Chief Aisha Audu (nee Emeje) is a United Nations (UN) ambassador for peace and ex-wife of former Kogi State governor, Abubakar Audu. She is the gubernatorial candidate for the Justice Party (JP) in the 3 December gubernatorial polls in Kogi State. In this interview with Ruth Olurounbi, she speaks on why she is gunning for the number one position in the state.
We hardly see former wives of political holders in the country running for a political post. Why are you in the gubernatorial race
Being a First Lady has exposed me to the plight of my people. There is no doubt that they need better service; they need the government to change their lives for the better. And I don’t see that done enough yet. And being that I have the same background as them, I have the better understanding of their plights. When I was the First Lady in the state, I did my best. But now, I am coming out to represent the interest of my people better. I want to have a direct impact on their lives and that is why I have come out to serve them in that capacity.
You’re currently running for the gubernatorial seat against your ex- husband. Wouldn’t that be viewed as a personal vendetta against him, considering the fact that you went through a bitter divorce?
Well, this question often comes up. As a human being, I have the right to seek to serve my people in any capacity. A marriage is a step that enhances your being and that stage does not affect your ability to do anything. But people see it as a personal vendetta; it is wrong because looking at the way I came onto the scene, I came on board through my local government, which is being considered now as the local government to produce the next governor of the state in a general consensus by Kogites. I think it is more of ability, vision and the mission that I carry other than being a former wife of a governor.
But it is being rumoured that you are in the race to spoil the chances of a candidate.
I naturally do not respond to rumours. But I think it would be unfair for anyone to reduce my gubernatorial project to spoiling the chance of another person.
So, why exactly are you in the race?
I am compelled by the socio-economic realities in the state. Nothing is working in the state. Unfortunately, the lack of visionary leaders has been our bane. Go to the state capital, Lokoja, and see a glorified village. Kogites have not gone beyond the rudimentary existence. Unemployment rate is high; there is insecurity in the state.
Just recently, armed men engaged the police, carting away ammunition from the armoury, killing policemen and attacking a bank. Just a few days ago, a royal father was gunned down and killed in his bedroom. We deserve something better. We want to effect changes. We want to create jobs and wealth; we want to harness our resources and improve our economy. We also want to stop dependency on Federal Government allocation.
What makes you the best candidate for this job?
Governance is not about brawn, it is about brain. And governance does not need a strong personality. Instead, it needs strong institutions. I will correct all institutional problems in the state; I will listen and act. I will respect the rich, and I will value the poor. It is time we came together and built a new Kogi State. As I said earlier, I am the change element. I have the clout; I have the connections. I already have investors to step in. The problem that most of these leaders have is that they don’t know what they want to do after the expiration of their terms so they just wait around, wanting to recoil into politics. That should not be so. I already know what I want to do.
So, if you were to appraise the current administration in the state, how would your scorecard go? Would you say the governor has lived up to expectation?
Today, the government in position will have to leave, even if they were a 100 per cent perfect. They will still have to go. I don’t always want to comment on that topic because the issue is another opportunity for a better perspective to governance. It is not about incumbency; it is about the continuity of government process that must take place every four years.
Having said that, leadership is certainly the rise and fall of any community or society. And from what we have to offer, I think there will be a great difference. There will be a transformation; there will be liberation and consideration of the deprivation of unity among the people. There is also the need to carry the women along. The competition should be about what we do from this time on to effect a change. People are clamouring for change, so that means something must have been wrong somewhere. And I think I am that change element.
Speaking of change, what is your agenda for the people of the state if you are elected as the governor of the state?
Going by the plight of the people, the state is static. It is not moving forward. Globalisation today has made the world a global village. We must put diversity to everything; we must strive to move the state forward. Poverty in the state has put us in the position of being declared bankrupt, if not the poorest. The plight of the people is so disturbing. I need to, first of all, come to terms with them on the need to sustain them.
We will be exporters of agricultural produce. Take for instance in the central, we have cotton. The castor oil from the cotton will attract investors to the state. We need to make them see that the state is an investment haven for all agricultural produce. I will make sure they are well funded for that.
On education, it has to be free. You will agree with me that many neighbouring states in Nigeria generally are embracing this issue, but my state is yet to do so. We have to do something about that. The Information Communication Technology (ICT) today is fast growing and our children have to tap into it. In the state today, many of our secondary school leavers fail their post UME tests. Many of their parents cannot afford to send them to school in the first place; therefore, we have to do something about that. We have to let them come into school free – free education from primary to secondary schools. We will focus on quality education too so that that way, we’ll be producing better students that will be able to fit into their investment haven we are trying to create.
We also are going to revive the gas pipe plant in the state in which we will also be able to supply energy to the national grid. When you look at that, you’ll see that job creation is eminent. When you talk of health, malaria today, for me, is a major killer. Nets are not enough and people can’t even afford to buy them. We will roll out malaria from the state; sick people will have access to better treatment. That is what I know governance is, complete free health care package for the needy and subsidised one for those who can afford it.
Also, we will boost security in the state. Having said all of that, you will realise that a self-sustaining society will be better lived in harmony. Lack of unity is affection the three tribes of Kogi State – the Igalas, the Ebiras and the Okuns. I mean if we are able to be fair in what we do, equality will bridge the gap between the civil servants in the state.
Being a woman from a relatively new party, what are your chances of winning this forthcoming election?
100 per cent! There is a clamour for change and I am a change element. I am a youth. People are not going to the graves and bring old politicians who are glorying on what they have done in the past and even didn’t build institutions to sustain what they had done so we see them disappearing. They cannot convince me that they will do better after many years. The current government has issues because it has not been able to perform as it has promised to do. Therefore, change is eminent. There is an opportunity for the youths, for women and civil societies to voice out because the government has disappointed them in the last April elections.
What’s your take on the current participation of women in politics of Nigeria?
It is improving. I mean even it is a one, it’s a plus. Women participation in politics of Nigeria is not going back, it is going forward. I think also that my coming out will also propel them forward. Right now, the women participation, at any level, is increasing and we are hoping that it will be better.
Aisha Audu (nee Emeje)