‘Postponement Of The 2015 Elections Was A Big Disappointment’

Prof Remi Sonaiya, presidential candidate of KOWA Party in next month’s election and the only female in the race, was born on March 2, 1955. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) in 1977, graduating with the best result in her faculty. After her national service at the Nigeria Military School in Zaria, she got married and preceded to Cornell University in the United States (US), from where she obtained a Masters in French Literature. Back in Nigeria, she enrolled for another Masters degree programme in Linguistics, which she obtained in 1984, and immediately returned to Cornell University for her doctorate in Linguistics, graduating in 1988. Prof Sonaiya returned to Nigeria to continue lecturing in the Department of Foreign Languages of OAU, which she had joined in 1982 as an Assistant Lecturer. She became a professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics in 2001 and voluntarily retired in 2010. She is also active in and supports several churches and para-church organisations, including the Nigerian Fellowship of Evangelical students (NIFES), the Nigeria Bible Translation Trust, Calvary Ministry, Great Commission Movement of Nigeria, at the same time on the international faculty of Haggai Institute, Hawaii in the US, where she lectures on Stewardship, and has been a Bible study teacher in her church for many years. Married to Babafunso Sonaiya, a Professor of Animal Science, the academic-turned politician spoke to EKWY P. UZOANYA on the recent postponement of this year’s general elections and her involvement in politics, among others. 

WHAT is your view on the postponement of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for sundry reasons and has it affected your campaigns in any way?

  The postponement of the elections was a big disappointment and a very sad and embarrassing development for the nation as a whole. 

  We have had four years to prepare for these elections; how can we announce to the world, just one week before the scheduled date, that we were unable to conduct them? What kind of reputation are we giving ourselves? 

  Even countries that had been engaged in real war, like Iraq and Afghanistan, have conducted elections while fighting those wars. How can we be taken seriously when our entire armed forces claim that because they are fighting Boko Haram in the northeastern part of the country, they are, therefore, unable to ensure the security of Nigerians during the elections? 

  It was clear that the arms of INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, were twisted in the matter of the cancellation.

  The postponement has definitely affected my campaigns. To start with, it made me lose a significant amount of money, because it led to the postponement of the presidential debate, which was to have held on Sunday, February 8. I had already arrived in Abuja with my team on Saturday evening before the announcement of the postponement of the elections was made and the subsequent cancellation of the debate.   

  Given that I am not swimming in money, like some other candidates, that means there are some things I would have been able to do that will now be impossible for me. 

  But then, we have been bearing the brunt of this unprincipled and unaccountable style of governance for a long time, and this is just another example.

What is your motivation for getting involved in politics and aspiring for the position of President under KOWA Party?

  I decided to get involved in politics because the situation of our country was giving me serious concern. We were all there, watching our standard of living get worse from year to year, seeing our people descend into increasing poverty, and hearing stories of incredible amounts of money disappearing from state coffers, while our leaders stuff themselves with huge salaries and allowances. 

  I was working in the same university where I had been a student (Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) and things were just falling apart right before my eyes- falling standards of the students, decaying infrastructure, inadequate funding by the government and at the same time increasing meddlesomeness in the affairs of the universities. 

  It became obvious to me that I needed to take my concern for social justice and order beyond merely writing about them in books and articles. I needed to get directly involved. 

  One of the issues I had raised in my 2013 TedxIfe talk (which is available on YouTube) came to haunt me directly: Why not you?

  I usually say that I couldn’t have contested for any other position than that of president. Except for short periods when I have been away for study or research, I have lived in Osun State for the past 40 years, although I am from Oyo State. 

  However, is it possible for me to contest for any elective position on the platform of Osun State? Where is my father’s house in Osun? If I were to seek for an elective position in Oyo State, I would have needed to be sponsored by a godfather, something I definitely find unacceptable as a practice in politics. 

  In any case, by the rules governing the eligibility of candidates, I am qualified to contest for that position (President).

Why do you consider yourself suitable for this position?

  I have spent long years reflecting and researching the issue of leadership in general and the development of Nigeria and Africa in particular. 

  I have published several articles and three books on these topics. The books are: A Trust to Earn- Reflections on Leadership and Life in Nigeria (2010); Igniting Consciousness- Nigeria and Other Riddles (2013); and Daybreak Nigeria- This Nation Must Rise! (2014). 

  And to be honest with you, judging by the quality of leaders we have had in recent times, there is no way I could be worse.

