Chief Sunny Onuesoke is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former governorship aspirant in Delta state. In this interview, he speaks on latest issues in the polity such as insecurity and the investigation of Bukola Saraki, outgoing Senate President by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI brings the excerpts:

Despite his victory at the Tribunal, your party’s governorship candidate in the Osun governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke lost at the Appeal Court last week. Were you shocked by the verdict?

With all the available evidence presented by our legal team at the Appeal Court, coupled with the ruling of the election tribunal, we had expected the appellate court to upheld the ruling of the tribunal but unfortunately it was not so. Hence, I can say that that the ruling of the appeal came as a huge surprise and shock but that notwithstanding, we know that justice delayed is not justice denied as the people of Osun State would have the last laugh.

Adeleke has vowed to pursue the matter to the Supreme Court. Do you think there is hope for him?

The ruling of the Appeal Court is primarily hinged on the alleged absence of a member of the tribunal who read the lead majority verdict of the tribunal, therefore the ruling of the appeal court did not contest or invalidate the fact that Senator Adeleke won the election but only cited technicalities and speculations to arrive at its decision. So going forward, I am very much optimistic about the chance of our party at the Supreme Court, we are full confidence that the Supreme Court will take into consideration true basis of the case and ensure that justice is delivered to the people of Osun State thereby reclaiming their stolen mandate because the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man.

What do you think is responsible for the upsurge in insecurity in the country especially after the general elections?

The sudden rise in the escalation of insecurity across the nation is connected to number factors and it is very unfortunate that we are finding ourselves in this condition today. No doubt, the proliferation of small arms and other harmful weapons used by thugs of politicians during the electioneering process may have gotten into the wrong hands hence, we are hearing of increased case of banditry, kidnapping and others. Also lack of proper welfare for men of the security forces is another issue bedeviling the security of this nation. A situation where resources that are earmarked for security personnel and other logistics are siphoned and embezzled by political leaders and security heads would only result in a demoralised and ill-motivated security force. Also, indiscipline and poor attitude to work among personnel of the security agencies are also one of the challenges contributing to insecurity in the country. Unemployment among our youth, lack or deterioration of social-economic infrastructure and basic amenities result in economic inequalities and lack of adequate investment in education are among the interwoven factors causing the rise in insecurities across the nation. The icing of the cake among these factors is bad governance and insincerity on the part of government at all levels especially in the northern part of the country to tackle the scourge of corruption that has continue to plague us as a people.

President Muhammadu Buhari will be appointing new set of Ministers soon. How will you assess the performance of the outgoing Ministers?

Majority of their performance has been below expectation with regards to fulfilling their promised changed agenda.

Do you think Godwin Emefiele, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has performed well to get a tenure extension from President Buhari?

Firstly, let me commend Mr. President for doing the needful. At the point where our economy is still recovering, retaining Emefiele as the CBN boss is the right thing to do. At least, it has gone to show that the President do sometimes listen to the people. We are very much aware by calls in some quarters for the President to drop him and pick someone from the north, if the president had done that, it would only confirm the fear of many Nigerians that he is a president with A Northern Agenda and you know that would have come with serious backlash. Aside from that, Godwin Emefiele has done pretty well as the CBN Governor, especially with regards to the Economic Recovery plan and policy of the President; hence he is still much needed in seeing out the entire process.

What is your take on the decision by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the tenure of outgoing Senate President, Bukola Saraki?

The reason for the continuous harassment of the Senate president is because the ruling party, APC is afraid of the chances of PDP at the ongoing election petition tribunal. No doubt, it is obvious to all that the APC-led government is on a witch-hunting mission against key opposition figures in the country owing to the fact of undeniable evidence before the election tribunal in the just concluded presidential election. Starting with the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, it is part of a sinister plot to instill fear and intimidate members of the opposition. On what basis is this renewed investigation if not for the purpose of hounding the senate president? He has been investigated and cleared by the Supreme Court after several attempts by this same government to drag him to the mud. Like I have always maintained in the past, no one is above the law and the war against corruption should spare no one but institutions of state such as the EFCC should not be used as tool to harassed, intimidate and oppressed citizens of this country like we have today in the case of the senate president.

Do you the 2015 coup in the National Assembly can still occur in the Ninth National Assembly?

Nothing is impossible, we are having very reasonable sizes in both Chambers to cause another upset just like in 2015. If the majority party think they can just impose their stooge on the leadership of the ninth assembly undermining the main opposition party in the house, well that they do at their own peril. In one way or the other the PDP, still have a major role to play with regards to the outcome of the leadership in the 9th assembly in both houses. The PDP is not just a minority but a significant minority that can spring the any surprise if the majority party in house fails in the execution of their game plan like in the case of 2015.

Do you think the presidency should move to the South in 2023 or remain in the North?

I don’t see any reason it should not come to the South in 2023. It will not be fair to the South since the North would have had their share of 8 years. From indication at the just concluded 2019 election, both the ruling APC and the main opposition party PDP fielded candidates from the Northern part of the country owing to the principle of fairness and equity having realised that it was still the turn of the North to produce the president. So it is expected that come 2023, such would be the order of the day during the election so as to maintain a sense of belonging to all Nigerians from all walks of life whether from the North or from the South.
https://www.independent.ng/efccs-fresh-probe-of-saraki-is-political-witch-hunt-onuesoke/

This isn't a breaking news, we know this already.

