Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state, is the senator from the Edo North Senatorial District who represents it in the National Assembly. In this interview, he discusses a number of topics, including the rise of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman and the professor’s remarkable leadership abilities. Joy Anigogu provides
How do you feel about 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. First of all, as a former labor leader, I must remind you that forced labor is prohibited by Nigerian labor law. And so we had a circumstance where my very dear friend, former colleague, former governor of Kano State and later chairman of APC, for personal reasons, had to retire. Furthermore, a vacuum is impossible. I also 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 other countries, the deputy chairman takes over in the event that the chairman departs. In fact, an ideal political system ought to be just that. However, 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 someone from that side to replace it. And that entails going above and beyond the typical requirement for a deputy to function when the substantive official is not there. This vacancy resulted from the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje, a former Kano State governor and chairman. Additionally, it was crucial 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 isn’t filled right away. And before you realize it, it’s turning into a major problem. Therefore, I believe that by calling an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council, the party took a proactive step. In order 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 Nigerian geopolitical sensitivities, we need to fill this vacancy and do a lot of behind-the-scenes consultation,” he added. However, the reality is that in the strongest democracies, campaigns are held even before votes are cast. Both the one you see on TV and the one you never see on TV are examples of those campaigns. Thus, what you saw was the result. The fact that everyone is applauding and no one is yelling indicates that a thorough task needs to be completed. The young man is then ready for the position.
Do you believe Yilwatda has the fortitude and tenacity to handle the turbulence of APC politics and the larger Nigerian political scene, or do you think he will likely be a lapdog for President Tinubu, as some have indicated is the reason he was selected?
That isn’t accurate. I’m not sure if anything you said about me was flattering. The point, however, 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. During the first convention, John Odigie Oyegun was a former governor for only two years. After Oyegun’s four-year tenure, I also became a former 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. After then, the celebration was shallow. I was dismissed in the same way, and then another chairman—who was also a sitting governor—was appointed as a caretaker from Yobe State. After that, the former governor, Abdullahi, was forced to step down once more when President Tinubu took office, and Ganduje succeeded him. Therefore, I believe it was crucial to reassure party members that there is no position that requires you to be a former governor, even for the sake of appearances. I believe this gentleman’s selection has effectively made that point.
As for your layback, it’s too soon to tell because you can’t get to know someone until you give them the car key. Appearances can be deceiving. I mean, I’m pretty little if you look at me. How could you speak to me in the manner that you do? No one can be bullied by me. I’m pretty little. I’ve had a special experience. To get right to the point, though, I think the man is creating his own special experience. First and foremost, it’s critical that party members understand that no position is reserved for those who have had a certain role in the past. It’s critical that each party member believes they have the potential to lead the party as its national chairman or general CEO. I believe there were only 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 couldn’t be a void. Maybe a week earlier, but I don’t think he knew this was going to be a possibility. And perhaps for the first time, as the party’s top man, the president reminded everyone that the party is the one that creates the government as he was about to address us by saying, “The national chairman of the party,” which I believe was intentional.
And now he sits next to the nation’s most important citizen. That is obviously a significant elevation. And it takes time for you to get used to that. He is then requested to give a speech a few minutes later. It goes without saying that he did not prepare for this election, in contrast to me, who had to campaign, convince people to run against me, and so on. Consequently, I have, in a way, confronted the prospect that I could win the election. He was devoid of that. I replied, “I hope it’s just a set-up,” when I noticed two persons present, exactly as you would be calling me right now. I’m not sure what the difficulties are if you want me to argue with these gentlemen. You agree that a national is a level-headed individual, so I believe that to be the first. Additionally, the party does require a patient person. In addition to having the patience to listen, people should feel free 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 with authority. It has advantages of its own, in my opinion. If you ask me, I believe what I witnessed was his humility. A layback, no. Remember that he is a professor. He has therefore taught, tutored, and mentored younger people in addition to being a lecturer, and in order to be a professor, he had to earn a PhD. He is therefore supported by his lineage. He is therefore not a brand-new leader. He has been a leader in academia.
