‘Political parties must have affirmative action in their constitutions’

What is your reaction to the dismissal of the petition you filed to upturn Ogunwuyi’s election by the National and State Assemblies Election Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on the grounds that you filed it late?The case is still in court and I am being represented by my lawyer. I don’t want to preempt […]

What is your reaction to the dismissal of the petition you filed to upturn Ogunwuyi’s election by the National and State Assemblies Election Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on the grounds that you filed it late?
The case is still in court and I am being represented by my lawyer. I don’t want to preempt it but I am going to appeal. So I don’t want to discuss the details until we get our final judgment.
There are still few women in the 8th National Assembly just as we have in previous ones. What is your take on this?
The problem is that Nigeria has not really come to appreciate the fact that women do more as elective office holders than even their male counterpart. I know that a lot of women contested election and some are in court right now.
 I think the problem in Nigeria is that of ego with the men and then our political terrain because they attach lots of importance to money from the contestants. And when it comes to the issue of finance, women are at a disadvantage. For us it is not a do or die affair unlike the men. So they go all out to make sure they win by hook or crook which a woman will never do. A woman will follow all the laid down procedures to ensure that she wins and when they rig her, she will resort to court.
But then, the first huddle has been crossed and it is always difficult o get your mandate back because of the usual things that happen behind the scene. I feel sad that the number of women has reduced despite our encouraging women to come out. A lot of them came out and spent their hard earn money yet the result came out the way it did.
I think parties need to do a lot  more, they must have affirmative action in their party constitution that will say, for every senatorial  district,  a woman must emerge and for every number of Reps you have in every state, you must have may be three or four woman. If we do not do this, it will continue to be difficult for women to come on the scene.
During the constitution amendment process in the National Assembly, we tried to amend it to give effect to affirmative action, but we couldn’t because the men outnumber us. And they men thought it was about male and female or we want to take their position from them.
 But I just see that worldwide, even in developing countries in Africa, like Kenya, Rwanda, and other small countries, they have more women in their parliament than we calling ourselves giant of Africa. I don’t think any country can properly be called developed without putting women as part of development. Women must have their own place because of what we constitute in terms of population. We cannot allow people to continue to take decision for us. And when you don’t have women in the forefront, then development will be slow.
We need to work seriously to make sure that we have more women in governance. I am praying that the present administration gives women enough appointive positions just like Goodluck did so that women can be visible. It sort of discourages those coming behind us when they see that you try your best and yet you are not having any headway.
With the way women are being treated in Nigeria, do you see a woman emerging as president in the nearest future?
With the type of politics we play in Nigeria, anything can happen. I am also a believer in destiny because we are not God. If God says in 2019, a woman can emerge, nobody can do anything about it. But if we follow the way we do things, it may be difficult.
 During the constitutional amendment, we tried to bring it up, but we were only twenty four out of three hundred and sixty and with the voice vote, even if three hundred say ‘NO’ then that is all, even though we had some gender sensitive men, but they are not many. That is why we need the equate system or affirmative action.
There have been reports that some people want the deputy senate president who is from the PDP removed so that APC can have complete control  of the two chambers, what is your take on this?
Where were they when he was elected as deputy senate president? The Senate is an independent arm of the National Assembly and I think they have  right to vote for their leaders the way they did. And if anybody is going to be removed, the members will do that.
With the number of PDP senators now in the senate and the way the elections have gone, I don’t think that anything as such will happen. I would say that the APC should have done its homework well before the leadership issue arose.
If they had gotten all their members and agreed on concrete terms on what they want to happen in both houses, then it would not have turned out this way, but as it is now, it will be difficult to get presiding officers out once they have been voted in.
When I contested for speaker and Hon Tambuwal emerged, even though our party was not happy then, they forgave them and moved on because they had the interest of this country at heart. Mr.President then felt that, since they wanted Tambulwa and Emeka, then let them work with them and I think that should be the attitude of APC now.
My party wanted me then but the ACN, CPC connived with some members of my party to edge me out. We are not talking about party interest here, we are talking about national interest.
Right now two zones have already taken up the speakership and deputy speaker positions,  that is the North East and the South West, the remaining four zones will get the remaining four seats. So if the APC is saying that the position of majority leader should go to the South West again, I don’t think that, the other zones will feel right about it.
But does the party have right to enforce their decision on the National Assembly?
No, they don’t. We have our house rules that guide the procedure on nominating or appointing leadership positions in the house. That is why I said the party got it wrong from day one. They should have met and agreed on what will go to where before coming to the house.
So APC should just allow sleeping dogs lie and allow legislature to continue with its work. If the leadership don’t meet up the expectation, the members will know what to do. Look at the current speaker, he got the overwhelming support from the PDP. As you know Hon. Dogora before becoming a speaker, has been a two term member of the house.
Having worked closely with him in the last session, do you think he is capable of leading the house?
He is very capable. He was to be my deputy speaker when I wanted to be speaker. He is a very humble guy, very intelligent and very calculating. He mixes very well. I don’t think members will have any problem working with him.
The party may not want him because he is not their candidate, but it is not about the party. Thinking back to what happened to me, people will expect that it should have left a bitter taste in my mouth but I think it leaves a positive effect because if that was the sacrifice I made to make the legislature have its independence then I am glad I did it.
Towards the end of the 7th Assembly, some bills were hurriedly passed, some Nigerians wondered why when lawmakers had four whole years to do so?
I am sure you know most of those bills were not at first reading stage. Most of them had passed second reading stage, public hearing have been done on them, and concurrence from the Senate has also been done.
It is just  the exigency of our work that delayed  their passage. Death of lawmakers, oversight functions and insurgency were some of the reasons that made it difficult for us to pass the bills in time.
Your take on girl child education?
I believe that boys and girls are equal. Girl-child education is very important because she grows up to become a woman, mother, keeper of the home and she could become the president. So a woman is as important as a man.
In our country, we have given the women a second class position, which is why we are talking about girl -hild. It is important that as you treat a boy, also treat a girl that way. Education is key to any development, whether individual or national. When you educate a man, you have educated an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate the community.
How did you feel when the PDP was defeated in the presidential elections?
Yes I was surprised but the gap wasn’t much, just about two million votes. The margin  was not  that wide with the kind of propaganda the APC were carrying on about the PDP, you will expect that it will turn over two million votes.
 Looking back, you will see that, there was a lot of treachery and betrayal that contributed to our defeat because if winning is based on campaigns, I am sure you will agree that PDP did all that.
I was surprised that I lost my election because my constituency has never had it so good. Everybody knows that I was the candidate to beat, but whatever went on behind the scene, it is only God that can judge.It was the same thing in the PDP, we had betrayers in the party and when your roof is leaking, what can you do if you cannot mend it? The whole house will be flooded. But I can tell you that, up to today, the PDP is the only national party in Nigeria, whether we like it or not. Look at how four to five parties gang up against one party and you can see from what is going on in the National Assembly today, it shows  the APC is just a marriage of convenience.
The marriage might now be scattering because everybody is going back to where he comes from, they are regrouping and are protecting the interest of their people. They were only concerned about getting PDP out of the way, they didn’t strategize on how to manage their success. For me, it is a game, one person must win and another will lose. I know that PDP can comeback very strong.