Saraki was under trial even when he was in APC

That is one of the reason he left for PDP.

So that opposition nonsense does not apply to Saraki.

Is only Igbo man that can repair this country

So why wailing

Opposition or not if he doesn't have anything to hide then he should allow them conclude their investigation

intimidate them back when your party wins

and stop wailing

Nigerians say no to padi padi government.

Well said sir...Lots of good points and not irrelevant excuses

AntiWailer:
Saraki was under trial even when he was in APC

That is one of the reason he left for PDP.

So that opposition nonsense does not apply to Saraki.

las las natin go happen

Saraki keeps spending his severance and retirement package on useless people to intervene on his behalf with cheap emotional blackmail.

Goodluck Jonathan started the probe on saraki, but later droped it because he was lilly livered, now that Buhari has dusted it from the shelf , let him defend himself

Nothing must happen to Uche Second-us my guy. Nigeria will break-up if EFCC arrests him

Ok, next plz

fucking scam

BloggerAdmin:
Join now

Who is the opposition leader? Who is Saraki leading? Saraki is opposition member not leader. Kwara people that he was leading to the pit have pushed him inside the pit, so he is not leading anyone, maybe just his wife and kids.

its very normal. reason why people who live in glass houses aren't advised to trow stone.
morale of the story: kill greed off ur system

hisexcellency34:
Nothing must happen to Uche Second-us my guy. Nigeria will break-up if EFCC arrests him

empty chest beating

JohnFrankling:
This isn't a breaking news, we know this already.

You don't need the article, a
Prefer: This is no breaking news.

pls educate the anuofia jare
quote author=SoNature post=78351515]

You don't need the article, a
Prefer: This is no breaking news.

[/quote]

AntiWailer:
Saraki was under trial even when he was in APC

That is one of the reason he left for PDP.

So that opposition nonsense does not apply to Saraki.

don't try to act dumb.
his trial started when he became the senate president against the wishes of Apc leaders.
i clearly remember how you zombies loved and sang saraki's praises when he was still in APC. you hateful lots are only mad at him because he dribbled you guys and made a member of the opposition the deputy senate president.
hell, this o to ge shit would never have happened if he didn't betray the party.

The problem with you zombies is that you guys act like programmed robots. you hate whoever tinubu and buhari tells you to hate without using the little brain you were created with.
I remember Dino melaye being the darling of Apc apologists when he contested against adeyemi(formerly of PDP) in 2015. you guys praised and hailed melaye and called smart adeyemi a looser.
but he suddenly became a relative of the devil when he sided with saraki and joined PDP.
you loved ambode so much and called him a working governor only to turn around and call him a failure because tinubu doesn't like him anymore. i can go on and on to expose the hypocrisy you zombies display on this forum on a daily basis, but I've got better things to do with my time.

Nigeria will never get better till you guys learn to look beyond tribal sentiments and support good leaders not because some godfather said so, but because you are convinced that they will work.
it is time to delete that software written in your brain by your party programmers and restore your brain back to default so you can think more clearly.
thank you.

Gh0stFreak:


don't try to act dumb.
his trial started when he became the senate president against the wishes of Apc leaders.
i clearly remember how you zombies loved and sang saraki's praises when he was still in APC. you hateful lots are only mad at him because he dribbled you guys and made a member of the opposition the deputy senate president.
hell, this o to ge shit would never have happened if he didn't betray the party.

The problem with you zombies is that you guys act like programmed robots. you hate whoever tinubu and buhari tells you to hate without using the little brain you were created with.
I remember Dino melaye being the darling of Apc apologists when he contested against adeyemi(formerly of PDP) in 2015. you guys praised and hailed melaye and called smart adeyemi a looser.
but he suddenly became a relative of the devil when he sided with saraki and joined PDP.
you loved ambode so much and called him a working governor only to turn around and call him a failure because tinubu doesn't like him anymore. i can go on and on to expose the hypocrisy you zombies display on this forum on a daily basis, but I've got better things to do with my time.

Nigeria will never get better till you guys learn to look beyond tribal sentiments and support good leaders not because some godfather said so, but because you are convinced that they will work.
it is time to delete that software written in your brain by your party programmers and restore your brain back to default so you can think more clearly.
thank you.

You typed rubbish.

so any trial of Saraki irrespective of the party he was, meant persecution.

why not allow Saraki defend himself in the court no matter how many times they take him there.

at this rate no politician would be tried. cos of the WITCH HUNT phrase they sold to this generation.

He was persecuted in APC cos of Senate Presidency, now persecuted in PDP because he is the opposition leader.

Common use your brain.

edlion57:
Is only Igbo man that can repair this country

You are 100% right. No wonder, Ikpeazu started repairing Abia State with 2 Litres of kerosene

Criminal using criminals to fight criminal.
UP NAIJA

Slave. E

bros what about tinubu,ashafa,oshomole,yayi,SOB,oyesco,gandullar etc.... are they saint?

umarsule885:
Opposition or not if he doesn't have anything to hide then he should allow them conclude their investigation

hisexcellency34:
Nothing must happen to Uche Second-us my guy. Nigeria will break-up if EFCC arrests him

As usual

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