Former candidate of the Mass Action Joint Alliance in the 2019 presidential election, Prof Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, shares her views with CHUKWUDI AKASIKE about security challenges in the country, rotational presidency and other issues
Many believe Nigerian women should earn their positions in politics and not beg for them. What is your reaction to this?
It is notable that women’s political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality and genuine democracy. However, the Nigerian environment does not provide such enablement and neither the women nor the youths could earn their rightful positions in politics; rather we are being made to beg for our rights. First, women are not as financially buoyant as men. This economic constraint makes it difficult for them to earn their position. Secondly, the political environment and conditions are often unfriendly and hostile to women, as it is always believed they are created to be home makers.
Traditional roles and division of labour are still clearly gendered. Social norms make it more difficult for women to leave their traditional domestic roles for more public roles outside of the home. So, when some women try to get involved in politics, they are despised and as such, they are at the defensive. Even, their co-women would despise them and refuse to support and vote for them, they’ll rather vote for the men for these reasons. So, women are always seen to be begging for their position in Nigeria. Even President (Muhammadu) Buhari sadly said, they (women) “belong to the other room”.
Do you think the bar should be lowered to the advantage of women in politics?
The bar has been lowered already in Nigeria financially for the women folks, and that is quite commendable. For instance, Nigeria is fully in support of women aspirants. Our tickets are that of Nigeria, as the nomination form is free for women at all levels. Thus, I say thank you to the nation – Nigeria for the encouragement and to all political parties which agreed that the ladies could pick our nomination forms at all levels for free, we are grateful; while we pay only the token for expression of interest. And as such, my presidential form is free. Nigeria is confident that the current challenges in the country can only be tackled by the women, and that is one of the foremost reasons for their decision. We need the electorate to equally key in and support the female candidates as well. Free zones can be created where only women can contest.
Nigeria is facing many challenges, including security challenges. But you think the country’s situation is redeemable. Why?
Yes, there are lots of challenges confronting the nation especially as regards insecurity via criminal activities of the terrorists, kidnappers and other unscrupulous elements in the country. They invade our communities, markets, churches and schools and kill, maim, destroy and kidnap our people without much resistance by the current government. We live in fear daily. However, with God, all things are possible. I believe Nigeria could get over this, if we are ready to restructure the country. We need to revisit the 2014 national conference report and redefine the current structure of the country. As for me, I already have a roadmap for Nigeria, with an agenda. It’s what I always refer to as the PMA (Princess Mercy Adesanya-Davies) Advanced Restructuring Agenda,” and I have it published online already. This to me is a holistic approach to economic and security challenges.
Again, there are many porous coastal borders in the country. This paves the way for insecurity, including terrorism. The Federal Government should increase the number of troops that guard borders. They should also train people to protect their regions from insurgents rather than constraining them. Security is the job of every one of us.
What are your chances of winning the PDP presidential ticket considering the calibre of people you would be contesting with for the presidential ticket?
The contest would be quite challenging; I know, but I believe that the chance for a woman aspirant to win is higher now in PDP unlike in the days of Dr Sarah Jibril who has broken the ground for the women in the presidential election. The contest would really be with the likes of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, from the North. From the South are former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim and Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, etc., it is indeed quite competitive.
Again, gender inclusion has now become imperative globally and as such in Nigeria, successful election and governance would be based on this, as the next phase of political leadership takes shape. This we can glaringly observe in the case of Kamala Harris in the last US election. Moreover, if it could happen that a woman became the president in Liberia, it can also happen, even better in Nigeria, and it will, I believe! I have a dream that one day, a woman will become the president of Nigeria, and the dream is now!
How do you intend to defeat a person like Atiku Abubakar in a PDP primary?
If PDP can adopt direct primaries through electronic voting, I shall win him. A direct primary is used when voters decide their party’s candidates. In an indirect primary, voters elect delegates who choose the party’s candidates at a nominating convention. I look forward to this great decision by the PDP.
The amount of money paid to purchase forms for elective positions appear to be outrageous and this gives the impression that such positions are for the highest bidders. How would you react to this?
The nomination form for the presidential form, for instance, is N40m in the APC and about N30m in the PDP. So, it’s for the highest bidder among the men. However, it is not so for the women. Nigeria has made the forms free for women; my ticket, for instance is that of Nigeria, as the nomination form is free for women at all levels. We only pay the N1m for the expression of interest form. Rather, the major funding that is needed for the women now is for the campaigns and sourcing for that alone could be quite difficult, because the electorate hardly believe in us. But once again, I assure you that with God, all things are possible.
Is power shift necessary in today’s Nigeria or is it wrong if a northerner succeeds a president from the North?
What is most important today in Nigeria is the capability and capacity to rule and deliver dividends of democracy. Power shift and zoning is currently in the front line of debate but this is only heating the polity. For instance, on the ‘PDP Presidential Ticket Matters Arising and Female Candidacy’, it has been explained that they should give a woman a chance for once. The men have ruled since independence from the 1960, it’s time to support the 40 percent affirmative action for women’s governance. When power is given to the women, the nation will unfailingly move forward.
Take for instance, the integrity displayed in governance by the likes of late Dora Akunyili, who was the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control of Nigeria; the former coordinator of Nigeria economy and now the current Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and even I myself, a lecturer of 35 years in the university. We have been and are more than capable and ready.
A lot of other party leaders are of the opinion that for the interest of equity and justice, the South-East should produce the presidential candidate of the party, being the only major ethnic zone yet to occupy Aso Rock since the present dispensation. But the Middle Belt also claimed they have yet to govern since independence.
