Kwara247.com conducted an Interview with Alhaji Tunji Suleiman, a leader in APC Kwara. Below is the excerpts:

Can you confirm to us the reality of the merger between the New PDP and APC?

Well, it is a welcome idea though it came as a shock to some of us but as a politician it isn’t a shock as such because it an event that has been on ground and taken so far i.e. the discussion between nPDP and the leadership of APC and you can see that a few weeks ago they have been to Niger, they came to Kwara and even Rivers as well as to other G-7 governors seeking audience with them and their statement there is that they came to their state just to discuss with them, after this, series of meetings had been going on so as to know the conclusion to be reached.

Today someone called me to notify me that the G-7 Governors have already declared their intention of coming in to APC and swiftly checking online confirmed it to be true. I can’t say they decamped to APC but rather that the New PDP merged with APC. The words merging and decamping are much different. I tried to contact some of our national leaders and I was able to confirm the update from Alhaji Lai Mohammed; that it is a merger.

Is the merger concluded yet?

So far they have announced then they have definitely concluded. This revealed the result of daily basis meeting of both parties.

Do you foresee leadership problems between APC and Kwara PDP?

Well, this is politics. The game of politics is very different from the game of football or any other game. We just have to be very careful, it takes a lot of thinking, you cannot just play it as a football strategy, playing as the ringleader, defender and all rounder, because in politics, what you don’t think will happen eventually happens. That is the fear of everybody, because wherever one belongs to, one try to be part of the leadership there and that is the most important thing. It is the fear of everyone that if PDP eventually decamps to APC they may come to take over the whole thing away from the people on ground. But well I think the democracy we are practicing today is different from that of three, four years ago. Politics is a game of interest, where everyone is like this is what I want. The people in APC are not member of PDP before; mostly some of us belonged to ANPP and ACN. Take me for example, I started with ANPP, I’ve never been a part to PDP because I’m a Buhari-man; I believe in the Ideology, principle and opinions of Buhari, so I’ve been in his team for a long time. So if Buhari decides to leave APC today, someone like me I’ll leave. At the state level I belong to nobody rather than my party, but I believe in the leadership of his that is why I’m in APC.

So the issue of if PDP will eventually come to take on, I am certain there is going to be a dialogue because there are people on ground in the party already. They should know that is what we are fighting for, that they (PDP) don’t have the final decisions in the party. No one can authoritatively take decisions on their own without due consultation and carrying of the other members along. This kind of people desiring for such a thing I don’t think they can come to APC and think of taking all, that is my own believe.

How healthy is this merger development for democracy in Nigeria?

Since 1999, Nigeria has never experienced what is called democracy. But I think this is the right time Nigeria is going to be experiencing democracy. For the past 14 years, it’s just a government of dictatorship- “this is what we want”. We can see the challenges that we faced before we register APC. The PDP didn’t believe, even this seven aggrieved governors; they don’t believe that it would come to stay. You can see the frustration here and there between the INEC and even some of us in APC don’t believe that we can scale through that process. But we eventually scaled through and registered APC. After the registration of APC, look at what happened again. I think immediately after our registration, the problem started with PDP because they know, they are not satisfied with what is happening there but they have no options, you can only start a problem when you have options, if you don’t have option you can’t fight a problem, you only fold your hands and continue with it. But if there is option and it is a very good one then you can take steps to fight the problem. They too are not comfortable with what is happening in their party. So fine this is an option that is beyond doubt that this people cannot go for an election and win, and at that time, we in APC are not satisfied. Some of us now went back to our drawing board to think very well that what our leadership are doing is it right or not? Many a times we discover that what they are doing mostly they are so much concerned about national government, the central government. Once the central government is taken, definitely the collection would go round to other states. But now, it has never begun to happen that the governors of some states challenge the Presidency. Whatever comes from the Presidential Villa whether you like it or not it must hold. But Nigerian Democracy we can’t say much about it now let the game get closer. By January 2014, we will start to know that, yes! This is Democracy we are practicing.

Governor Ahmed just sacked some of his aides, with the merger now the re-election or re-appointment of individuals to fill those vacant positions, will APC nominate candidates for some of the posts?

Well, someone like me, as a Leader of APC in Kwara, I’ll not attack the appointees that is coming from the government or the leadership of the new intakes into APC, I’m not after that. What our focus centers round is a good government, it is only God that gives position. Kwara is the State of Harmony for all of us, it belongs to me as well as you. So if at the end of the day the government thinks that someone from APC can contribute a lot to the government of this state, fine. But before we get to that level, let us create a conducive environment. APC has her own manifesto which is starting very nice and good and at the end of the day we will adopt the good government style.