It appears you are a lone-ranger in this race, being the only female presidential candidate. What would you do differently, if elected?

  Yes, indeed, I am the only woman in the presidential race, and I really thank God for granting me this opportunity to represent the women. 

  It is time for our women to step up their game. Don’t you think so? Nigerian women are proving their worth in all other areas of endeavour and public life. What is keeping them out of elective positions in politics? 

  Of course, a lot of things would be done differently if I were to be elected president, and not just based on the fact of the difference in gender. I am an individual with very strong moral values; people who have worked with me over the years would readily testify to that. I hate injustice of any kind. 

  I would work to ensure that the resources of the nation are equitably distributed to serve all Nigerians, with nobody suffering any needless exclusion.

   I will seriously tackle the cancer of corruption through the example of the leadership by bringing everyone, including myself, under the rule of law and ensuring that corruption does not go unpunished. 

  I will also regularly engage directly with the different segments of society on issues that demand our attention, so that we can together build a clean, orderly society and a system that is functional, not tied to the whims and caprices of individuals or interest groups. 

  I am particularly touched by the plight of our vulnerable sub-populations- children, women, the aged, the handicapped and the unemployed youth- who must be cared for.

The polity has witnessed feverish campaigning in the build-up to the elections. How have you carried on so far and what have been your experiences and challenges?

  It is rather disconcerting to see how violent the campaigning has been between the two major parties (the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC), both in speech and conduct, in spite of the accord for violence-free elections that all of us (candidates) signed in front of the international community in Abuja some weeks ago. 

  One just has to wonder why those who are seeking elective positions, along with their parties and supporters, are content to subject the nation to such tension and compromise our peace and security in order to accede to the positions they are seeking. 

  It should be clear to Nigerians that these ones really do not love us, no matter their honey-coated messages. Unfortunately, millions are following them blindly.

  I have been able to carry on my campaign as well as my resources have permitted. I have been more present on the social media, especially Twitter and Facebook, and have been able to win over a decent amount of following. 

  I have been touched by the enthusiasm I have seen in those who have come to identify with my message and have become very strong supporters. A few people are bogged down with the fact of my being a woman, but they are clearly in the minority. 

  It has been a source of joy to note that perceptions are changing and many Nigerians do not see any reason why women should be barred from aspiring to the presidency of the nation. 

  However, I have been terribly saddened by the witnessing first-hand, the role that money plays in Nigerian politics. No matter the group of people you are interacting with- young people, market women, public transport operators, traders, whatever- their expectation in most cases is that you will bring out money and distribute to them. 

  Our political culture is terribly corrupt and needs to be sanitised.

What are the major thrusts of your campaign, the message that you would want the electorate to buy into? 

  I have already mentioned some of the things I would like to do, which concern the development of our country and the building of a just, fair and orderly society, where nobody suffers needless exclusion. 

  But the real message I would want the electorate to buy into is for them to recognise that sovereignty belongs to them and that they must demand accountability from those they have elected to manage their affairs on their behalf. 

  This will be an important step if we want to put democracy on a firm footing in our country. It is something that citizens must learn to do. It is not just a matter of waiting for four years to vote out leaders who do not serve us well; we have to find ways of demanding accountability while people are in office. 

  The removal of immunity might be one vital step to consider in order to achieve this. 

Would it not have served you better if you started gunning for a lower position and then build upon your experiences for your current ambition? And are you getting the support of fellow women?

  I have already explained why I did not feel I could seek election into a lower position. In any case, Nigeria has had military rulers who were in no way prepared for occupying those positions. 

  I am not, therefore, saying that experience is unnecessary. However, we should really ask ourselves a vital question: What kind of leader does Nigeria need at this point of our history? 

  I am convinced that what we need, above all, is a leader who can inspire us to believe in Nigeria again and be willing to do our part in bringing about the change we so much desire. 

  One is bound to wonder what benefit we have derived from those who have had previous political experience. If they had put their experience to use, we would not find ourselves in these dire straits currently. 

  We need an honest, hardworking and incorruptible leader with a simple and disciplined lifestyle that should inspire.

Until this political dispensation, not much had been heard about your party, KOWA. Why is it so?

  KOWA is still a relatively small party, although our participation in the coming elections has been a great boost to us. There is nothing like participating in elections to make a party better known. 

  The KOWA was registered in 2009 and we actually participated in the 2011 elections, though in a limited manner. All the same, we won a seat in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, which is why we were not de-registered, like several other parties. 

