•ABUJA Lawmaker Tells City People
Mayegun Kayode Ajulo is an Abuja-based Lawyer. He is also a politician and a vibrant social commentator. He is a Constitutional Lawyer and the Mayegun Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba. He was also the former National Secretary of the Labour Party.
Lately, he has been at the forefront of those asking VP Osinbajo to run for President. He is the Convener, Progressive Lawyers for PYO (meaning Prof. Yemi Osinbajo). A few days ago, he came out to explain why he is 100 percent in support of Osinbajo and not Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
He is one of those who don’t see Osinbajo’s decision to run as a betrayal of his political godfather, Tinubu.
He has also come out with a new narrative, that Professor Yemi Osinbajo might not contest the presidential election against Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, however, he will contest the 2023 President Election and win as the President and C-In-C of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
How will that happen? Is it by Consensus, we asked him?
According to Ajulo, it is in accordance with the law. “Any of the 3, set out by Law, either Direct, Indirect Primaries and or Consensus.
Ajulo, who is the Principal Partner of Kayode Ajulo & Co. Castle of Law, was elected as the National Secretary of Labour Party in 2014.
Last week, he was City People’s guest on the City People Instagram Live Chat, where he spoke on the State of the Nation.
He is someone who is very vibrant, politically and many wonder how he juggles his roles as a lawyer, a politician and a socio-cultural person. How does he balance it out, we asked?
“The Almighty God that created one has already given one the ability to do all that is possible. I just believe if you live in a country like Nigeria where every minute, every second, you can not but get involved in many issues, you have to be organised. Each time, I am going to sleep, I get so disturbed, particularly when you find out that you have not been able to do what I need to do. It depends on the way we react to issues. I am the type that believes I am reactive, most of the time. I believe we need to leave this world better than we met it. I believe that with our little contribution if all of us should put our hands together, to ensure that this country is great, it will be great. Those are the things that propel me, these are the things that fire me. These are the things that make one want to go on and on. As a Lawyer, I want to achieve success, I want to achieve distinction.”
So also in my vocation too, as a Politician, even though I don’t see myself as a politician. I see myself as an interventionist. To intervene in most of the issues that we have in this country. If we can just join hands together to move this country forward, I am sure we will have a good nation. I am sure we can still make the nation great. And when you talk of socio-cultural, one thing you cannot take away from one is where you come from. I am a Yoruba and I believe I am a full-fledged Yoruba.”
“So however it can be, one just has to be there, to ensure that when it is time to be counted, you are not found missing and that is exactly what I have been doing.”
Almost on a daily basis, he comments on many issues like the recent letter he sent to the National Assembly. What prompted him to do that?
“Some years back, I happened to be the National Secretary of a political party. What I have been agitating for is to get our election right.”
“There is no way we can get Democracy right in Nigeria without ensuring that there is sanity in the way people are allowed to exercise their rights to choose their leaders. I have made it a point of duty to ensure that at every point in time we must ensure that.”
“For some time now, we have been dilly-dallying especially with Mr President to ensure that our electoral system is perfectly placed and a few days back, everybody came together to prevail on the President to do the needful And at a time when he was doing that, he raised another issue that one of the sections of that law contravenes the provisions of the Constitution and I must confess if there is any provision in that Electoral Act, which we can say is lofty is that Section 8412. Section 8412 basically states that these political appointees have no business in being a delegate or to send themselves for an election during the Congresses and the Convention, and the reason is this when it comes to internal democracy, one of the fundamentals of ensuring that we get our democracy right is to ensure we get our internal democracy, and internal democracy starts when there is a level playing field, where nobody has authority over one another. But unfortunately, our Governors have powers to appoint Political appointees, as their PA, Chief of Staff, and Chairman of this board and co. And you find out that most of these people end up being statutory delegates of political parties. If I’m the appointee and I appoint you as the Publisher to be in this party, you know whose bidding you will do, and this has been one of the problems of internal democracy in Nigeria”.
“But this Section has now made it impossible for any of these political appointees to be a delegate or want to put themselves up for election. Not that they have been stopped to put themselves up for election but the law says that if you have been allowed to put yourself for election or delegate what is expected of you is to resign, be a delegate, if you are done with that and you want to be appointed again, he who appointed you earlier can easily decide to bring you back. So basically that’s my letter to the Senate President, which I believe is my Civic responsibility.”
