Former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki has kept everyone in suspense with his insistence on staying in the PDP while many of his close associates switched to other parties. He explains to our correspondents in this interview why he has not defected to any other party, his relationship with those at the helm of affairs in the current administration, his plans for 2027 and why he believes the PDP will bounce back. Excerpts:
You've stated that you had reservations about the national convention of the PDP which held in Ibadan because INEC was not there to monitor the process. How sure are you that INEC will be at the Abuja convention at a time Taminu Turaki says they have gone to Supreme Court?
The only objective I have and I'm still appealing to a lot of PDP members is, let us not look at the party through the mirror of whether it's Tanimu, Wike, Sam Anyanwu, Damagun, Makinde or Bala. Let us look at our objective. Does it create an opportunity for PDP to present candidates? If it does, that's where we should all be.
Our individual issues can be resolved later down the line. But we cannot lose this opportunity, because you know as politicians, we have our interests. These same people who are saying no, you will see them maybe in six months' time, they've become friends.
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But what happens to the future of those individuals that want to contest election?
To me, that's my priority, and that is what I think is the priority of anybody that wants to be there. But sometimes when individuals collide, there's interest, there's ego, there are issues. Let us drop it for now. If there was another alternative, we can say, yes, carry on that process.
We thought before that INEC was going to give time, maybe primaries would be like in August or September. But now, the primaries are less than six weeks. And that is why a lot of people are decamping from PDP, it's because of this fear.
I use my state as example. Majority of people in my state were concerned initially. People were using the PDP situation to campaign against us. They say, you are contesting in PDP, you don't have a party to contest on. And that was echoing and it was working But it looks now as if there is an opportunity; the momentum, the approach, the excitement has increased
But do you blame, the governors that defected? They said they do not see light at the end of the tunnel?
The governors fall into different categories. There are those that, honestly, you cannot blame them. Let me give Osun as example, or those that were in Ekiti. At the time at which their primaries came about, PDP could not have been on the ballot paper for that election because at that time there was really no EXCO of the party.
Some have other reasons why they want to leave. But there are some, who genuinely, did so out of concern. So I can't use one paintbrush to define everybody. Truly, there are some that really have no choice. For example, if we had had elections at the time Osun was having elections, which is August, which meant primaries was by December so by January, you will have to leave the party.
Because as you saw INEC in Ekiti, it's very unlikely that, based on what happened at the primaries, that we didn't have candidates to field for those elections. So they genuinely, have reasons to leave.
What about Zamfara, Taraba, and then Plateau. Do they have enough reasons?
They will say they have.
But in your estimation, do they have?
They will say they have. I can't be categorical. Because everybody has his own limit to risk. There are some risks. I mean, don't let us deny that. So I can't categorically say that they don't have reasons.
I think there are some that clearly, even if they wanted to, there was no option, like Osun. There are some that you will say, well, they could have taken their chances with PDP. But they will tell you, why should they take their chances? I mean, why? It's not that they couldn't, but why should they If there are other options available to them?
There are some that didn't even wait. I mean, Zamfara at least waited till the very last moment. Some that didn't even wait as earlier on, they jumped ship. So there are different states, we have to look at it differently. Some very genuinely, some you can understand, some you can't understand why.
What do you envisage at the convention, in terms of the composition of the National Working Committee, there are people who still believe that the issue that started from 2023, over where the chairmanship should be zoned to, should still be sustained and should be in the North Central?
That's where I am 100% on that position, because there was an agreement. If you remember, it was Ayu that emerged as the chairman with the zoning, and the deputy position went to North East. Ayu left.
The normal approach is that once Ayu left, it shall be replaced by somebody from North Central. Damagun started to act. The acting started becoming like permanent. There were lots of agitation in the North Central, people who felt that we should not accept it. We should even go to court and challenge the party. And some of us calmed everybody down, said, no, we should not do that. We'll create factions.
