Kunle Adelabu
-Counsels council aspirants
A former Commissioner and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos Sate, Asiwaju Kaoli Olatunji Olusanya, has aired his views on the forthcoming Local Government elections and the uncertainties surrounding the process.
The party leader said he has himself contested elections five times and lost all the five times, also spoke about the council autonomy and how it has encouraged more aspirants into the council race despite the fact that the coast is unclear as things stand. He counsels the aspirants on the intrigues involved in their aspirations.
Asiwaju Kaoli who expressed his support for elections holding in the 57 councils in the state also charged the aspirants not see their aspirations above others vying for the same position and most importantly, above the party interests.
He spoke with THE IMPACT at his office at Kith & Kin Educational Schools, Owode – Ibeshe, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria.
“Local Government elections come in the circle of every four years and another one will hold this year, hopefully around May and June. The practice is that the party usually release the guidelines for the conduct of the elections but it has not come.
“While we are waiting for the guidelines, there is the issue of the local government autonomy introduced by the Presidency which was taken to the Supreme Court. The pronouncement of the court has been the subject of interpretations by the legal department of the party and the government. It is not really clear yet what it would be but it is the guidelines that would give definite steps.
“Though, it has been mentioned several times by the state party chairman of our party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi that elections will be conducted in the 20 Local Government and 37 LCDAs. The way it is coined is also subject to interpretations,” Asiwaju Olusanya explained.
The APC stalwart went further in critiquing the political situation, “That elections will hold in the 57 local councils is definite, but the statement that elections would hold in the 20 Local Government and 37 LCDAs is not the same thing as saying the election will hold in 57. That is another area that introduces some ambiguities into the whole perception.
“It is the guidelines that will determine if the elections would be conducted by the Lagos State Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in the 57 councils or Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 20 councils. Does LASIEC have the authority to conduct elections in the 20 councils? These are the issues.
“Another that is being considered is that this is an election that all the political parties will also be vying for and we don’t know which angle they will be coming from in raising clarifications in moving forward and what action will be taken.”
Stating his own position, the party chieftain called for the council elections to hold in the 57 councils because of merits derived since the creation of additional 37 LCDAs from the constitutionally recognised 20 LGAs in the state:
“In my own opinion, I think having experienced governance in the 57 councils in the last three circles and seeing it has impacts in many ratifications like bringing governance closer to the grassroots, giving real voice to the people because the voice of the people now has more channels to reach the government and they make inputs into what concerns their council and there is no doubt that it has also created lots of jobs which is also very important. In addition, there has also been infrastructural development.
“Imagine if the structure in Ikorodu has been just one local government as it is in the constitution, there is no way that the one council would have been effective as having the one local government and five other LCDAs in terms of reach, infrastructural development and getting the contributions of the people into what concerns their lives.
“So, I think that we should have the 57 councils which we have given birth to and that are now maturing. People have accepted it and it should not be taken away from them. After all, we are not made for the constitution, but the constitution is made for us.
“It is our law and if there is anything that we have to do to amend the law to suit the dynamism in the society today and meet the desires, yearnings and the aspirations of the people, then, we should do it for the benefit of the people and not suffer ourselves or restrain ourselves to the clauses that are anti – development and anti – people.”
While stating that the LG autonomy has brought improvement to finances in the council, Asiwaju Kaoli added that the development has encouraged more people to aspire for the position of council chairmen positions.
He, however, counsels the aspirants on the need to examine their aspirations very well and not see it as above others and the party.
In his admonition, Asiwaju Kaoli Olusanya exhorted aspirants to embrace and uphold party values and loyalty at all time no matter the circumstances.
He insists, “The local government autonomy is talking about the administration, and finance which makes the local government get their funds directly, which has introduced some elements into the elections as more people are now interested in the local government administration because of the huge money that will be coming in. It’s beneficial and good for us, hoping that they will be held accountable for the resources that will be made available to them.
“It is attracting more aspirants into the race. There are some LCDAs and local councils with about 20 aspirants, but there are no guidelines yet and this is raising a lot of anxieties, struggle, movement, criss – crossing and spending energy, time and resources.
“In the process, things are happening because there is no way they will go into that without stepping on one another’s toes. There is no way that they will not also incur the wrath of others’ followers. Those who have been friends before become suspicious of one another and trust dwindles.”
Therefore,” Asiwaju Kaoli added, “That cascades also to leaders, because all the leaders that the aspirants usually run to inform and consult about their aspirations.
“What I do when they come around is to share my personal experience with them. If you are not prepared to lose don’t go for political competition. If you are not prepared to fail, don’t expect success to come like magic.
“You must have developed your mindset. Yet, you put in your best efforts, consult widely and do a SWOT analysis of yourself, if after that, you still feel that you want to go for it, it’s a voluntary decision.”
He further counsels, “Having taken the voluntary decision to go into the contest, I expect them to take whatever the outcome is. I still expect them to be loyal party members.
“What I usually share with them is that, you losing does not mean that you have to run away to take a ticket from another party. Then, you are not part of our party. If any member should do that, such is never part of us, ab initio.
“There is no guarantee for you because about 10 or 15 of you are contesting and only one can be there. If you are really a genuine member of our party, you will remain in the party. If the party is successful, it gives you more hope. It may be your turn tomorrow.
“I always tell them that I have contested elections five times but I never won and yet, I remain in the party and support her consistently. If you belong to a big and successful organisation, it is better than to be the captain of a wrecked ship. Of course, a wrecked ship is a failure, but if you belong to a successful organisation, you will enjoy the patronage and the camaraderie of your organisation. That has been my counsel and I hope that they will take it.”
The party veteran sends his message of wisdom to the aspirants in the APC, “It is difficult for me to tell anybody not to run. I cannot, having advised you to go and do your SWOT analysis and you return to tell me that you are going into the race. By all means, I will tell you to go ahead.”
Asiwaju Kaoli Olusanya has been associated with the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress (AC), and the ACN which were all forerunners of the APC.
