Date: 2015-01-08

Yusuf Ali (SAN), prominent Kwara State-based legal practitioner, who weighs in on the political situation in Nigeria, especially as it relates to tension building across the country in the run-up to the 2015 elections, re-echoes President Goodluck Jonathan's ethos that no election is worth the blood of any Nigerian. He spoke to YETUNDE AYOBAMI OJO in Lagos.

The way out of the heat in the polity

WELL, we have to reduce the tension by appealing to political class, the contestants and their supporters that they should avoid emotive and high-charged statements.

We should be very careful with inciting statements like: 'If somebody doesn't win, Nigeria will come to an end; if Y doesn't win, blood will flow; if anybody rigs the election, they won't stay alive to tell the story.'

So, the political class, the contestants and their supporters should, please, mind their language.

The press should, please, assist us. Anybody that makes an inciting statement, if at all it should be reported, should be down played. It should not be a banner headline like, 'X says blood will flow in Nigeria in 2015.'

And, of course, the supporters, especially the youths, should not allow themselves to be used as cannon fodders ?for the political ambition of anybody.? There is no election that is worth the blood of another human being.

The youths, as the leaders of tomorrow, must comport themselves and should not allow themselves to be used?. They could be presidents tomorrow; they could be governors or senators. But it is those who are alive and well that aspire to office.

So, we can reduce all this tension by making sure that we play according to the rules of the game.

How to ensure that political parties comply with their own rules when conducting primaries, to avoid fraction or litigation?

It is going to be very difficult and ?a serious matter. You know why? Because the way the parties emerged, they were not grassroots parties. Only a few people, who have resources, initiated the coming into being of the party. If the parties have emerged, they are not mass movements of the people.

Two, the way the parties are funded, it's only a few people that fund the parties, and he who pays the piper dictates the tune.

If it were like in the First Republic, where ordinary members were contributing to the purse of the parties, then the people would have the voice. They would not have a situation where people, who had the financial muscle, were those that control the parties. So, the way the parties evolve has gone a long way in impacting on the observance of internal democracy.

What I am saying is that if the parties have evolved naturally with everybody being participant and founder, everybody will have a voice.

But if it is only those people that contribute to the running and maintenance of the party and even sometime pay for the candidates. That is what is happening now.

We have to do a lot of political education for people to appreciate that once a party is controlled by just a few people, the chances of having internal democracy is very dim.

And talking about rancour, litigation, they are already on. Actually, I am involved in two already, I mean, pre-election litigation by the two major parties.

So, you can see that there is nothing to choose between A or B, C or D when it comes to internal democracy among the parties.

The way the parties evolve and the way they are being financed are very major issues that would make internal democracy very difficult.

Except we go back to the drawing board and parties evolve like it happened in the First Republic where every person, who was a card-carry member of the party, was a financier and contributor to the party, then we are going to have problems.

Politicians defecting from one party to another

That tells you there are no principles involved in the defections. Platform A is not giving me what I want; I will move to platform B.

It also buttresses my view, which I have expressed over the years, that the Nigerian political class is not interested in the welfare of the ordinary person. What is important, and paramount to them is their own welfare -- and that is their immediate family, friends and cronies.

And that everybody is just looking for a platform to have access to public funds. I am yet to be contradicted by any action by political class on this.

Everybody is just looking for a platform to say, I am in power, I can also better my own lot personally and that of my family and friends.

Assessment of nomination of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as running mate to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo ?(SAN) is a friend and a brother. So, at the risk of being accused of being partial, I will tell you that he is a gentleman; he is a decent person and a thoroughbred professional.

I only wish that he would bring all these to bear, if eventually he emerges as vice president of this country after the general elections. If he could keep some of the qualities some of us know him with, then we will make lot of progress. This country will better for it.

That is my prayer: that he will be able to keep the head when others around him will be losing theirs -- and politicians will normally lose their heads.

I think is a good development for our country that we have a professional, who has achieved distinction in the academia. He also achieved distinction in the practice of law.

If he becomes the vice president, and maintains all the qualities for which he is known, I think the country will be better for it. I can assure you the difference will be quite clear.

The rights of the Chibok girls have been breached; it's about time Nigeria called for foreign assistance in fighting insurgency

It has shown clearly that even with the best of intentions, our ability is failing us. And without compromising our sovereignty, I think the world has grown to becoming a global village. What happens in country A is of necessity.

Look at what is happening here in Nigeria; a lot of Nigerians are crossing to Cameroun, Chad and Niger. Indicating that where there is crisis in one country, the aftereffect will linger and may affect, and also disrupt the social economic life of other countries.

That is why no country is an island. We must all know that the world is like a chain now. If you break one side of the chain, you break the connection. We need every assistance that we can get to overcome this round of insurgency.