Even some people said, we should go and open an office, have a meeting in North Central, choose somebody and say, that's the new chairman. We said, no, that will create faction.
And we spoke to a lot of other members of the party leaders, and we said, look, you know what? Let Damagum continue till the next Convention. When the next Convention comes, to pacify the North Central, bring this thing back to North Central, that was the understanding.
When we now came close to this Ibadan convention, all of a sudden, they said, the chairman is going to North West. And people like us spoke vehemently against it. This is wrong. This is not in line with what we all agreed.
What we all agreed was that we should maintain this thing so that, that Ayu's tenure that never completed should be completed by North Central, and after that, that's it. So, I'm fully behind the fact that we should keep to that agreement.
Having the chairman in the North Central?
Yes.
What about the presidential candidate?
That has been resolved a long time ago. That was resolved last year, you know that.
There is this allegation that PDP will end up endorsing President Tinubu as the candidate of the party.
I'm not aware of that but you know all this kind of propaganda.
You also heard it?
No, I didn't hear it. It is the first time I am hearing it. Because I think even the APC, I think what they discussed was party positions. There is time for everything. Our conversation is for party positions.
But from the body language of key stalwarts of PDP, it's like they are going to toe the same line. We have heard your good friend, Wike saying Tinubu remains his candidate. Will you challenge him?
That is not what is on the agenda. What is on the agenda is the election of party position. The only thing that the party has done so far is to zone the presidency to the South. That is what we have done.
Now, it would be wrong for you to extrapolate that because the party has zoned the presidency to the South, the presidency is going to Tinubu. That's not fair.
But we have created this problem for ourselves. Because if we did not have this crisis we could have prevented this Ibadan issue.
Before then, you also admit that there was a lot of hype at that time that certain individuals, strong contenders in the South were coming back to PDP to contest on PDP for the Presidential Election.
But unfortunately, this crisis has probably discouraged a lot of people. And the sooner we can resolve it, from what I've seen now, INEC was at the Convention, INEC is working with the new elected NWC, so if I go and pick a form in PDP, I can contest the election. That is what will quickly generate interest. And luckily, we still have time after doing that for serious contenders to come in and contest for election.
If Wike is insisting that the issue of the presidential ticket of the PDP should be watered down, it means that the group that is having the upper hand in the PDP is bent on having Tinubu as their candidate. Is that not so?
No, that is wrong. Let me repeat again. Number one priority for us is that PDP should be on the ballot paper.
Now, if in doing that, we bend backwards for the sake of Nigerians that want PDP to contest, we must do that. It would be very unfair if PDP members in the 36 states of the country, plus FCT, at House of Assembly, House of Rep, Governor, Senator, want to contest election and we narrow this conversation just to the issue of Presidency, I think we are being very unfair, even for the younger generations that really want to, this is their first outing.
Now, taking that out, we zoned presidential to the South, that does not...even Wike cannot say that PDP should not have a presidential candidate. I think that as commentators we should be fair to PDP. We have time. Now, we are resolving the issue of party position to enable people to contest, every politics is local. I have followers, I have lovers, I have people that want to contest for PDP. And I must fight and do everything possible for PDP to provide that opportunity. And I'm sure that across the country. That should not be misread, that's the point I'm making.
There's no need for you to hurry. We will finish that. We'll be here again and from there going to presidency. Now, that creates a chance for anybody that wants to contest presidency on PDP platform.
None of us, would be stopping anybody that wants to exercise his right to contest. That is, we have said presidency is coming from the South that want to contest. Anybody who truly is a serious contender, will want us to clear this crisis.
Let us see after clearing this crisis, what comes out of those that will show interest. Or will somebody want to show interest in the presidency in the South and they'll now say no?
Follow my political career. If I believe in something, I stand. And I stand at the cost of whatever it will cost me. And I've stood at many times, at personal cost, at great cost to what I believe in. If I believe this is what it is.
