Alhaji Saka Abimbola Isau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was at different times Secretary to the State Government and Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Kwara State during the immediate past administration of Governor Bukola Saraki. In this interview, Isau who is currently the vice-chairman, Nigeria Bulk Electricity PLC, describes politicians revolting against Saraki's dynasty as ingrates. Excerpts:

What is your take on the speculation about the dwindling influence of former Governor Bukola Saraki in Kwara?

I don't believe that is the true position. Because if you were here last Saturday when the local government election was held, the election was so peaceful and the turnout was reasonable. Everybody described the election as free and fair and we won in all the 15 local governments where the election was conducted. You remember that of Offa was conducted about two months ago. This means that all the 16 local governments are being controlled by the government of the day which means if anybody says the leader's influence is diminishing, that person is not following the political history of the state and he is not conversant with what is happening currently too. Senator Bukola Saraki is the leader of PDP in the state. I believe strongly he is the foundation of PDP in the state.

When you compare it with when the late Olusola Saraki was alive, is the situation the same?

There is no difference if you look at it very well. People like me belonged to Baba and I am still with the son. We worked together. He appointed me as Attorney-General and later he appointed me as the Secretary to the State Government, later the appointment I am holding now at the federal level, he was the one that facilitated my being there. Most of those that are with Baba are also with him now except some that are not facing the reality on ground and those I will describe as ingrates.

Political leadership in Kwara State usually employs consensus candidacy. How do you see this in relation to democracy?

You know democracy is about good governance, it is about peace. And since I have been in politics in the 80s, I discovered that the way Baba (late Saraki) did his own was to look for somebody that is with the masses, somebody who would deliver dividends of democracy and that person would be made the governor, senator, local government chairman and so on or as commissioner when it comes to appointment. What I am saying essentially is that consensus system is another way of building democratic rule. That is what we have been employing in Kwara state. That is why the state is peaceful.

People especially the opposition talk about the state being under bondage. Is Kwara state actually under political bondage?

Honestly no. I told you I was Attorney-General, I was SSG. And I am a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by all standards which means I cannot put myself in a bondage. I would have definitely pulled out because I want to tell you with all sense of responsibility; I have been a successful lawyer before I came into politics. I have gotten houses, cars, before my people told me to go into politics. So I don't see any bondage except in the imagination of those saying it.

What do you think is the role of followership in nurturing democracy in Nigeria?

You see a leader cannot do anything without his followers. And if you are talking of bad leadership, you have to look back and see the type of followership he has. I have discovered in politics that politicians tend to ask from a leader what he does not have. They would ask him to do this and that which even his salary in a year cannot do and they would want him to do it immediately. If he fails to do it, he then becomes their enemy. They give him a bad name, bad image. So the type of followership a leader has determines how the leader would performs. This is the type of politics we play in Nigeria. This is not the case in the advanced countries like US. But in Nigeria, they would ask you to do something you can't do at all cost and that leader would have to dip his hand into the treasury and then you become a thief.

Kwara seems not to be in support of the President's 2015 ambition. Could that not result in starving the state of funds from the federal purse?

There is revenue allocation formula for all tiers of government and if what is due to state A is not given to state A, that state can go to court. I heard the APC governors saying recently they would want to go to court. They have that right to go to court and demand for their rights. Revenue allocation is a matter of law that can be contested in court. I expect any state that its fund is reduced or withheld to go to court and challenge that.

What is your assessment of Governor Ahmed's government in the last two and half years?

Well so far, so good. He has done well and I am not surprised that he has done well. He's been part of the system since 2003. He was commissioner for finance for about seven years. Thereafter he became the commissioner for planning and economic development in the state before he became the governor of the state. So he knew how the former governor did his own. Somebody who was the commissioner for Finance would know the intricacies, inside-outs of the government. Following that, he has completed virtually all the projects that we were not able to complete, he has started new ones.

Local Government election has come and gone, what is your message to opposition parties?

My advice to opposition is simple. Let them cooperate with those that have been elected, let them cooperate with the state government so that those that have just been elected, that would come in any moment from now would work for our state. Let them bring out the dividends of democracy in terms of roads, water, in terms of education, developing our health sector and so on so that at the end of the day everybody would have the taste of what is called dividends of democracy.