  Our objective in KOWA is to change the political culture of Nigeria by building a party is founded on solid values and run in accordance with international best practices. That is why you will never hear about violence in KOWA. 

  Also, we are the first to discipline erring officials and members. Since we do not distribute money the way others do, we certainly will not grow as quickly as those who do. But we are committed to our values and principles and we know that ultimately, it is a party like ours that will ensure a greater, more prosperous and more secure future for our nation. 

  We will continue working hard to build it and we expect that after these elections, many Nigerians who desire real change will come to join our ranks. 

Does it bother you that a lot of people appear to be focusing attention only on the PDP and APC?

  It does not bother me in the sense of making me feel frustrated. I am busy doing what I know I should be doing and I don’t waste time comparing myself with others. 

  However, I think the media might be doing a lot of disservice to Nigerians by not focusing sufficiently on the other candidates, because they represent alternatives that Nigerians should seriously consider. It is all very interesting, really. 

  Many people say they are not convinced that there is a real choice between the two frontrunners. They describe it as a choice between “the lesser of two evils” or between “six and half a dozen” (mark you, these are not my own words).

  In that case, why don’t we look more critically at all the other alternatives we have? Is it not time to give ourselves some peace and choose a leader with “free hands and no baggage,” who will be able to focus on the task of governance, not having his/her time taken up fighting opposition or having to be hindered by pressure from all kinds of vested interests?

How do you see the involvement of women in politics? Have they been given enough opportunity in the political space?

  I believe women should claim that space for themselves, not sit there waiting to be “given opportunity in the political space,” like you put it. 

  And indeed, women have been more numerous in appointive positions than in elective ones. President Goodluck Jonathan has done much better than previous leaders in appointing women into his cabinet, up to 33 per cent. 

  However, in the National Assembly, women constitute a meagre seven (7) per cent. That is extremely poor, at a time when in some other African countries, women legislators occupy up to half of the seats. 

  This is partly due to the culture of most of the political parties in the country, where women are relegated to the position of cheerleaders and praise-singers primarily. Those who vie for elective office are also very often “donated” by their husbands, fathers or brothers. 

  It is time for more capable women to take their place in the political arena. There is no reason for us to be afraid, and I believe that more participation by women could actually help reduce the incidences of violence and other untoward practices in politics.

You have talked about the need to work towards a change in our values. What exactly is society not doing right and how is it getting in the way of development?

  This is a huge issue, because our societal values have been completely eroded. We seem no longer capable of being ashamed.   

  Imagine the welcome that communities accord to people who are convicted of wrongdoing, just because they are their people. Our traditional values of honour and dignity (e.g. better to die than be disgraced) have all, but completely disappeared. 

  How does a society develop when all that most people desire is to be parasites, sucking the life out of the country by stealing all its resources? 

  We are, therefore, just a nation of consumers; we are not contributing our own quota to technological advancements and innovations. Yet, we have so many universities. What research results are coming from them that are being applied to solve our own problems? 

  I will give some other examples. Take our attitude to time. It is a very limited resource, yet we waste it without being bothered. Is there any meeting that starts on time? How can we develop if we do not manage our time well, so that we can be maximally productive? 

  I took up a former minister of Education on this matter once. He had called a meeting in Abuja and came over an hour late. Then the Master of Ceremony (MC) wasted another hour recognising and greeting dignitaries. 

  Finally, when the time came to discuss the ‘Roadmap to Education,’ which was the reason we were all gathered, we were told that “because of our time,” we would not be able to consider it in detail. 

  I was furious, but thank God they allowed some comments, and I was the first to be called. I told the minister that we could not hope to transform our educational system without paying attention to our use of time.

  I asked why he had kept us waiting when he was the one who convened the meeting. What if the President or minister calls a meeting and they are actually the first to get there? 

  A couple of other examples: Consider the use of public space and property. If people are free to set up their shops on the roadside, they disturb the movement of road users and create disorder in our society.   

  Also, in the appointment of people into positions, when we consider party affiliations and other vested interests, rather than merit and the ability to do the job required, we destroy our institutions. 

  Thus, we have hindered development in ministries, departments and agencies, as well as in our educational institutions by not appointing the best people, but rather party loyalists and cronies. 

  All of these, going hand-in-hand with many other corrupt practices, have hindered our development. Development thrives only in an environment where honesty, justice and fairness are prized and where hardwork is encouraged and rewarded.