A lot of things are happening now. Some are thinking of pulling out of APC while some are saying no we won’t pull out because we started the party so whoever is coming let us watch and see how things work out. A lot of people will still go and even the party leader will come to the state to have a discussion on what to do and the structure to be adopted.

Is it possible that APC Kwara will adopt Senator Bukola Saraki and have him as the political leader of Kwara as he was in PDP?

Leadership position as far as I’m concerned in politics depends on the strength you have politically. Take a look at what is happening between Buhari and Tinubu. In terms of office holding, Buhari has held more offices than Tinubu, but look at what happened; it is very hard for Tinubu to present himself as a leader whenever Buhari is present but he will equally honour Buhari as the leader. But in Buhari’s absence, Tinubu can claim to be a leader. You can see that though the two of them are coming from different ways, but, it is because they believe in the same cause together. If they want to address Tinubu, they call him one of the APC leaders not the leader of APC. Same will happen here. Senator Bukola is the leader of Kwara PDP and a past governor of Kwara State so whether we like it or not we would also identify him as one of the APC leader in Kwara. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a leader of APC in Kwara.

Kwara has a peculiar problem. Look at what happened in Kano, Sokoto. When APC leader went to Sokoto without carrying Bafarawa along, at the end of the day when they realized that you don’t do such a thing they had to go back to apologize to Bafarawa. We don’t have such a leader here, if we have such a leader here in Kwara like bafarawa or Shikarau I think it is going to be a kind of empty raining season. But we don’t have it here that is why our own issue is very different. But we should understand the game very well, it is the spirit of sportmanship. Let him come, let’s sit down together, you are welcome sir, we are not the ones that decamped to PDP, they are the ones coming. So what has he got to offer, what is he bringing? If he has the wisdom to carry people along, then everyone would fall in love with him and his style of government and democracy. Thereby everyone would be able to make tangible contributions to the affairs of the party.

What is your major assessment of 2015? Do you see Jonathan coming back to Aso Rock as president?

It would be very difficult for him to win that election due to the machinery APC has on ground. PDP is now minority; In the Senate and House of Rep, APC is majority, so don’t be surprised because the game can go beyond expectation and anything can happen because politic is a game of number, though, unlike what happened in the Governor’s Forum where 16 is greater than 19. Just watch, there is going to be a crackdown in the senate now. And with what is happening even we the common man on the street is going to suffer for it.

Because if they don’t have understanding at the National level, we will suffer. By December, the budget has to be completed, but with this new development, I don’t think that would be possible. And now Jonathan will focus on 2015 more than his Primary assignment. I’m sure right now he is in a meeting on how to bring up executives in the troubled states because 2015 calculation is now upfront, the economy will suffer, every other thing will suffer and that is the problem, this is why the common man will suffer.

What is your general advice to Nigerians on this development?

I have been saying this for a long time. As a politician, I try to study what is on ground and my advice for every Nigerian especially Kwarans is that what is happening now is beyond Tinubu, beyond Buhari. When we are talking of national interest, it is not easy for Tinubu to forget his leadership. It is not even easy for me as a Chairman to forget my Chairmanship position though even now I’m no more a Chairman but a leader. But for the benefit of Kwara, for the benefit of this country everyone needs to come together and be a loyal and active member and participant in their various parties, believe in the ideology and principle of your party thereby we can work together. Everybody is tired of PDP, for the past 14 years nothing good has been put in place. And if we don’t do this at this time, we can’t collect our Political right. So we should not see this as a problem or cause region attack between ourselves. Most especially for our APC followers, it is the interest of the common man that we are fighting for.

Have any decision been made about who will represent APC in the 2015 Presidential election?

Nothing of such for now yet but when the time comes, we'll all know. What you don’t think will happen will happen at the end of the day. Remembering Yerima in the year 2007, Yerima sponsored almost 32 states and even went to Abuja. Buhari did not spend a Kobo and at the end of the day, Yerima stepped aside for Buhari who spent not even one Naira on any delegate. It may be you Rotimi, it may be me. Jonathan also didn’t have it in his thinking to become the president. Anything can happen.

Up Kwara APC. Kwara is getting more united. Sai Saraki.... Sai APC

Merger is the way forward in creating a more harmonious Kwara. Up Kwara!!!