People sometimes judge you by the way they are. So rest assured, if that time comes, and as a party say, this is our candidate, this is who we are going to support that time. Every politics is local.
Back at home, their first priority is they would like to contest. They don't want to go to APC. I could have gone to APC. I was part of the APC before.I could have gone to the ADC, they called me, I said no. So I'm not going to give up, I'll continue to fight and ensure that my people can contest election, please do not misread that.
Why are you fixated on the PDP? Many had confidence in you as potential presidential candidate.Many interpret this as endorsing Tinubu.
So anybody who's not contesting presidency has endorsed Tinubu? please, please.
Maybe you'll clarify it now.
I am not contesting in 2027 because I believe that it's only fair. The South came in 2023. Let them finish in 2027. So that in 2031, there's no ambiguity for those of us that come from the North. Don't let us create anything that creates confusion when it comes to 2031, God's sparing our lives, giving us good health, we know that this 2031 is North as opposed to anything that gives anybody an excuse to say, ah, 2031, even those from the South will want to contest, that is the point I'm making.
That in 2027, I am not going to contest. They're already four years and another four years. Let them finish and go.
Don't you think 2031 is too far?Because agitation by many Nigerians that the APC is not delivering, right? Will they be alive to see 2031 when the pendulum will swing to the North?
But you cannot equate 2027 just to APC. All I'm saying is that, there are other contenders that want to come out. There are other capable people, I've cleared this thing again, that saying I don't want to contest is not equal to meaning you're endorsing Tinubu.
There are other people that will contest from the South we will look at. Don't let us get sentimental on this issue. The issue is, I as an individual, I've looked at things and said 2027, let us allow the South to finish. So that by 2031, there's no ambiguity
And you have to believe people like us, because if I want to do something else, I will stand and look at you like this and tell you this is what I'm doing.
Because I have shown that consistently. When I was Senate President, despite everything, I stood for what I believed in. So I'm not that kind of politician that will be doing something in day, and at night, I'll bend. If that's what I will do, I will tell them, I'll give you this is what I'm doing. And if I say I'm not doing it, take my word, I'm not doing it.
The time will come that we'll sit down and we'll say what we are going. But we must put something before something. What is my priority now? It's my state, there are people that want to contest. Where can they contest from? I don't want them to go to APC. They too don't want to go to APC. I don't want to go to ADC.
The options is either we stay and resolve the issues in PDP or we were considering at the time was maybe a smaller party. So we had option one and option B.
Now that it looks that PDP is now possibly going to be the pathway through this Convention seeing that INEC is at the convention, if those boxes are ticked, then it shows it's possible that you can contest election on PDP, we'll be there. But if something happens and they say, ah, there's no way you can contest on PDP and it's a finality, we will review, so I want to make that clear.
And secondly, let me make it clear again, am I saying I'm not contesting? I contested in 2019. I contested in 2023. I can't be a serial and just be contesting and contesting all the time .
Like Atiku?
I didn't say that. I didn't contest in 2015. So it's not every time I must contest. I did not contest in 2015 because I felt at that time, parties were coming together under APC, that there must be somebody who should be a mediator because I knew there was going to be issues. That if I contest, who's going to go and talk to the ACN group? Who's going to go and talk to CPC? Who's going to talk to PDP? And I told all of them that I'm not contesting. And it played a role.
I remember at that time, I could go and talk to Atiku. I could go and talk to Kwankwaso. I could talk to Late General Buhari. I played that role, because I was not contesting.
I remember my meeting between myself, Goje and Kwankwaso, when we appealed to him, I said, look, we are all age mates. Let us allow Buhari to take this thing this time. And he gave his own counter argument, which is fair.
The point I'm making was, one could play that role, because I was not contesting. 2019, I contested. And then I'm saying that in 2027, let the South finish.
So that in 2031, there is no ambiguity. We all know where the presidency will come from. And then those of us who are from the North, will now decide what we want to do, that is the reason.