Why is he not part of the ongoing 2023 election move, in terms of either contesting for elective office or being part of the move?
“If you can remember, in 2018 I honourably and voluntarily resigned my post as the National Secretary of Labour Party, I think there are lots of things still left undone as a lawyer. Politics can take you away from your profession for life. I just felt that I can still play this Politics, but in another way and another dimension. And immediately I resigned, I faced everything I planned. Some of them are not yet achieved and I’ve promised myself I won’t be offering myself for any elective post. But I want to assure you that I will be a major participant, a determinant. Already, I am talking to those that we believe can move this country forward. I will put all the resources God has given me, all the contacts all over the world to ensure that Nigeria returns back to Greatness, and the best way to be Great is to have Great leadership”.
Kayode is at the Vanguard of the campaign for Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to run for President. Why is he’s supporting Osinbajo?
“There are 3 ways a man can attain Greatness. It’s either you are born into greatness or greatness is tossed upon you or you achieve greatness. I may not know much about the pedigree of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and whether he was born into Greatness. But it is glaring he has achieved Greatness. Not only that, Greatness was tossed upon him. He was nominated as the Vice President of Nigeria and in the last 7 years, he has done well. In the history of Nigeria, he’s the only Vice President you never hear has any issue with his boss. Apart from that, the little opportunity given to him, we can see how he used that opportunity to the admiration of all.”
“Nigeria needs a leader who is competent. Nigeria needs a smart leader. Prof Osinbajo is the kind of leader we need in Nigeria and I’m so convinced that if he’s given the chance, he will move Nigeria forward.”
But how does he see the candidature of the other leading South-Western aspirants like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu?
“Well, I’ve said it in and out. There was a time I wrote a thesis about Leadership and Godfatherism in Nigeria and I did a comparative analysis of the leadership in the North, leadership in the East and leadership in the West. In that thesis, I interrogated the leadership of Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello and one of his proteges, that is Sir Tafawa Balewa. And I noticed that one of the things that made the Northerners have the grip of power……… Asiwaju Ahmed is a leader, well-known leader that has made a lot of people. He’s a very thoughtful leader, but Age and some of the other issues as Health, are not on his side. Osinbajo remains the most senior political leader and you can not take that away. And I believe with the position of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, all that he needs to do is to join forces together with one of his proteges, to ensure that we have a smooth sail and to ensure that Osinbajo becomes the next President. Anything different from that, I’m very sure he would be surprised at the reaction he will get. Age is not on his side. Health is not on his side. If I have a father that has his hands shaking, that cannot even hold a microphone, I will advise him to take it slowly and I’m sure that is the advice that must come from any medical personnel”.
But Tinubu has come out to say all of that is a lie, that he can actually do the job?
“Mind you, we are talking of the issue of health here and I’m sure he’s not a doctor to certify himself. Okay, I think he needs to allow Doctors to do that. And I want to see that doctor that will certify him okay.”
But how does he see the behaviour of the 2 parties: The PDP and APC in their preparation for the forthcoming elections?
“I’ve said it times without number that if I’m given the opportunity to administer the PDP, my recommendation for the party is to wait for at least 4 to 8 years to rebuild the party. And if they have to partake in any election, I think the best thing that PDP should be thinking of is maybe the Local Government Chairmanship, Councillorship, maybe House of Assembly and Governor for the time being. But to be vying for the main one, the Presidency, I think PDP is not ready for that, judging from the battered image in the last 7 years.
What’s his take on those who feel that the Vice President should not come out because he would be seen as betraying Tinubu his former boss? Does he agree?
“There is nothing like betrayal in politics. Politics is about Interests. And Nigeria is not a compensatory package for anybody. I said it even on National Tv that in 2004 when I got married, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, as the then Governor of Lagos State, contributed to my wedding, not only contributing financially, he sent a high-powered delegation of government officials to the wedding. And this is about 18 years ago. I won’t say because I’m a beneficiary of his largesse or a beneficiary of what he knows how to do best, then I should now say it will be on that platter Nigerian Presidency should be given.
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