A former Commissioner for Works and Transport in Kwara State, Dr Amuda Abubakar Kannike, is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ilorin South/Ilorin East Federal Constituency. He speaks with MOSES ALAO on his party’s chances in the coming elections, the performance of the National Assembly in recent years and the postponement of elections. Excerpts:

The rescheduling of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has generated reactions from the public. What is your take on the development?

The postponement is a threat to democracy and it has dealt a hard punch on our fledgling economy. The indices are there for all to see. It is hard to convince anyone that it wasn’t stage-managed. With all sense of responsibility, one could say that INEC was coerced into postponing the elections via the position of the security chiefs. I empathise with the INEC leadership, because of its helplessness. Over 700,000 ad hoc staffs of INEC are corps members whose Director-General is a military man under the command of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), hence, with the position of the security chiefs, manpower was also compromised. However, there is consolation in the fact that the action didn’t flout any constitutional provision and it has provided additional time for all stakeholders to tidy up their acts and make the March 28 and April 11 dates sacrosanct.

What do you think are the chances of your party in the coming elections in Kwara State?

I must say the chances are very bright. We have had the opportunity of demonstrating to Kwarans that we have a leadership that can utilise lean resources to deliver sufficient dividends of democracy. We have a resourceful leadership. You need a leadership with sufficient resourcefulness to be able to apply little resources to optimise impact. So, for us, campaign started in 2011 when the governor was sworn in, the platform we had to demonstrate capacity through good governance has won the election for us, because we are all witnesses to the milestones that the administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has achieved. First and foremost, we understand the fact that the bane of development in Nigeria is absence of link between successive governments. But he decided not to follow the bandwagon and choose continuity and through that, he was able to consolidate on the investments of our common wealth by the previous administration. He has been able to bring life to those investments, which some other governors would have abandoned. This he did almost at the risk of people having the wrong impression that he did not even have projects of his own but he did this and most of the projects he inherited are at 98 per cent completion stage. So, if there is anything outstanding, it might be two per cent of inherited projects.

However, that did not stop him from initiating his own new projects which we can all see. He particularly focused on human capital development through the empowerment of the youth, through the creation of a robust educational platform, both formal and informal. He is trying to build a league of vocational trainees that will mop up people who could not catch up with higher education. As I said, we have had a platform for campaign, so, it will be very tough for anybody to come towards the election and make false promises. Being in government has two implications: it either works for you or against you. If you have worked well, it will work for you and that is the campaign.

What do you think is the unique selling point of your party?

I will say that the most important selling point of our party is proper leadership. It is the determinant of the success of any group or society. Structured and competent leadership in Kwara APC is what stands our party out. We have seasoned people who provide selfless leadership, and that is the secret behind our cohesive structure. Without doubt, the APC is going to have a sweeping success in the coming elections.

You were in the executive arm of government for a number of years, but you are taking steps to shift to the legislative arm in the forthcoming election. How will you compare the two terrains and what are your expectations?

I have been privileged to serve in the executive arm of government through appointments as a Special Assistant on Agriculture to our leader and former governor, Dr Bukola Saraki and later as Commissioner for Sports and Water Resources. Also, until a few weeks ago when I resigned, I was Commissioner for Works and Transport under Governor Ahmed. Now, I have the mandate of my party to contest for Ilorin East/Ilorin South Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the APC. Principally, as an appointed officer of the governor either as a Special Assistant or a commissioner, it is a little bit different from what is expected in the legislature. In the executive arm of government, you help through headship of your ministry, you help to drive the vision and mission and policy thrust of the governor who is also the driver of the mandate of the party. But going to represent a constituency in the National Assembly comes with a new responsibility. Part of my responsibilities in the House is to push bills and motions that will eventually emanate as laws that would benefit not just the people of my constituency but the whole nation, because the constituency is like a miniature representation of the nation.

In each of the constituencies in the country, you will find out that there are probably an aggregate representation of all the different ethnic groups, and various religious groups. So, appropriate interaction with them to feel their pulse and know their yearnings and desires will galvanise my thought to come up with bills for their welfare and protection of their rights and interests. That will ensure appropriate distribution of the resources of the nation for the benefit of all. I will be the voice of my constituency in the House of Representatives. I will be a team player.

How will you assess the roles of the legislature in nation-building in the current democratic experience?

We have seen more vibrancy and maturity in the conduct of the affairs of the National Assembly. We are seeing a situation now where it is not just about party allegiance, it is about the capacity of the leadership of the House and that is why the current Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal (still belongs) to the minority despite his defection to APC.

In the House now, we have people that have gone beyond partisanship; people who believe in his capacity as the speaker of the House and that is why he is still sitting there today as the speaker. You see, most representatives have moved beyond selfish and partisan interests, we now have a robust deliberation on issues that are based on principles and belief system that, at the end of the day, is not sentimental. Their contributions are moving beyond sentimental to objective for the purpose of bringing out what is best for the people. So, I must say that there has been maturity in the way things are done. It is just like old wine that gets better with age. So, on the quality of representation in the National Assembly, I will say that personally, I am pleased with it.

You just spoke about your admiration for the House of Representatives, concluding that they seem to be getting better like old wines. How come you want break that order as a new comer and what will you do differently if you get elected?

By the grace of God, I will be inaugurated as a member of the House of Representatives. What I think should be the focus is to approach the responsibility with all sense of seriousness. Being in the House of Representatives is not a jamboree, it is a huge responsibility and I believe that I have what it takes to add to the vibrancy I talked about. So, I will not agree that I am breaking the order. I will see my aspiration as the injection of fresh blood into the National Assembly for the betterment of our nation. As a House of Representatives member, you must carry out research and that is what I am doing right now; I am going into history. I have suddenly become a student of history and I am digging into details of happenings in the first National Assembly, what brings us together as a nation; reviewing the diverse backgrounds and trying to measure the impact our diversity has on our cohesiveness and our oneness. If you are not a student of history, you cannot actively partake in shaping the future of the nation. You need to understand where you are coming from, so, I don’t want to jump into it and carry on with the status quo.