But perhaps that is why you are making this 'sacrifice', for the South ti be given the long rope, so that by 2031, it will be clear for you to now contest for the presidency?
Oh, let me say something. You know, as I said, I shoot straight. 2031 is a long time ahead of us. Let God spare our lives. Let God give us good health, right?
But it is still my dream and my aspiration. Hopefully one day, to lead this country and see how my dreams or what I think of what Nigeria should be, can materialize but that's a long way ahead. tlThat desire has not died in any way. But again, those are aspirations. We have to deal with the day-to-day issues and the current issues that are before us.
You believe the PDP still has time to put his house in order?
I think so.
It has lost governors, senators, and what have you. I've met one or two aspirants, even from your state, Kwara who said, they are in other parties, APC, and they said, they have the backing of Saraki.
All politicians are very optimistic. So I'll give you the scenario. We go to Convention. INEC is there. We elect an NWC. NWC comes out. You go to INEC's portal. You see the names of those NWC members. INEC writes to the parties that primaries is starting in April. Submit your candidates. INEC is now dealing with this executive.
So for those that wants to contest House of Assembly, or House of Rep. They have confidence now, that if they go and buy nomination form of PDP, they're good to go.
Then for me as a candidate I now look, okay, which platform, is it going to be easier for me to win my election? With all humility, if I'm in Kwara, I would say, let me go to Saraki's party because I believe that party, is very strong in Kwara.
The only thing that I was afraid of, was this issue that now that I'm seeing before my very eyes, that INEC has recognised, that this party can contest the election. That is the optimistism.
But if something happens tomorrow and INEC now writes and says, we are not dealing with this EXCO, this party has not got its acts together, that candidate, will tell you that even though I know, if I go and contest on Saraki's platform, Saraki's platform cannot be on the ballot based on this letter that INEC has written. I'm following a process, for the purpose of them contesting that election.
But I still believe having seen from history and experience, that when you have a party, with 31 Governors, 31 out of 36, with people then wanting to be senators, you will find out, that ambitions will clash.
And you know politicians when it comes to ambition, they might agree, at the presidential level. But when it comes to, House of Reps in each constituency, Senate in each constituency, there will be fallouts.
So the sooner we can get out of this our own mess, people can see us as an alternative platform. Some who left now believe that, look, I can still contest on PDP.
Okay, for example see what happened in Nasarawa, someone like David Ombugadu has come back. So there are many like that. If what we hope and pray for seeing that PDP is now on the portal, can they conduct primaries that will be acceptable by INEC for them to issue you clearance to contest? If the actions look like that, people will come back, because that's what they want to do.
They want to contest election. They're not interested in Saraki, Makinde, Wike. No, they just want a platform they can contest election. I mean, you might be more interested in that, because of your readers, but for those who are at the grassroots, that's what they're interested in. So once they see that, they will go back and contest.
So I think there is enough time, because those primaries are, and also because I think there will be a fallout especially with the APC, because now they say they're going for consensus or direct primaries. As you know, once you are going for consensus, there will be fallout, because consensus is so very subjective. I feel I'm popular, and then I'm told by the party that, look, we have met, but Adamu, we feel, is better than you, Ismaila, and so please try and understand.
People when they say they understand, as politicians, you will find out that sometimes the supporters don't understand, and you will never know what will be the outcome of that. So they have their own issues that they're going to contend with.
Are you expecting implosion from the APC primaries coming?
I won't call it an implosion, but it's going to be a major crisis for them, too, because most of the politicians are already there. There were those who were there before who had been aspiring to be senators, House of Reps. Then all of a sudden, a Governor now comes with his team, and they say the governor and his team will get an automatic ticket. So what happens to those who are there?
Will you like APC to be defeated from top to bottom in 2027?
My hope is that come 2027, my party will win across all the elections. That is my intention. That's why I'm in the party. That is my hope.
You were approached to lead a committee to reconcile the warring factions which eventually you did not take up but you declined. Do you think...?
