In this interview with newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara state, the chairman, Senate committee on Ecology and Environment, Dr. Bukola Saraki speaks on topical national issues and concludes that the task before the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is daunting. ABDULLAHI OLESIN was there for LEADERSHIP. Excerpts

On APC’s victory in the general elections

This victory is not only for APC it is for all Nigerians. I say this with all sincerity because it was the determination of Nigerians and their commitment to stand for what they believe in that got us thus far. In the past Nigerians and voters in general would not come out to vote and even when they did it was not with conviction; they were frustrated with the process. But this time around it was clear that Nigerians were convinced that APC represents change and it was time for a new Nigeria. I always believe that we are opening a new chapter in this country.

Nigeria can never be the same again. I am very convinced about that; that to me is the greatest achievement. The victory of APC in the elections is small to me compared to that of Nigeria’s.

The Nigeria we are starting now is the one all of us have been wishing for. Now all our elected officers must be accountable and deliver dividends of democracy to all. Also, it will help build our political parties. It is good for our democracy.

In Kwara here, the message I have always been saying from day one the way politicians in the opposition parties behave, they think that Kwarans are fools. They go away for three and half years and come back six months to elections and believe they can take the people for granted.

They are not the kind of people to be trusted with leadership of the state. Whatever you might say about APC, they are the people that are always there with the people. They don’t wait for elections to come. They are there thinking on how to improve the lots of this great state.

On Kwara gubernatorial election

On the governorship candidate of the PDP, Senator Simeon Ajibola who said he has not lost an election. He should have said that he has never won too, because he didn’t win. We were the ones winning for him, so he didn’t win right from his first senatorial to the second.

In the 2011 elections, there is video recording when I was begging people not to vote for him but for me. I said it many time because people were saying they did not want him. He has never won an election that is why he could not win even in his local government.

Or his running mate, Yinka Aluko who has not contested any election because they all believe that the election would be done in Aso Villa, the message to all politicians is for them to go back and win the confidence of their people. It is now clear to them that power lies with the people.

It shows that they do not have the interest of Kwarans at heart. They are doing it largely because they want to dislodge the Saraki dynasty because we have been there taking care of the good people of Kwara state. That is why very soon PDP will collapse and they will want to defect. If they truly believe in freedom for Kwara let them stay in opposition and provide alternative for Kwarans.

Criteria for appointing people into Buhari’s cabinet

I think the President-elect has emphasised the issue of integrity and capacity. You have heard what I just talked about the challenges ahead. It is not going to be a tea party. There is work to be done. We have the mess to clean up. We have expectation also to meet for all the people that have gone around on change slogan. To expect the immediate result, we must have people that hit the ground running and be able to perform. The issue now is to balance between the political expectation of people who have supported the political party win and also on performance. It is clear that with the kind of mandate we have been given, we must ensure that we perform and we succeed so that we do not run into the same problem like PDP.

Agenda for the APC government at the center

The President-elect in the campaign was very clear; the issue of corruption, security and provision of jobs for the youths. I think these are three clear areas. In the area of security, the fight against Boko Haram, bring down insurgency in those areas and restore credibility and belief in our military. There would be zero tolerance for corruption and because of the backdrop of that, you begin see revenue coming up and you will have more money for infrastructural development.

On asset declaration

We are just making a lot of noise of it. Definitely, by and large, there is no public servant that would not declare his assets. Now with FOI, you declare your assets with code of conduct and you declare it in public. I don’t think it is declaration of assets that would make you less corrupt or more accountable. I think it is your own individual commitment to your party and leadership provided.

Leadership is very important because the leader leads by example. Honestly, things will change. Instead of sitting with the president to seek favour, you come home and sit down with your people so that you can have the better chance of winning election.

And if you are not accountable, you are stealing government money, people will not vote for you. Honestly, March 28 was a turning point in the history of this country.

On Nigeria drifting toward one-party state

One party is not good for our democracy. I believe that our democracy is beginning to mature. We now must begin to involve party representing policies, principles and what they stand for. It is important for democracy to have a strong opposition. It is important for us to see our sacrifice and service not about personal gain. When somebody after election does not have any major issue for decamping, then he is not providing good leadership or prepared to serve the people. So I do not support the issue of one party.

In our state, a lot of people have been talking; some said they are freedom fighters. So, their freedom fighting should not end after they lost election. Because if you believe in freedom, that is what they were saying, unless you were deceiving the people to use freedom to try to get what you wanted to get. That freedom should not end after the election. It is clear that they were not fighting for any freedom; it is for their own personal things.

Implication of Gbemisola Saraki in PDP

Apart from the fact of being a biological sister, if you look at the political family and remove the biological aspect of it, tell me who is in PDP that is not a family member of this place (Saraki’s dynasty) or who is in PDP that did not start from this place. So if you say implant, then all of them, we took them there for implantation. The only difference between Gbemi among them is being my biological sister. Is it Bio, Abu, Ajibola or Yinka Aluko? Tell me who among them. The only person there you might say is Dele Belgore. Apart Dele, everybody in that place is coming from this house. Tell me one person who did not come from this house or who has risen in his political independent of this house. That is a cheap blackmail that cannot take us anywhere.