Another school of thought also thinks that the North-East should be allowed to produce the candidate. This is because no other zone in the North can boast of more membership of the PDP than the zone. It also has an added advantage of being a zone with three PDP out of six state governors. But the current President of Nigeria is from the North. The PDP has, however, said for the party to have any chance of retrieving power soonest, it will not be restricting the candidacy to any zone and that it is throwing open the contest to all zones of the federation; which is very good and a welcome development.
Some antagonists of restructuring are saying it can cause division among Nigerians. How would you react to this?
Antagonists believe that the restructure advocates essentially anchor their arguments on certain misgivings and perceptions, style of governance and perceived intolerable imbalance in the federal structure, as currently constituted. They also speak about imbalance in appointments and imbalance in the distribution of resources; while they equally perceive the system of governance in practice as unitary, contrary to their yearnings for true federalism. But this is not true. Restructuring has several advantages that would overwhelm its disadvantages. It would rather result in actualisation than division. Incredibly, restructuring and federalism have become the most misrepresented words even by those who should understand and work for their actualisation in the interest of peace and progress of Nigeria.
If the 36 federating units are not allowed to exploit all the natural endowments in their states and develop state policies based on priorities and then pay their workers according to what they can afford, development even at the centre will be a mirage. At the moment, poverty in the federating units which keep asking for bailouts from the centre before they can pay even basic bills is disgraceful, shameful, and unacceptable. True federalism is what Nigeria needs as a matter of urgency.
But the President appears not to be interested in restructuring. What are the advantages in restructuring the country?
The President needs to wake up, because that was one of the cardinal campaign promises of the APC in 2019 election and the electorate are awaiting its fulfilment. The restructuring debate can never end in the Nigeria’s political discourse especially now, following secessionist agitations in the South-East and South-West and biting recession after COVID-19. There is no doubt that it will form the basis of sustained growth, wealth and prosperity. Restructuring stems from the concept of true federalism. True federalism is a system that operates based on the shared responsibility of individual units while having a central core that binds everyone together. What Nigeria currently operates is the direct opposite, but we need true federalism.
We could recall the idea of this was considered in January 1967 before the war broke out in July of that year and the idea was for every region to run their affairs, create wealth by harnessing and managing their resources while making some commitments to the federal and central government. Economically, these units must be distinct and independent while other areas can be negotiated like the military which is always the purview of the central government with the President as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces for any Federal Republic. This is the major way to tackle insecurity with state policing. So, we need to revisit the report on the 2014 National Confab.
The current National Assembly is viewed by some Nigerians as a rubber stamp of the executive. How would you react to this?
In a sense; yes! But in another sense; no! I have observed them handle some bills very objectively. Remember the opposition party is also in the National Assembly. I think they are trying their best, but they can do better. Let’s take for instance, the current bill on Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2022. It is notable that President Muhammadu Buhari has withheld his assent to it. According to news reports, in a letter to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, the President said that prevailing situation in the country would not allow him to sign the bill. I commend the President for that, because the bill is like a new baby and its placenta. The issue of direct primaries in the bill needs to be expunged for the reasons the President rightly gave.
What is your view on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill?
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. President actually defined democracy as, “the government of the people, by the people, for the people”. In other words, it means that the supreme power is vested in the hands of the people, which they can exercise directly or through elected or appointed officials under a free electoral system. Pre-selection and all state-wide nominations are part and parcel of the process whether for primary or general elections. I even recommend that our general elections should be through indirect representative democracy also, to save us from all forms of costs and stress.
Again, let us be reminded that democracy can be classified into two specific categories – Direct and Representative. In a direct democracy, citizens can directly participate in making a public decision without the intermediary of elected officials, whereas in a representative democracy, citizens cannot directly participate in public decision making. Most of the nations today follow representative democracy, where citizens elect officials to formulate laws, administer programmes and make political decisions, as in the USA. Our general elections could as well be by pre-selection of delegates and representative in this period of recession in our nation. Selecting between two candidates need not cost us N305bn National Association of Nigerian Students rightly protests. This I propose as another amendment to this bill as a matter of serious consideration and urgency. This method could also be used in our voting system as we approach our electoral reforms, rather than budget to spend above N305bn for ordinary elections.
As an educationist, do you think ASUU recent threat to embark on another strike is justifiable?
Most Nigerians have never cared to hear from the side of ASUU, but I am of the opinion, we all should try to. As an insider, I know that ASUU’s complaint is usually about sustainability of the university system, the ASUU strike would be justifiable to save public universities in Nigeria, because the federal government is always reneging on their promises to ASUU while they can afford to fund public universities adequately. But they are prioritising other matters over and above education. It is unfair! They need to be reminded that education is a determinant factor for change and development of any country; therefore, it is of utmost importance that the government gives ASUU full attention, and stop defaulting but comply with the negotiations and agreements.
The allocation to education in the 2022 budget is less than eight per cent, even when the President Muhammadu Buhari promised an increase in the allocation to the sector. What is your take on this?
The educational sector has always been underfunded in Nigeria. The major problem of the educational sector in the country is that of funding. Education is not funded adequately. Take, for instance, in 2020, Nigeria’s educational budget was far from the 26 per cent of the national budget recommended by the United Nations. Same in 2021, as well as the allocation to education in the 2022 budget which is less than eight per cent, as you have rightly stated. If I am given the opportunity to become the President of the country, the funding of our educational system will definitely be prioritised and would take another dimension, since I am an academic. Take for instance, teachers are the most paid workers in Singapore. A major consequence of inadequate funding of the educational sector is the lack of infrastructure and many of our institutions and schools now have old and dilapidated buildings. Many tertiary institutions do not have well equipped laboratories and libraries. And those with libraries are filled with outdated books, periodicals and journals.