No, I'm still on. This time around, it's not something I'm doing officially. I've facilitated three meetings already between different groups of the party to try and see how things can get better. What I see will happen is, I don't think this reconciliation is something that can start and finish. It should be continuous. I think sentiments and emotions will begin to come down a bit. Options and reality will set in, and it will be easier.
I mean, there are people before who swore they would never talk to each other, they would never meet. They have met. Now, of course, they have not overnight agreed on their terms, but they're now talking. And I'm hopeful that as they talk, as time moves on, we will find some middle ground somewhere that will accommodate everybody. Because despite all we are saying, whoever you are as a leader in the party, you want your followers to be able to contest elections.
Maybe we go to Kwara. The agitation on ground is for zoning. At the time, it was said that you are the only one that supported the zoning of the governorship seat to go to Kwara North and you stood then by it. What would be your position on this?
Well, we've taken a position in our party a few months ago that this time around, we're going to leave it open, let the best candidate emerge. That's the decision that was taken by the party, by all the stakeholders. And I think that we have communicated I think close to a year now, that whether North, South or Central, let the best candidate emerge. That's our position that we're doing this time around.
But would that be fair to Kwara North?
Well, as you know, I have advocated for Kwara North in the last election, that we as a party should give Kwara North the opportunity in 2023. But this time around, the view of the majority of the stakeholders was that no, we should open it up.
When you're in an opposition party, it's not just fairness. There are many other issues as an opposition party that you consider along with fairness. It's easier when you're a ruling party on what your criteria are. But as an opposition party, who's been in opposition for going close to eight years by time of the election, there are many factors. And I had to respect the wish of the majority of our stakeholders.
Because in 2023, they were of the view then that it should be open. I stood my ground and said no. In 2019, I promised then that we would allow and I must redeem that promise and that commitment I made. And I overruled then. But this time around, again, majority of our party members want it to be open and I have to be democratic.
The role you played ahead of 2015 has been documented clearly. Will you play that same role in the event you have a successful Convention? Rallying big figures to challenge the ruling party; will you play that role after you come out unscathed from the Convention of the PDP?
You see, I'm not going to say that I'll play any role. It depends on the environment. It depends on who am I playing with. What is the level of sincerity of everybody?
I've learned from 2015; you can't change just by anger. It does not produce result. You have to be strategic. You have to be ready to consider.
The institutions that you are playing with also have to play a role. I've been shouting not that majority of our institutions are too weak. National Assembly, very weak. Judiciary, very weak. INEC process is very weak.
When people like us were fighting for the strength of National Assembly to be strong, where was the support? So you can't fight and rally in a vacuum. I'm not saying I will not, but I alone cannot. I must see that truly as leaders, as opposition leaders, what is the plan? We can't just play politics that way.
Would I be wrong if I say you're regretting the role you played in 2015?
Definitely the outcome did not translate to what we expect. A lot of us put ourselves at risk and hopeful that we're about to position the country. I remember the time we went as observers to some of the meetings outside the country. I remember my meeting with Tony Blair. We put our integrity, Tony Blair, myself, Late President Buhari.
They were excited that this was a Nigeria that the countries would be ready to bend backwards. And that's why you saw in early part of President Buhari, international, countries were ready to bend backwards to support us in this course because we sold that this is what Nigeria would be. Unfortunately, it did not happen.
So it goes beyond our sentiments, our passion, our anger. We must sit down and make those sacrifices. I've not seen those sacrifices being made. Even at that time, it was a bit better.
Why do I say it was a bit better? At that time, even within the APC, though we had not gone to primaries, it was clear who was likely going to emerge. And I give you an example when sacrifices were being made, I said, ah, no, I will not contest, because if I contest, there'll be more commotion. People are like, no, I'm not contesting.
Even when people like Aminu Tambuwal wanted to contest, we sat down in my guest house. Wamakko, Aliu, myself, Goje, I said, Aminu, no. We are all young. For the interest of this country, let us support Buhari.
