For Chief Olu Falae, the mood in his Oba-Ile Road home in Akure, Ondo State, is upbeat. The former Finance Minister, who was at a time Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and in 1999, a presidential candidate, is now like a beautiful bride. Politicians from the ruling All Progressives Congress, opposition Peoples Democratic Party, and others, have virtually turned Falae’s Akure country-home to a marketplace, as they are reportedly angling to join his Social Democratic Party. In this exclusive interview with ADELEKE ADESANYA, Falae takes an introspective look at the current political situation in the country, with a verdict that providence has rightly placed the SDP, a party that won the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election for the late Chief M.KO. Abiola, as a modern-day saviour for a country in political hiatus. Excerpts:
A report said political stalwarts are currently trooping into SDP, being the third force, ahead of the 2019 general election. How true is this?
Well, I thank God that those are the signals we are beginning to get from the general population. Several groups and political leaders have spoken to me that they want to come over to SDP because it is a party people used to know; that it is a good party for Nigerians, as it is not a sectional party. They remembered that it was a party that once ruled Nigeria; a party that the late MKO Abiola used to win a presidential election in 1993, and that it is known everywhere. So, that reputation of the party, which is very strong, is still there; and also, the fact that I have the privilege to lead the party at this time, I think that is also a plus for the party. And in a country where there is leadership failure all over the place – the government and political parties – many of them feel they feel secure with operations under my leadership. They know me and they know what I stand for – fairness, integrity and truthfulness. So, all in all, they feel secure and more stable if SDP is the party they choose, because they have tried all kinds of leaders, but have come to realise those who constitute the real ones.
Looking at the fact that SDP does not hold any political office currently throughout the nation, how will you finance the party ahead of the 2019 general elections?
Yes, money is very important, especially in a poor country like this. But it is just that money alone cannot do it. In a country where so many people are contesting for a nomination…for instance, if Mr. A wins the nomination but the leadership gives it to Mr. B, in that kind of a situation, money appears, because there is no integrity, no fairness. So I believe these are the kinds of frustrations that are driving people into SDP at this time, and I want to say that when we recovered the party back in 2013, what they said at that time was that SDP was back, and today, that has come to reality.
Reports said political bigwigs across the country had already contacted your party on this development. Can you please confirm this?
There are many people that have approached us, as you have seen and heard in the media around the country. A large chunk of the PDP and others have already signed a memorandum of understanding and joined SDP. Prof. Jerry Gana, Prof. Tunde Adeniran and Senator Henshaw led them. They have already joined the party. I can also tell you that other people are on the way. Also, as for the Coalition Movement for Nigeria, which is not a partisan group, their leadership was present at the negotiating meeting in Abuja. I saw them there, and I believe they were there because they believe in what we are doing.
Apart from members of the Coalition Movement for Nigeria in contact with the SDP, has former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the founder of the Coalition, contacted you?
Obasanjo was my boss; I worked with him when he was the military head of state as the permanent secretary of economic affairs. I worked directly with him for three and half years, so we are very comfortable with each other, although we contested the presidential election together in 1999. I have not seen him in recent time and I am planning to see him but I understand his people have been in touch with Prof. Jerry Gana, Tunde Adeniran, and those who are coordinating the party in Abuja, and I expect that they should be talking with them right now.
Since you are one of the advocates of restructuring, will Nigerians experience restructuring under your party if you eventually emerge at the end of the 2019 general election?
If you can lay hands on the SDP constitution or manifesto, it is based on restructuring. We are the only party that incorporated the need for restructuring for federalism in our manifesto, because we have a very strong, intimate relationship with Afenifere, which is the main proponent of restructuring. So, restructuring is Number One item in the manifesto of SDP. And you’ll recall that in the national conference of 2014, I was elected the leader of the Yoruba delegation and we were the ones who spoke with other people and got all that was required for restructuring approved by that conference and incorporated in the report. So if there is any party that is trustworthy on the issue of restructuring, it is SDP.
Secondly, you will recall that I too ran for president in 1999 and I had a blueprint known as ‘New directions for the Third Republic’. There, we addressed all the problems we are facing today, such as insecurity, falling standard of education, unemployment, food insecurity, poor industrialisation, and others. We had a blueprint ready. But in each area, we had a summary of what we intended to do. It could be expanded and modified in scope, but we are not going in to brag. Those who bragged before going in have failed because the fact is that, you cannot do original thinking when you are already there. If you try it, you will be using only a fire-brigade approach, until the four years will be gone. If you want to succeed in Nigeria, you must come with a fairly well cut-out programme, that will guide you through the four years; And in SDP, we already have it.
Why do you think this current government cannot implement the restructuring agenda?
The people in government will have the best answer. But let me tell you; this present government is a conservative one. The government does not subscribe to change, despite their slogan. A conservative government always avoids change because it doesn’t know what will become of it under a new change. And for this, this government feels so comfortable with the state of things; they cannot support restructuring.
So, this government is conservative because it does not want change. If there are changes, they are not too sure of what will happen to their interests or whatever; that’s the most charitable construction you can proffer. You can also say from the ethnic or geopolitical point of view, that, if you feel that your part of Nigeria has a good deal in the present arrangement, the question is: why do you want a change if everything is to your advantage? You will be a foolish man to allow anybody to come and change the arrangement, particularly when you are not sure that it will be better than the present.
Nigerians are thirsty for a younger president to rule the nation. Should Nigerians be expecting a younger person as a president on your platform in the coming election?
There are people in my party, from the age of 18 to 120. Nigeria will find the qualified persons of any age that it wants. But let me add this: age is a very important consideration; yet I will also tell you that age is not a qualification. If you say you are old, then it should show in your experience and maturity, but if you say you are old, you are 90 years old and you are behaving like a teenager, it is irrelevant. If you say you are a young man, you have vitality and activity, yes, but if you have all activities and vitality without the needed wisdom and other good qualities, then your youthfulness is a liability. Therefore, age is not a qualification, it is just an indicator of what things might and might not be. What is important is that we need a president who is physically and mentally fit and robust, and sufficiently flexible to carry all Nigerians along, sufficiently full of vision to know where he is taking us to. Not that he will be changing from one place to where he doesn’t know. So we will find, prayerfully, a president and governors of the right moves, who will know that Nigeria is in crises and will have to guide us along, so that we can do the right thing and avoid disaster in Nigeria. It is not going to be governance as usual, it is going to be governance from Day One, and we will be prayerfully moving forward and bringing diligence to the people of this country.
Nigerians should expect more than what they saw in 1993, under SDP by God’s grace, and they will find a President they will all love from this party.
