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In the wake of Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary celebration on October 1, the Interim National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, speaks with BIODUN BUSARI, highlighting the nation’s pressing challenges, including the harsh realities of poverty and hardship among citizens. He proposes bold steps for revitalisation, urging for a collective commitment to overcome the adversities that threaten Nigeria’s unity
What is your view on the state of the nation as Nigeria marks its 64th Independence Anniversary?
The ongoing search for effective governance ultimately boils down to finding good leaders. Nigeria is a nation rich in both human and natural resources, with few natural disasters. However, one of our major challenges is bad leadership.
I’ve listened to many brilliant Nigerians proposing various solutions, even in their final moments. Yet, one critical aspect they often overlook is researching the reasons behind our poor leadership.
I challenge researchers, social crusaders, technocrats, and religious leaders to investigate why Nigeria has such bad leaders.
Once we identify the root causes, we can begin to offer solutions for selecting the right leaders.
Are you saying the clamour for a new constitution and a regional system of government are not solutions to Nigeria’s problems?
They are not solutions. The key to solving our problems lies in leadership. We all know that Nigeria is rich; what we lack are good leaders. When conducting research, one must first establish a problem statement that drives the inquiry. We need to ask ourselves why we have poor leadership, as only then can we find effective solutions.
Nigerian politicians often describe our democracy as nascent, using this perception to justify their incompetence and excesses. Do you think our democracy is still too young to get it right after 25 years?
This democracy is not young; it’s old but being spoon-fed. It’s supported by the Western world and by those of us who have conspired with them to keep the country in perpetual poverty. Until we discard that dependence and stand on our own, even though we’ve been around for a while, we won’t start getting it right.
The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, appointed you as the Interim National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement. What is the focal point of this position?
Basically, the Nigerian people have been disillusioned with the qualities of leadership in the country. Arguably, the Obidient Movement has been an amorphous organisation that has been demanding good governance in terms of spending, accountability, transparency, and addressing the socio-cultural needs of the people as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The idea is to ensure that good governance reigns supreme, apart from the mediocrity we find ourselves in within this society.
Therefore, the organisational key becomes very important in order to galvanise and enhance this energy into one focused direction. That’s exactly what His Excellency Peter Obi aims to achieve, as his message resonates with Nigerian youths to the point that 12.5 million of them registered to vote.
To transform that energy into strength, we need to build a formal structure, engage with the youth, and provide guidance on how things can be done and achieved. That’s my major task.
Along the way, many wounds need to be healed, which are open to all kinds of support groups.
I was in Kano a few days ago, where we launched an advocacy campaign for registration into the Obidient Movement. I’m happy that my people in Kano came out en masse to embrace this particular message and formalise the Obidient Movement.
You recently said the country needed electoral reform and not a rotational presidency. Why?
We need electoral reform that embodies clear fairness, equity, and justice. If we ask ourselves, is the Independent National Electoral Commission really independent, as we claim? Obviously not! The chairman is appointed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is a politician.
At any point, that same person can receive directives from the president. Electoral reform will be the catalyst in solving most of the problems that we face.
INEC needs to be broken down into three parts: an election monitoring commission, a delineation commission, and an enforcement commission.
The appointment of the INEC chairman should not be handled the way it currently is, where the president simply appoints one person. It must be subjected to public interest, with about three candidates selected. These three individuals should then be presented to the judicial council, which will ultimately recommend one to the president. This approach will ensure honesty and transparency in the leadership structure of INEC, which should also be funded independently.
What is the essence of the ‘New Tribe’ initiative, of which you were one of the dignitaries that formally launched it?
It’s another great initiative. The New Tribe group is ideological-based and centred around our values and traditional ways of life. In every village and town, there is an inherited discipline regarding performance and living standards.
In Igbo land, if a person steals a chicken, the people will tie a noise-making device around them and parade the individual in the market square to showcase the level of disdain and shame attached to that person. This shame also extends to their family for generations.
As a result, people are deterred from committing heinous crimes in the villages.
In the north, if someone is found to have stolen, they are guided by the teachings of the Quran, which uphold the living standards of everyone in that region, especially among Muslims.
Even some of our Christian brothers and sisters are wary of the consequences they may face in the afterlife. Every action is influenced by the understanding that when attending mosques to pray, one must uphold community integrity. If you are a trader, you often don’t worry about locking your door because you trust your neighbours to respect your property.
People act this way because they know that anyone contemplating theft will think twice and have an understanding that they will face punishment for taking what does not belong to them. These are the values we must embrace.
Had we integrated these principles into our governance, much of the persistent theft of public resources might have been avoided. What this is all about is to shape our culture and belief in contemporary life.