So I'm always available. I'm not shying away from being a leader and trying to reposition the country.
But the pathway by which we do that, that I can see we bring results on what we need to do. So saying that, my view has not changed in standing for what I believe is right, standing for what will make Nigeria better, not at all.
But don't you think this is what is giving some people to actually disparage your person? I personally interviewed Umar Sani, a chieftain of the PDP, who alleged that you are working together with Wike in a way, not to give peace to the PDP. I'm trying to paraphrase, because he said you are in bed with Wike.
Well, I would not give any kind of respect to that. And I'm surprised that you are doing that on this platform. But immediately after that my lawyers have written, I'm suing him for a libel, because it is an irresponsible statement. And these are the kind of things I'm talking about. People judge people by themselves.
I have my views. I believe that presidency should go to South. Why, does that mean that you're now an agent of the President? I have my views. I want my people to contest for PDP, because I believe it's a platform that I can win election in Kwara. That means, again, I'm doing that because of the President. What kind of nonsense?
And I've told you, and with all due respect, my antecedence has shown, I'm not like a lot of these politicians. They will say something in the afternoon, then say something in the night. They go at night, to go and sit down with the President and do something. Till today, I and President Bola Tinubu have not sat down like this to talk. The only time I've seen him was at Goje's daughter's wedding at the mosque. That's the way I am.
I have my views. I'm consistent in my views. I'm not the man that would be afraid to say what my views are. So don't misread what is not there. And people who try that, I said I'll make that guy a lesson when you say things that are not true.
So I want to reassure people that, those views that I held, I held for the reason I have said. Why I'm saying 2027? 2027, let the South finish. So that we don't come to 2031 now we're debating. That is that. Issue of candidate, the time will come and we'll take decisions. So those are my views.
Some believe PDP is so weak now, and that is why they are thinking of maybe an alliance. Will you advocate that?
To me, when the time comes, it's really going to depend on candidate not on party. Those institutions are too weak. You see, we like shortcut, all of us.
Straight after the 2023 Elections, we should have focused as opposition, begin to address how do we make the electoral process. It is the weak electoral process that is creating a lot of this problem. When you talk to people that decamp, say, ah, I have to decamp, because the ruling party will just write it and all of us will just accept that.
We have a National Assembly that had an opportunity to strengthen the Electoral Act, they did not do that. And what role did the opposition play? To me, some of our opposition leaders don't see beyond just ambition. But that ambition can only be materialised in an environment.
If you look at 2015, we mobilised NGOs. It was not left to just the politicians. So it made it even difficult for even the ruling party to do the wrong thing. So what I'm saying is that there are many things that go beyond just our own power in this kind of environment. And don't say it's just Nigeria. There's no need for us even to be hard on just the Nigerian politicians.
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If you look across the continent in the last one year, from Cameroon next door to us, where the President to places like Uganda, get to Tanzania, all across. And that is why some of the things people like us are doing now and spending a lot of time through my foundation, engaging with our friends in the EU on the questionable issue that we all have a responsibility to see that we have credible electoral processes.
Those things may not materialise now. But let's hope that these efforts that we're doing, that I hope to do, that I've started, if it does come through, then when you start talking about the history of what major changes that make us be able to elect people we want, that's when people would say, ah, though the man was quiet, he did things. These are the institutional things that need to be done.
Not just somebody wants President, am I supporting him? Is he from the North? Is he from the South? Those things are what brought us to where we are.
You talk about the weak institutions and you mentioned even the National Assembly. When people recall your tenure as President of the Senate. But they refer to the present National Assembly as a rubber stamp. You are in a better position to understand the term rubber stamp more than any other person having held that position. What is your assessment, sir, of the current National Assembly?
My assessment is that what we have is a product of the society that we have. I know what you want me to do is to blame those who are there, but I'm telling you they're a product. You know why they're a product? Because some of them will say, ah, I don't have the liver of Saraki. See what Saraki went through. Ah, me, I'm not ready to do that.
