Nigerians expect miracles, governance is gradual — Ex-SSA to Tinubu

A former member of the House of Representatives, Ibrahim Olarewaju, who resigned recently as Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters to seek the APC ticket for Ido/Osi, Moba, Ilejemeje Federal Constituency in Ekiti State, reflects on his experience working at the Presidential Villa, his assessment of the Bola Tinubu administration, the debate over Nigeria’s democratic direction, and his return to grassroots politics ahead of future ambitions, in this interview with ABIODUN NEJO

You resigned your appointment as SSA to the President recently. What did you miss about leaving the office?

I miss the camaraderie in the office. Naturally, you will miss the honour and grandeur of the office, but what I miss there, I gain in coming back to my people and living among them. It is a kind of mixed feeling. Anyway, it is good to be back home with my people, and I have no regrets about doing that.

What was it like working with Mr President in that capacity, and what did you gain?

What I gained is that you have to be on your toes; you have to be mobile at every point in time. I recall I might just be about to go to bed at 10pm or 11pm, and my phone would ring: “You are needed at the Villa.” Mr President is someone who wants the job done. When he gives you an assignment, you have to get it done. That actually put me on a better pedestal in terms of ensuring that work is always done. Again, Mr President monitors you; he watches whether the job is properly done or not. Before you get back to him to report, he has already received feedback.

Some people are critical of the Tinubu administration. You were there — what is your candid assessment of the government?

A lot of things had gone very bad before now; even Mr President might have underestimated the magnitude of Nigeria’s problems before assuming office. Just like building a house, you don’t get it done overnight — so much goes into it. Nigerians often expect miracles, but there is no miracle in governance. It is systematic and requires a lot of planning. I have seen it firsthand: President Tinubu is doing a lot and putting in every effort to ensure that Nigeria is back on track. For instance, one of the problems was the issue of incessant strikes in public universities. But about three years under Tinubu, there has been no strike. To ensure smoother education, Tinubu introduced student loans and allowances for students. Once a country has solid and consistent education, you can be rest assured—why did the Southwest develop more rapidly in the early 1960s? It was because of exposure to quality education, and it started somewhere. Before Tinubu came in, most governors were going for bailouts; some were paying half salaries. These things are no longer common. The price of fuel is high, but once the product is available, the burden becomes less painful. Some of these gains matter. Giving the President the opportunity to serve another term will be good for the country.

For the second term bid, don’t you see Nigeria sliding into a one-party state?

I believe a one-party state cannot happen. Nigerians are putting themselves in unnecessary panic mode because of the movement of some PDP governors to the APC. The truth is that nobody stays in a sinking ship. The PDP brought woes upon itself, and those governors are only trying to survive. In doing so, they do not have time to establish a new party; they have to go to a party strong enough to accommodate their ambitions, and the only available party on ground is the APC. So, don’t blame them. In any case, we have seen senators, members of the House of Representatives, and state Houses of Assembly joining the ADC and other parties too. So how can anyone say Nigeria is sliding into a one-party state? A governor even defected to the Accord Party. The PDP may be back on track now after almost resolving its crisis in court. President Tinubu said during his State of the Nation address in June last year that the thought of a one-party state has never crossed his mind and never will. But the President will not close the door to those who want to join the APC — that would be undemocratic.

What are your thoughts on his second term bid?

I feel it is going to be tough, but Tinubu will win clearly. The indices are very clear. Sympathisers of the ADC are not serious. How do you keep blaming Tinubu as the one causing problems in your party? This is democracy; you don’t expect him to help you build your party. Tinubu started as the only surviving governor in the Alliance for Democracy. He later established the Action Congress along with his colle agues. The AC later became the Action Congress of Nigeria. He then joined hands with the late Muhammadu Buhari to form the APC. Have you not seen enough lessons to learn from that? You just jumped into a party, thinking that removing the chairman and secretary is enough to take over. You only bought a fairly used material and are now dealing with the problems you created yourself.

In Ekiti State, while Governor Biodun Oyebanji is campaigning on his performance, the opposition says he has not done anything. As a stakeholder, does the governor deserve a second term?

If there is anything more than a second term, Oyebanji deserves it. I have been in this state and active in politics for quite some time. By this time, when elections are about two months away, there would normally be reports of violence and attacks. But Oyebanji has succeeded in giving us peace in Ekiti State—building bridges across party lines. When there is peace, people want to live, work, and invest there. By his nature, Oyebanji is a lover of peace. When there is peace, businesses can thrive and people can prosper. Look at the massive infrastructure — both completed and ongoing. He has done well. Peace is at the background of the unprecedented development Ekiti is witnessing now. When we see something good, let us appreciate it and encourage the governor with our support. I have already started campaigning for his re-election — it is door-to-door, room-to-room, person-to-person. The fact that you can sleep with your two eyes closed is enough reason to campaign for Oyebanji.

Why do you think your aspiration to return to the House of Representatives is worth resigning your appointment for?

Whatever will make my people happy is worth resigning for. My resignation is not about me. I was doing well where I was, but when my people’s call became so clear and irresistible, it would be too selfish of me to remain there simply because I was comfortable. You will recall that my people, out of nowhere, tagged me “Mr Empowerment” because when I was in the House of Representatives, I carried out empowerment programmes every three months. My constituents are largely peasants — traders and artisans. My aim was to support their growth: those who needed small generators for barbing salons, those who needed deep freezers to sell cold drinks. I tried as much as possible to ensure that small business owners could survive. Nigerians are not lazy people; just give them the opportunity to survive. That was what I was doing, and it paid off. That is why you see them chanting my name everywhere. The only thing I can do is give glory to God and do more, because the true benefit of doing well is to do more.

What are your chances, especially with the push for endorsement and consensus in some quarters, and the fact that the incumbent is still interested?

I have crisscrossed all 32 wards, mostly not publicly, because when engagements are public, you often only hear good stories about yourself. I have sent people out, and the feedback has been very positive. If the primary is conducted tomorrow or at any time, I do not expect to score less than 75 per cent. I have people’s support, and I have character—these are my biggest strengths. It is good to be an omoluwabi; it is good to build a name and reputation.

What do you intend to do differently in the House of Representatives this time around if given the opportunity?

I intend to impact more positively on my people. I want to strive to bring federal presence to my constituency. We need federal presence; I have been saying this loudly, whatever it is going to cost me. It may be in the form of a federal higher institution, a federal health institution, or a federal establishment—something that will attract the attention of government and development to my constituency. That is how towns grow. It is for my people to continue to stand by me, and by the grace of God, I will do more.

To your constituents, the National Assembly, and Nigeria, what can your first time in the House of Representatives be remembered for?

Standing firmly for my constituents, bringing succour to the needy, and making our people smile once again. The names Ido/Osi, Moba, and Ilejemeje have continued to ring a bell in the hallowed chamber. They will always remember these. When I was there, there was hardly a week without hearing the voice of Ibrahim Olarewaju. I would not allow anything to pass without ensuring the voice of my people was heard. Being in parliament is about three things: representation, lawmaking, and oversight. The most important of these is representation. My people know that I was there in truth and in spirit. Honestly speaking, my people are missing that. I was not an absentee parliamentarian; I was always there, performing my duties and reporting back.