There is a widespread notion that the followers of Peter Obi, known as the Obidient Movement, seem arrogant on social media, as they often want people to align with their thoughts. What are you doing to contain this?
Let me make this very clear: members of the Obidient Movement are not unruly. They are simply youths who have a hunger and passion for a better country. They are hungry for good governance. Even His Excellency Peter Obi is in the race for the quest for good governance for Nigeria.
The reason for this is that the country has reached a level of decay where the people who are ruling us don’t care about those they govern. The politicians are not concerned about the masses.
Let me give you an example. How do you explain to a common man on the street that a mudu of garri, which used to sell for N50, is now N1,000? Meanwhile, their leaders are eating burgers, fried chicken, the best cow meat, and other assorted portions of beef in their respective offices. Is that governance? It is not governance; it’s pure cheating!
How do you explain to the common man on the street who bought a litre of petrol for N350 some time ago, only to find that same fuel now sells for more than a thousand naira?
In some parts of Nigeria, a litre of fuel is sold at N1,300. How will you explain to him that the government has continually engaged in actions that will not ruin his life and livelihood?
And yet, these same masses will be watching on television, hearing on the radio, and reading in the newspapers how a member of the National Assembly is being paid N30m.
The president even bought a new aircraft for himself and a new Sport Utility Vehicle for his wife. He embarked on the construction of a coastal highway from Lagos to Calabar, which we don’t need because there are roads from Lagos to Ibadan, Ibadan to Ilorin, and Ilorin to Kaduna that are still facing challenges. The only road that leads to the entire North from Abuja is still uncompleted. This shows the decay in the system.
Therefore, the members of the Obidient Movement are angry and are on a serious quest for good governance. When you ask me how we will contain this, we will do so by ensuring that the message is driven home: that those in positions of leadership must find a way to formulate policies and execute programmes that are in the interest of the Nigerian people. That’s what the Obidient Movement is all about.
There is a crisis in the Labour Party, as the National Working Committee has called the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe Obi, Aisha Yesufu, and Afenifere leaders for the alleged diversion of N12bn and $12m. What happens if the party doesn’t give the ticket to Obi to run for the presidency in 2027?
That will be a situation we will cross when we get there. But I can assure you that it will be a loss to any political party not to fly the presidential ticket with His Excellency Peter Obi because he is the man of the moment. His name has resonated with Nigerian youths nationwide. Anyone who wants to win an election will look forward to putting Peter Obi on the ballot.
Do you see Peter Obi winning the next presidential election even without the electoral reforms you are demanding?
The truth of the matter is that electoral reform will help to energise and refocus the electoral process in Nigeria.
It is essential that we have electoral reform because it is highly needed. We should recognise that INEC is not independent. That’s why we are calling for reforms regarding how the leadership of the INEC operates. We need to encourage them to avert situations that could invite anarchy because electoral reform will bring in new leadership for INEC.
This includes how the voting process is conducted electronically and how the individuals who emerge as candidates of political parties are scrutinised so that we don’t have people without qualifications running for elections. These are some of the basic things that we need in electoral reform.
Politicians in successive administrations blatantly shift blame, as if Nigeria is difficult to govern. What is the issue with the ruling class?
Everyone who has an interest in ruling an egalitarian Nigerian society must understand the cost of governance. Nigeria is the easiest country to rule because we only demand what we need, which has been there for a very long time. What are these things? They are education, security, healthcare, and other infrastructural facilities to make life easier for the people.
Once such things are in place, it becomes easy for Nigerians to recognise the politicians who have their interests at heart. For me, Nigeria is not ungovernable; it’s just that we have people in positions of power who abuse their authority, and only a few have proved themselves worthy. Any leader who is not doing well has obviously not prepared well for governance.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, begged developed countries to grant debt pardons to Nigeria and other developing nations. What’s your take on this?
As a patriotic Nigerian, I would argue that a question should have been posed to those who collected the loans: what did they use them for? They took loans and built homes for themselves rather than constructing industries to attract investments. When you take a loan, it should help propel you to productivity. But in our case, we take loans for consumption, which is why we have issues.
Instead of asking for debt pardons, they should be accountable for the money. This accountability will help and would clarify if there is justification for asking for debt relief. I support the idea of debt relief if there is accountability.
Two defence ministers are from the North, yet banditry remains a headache for Nigeria amid worsening insecurity. As a Northerner, what is the issue?
The main problem with insecurity is the total neglect of our people in the villages and local governments. The government is supposed to empower the people and engage them in employment. The neglect is so glaring that it has led Nigerians to believe they can’t do anything. Most of the insecurity you see in the country comes from rural areas. Therefore, the government must do something about these areas.
