We Need The Right Leadership In Kogi West, Says Akanle 

Williams Toyin Akanle, a former Director of the State Security Service (SSS), was until late last year, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on which he is contesting the Kogi West senatorial election, spoke on his party, why he left PDP and programmes for his constituents, if elected.

WHAT motivated you to contest the Kogi West senatorial seat?

  A look at every community in Kogi West shows clearly that there is an aura of poverty hovering over the entire area. 

  The gradual decay and rot in at least the past 15 to 20 years is visible. Virtually everything is grounded, from infrastructural facilities to the human beings. 

  When I looked round and saw these, I told myself this was not where we should be. Instead, we should be where other communities are, with improved infrastructural facilities, good roads, portable water, health care delivery system, unhindered electricity supply and other good things to keep life going.   

  I believe I can do something to elevate our people from rural impoverishment.

How do you hope to surmount the challenges of contesting on the platform of a new party, like the SDP, in Kogi West? 

  Did I hear you say new party? I will humbly like to disagree with that. 

  Some 22 years ago, the late Chief MKO Abiola contested and won one of the most widely acknowledged credible election in Nigeria political history on the platform of the SDP.   

  The logo has not changed and most of the people who believed in the noble ideals of the party at that time are still very much around. 

  So, I strongly believe all we need to do is political overhauling. More so, we thank God that the awareness is much, especially in other parts of the country. 

  With the calibre of politicians in the party in the Southwest, the SDP is definitely the emerging third force, demanding social change and greater personal freedom, as well as reshaping the political landscape. 

  In Kogi West, which is my immediate constituency, the party’s current momentum is promising, because the SDP represents good governance, fairplay, equity and justice. 

  Currently, sensitisation is ongoing and I strongly believe we shall reach for the heights.

What is your reaction to claims that you are a political neophyte? 

  Well, in the local politics here, maybe one is not that heard. However, based on my career and having being a director of the State Security Service (SSS) in many states of the federation between 1997 and 2010, as well as taking stock of the series of elections during this period in that capacity, I must be part of what makes it thick- the successes of the elections and the failures.

  So, basically from my background and from behind the scene, I have been playing a lot of politics. Even though I may not have contested any election before now or sponsored any candidate, but I have been part of strategies to win elections and strategies to ensure peaceful electoral process. 

  I have done tremendously well in every area and I believe that I am not new to politics.

What other noble ideals does SDP have for the masses?

  Any good government will ensure the provision of quality and effective education, functional healthcare delivery system, provide basic infrastructural facilities and maximum security for lives and properties, amongst others. 

  As it is today, all these are lacking in Kogi West. 

  As such, the SDP is all out to ensure that we get to where we should be. As a nation and as a people, we have no business with poverty in Nigeria. 

  So, we talk so much about good governance in Nigeria and that is what is lacking. We talk about leadership that is ready to sacrifice and allow followers to follow rightly. The moment there is good leadership, definitely the followers will key in. 

  We need the right leadership to turn the situation around. We need people who are determined and ready, people who have the integrity and are concerned about the masses and want to lift them up. 

  It does not take much. I believe with full determination, we shall be there.

With the dominance of PDP in the area, how does the SDP intend to bring about these changes?

  We just came out of the primaries and witnessed all that happened. If I may ask, is the fallout the wish of the people? 

  No! It is a case of few guys calling themselves together, because they have the resources and wherewithal, cohere and induced the people, transport them to a location, lock them up and tailor them toward a particular voting pattern. 

  We are going to the people who are suffering. The suffering our people are passing through is too much. In short, there is an aura of abject poverty hovering round Kogi West. 

  We are going to the electorate and selling our party and my candidature.

How do you intend to personally alleviate the suffering of the people?

  As green as people think I am, I have been involved in several communal efforts and human capital development. I have a Foundation- William James Foundation, which is engage in educational development (scholarships), skill acquisition in various institutions, as we are yet to have a centre of our own. 

  As I talk to you, I also have a Ministry, a sort of where we take care of the wellbeing of about 250 widows and orphans. 

  Secondly, if and when I am elected, there is much that can be done, using one’s office, such as constituency projects, international grants and aid in the area of water, rural electrification, access roads, education, primary healthcare, etc for the development of our people.      

Why did you leave the PDP?

  I left because of the issue of the PDP primaries. There are people I respect a lot because of what they have done, like Senator Tunde Ogbeha, who came out to say the slot is for Yagba East at a stakeholder’s meeting.