How Ndigbos can win 2023 presidency has been a debate overtime. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, a Nigerian politician and a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State to Governor Bola Tinubu between 1999 and November 2003 has also added her voice. In this interview with Isaac Ngumah of OpenLife Nigeria, the former deputy governor bares her opinion of critical national issues
Many people have accused President Buhari of nepotism, what is your view?
Of course. It’s only northerners that he is picking for most top positions. Also his portfolio is petroleum and I understand his daughter is working in NNPC. Is that not Nepotism.
The opinion, in some quarters, is that Nigeria is on the brink of becoming a failed state. Do you agree?
I don’t think those who think we are on the brink of becoming failed state are wrong. If we look at what happened in Somalia its a pointer to what is happening in Nigeria.
As a member of PDP, what are the party’s strategies to consolidate on the Edo victory in Anambra State election?
I don’t think I can be discussing our strategies on the pages of any newspaper.
Nigerian governors have expressed frustrations over the spate of insecurity in the country. What is your take?
It’s not only Nigerian governors that have expressed concern about the insecurity in the county. All of us who are citizens are worried about the state of security and everyone is living in fear as no one is safe
What are your views on the economic situation?
Of course inflation is rising and we are all buying from the same market and we know that prices are rising everyday.
Lagos State recently deployed 1,1250 special constabulary officers for community policing. Are you satisfied with that administrative step?
The more people we have policing our communities the better for us.
What can you say on the ongoing judicial panel investigation End-Sars?
I cannot comment on the End Sars judicial panel until we have their report.
South East leaders have asked APC and PDP to cede presidency to the Zone, what is your take?
I don’t know about ceding presidency, but to be honest, the South East or Ndigbos, is the only area that has not had the presidency under the new dispensation. So I believe that what the south east should do is to put a presidential candidate that is acceptable to Nigerians. I am sure Nigerians would vote for that person.
Niger Delta militant groups backed out of Federal Government peace talks. What can you say to that?
I cannot comment on this as I don’t know the circumstances under which they backed out.
What can you say on the of the present administration to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over a period of 10 years?
I would say that Nigerian government should tackle the endemic poverty in Nigeria now instead of speaking of lifting people out of poverty in 10 years time.
Some have called for power rotation. Do you agree?
I am not ready to talk about power rotation. What I am ready to talk about is restructuring by 2023.
Some presidential supporters blame the backwardness of Nigeria on previous regimes. Do you agree?
Of course the president has been making all sorts of excuses for the inadequacy of his administration even still blaming Jonathan’s administration that left government in 2015 for it’s failures. I think this is utterly disgraceful.
However, I hope President Buhari can keep his promise to organise the country’s architecture this year.
Besides and as I said earlier I am looking forward to the country being Restructured so that Nigeria can develop.
Do your agree with Nigeria’s presidential system of government?
I think the presidential system is too expensive for a country like Nigeria and does not lead to accountability.
What do Nigerians expect from PDP reconciliation efforts to win more elections?
I am a member of the South West Reconciliation committee and of course there is the National Reconciliation committee. We are all trying our best to make sure that the party is unified for the struggle ahead. I don’t know those who are trying to cause disunity in the PDP but I can tell you they will not succeed.
Hopefully, our reconciliation drive is aimed at planning to produce the next President but I cannot reveal our plans.
Do you subscribe to the call to sack service chiefs?
If people are put in positions to do certain jobs and after 5 years or more they are unable to perform the task for which they were appointed the best thing is to have new hands.
If the president is satisfied that doesn’t mean to say that the people are satisfied.
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