‘Government Is A Serious Business And Should Be Manned By Serious-Minded People’

Wole Aboderin, an Estate Surveyor and Valuer, ventured into mainstream politics in 2011, when he was director of the Buhari/Bakare Youth Campaign Organisation. He spoke to DANIEL ANAZIA about his supports for the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and passion for Nigeria and the youth.

WHAT informed your choice to support Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to the point of wearing his campaign badge? 

  I have been wearing this since his declaration. I am not just a fan, but also an ardent supporter of Buhari. 

  My support for him did not start yesterday or recently; I was the youth director of Buhari/Bakare presidential campaign in 2011. 

  I had the privileged of meeting him and I found him a passionate man with great ideas for the enhancement of this country. Everything he thinks is the wellbeing of Nigeria and its people. 

  In the course of my interaction with him, I found out that he is so passionate about Nigeria that he will not like this country as it this today. This has consistently informed his desire govern this country, to bring developmental changes that would put Nigeria on the global pedestal economically and politically, and as a corrupt-free nation, due to his zero tolerance and continued reiteration of war against corruption in Nigeria.   

  Out of all leaders, Buhari has been outstanding and exceptional, both in character and deeds. He is honest, courageous, trusted and humane. This is attestable to his identification with poor and downtrodden (talakawas). 

  He is one elder statesman and leader in Nigeria that believes so much in the youth and their empowerment. 

You said Buhari is one leader that has a zero tolerance for corruption. But do you really believe he can fight corruption, considering some of those surrounding him?

  After the 2011 election, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) under which he contested the presidency then called together the presidential campaign team to review the election and look at the future. 

  At the end, the team resolved that we needed to grow bigger as a party, as a stronger platform and needed to align forces with others with the same objectives and aspirations; hence the need for merger. 

  Also, we agreed that we need a leader in the calibre of Buhari, who has the interest of the country at heart; who will not see the office of the President as a privilege, but a responsibility and commitment to Nigerians. 

  Corruption is not the only problem bedeviling this country; there is problem of hypocrisy and sycophancy. 

  Despite the challenges of Singapore, its great leader, Lee Kwan Yu, was able to transform it from a third world country to where it is today. 

  If our leader can deal with corruption, I believe Nigeria will be better, and this, Buhari is committed to do from May 29. 

  Talking about the people around him, they are all outstanding leaders in their rights and have made their marks in governance.

  It is not that when Buhari takes over the mantle of leadership on May 29, corruption will end. No, rather it will reduce abysmally. He has antecedent while he was military head of state. 

The average Nigerian youth is often induced financially and used as a tool of political violence before, during and even after elections. What are Buhari’s plans for youths, in terms of job creation, etc?

  Let me reiterate that Buhari is one Nigeria leader that has utmost regard for the youths. 

  The first time I met him was when he was shortlisting people to lead his youth campaign organisation. 

  After that, I was afforded the opportunity to meet him one-on-one, and he amazed me with his dreams for this country and the youth. 

  At some point during our campaign, he beckoned on me and said that he appreciated what I had been doing. That had a lot of impact in me. 

  He said that he used to have a friend that is Wole, and I am the second friend of his that would bear that name. It was so encouraging for me that a former head of state and elder statesman appreciated my effort. 

  During the campaign, he always said youths should be carry along, because they are the future leaders of tomorrow.  

  Nigerian youths need someone that has their interest at heart to lay a good and solid foundation for the future for them. It is so bad that the average Nigerian youth thinks of nothing else to do when given an opportunity to serve in government than steal from the treasury. 

  But Buhari has said and keeps saying that corruption will be a thing of the past from May 29, if he is elected.

Election rigging had been a major problem in Nigeria. Do you think next month’s polls would be different, particularly with INEC’s level of preparedness?

  The handwriting is already on the wall and the reason this year’s election will be different from that of 2011 is that during our campaign then, as CPC, we had no money, but all the votes we had was based on the goodwill and integrity of Buhari and Pastor Tunde Bakare. 

  The ruling party rigged the election then because Buhari had no clout. Now, he has the clout and is giving the ruling party a run for their money, particularly with the platform he now has. 

  With the merger, we have 14 governors, who are not just pushover governors, but are solidly behind him. 

  The APC have serious-minded Nigerians, like Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, among others numerous to mention that are passionate about the future of Nigeria and the youth. 

  The party’s structure is superb; the primaries showed the world that there is a party with a change mindset and ready to salvage the country from the mess the ruling government has brought on this country. 

  People are tired of the PDP and the present government and want change and they believe the time for that change is now. As such, they are shouting Buhari and APC as the change. 

  Government is a serious business that should be managed by serious-minded people. Buhari is a serious-minded man and he takes every statement he makes serious. 

  The level of poverty in the country is alarming that people are dying of hunger and tired of the present government and its platform.   

   I am a grassroots person and interact a lot with the people in the street, market, supermarket and other places. They are tired of this administration. 

  There is a clear shift from 2011 to this year. Buhari formed the CPC within three months and we know what we went through. The handwriting on the wall is clear, with its message that there is no room for rigging. 

  My advice to INEC is that they should allow both those that have the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and those that have the Temporary Voters Card (TVC) to vote, because they are behind schedule with their own activities.

  They have the data of the voters with them and they should that. INEC, rather than give hope to us, has shown us signs that they are unprepared for the elections, particularly with the way they handled the voters’ registration exercise. 

  There are complaints from people about the attitudes of INEC officials with PVC distribution, and it is suspicious. They claimed people were not coming to pick up their PVC, but they were nowhere to be found. 

  So, in my candid opinion, INEC should acknowledge the PVCs and accommodate those people with TVCs. People are agitated for change and the change is Buhari.