What role as we, those of you, either observers, journalists played ? I know in that time we were alone, but we stood for what we believed in. But having gone through that, a lot of leaders now have just surrendered.
So what I'm saying is a product of the society that we live in. It's not the best, because it's the Constitution that has created it. It's not that anybody wants to be an enemy of the Executive. The Constitution says a budget is a proposal until it is approved by the National Assembly. I didn't say that.
So if I now question a proposal and say, no, you cannot spend this, ah, he's anti-government. And who has defended? Did the media come and defend in those days?
I think we did our best.
Your best probably was not good enough. But the issue is what has now led that 9th National Assembly, the 10th National Assembly, it is just not getting better because it's not easy to speak the truth to power.
Or somebody comes and says this must be the chairman of a commission. And the Constitution tells you that you can reject, you can confirm. You don't even need to give him a reason. You reject, ah, you go to court one, you go to court two, they take you to court three, they take you for robbery, they take you for forgery, as a number three citizen.
So do you think many people who have come, will want to go down that route? So what I'm saying is that we need to reform all these institutions. First, most important one is electoral process.
Changing a government in a developing democracy is not easy. The reason what makes the difference between them and us are the institutions.
But where you conduct election of polling units the results are there. Then you announce a different result at the capital How then will you believe somebody who's been voted for will be accountable to the people?
The National Assembly or State Assembly that should make them accountable, if they do otherwise, the system does not protect them. So it is a product of where we are as a country. And what we need to do now as a country, we need all of us, particularly competently cerebral people to get us out of this mess and addressing what we need to go forward.
So when you ask me that question, you know the answer yourself. But the point is that, I will also be fair on those there, it is what they have seen that they believe, okay, this is the best way to survive where we are. It is not good, and that is why we see where we are today, unfortunately not.
So we have a lot of things to get right. And it's not only at the time of election, but the election enables us to have the right people. If we have the right kind of characters in the National Assembly, governance will be better. But if the processes are what we see today, this is what will happen. And that is why you are seeing people just flocking to the ruling party.
If you go back, Third Republic, Second Republic, we have never seen this.
So these are things that we need to continue to talk about. I can continue to assure you that I have not changed who I am, until you believe what I believe in and I'll continue to do what I believe is right.
Finally, people believe that the Electoral Act that we have now has already compromised the forthcoming election. Do you believe in that? That in the event it scales through and delivers the election, the National Assembly might even likely change the Constitution so that the President will serve beyond 2031. Is that possible?
I can't speak for them, I don't know what they would do, but truly, they had an opportunity to give us an Electoral Act that would have made the election more credible.
And you see, just like you and them, we keep on focusing ourselves only about the issue of presidency because it's not just about presidency. A young child wants to contest, he's popular in his constituency, in his local government.
So National Assembly should be talking about an Electoral Act that will help. What about the young man that wants to contest? Because one of the major issues when I was Senate President, we had the opportunity.
In the 8th Senate, we passed it, that electronic transmission shall, shall be used . But unfortunately for us, the House did not use shall. And when we went to conference, it did not go that way. That amendment must happen. That amendment, whether you're a ruling party, or you're an opposition party, you're not a politician, you're a Nigerian that loves this country, that wants good governance, that want democracy, even if that's the only thing we can first achieve, honestly, it will lay the foundation.
You have your job, you are well off, you now decide you want to go and serve. What chances have you of winning election against some people that know that they'll just get the result and write it?
When you have an Electoral Act that makes impossible for peoples vite to count . It will encourage better people to come and contest. Then we have quality of people in government positions.
And then they also know that if they don't do well, we can vote them out. Some people believe now that whether they do well or they don't do well, on that day of election, they'll just write it.
So those are the things that we need to do. So talking about what they'll do when they get there, it depends on the kind of people that we elect when we get there.
