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• Boroffice
Prof. Ajayi Boroffice is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. The Senator, who represents Ondo North Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In this interview with Tunde Raheem, the Asiwaju of Akokoland speaks about the crisis in Ondo LP, his governorship ambition and other issues. Excerpts:

As one of the foundation members of the Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State, could you tell us the evolution of the party and why it appears to be derailing now?

Honestly, I would not say that I was one of the founding fathers of the Labour Party but I joined the party at a time when I thought it was significant that I did. I supported the party right from when Governor Olusegun Mimiko declared his intention to run as governor of Ondo State, both at my local government level and the senatorial level.

As to derailing, I think we know that Labour Party was a child of circumstance and people have always said that it was not actually a party but a platform created out of necessity for Governor Mimiko to contest against the then governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu. It was an assemblage of different political shades. You know, people came from the then Action Congress (AC); people came from Alliance for Democracy (AD); people came from Labour. It has not been very easy to synthesise these elements into a united party.

So, it has been a very fragile political contraption and I am not surprised that, with little pressure, things are falling apart and the center cannot hold. The crisis in the party became very obvious and palpable when the then state chairman, Dr. Olaiya Oni, resigned his position and membership of the party. I think that was when things began to unfold. Of course you know he is my political mentor and that tells much about what has happened thereafter.

Are you saying the resignation of Dr. Olaiya Oni actually spurredyou to dump the party?

No, in all honesty, he did not. But he is one of the people that attracted me to the Labour Party because I know his worth as a strategist and as a politician. I also know he is a very honest person, very straight forward and he has always meant well for this state. I believe that working with him will enable me to contribute my own little quota. Also, I have people that I respect who were in the Labour Party, people like Prince Solagbade Amodeni, people like Saka Lawal. They made the party very attractive to me, but they have been victims of what Chief Obafemi Awolowo described as the tyranny of the flesh. They also have left the party. It is not only out of sympathy for these people that I dumped Labour Party but also from my own experience.

It is no longer news that you are now a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). But in one of the national dailies, you were quoted as saying that the decision to dump the Labour Party was painful. How painful was that decision?

Well, painful in the sense that here was a party that had so very bright prospect to turn certain things around for this state. This is a party that had massive support of the people of Ondo at inception. This is a party that has so many resources at its disposal and, unfortunately, the dreams of our people are not achieved. It is painful that I had to take that decision.

Some people are of the view that your defection to the ACN from the Labour Party on which platform you contested election into the upper chamber of the National Assembly is illegal. What is your reaction?

Thank you. The issue is that whether I am in Labour Party or ACN or PDP, I will still be representing Ondo North Senatorial District. In fact, you know that when we are identified on the floor of the chamber to make contribution either to a bill or debate, you introduce yourself as a senator representing your Senatorial district, not representing a particular political party.

Now that I am in ACN, I am still representing my people from the Ondo North Senatorial District. The issue of defecting is not new. It has been happening. Even in Ondo state here, you remember that when Mimiko became the state governor, there were more legislators at the State House of Assembly in the PDP than the LP. He played his political game very well and they all defected. The present speaker of the House was in PDP. When they did that, nobody threatened them with recall or court action because it suited the governor. And the PDP people knew that it was very difficult to do that and they didn't embark on that exercise in futility. Of course, those who drafted the Nigerian Constitution envisaged that at a point in time people would move from one party to the other. So, there is a constitutional requirement spelling out the conditionalities for moving from one party to another. I think I am very familiar with that provision and I think I am on a very solid ground.

How would you react to the decision of the Ondo State House of Assembly that you should be recalled from the senate?

I see it as politics. They know it is not within their jurisdiction. I think it is part of politics and they have to say something because I know it is a very painful thing to the party that I left. Even though it no longer came to them as a surprise, but they didn't expect it. So, it is a way of fighting back, I mean they are entitled to their view. But as I said, it is an exercise in futility. I think they have many other things they should occupy themselves with, their oversight functions for instance.

Look at the Dome project that is there. It is uncompleted. We have spent billions of naira. I am sure that there is a House committee that is responsible. Have they brought the contractor to book? What is the Public Account Committee of the House doing in looking at the accounts of the state? There are many things they should be doing, not calling for my recall from the highest legislative body. I think again they are not fully informed about the constitutional requirements.

It is believed that Governor Mimiko assisted you in becoming the Senatorial standard bearer of the Labour Party in the last senatorial election and subsequently a senator. Some say dumping him and the party is a kind of betrayal. Do you feel any sense of betrayal?

As I said, people are entitled to their view. I don't think there is any betrayal because as a Nigerian, I have my right within the constitution to associate with any political party and that is what exactly I have done. Honestly, I think it is immoral for anybody in the Labour Party to describe my action as a betrayal. If you look at the political history in Ondo state, the arrow head in the Labour Party himself has done worst thing than I did. Remember the days of Chief Adekunle Ajasin when Akin Omoboriowo was not happy with Baba's intention to run for second term. Mimiko was part of Omoboriowo's team that stood against Papa Ajasin not to have a second term.

