Hon. Dr. John Kome, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, is the party’s 2023 candidate for Ikeja Constituency 1 seat in the Lagos House of Assembly. He spoke to EJIKEME OMENAZU on the just-concluded Edo State governorship election, the planned October 1 protest and intimidation of activists and civil society groups, among other crucial issues. Excerpt:
Security agencies last Sunday arrested and detained Omoyele Sowore, but released him hours later. How do you see the way the government treats activists and critics of the current administration?
The way the government treats activists, critics and civil society is surprising. What amazed me about our country is that Nigeria has become a place where journalists and historians find it difficult to define. We are in a democratic environment where civil society groups and people are given free speech and expression against obnoxious policies that are inimical to the growth of the economy and society. People should voice out their opinions without the intimidation of the government and its agencies. We cannot understand what is happening, especially as the president is a democrat who in the past criticized actions of former leaders who were intimidating the people. For critics to be intimidated now under President Tinubu’s administration is difficult to understand. We do not expect that in the administration of an astute democrat like President Tinubu, such things should be happening. What is going on now under President Tinubu is unbelievable, incredible and uninspiring. Whereas people that should be arrested are playing games with this administration; like ex-governors who looted their states, the EFCC threatened to get them arrested and prosecuted. Security agents seem to be dancing to the beating of an unseen drummer. The world is watching Nigeria and its drama. I believe the international community is defining the type of people who we are. It will not be a surprise if in future, they portray us by their definition.
Organisers of the last nationwide protest have announced that there will be another protest on October 1 due to the government’s failure to tackle issues raised during the last protest. What is your advice to both the government and the protesters?
Concerning the upcoming October 1 nationwide protest, I have my reservations. If you ask me why Nigerians may go for a more severe protest, the leaders of the protests asked the government to do certain things but the government has reneged. So, they want the government to listen to Nigerians. It seems that Nigeria is not lucky with leadership. Past administrations have the same problem of making promises which they failed to carry out. It seems this trend is common with Nigeria. Why should leaders fail to carry out those demands of the people? Those in government forget that they were once agitators. Why are we like this in Nigeria? Why is Nigeria such a peculiar people? My advice to the protesters is: bringing Nigeria to its knees and ground the economy will destroy the people. Will the protest make an impact in the leaders’ conscience when the previous protests did not make much positive impact? Let us look at the merits and demerits of the protest so that we do not hurt ourselves the more. Mr. President said he understood the situation we are in and I believe he is unaware of what Nigerians are passing through. Will the coming protest make him more aware? During the last protest, people died and properties were destroyed. If we go on a bigger protest, more people will die or suffer. Hospitals will also suffer. Protests are catastrophic and leaders do not care. Can’t we look for other means? If there is no other way, let us look at the creator. To the government, why do we choose to be leaders who punish the citizens? Are they not aware of posterity? Will they be there forever? Like the former First Lady, Patience Jonathan said, let us remember that there is God and we will face the judgment of God. When I listen to the radio, Radio Nigeria will say we will be answerable to the creator, if we do not listen to men.
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By today, Sunday September 22, the Edo State governorship election would have been concluded and the results trickling in. What is your view on some of the events leading to the election, especially the high tension, utterances during the campaigns?
The current political quagmire going on due to the just-concluded governorship election in Edo State is a pointer to the non-independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the failure of our democratic experiment. Politicians play demigods in Nigeria. If men were God, what would they not have done? What is the phrase ‘federal might’? Should the ‘federal might’ intimidate the state governments or state structures? Should the state also do the same to the local governments’ structures and the local government structure do the same to communities? Is Nigeria not Animal Farm? Has Nigeria not become a zoo as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu declared? Is the young man not a prophet? Is what he said not happening now? Just like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, what he said years ago are being promoted day-by-day? Where is the independence of INEC? If government agencies like the EFCC, ICPC, DSS and even INEC will be tools to intimidate democratic institutions, are we practicing democracy? Where are the democratic norms of this country? America will be holding elections a few weeks from now. What is happening in Edo, compare it to what is happening in the 50 states of America. What are our democrats learning from America whose brand of democracy we claim to be copying? Definitely, it is not American democracy. When people tried to assassinate Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, President Joe Biden and the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris called for the arrest and prosecution of those behind the action. But here, people in the government promote evil. I align with former President Olusegun Obasanjo who said we cannot practice democracy and that we should create our own brand of democracy. What we are practising here is to intimidate. The Edo government having seen the intimidation of the ‘federal might’ declare that the election is a do-or-die. I heard the Chief of Defence Staff saying that he has the mandate of Mr. President to provide security for free, fair and credible elections. So, who is this federal might intimidating and arresting political opponents? That is the Nigerian kind of democracy. I too was a victim when I contested in the 2023 election. My supporters and polling agents were beaten up, intimidated. I had to take them to the hospitals. People who enter government through the federal or state might cannot remember the people when they are in power. What starts badly cannot end well. I see development coming to Nigeria, but not too soon.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refused to sign the Peace Accord in Edo State due allegations that its chieftains were arrested and taken to Abuja where they were detained. What is your take on this development?
We were meant to understand that a particular party did not sign the Peace Accord because its members and leaders were arrested and detained in Abuja. We saw intimidation of party leaders and people being forced to be arrested and people trying to prevent the arrest. But, as I saw the video, people in foreign countries also saw it. What image are we projecting to foreigners? We face disgrace. The people address us when traveling abroad. For a party not to sign a Peace Accord due to negative impact, it is not a good omen. If we cannot get it right in future, we cannot change things. We cannot change things in old age. Old age is a reflection of what we were as children. Let no one deceive us. If we cannot get things right today, we cannot get it right tomorrow. Because of these signs and symptoms, many eyes, local and continental, will be on the Edo election. Technology has gone too far. No matter what happens the world will see how we are. I appeal to Mr. President, as an astute democrat, to call trouble makers to order. He should not leave anyone in doubt that Edo election would be free and fair and political arrangements will not be introduced; political utterances that undermine peaceful election should be curtailed in Edo and even during the coming Ondo governorship election. The APC, PDP, Labour Party and the other political parties should allow the will of the people override personal ambition of federal or state political actors. I also call on His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, to prevail on the citizens whether they are federal or state political actors, they are his children. He should call them to order, even after the election. Years back when there was land grabbing in Edo State, His Royal Majesty placed a curse and Edo people obeyed. Whoever goes against his cultural authority should be made to pay, no matter how highly placed. (Note: This interview was conducted two days before the Edo governorship election).
