As the agitations continue towards elective positions in Kwara, different groups have begun to show interest in different positions while alignments and realignments are going on side by side. A doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a stakeholder from Kwara North, Moro LGA axis, Dr. Abolaji Afolabi, bares his mind on views of his people in this interview with Sam Anokam. Afolabi who also holds a postgraduate certificate in public health, is president/CEO of Bolaniks Consult Nigeria Limited, a food security/safety and public health consultancy outfit in Ilorin.
YOU once described yourself as a professional in politics, what does that mean?
I am a professional in my field; I am in politics only to contribute my quota to national development as a patriot; also to my state and by extension, my people at the local government level. I have done well for myself in my line of duty and professionalism. Now I want to pay back to my community.
What informed your choice of party to belong?
I am not new in politics. I have always been a technocrat in politics, a professional doing it along with my work. I am presently a member of the All Progressives Congress Party (APC). I joined APC because I see the progressives as the party to be in government. If you are a politician, you will understand that we do permutations and visualise where the pendulum swings. The then ruling party lost face, especially the PDP government in Kwara. Do you remember the Oto gee movement? I was an active part of the movement that brought about the victory we are enjoying in Kwara today.
You are eminently educated, why are you not holding a political office?
Holding a political office is not the only way to be an active member of a government. My party, the APC, is in government both in Kwara State and at the federal level. As a major stakeholder of the APC in Kwara State, there are always channels by which people like me can have access to contribute to the effective running of government, either at the state or federal level.
Don’t you think you would make a better impact if you were part of the executives in power?
You are right, but mind you, all of us cannot be in executive positions. For me, I like taking things step by step. I can still be called upon anytime as long as our party remains relevant and in power. As a matter of fact, I may soon take that step to contest a higher elective position; but for now building up for 2027 on how an elective position will come to my zone in Kwara North.
Speculatively, Kwara North is settled about having the governorship ticket come 2027. It is also on record that the deputy chairman of the APC in Kwara said that the issue of governorship coming to Kwara North had been settled by you people.
(Cuts in) That is where the problem lies. In APC there is no zoning; thus the site is open to all the zones. So we’ll all need to sit down in Kwara North and talk to issues on ground. Kwara North is made up of five local governments and four major tribes. We have Baruteen, Kaiama, Patigi, Edu and Moro local government areas. Baruteen and Kaiama are Bartonu and bokobaru speaking people; Patigi and Edu are Nupe while Moro is Yoruba speaking. Incidentally, Moro, despite being highly populated, is marginalised.
Marginalised by who?
By the rest of us in Kwara North. If not, this issue of positions coming up ought to be discussed between us all; but only the other two tribes sat to discuss as alleged. There was never a platform or space where a meeting was held and we concluded on which post goes to which area. We have a governorship slot, we have a Senatorial seat and a House of Representative seat; how these seats are shared among all the three tribes is a factor that will either make us have the governorship or lose it.
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Is that a threat to the other tribes in the Kwara North?
It’s not about a threat but the reality. You don’t shave someone’s head in his absence. How can someone say, ‘we all in Kwara North agreed to a thing’ when nobody agreed over anything. How does that sound?
But politics is about numbers; will such an arrangement as described by you be seen as democracy?
This is part of political consultations, we need to marry interests, place all options and opportunities on the table and be equitable about it. This is to make us to be on the same page as a zone on the issue and allow us to move together to lobby the other two zones for a seat because all of us are entitled to it.
So how do you want the positions shared in the interest of peace and success of the party?
When we get to the bridge, we shall cross it. And that bridge is a meeting of all representatives of the four tribes and interests that are in the Zone. It will be progressively just and fair if the Yoruba, Nupe Bartonu and Boko people get adequately represented in the scheme of things. It will be most unfair if major tribes in Kwara marginalise Kwara North, and within our enclave we are also marginalising ourselves. It would be the most unfair thing to do to our people but only a roundtable discussion would guarantee success. From 1999 to date, all the other four local government areas have each produced a senator and House of Representative members, except Moro, a Yoruba speaking. Presently, Kaiama LGA has the Senatorial seat, Baruteen, Edu/Patigi also has a House of Representatives while we don’t have anything from Moro LGA. This is not acceptable to us.
This arrangement is within your party, the APC; do you know what other opposition parties are planning? How prepared are you?
Definitely, every other serious-minded politician and political party must be strategizing and having permutations on where their flag bearer would come from. Some will work to counter our own plans; some will be outright against our plans. What matters most is that as we are getting closer to 2027, all hands from Kwara North must be on deck to ensure we get the governorship ticket and ensure the party wins and Kwara North also wins.
Rounding off, what’s your message to your people?
It’s simple, for now Kwara North as it stands is most disunited. We are not yet united on the issue of governorship for Kwara North but we can still be united. Let us sit at a roundtable to fashion out how the various available seats would be shared within us. That’s the only way we can unite over the Governorship seat coming to Kwara North.