He was with Adekunle Adefarati as a member of his cabinet and I was told that he still dined and wined with Baba Adefarati until about 1 a.m. in the morning. Around 10 o' clock that same day, he sent in letter of resignation from AD and then went to PDP because he believed that Baba Adefarati should not have second term. He wanted to have the chance to run as governor. He did the same thing in PDP. He believed Agagu should serve for one term to allow him to take over. When that did not materialise, he then decamped and went to Labour Party. So, in this case, who is betraying who? I think it is a moral issue; it is issue of integrity for people like him not to even attempt to have a second term. He is apostle of one governor, one term and I think he should be courageous enough to adhere to that. He has sold it to the state and the state has accepted it.

If you see Governor Mimiko today, how would you receive him?

I would exchange greetings with him. My dumping Labour Party for ACN is not a personal issue. I have no personal animosity against His Excellency. I believe we would remain friends and if I meet him, I will exchange pleasantries with him. I will ask him how the burden of governance is.

Are you saying your action will not in any way lead to a strained relationship between you and the Governor?

Of course from my own side, I don't think so. First of all, we are both Christians. We are brothers in Christ and there are Christian ethics and principles. I don't think I am holding any animosity against him. He is my brother in Christ and I will be willing to worship with him fairly well.

There is this rumour everywhere in town that you actually left Labour Party to run for governorship in the ACN.

Well, it is still a speculation. It is a speculation because I have not declared my intention to run as governor. I want to say what is important to me is to help build ACN because there is a sort of nostalgic feeling that the people of Ondo should reintegrate into the political mainstream of the Southwest. And I believe this should be done. Efforts have been made to persuade Governor Mimiko himself to look at this issue objectively, I mean reintegrating Ondo State into the South-west politics.

But let me make it clear that it is my constitutional right to serve at any level of governance. I was in the university as a university don. I was there serving the nation and training Nigerians. When I left that, I joined the public service. I was in the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure. I pioneered the establishment of the National Space Research and Development Agency. That was also service to the nation in the public service. Now I am in the legislature as a senator. I am still serving the nation. So, if I am called upon to serve the nation on another platform and I feel convinced that I am capable of doing it; of course I will gladly do it because all is in the name of service to the nation.

So in other words, if you are called to come and contest the governorship election, you would gladly accept the offer?

Of course, I will accept the offer because to me it will be a great honour done to me by the people across the state.

There has been a debate over which zone should produce the next governor of the state. Do you think Akoko Should produce the next governor?

I think Akoko should produce the next governor. When we say Akoko agenda, it did not start yesterday. Akoko agenda started with Governor Mimiko. When Governor Mimiko wanted to run, he met with the Akoko leaders spearheaded by Dr. Olaiya Oni and the likes of Amodeni. He agreed there and then that he was going to serve for one term and after that he was going to hand over to an Akoko man. That is the beginning of Akoko agenda. Actually, the governorship of Mimiko is part of Akoko agenda. And I think it is the general opinion that Akoko should produce the next governor.

We have had many governors. The south has produced Akin Aduwo and Segun Agagu. The Central has produced Bamidele Otiko and Mimiko now. The north has produced Ajasin and Adefarati. So we are like starting again another circle which should start from Ondo north senatorial district. Within the senatorial district, we have six local government areas. Four of them are Akoko, one Ose and one Owo. Democracy is a game of number. So, if it is the turn of Ondo north senatorial district to produce the governor now, I think it is reasonable to zone it to Akoko. We also believe that the next governor should come from Akoko land.

During the last election, you contested against Dr. Olu Agunloye at the primaries and the general election. Agunloye is now a governorship aspirant in ACN. What is the level of the relationship between two of you?

It is cordial. He called me and said 'now that you are ready to come to our party, we can now chat so that I will not be charged for anti-party activities'. I don't think there is any animosity between the two of us. We are both from Akoko. We attended the same university. We were in the same faculty. We both lectured together in the same university. We both ran for an election, even though I won.

Let's talk about the emoluments of lawmakers. Nigerians are saying that you people are milking the nation dry, that what you take home every month is bogus.

That's what I thought before I got to the senate and I was looking forward to seeing what was happening. When we had a session and we were told what our salary was, I was so sad and I asked my wife what was distinguishing in being a Senator because my salary as a DG was higher than that of a senator. I must be honest with you; the take home of a senator is N1.40 Million. That is my salary as a senator. Anybody saying that senators are earning jumbo salaries is deceiving the public. Anybody can go to RAMFAC and find out what a senator earns. It is not a secret because we are public servants.