Why do you want to become governor of Kogi State?
Well, I believe that my people are suffering and I feel I should rescue them. So, I’m coming on a rescue mission.
How formidable are you?
I have women and I have the youth. They called upon me to contest and I believe by calling on me, they would stand by me. I am ready to serve.
What are your antecedents in politics?
Yes, I have contested before. I contested in 2007, against the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and some other prominent Nigerians. I came 27th in the primary of my party then, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I was not given the ticket. I wanted to be president of Nigeria. I believe the time will come for me to take another shot at the presidency. Then, in 2015, I also ran for Kogi governorship with the present governor, the late Abubakar Audu and others. I was the only woman among them. I was prevailed upon to step down for the late Abubakar Audu to run for his second term and I obliged. The person that spoke to me was the late Senator Haliru Dantoro, who is someone I really respected. He was the Emir of Borgu Kingdom in Niger State. So, I was one of those who worked for the success of Audu in the last governorship election. After Audu passed away, Yahaya Bello was called upon to take the leadership. But Governor Bello has not gotten anything right in the last three and half years; my people are dying, because of non-payment of workers’ salaries. They are suffering and I feel the time is ripe for me to come on board. I will not support him for a second term.
What’s the assurance that you can beat the incumbent governor to the ticket?
If you look at what is happening in other states, it is by your goodwill that you can get a second term as a governor. Bello has not done well in the last three and half years. So, I believe I will get the ticket.
If given the opportunity, what are you going to do differently?
Of course, I am going to give motherly touches to governance. All along, men have been ruling us. Never underestimate a woman. As a mother, I know what to do, to put smiles on the faces of our people. For instance, there will be no more owing of salaries; I will develop the state’s infrastructure; and I will relate with people in such a way that they will be happy with me.
Why are APC members in Kogi underrating PDP, as if the governorship is an APC affair?
Majority carries the vote. If you look at the last election, many of our candidates that contested for seats in the legislature at various levels were victorious. These people can work for the success of the party in their domains. The opposition only won a seat at the Senate, which was the one won by Senator Dino Melaye. Majority carries the vote. So, I think the APC will continue to rule the state.
How prepared are you for the financial demands of the exercise?
This time around, I am going to show them what a woman can do. I am going to show them that a woman does not allow herself to be limited by lack of adequate finance. I don’t have pounds sterling. I don’t have dollars. But, I am going to give our people the hope that things can be better. I’m just a woman, but I will assure them that I will make it without pounds sterling and dollars.
How popular are you?
I believe I am very popular. When I sold my land to African Reinsurance in 1994, I used my retirement benefits to help my people at the grassroots. So, I’m not surprised that they are now calling on me to come and lead them. I’ve been helping them for decades.
Do you have confidence in your party to conduct a hitch-free primary in Kogi
Yes, I have confidence in the party. They did it perfectly in 2015 when the late Abubakar Audu got the ticket. I have confidence in the national leadership of the party headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; he is a God-fearing person.
Who are your godfathers?
Godfathers? I don’t have godfathers; I just have mentors. These are people like our National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. His late mother, Alhaji Abibatu Mogaji, took me like a daughter. So, Asiwaju is my mentor. I also have a lot of respect for our national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and our state chairman. I believe the women and the youths will support me.
How many are you in the race for the APC ticket?
I don’t really know because the number of aspirants keeps increasing every day. As at last week, I think we were about 42. I can assure you that the men are in the majority. I think they are about 40; only two women are in the race for now.
So far, women have not had much success in their bid to become governors, especially in the North where they believe it’s a man’s job. How are you going to surmount that hurdle?
First and foremost, from the religious and cultural perspectives, we do not have that sort of problem in the cultural setting where I come from. The first Atta of Igala land was a woman. So, we Igalas believe in women and we are the majority in Kogi State. That is one. Secondly, this is the 21th Century. Things have changed; it’s not like it used to be before. I also believe in my party; my party, the APC, will do the right thing at the primary. I am not in a junk party; I’m in the APC – a party that enjoys the trust of the people. So, I believe I can make it.
What are the conditions that will make you step down?
The only person that can ask me to step down, and I would listen, is Asiwaju, because I believe in him, just as I believed in Haliru Dantoro. If he were to be alive too, I will listen to him. The same goes for my father, but unfortunately my father is also late. So, a good number of those who can prevail on me to step down are no more; the only one alive is Asiwaju.
You keep alluding to your father. Who was your father?
My father was a good man, a nice man. He came to Ibadan to set up a club, made money and returned home to become a king.
In your view, where did Yahaya Bello get it wrong in the last three and half years?
He got it wrong by not paying salaries; he got it wrong by pomposity; he got it wrong by not bringing himself closer to the people; and he got it wrong by thinking that he is alpha and omega. He got it wrong because he got power on a platter of gold. He did not work for it. People like me supported him initially, but I don’t think he would recognise me, if he meets me tomorrow.
How can violence be averted during the primary?
I don’t think there will be violence during the Kogi election because it is an isolated election. Apart from Kogi, the other state where election will hold on that day is Bayelsa. This is unlike the recent general elections where all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were involved. So, there would be more policemen on hand to keep peace. This is because the number of policemen and other security agencies are inadequate to secure the country, going by the ratio of policemen specified per thousand of the population by the United Nations. It is just like when you have only two babies, you will be able to breastfeed them well. But, when there are multiple babies, one cannot do that. So, I think the authorities will be able to curb the threat of violence.
You are from Kogi East. If the APC insists that you should step down to allow Kogi Central complete its second term, will you do that?
I will say this again. Majority carries the vote. Where I come from, if we alone conduct an election, I will win because we constitute 49 per cent in the state. We still have Igala people living in Lokoja, Ajaokuta and other parts of Kogi Central. I’ve done my analysis. In fairness, Kogi Central did not win the election; it was handed over to them on a platter of gold. I concurred because as a party person it is not ideal for me to go against my party. If not, I would have gone to court to reject Yahaya Bello from day one. I accepted because I am humble, I believe in my party and that my time will come. But, this time around, as I said earlier, there is no going back.