Adams Oshiomhole, the former governor of the state, is the senator from the Edo North Senatorial District who represents it in the National Assembly. He discusses a number of topics in this interview, including the rise of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman and the professor’s remarkable leadership abilities. Joy Anibogu provides
What do you think of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda becoming the new national chairman of the APC, considering that you were formerly the party’s national chairman?
It’s really exciting, in my opinion. As a former labor leader, I must first remind you that forced labor is prohibited by Nigerian labor law. Consequently, my close buddy, a former coworker, a former Kano State governor, and later the chairman of the APC, was forced to step down for personal reasons. A vacuum is also impossible. Additionally, I make an effort to be considerate of the sentiments of our party members and the Nigerian people due to the framework of our political system. In some cultures, the deputy chairman takes over in the event that the chairman departs. In fact, an ideal political system ought to be like that. But, since that position is restricted to a specific region of the nation, you must make sure that, in the event that one chairman departs, the variety of the political leadership is maintained. You try to find a person from that side to replace it. And doing so entails going above and beyond the typical requirement for a deputy to act while the substantive official is away. Abdullahi Ganduje, a former Kano State governor, resigned, creating the vacancy. Additionally, it was critical that the position be filled. People would say that Borno State has both the national chairman of the party and the vice president if it wasn’t filled right away. And before you realize it, it’s turning into a significant problem. Therefore, I believe that the party took the initiative to schedule an urgent meeting of the National Executive Council. Then he said, “Look, we need to fill this vacancy and do a lot of behind-the-scenes consultation to say, okay, we must see the vacancy, who, where does it come from, and how do we ensure the balance, taking into account all the geopolitical sensitivities in Nigeria.” In reality, however, people campaign before the ballots are cast in the best of democracies. The ones you see on TV and the ones you never see on TV are examples of those campaigns. That’s what you saw as the result. The fact that everyone is clapping and no one is yelling indicates that a thorough task needs to be completed. Then, the young man is ready for the position.
Is Yilwatda likely to be a lapdog for President Tinubu, as some have indicated, or do you think he has the kind of mettle and backbone to handle the turbulence of APC politics and the larger Nigerian political scene?
That is inaccurate. I’m not sure if anything you say about me is flattering. However, the issue is that the APC was unintentionally starting to create the impression that it was customary to serve as a governor, even if you were not in office, before becoming the party’s chairman. When we had the first convention, John Odigie Oyegun had only been a governor for two years. After Oyegun’s four-year tenure, I had also been a governor, and I entered through a convention before becoming the chairman. It just so happened that the first founding chairman, who laid a very solid foundation in very complex, complicated circumstances, was Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State. The celebration was then superficial. I was removed in the same way, and then another chairman—who was also a sitting governor—was appointed as a caretaker from Yobe State. Another former governor, Abdullahi, was then forced to resign when President Tinubu took office, and Ganduje took over—another former governor. In my opinion, it was crucial to reassure party members that there is no post that requires you to be a former governor, even for the sake of appearances. This gentleman’s selection, in my opinion, has effectively conveyed that point.
Regarding your layback, it is too soon to tell because you cannot get to know someone until you give them the car key. Looks can be deceiving. I mean, if you look at me, I appear really tiny. For me, how could you use the words that you do? Nobody can be bullied by me. I am quite little. I have a special experience. To cut right to the chase, though, I think the man is creating his own special experience. First and foremost, it is crucial that party members are informed that no position is designated for individuals who have held particular positions in the past. It is crucial that each party member believes they have the potential to lead the party as its national chairman or general CEO. I believe it was about two or three weeks from the time the previous chairman retired voluntarily and the time we had to have a new chairman in his place because there could not be a void. He might not have realized this was a possibility until a week ago. Perhaps for the first time, as the party’s top man, the president reminded us that the party is the one that creates the government by saying, “The national chairman of the party,” which I believe was intentional.
And now he’s seated next the nation’s most important citizen. That is undoubtedly a significant elevation. And you need time to get used to that. He is then invited to give a speech a few minutes later. He obviously did not prepare for this election, in contrast to me, who had to campaign, convince people to run against me, and so on. I have therefore, in a way, confronted the prospect that I could win the election. He lacked that. When I saw two people here, I said, “I hope it’s just a set-up,” just as you would be contacting me right now. I’m not sure what the problems are if you want me to argue with these gentlemen. As a result, I believe that the first is true—a national is a level-headed individual. Additionally, the gathering does require a patient person. Not only does he have the patience to listen, but people should feel comfortable to speak with him like they would with any other party leader because he is not a former governor. Not feeling, ah, that was a former governor. It has advantages of its own, I believe. If you ask me, I believe what I observed was his humility. It’s not a lazy one. Remember that he’s a professor. Since he had to earn a PhD in order to become a professor, he has not only lectured but also tutored and mentored younger people. He is so supported by his lineage. Therefore, he is not a new leader. In academics, he has taken the lead.
