politics that you will be able to help other people in the society to
be better. When you are in politics, you are an apostle of a kind. Oh!
I love politics very much. I’m not going to quit.

Salary of lawmakers and political office holders

The nation’s
constitution does not allow legislators to regulate their earnings and
emoluments, but it is a lawless act coming from sheer impunity which is
the major characteristic of the PDP government. As far as I’m
concerned, it is looting. My party does not support such a thing.
Instead of benefiting the generality of people of this country, they
are busy enriching themselves with public fund. That is what we call
self aggrandizement and it is naked stealing which is not acceptable to
our own political party. That is the reason why our party is striving
to make sure that those who will serve the public through our platform
must listen to the party leadership. We are trying to make sure that
those elected on our party’s platform don’t misbehave or steal. We are
making them to realize that the party is superior, irrespective of the
power that their offices give that after the elections. So, they must
listen to the party. That is why you see governance in Lagos and Edo,
because we don’t allow the governor to put themselves above the people.

Monitoring ACN lawmakers in the national assembly

It will be a little
bit difficult. We cannot give such instruction because it will provoke
crises within our party. Our representatives in the National Assembly
know our attitude on this matter and they know that we are not
comfortable as far as the issue of jumbo pay is concerned, but our
lawmakers are helpless. They are human beings and it may be difficult
for them not to take the money when their colleagues from other
political parties are collecting theirs. We can stop that aberration
when our party takes over the presidency through the next election. The
emolument for members of the national assembly would be fixed by using
what the labour wage and in consideration of the revenue that is
generated by the country.

PDP unhappiness with ACN of Osun

I don’t think the
judiciary did anything wrong by taking away the stolen mandate from the
election riggers and return it to the rightful owner, Aregbesola. When
the same judiciary gave it to PDP in Ogun and Oyo state, Omisore did
not complain. However, I don’t blame him. The young man is frustrated.
As you can see, he was very ambitious and his ambition just crashed.
So, he is overwhelmed by the development and he was saying rubbish
because he was confused. Choosing between Obasanjo and Tinubu Obasanjo
is confused, while Tinubu is a focused party manager. Tinubu has some
people he listens to while Obasanjo has nobody to fear.