Elder statesman and founding member of Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai has predicted that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu would make a good president and lead the country well. He spoke on the May 29 inauguration among others in this interview.
May we know your thoughts on the forthcoming inauguration of the President- elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the prospects of the new administration for Nigerians.
If you remember, our last truly elected civilian president was President Shehu Shagari. Since that time till now, we have had largely retired military officers as presidents or as in the case of Yar’ Adua and Jonathan, presidents that were nominated by retired military officer or that assumed office as a result of the death of a sitting president. Tinubu is a president who is truly a civilian and a politician. This is the first time since Shagari that we are having a civilian president who is an active politician. The difference is that politicians have their own thought and their own thinking. They are not people who learn on the job. If you remember, Tinubu was a senator and a two time governor of Lagos State. These are training grounds for his leadership at the higher level. There is no administrative challenge that would confront Tinubu as the President of Nigeria that would be fresh to him. Anything that would come up in the course of his leadership, he is certain to have seen something similar to it or close to it in the course of his past leaderships. So he is well prepared and nurtured to serve.
Are you expecting the incoming administration to have more of politicians than technocrats, given the background of the President – elect as a politician?
Of course, yes! I hope he would be able to reconnect what we started from the time of Shagari. It is my hope that Tinubu will be able to run successfully for two terms and I pray that at my age, I will have the blessings of the Almighty Allah to be around to see these things come to pass.
With the inauguration coming up in a week’s time, do you see a major policy departure by Tinubu from the Buhari administration bearing in mind that they are coming from the same political party?
Buhari’s presidency is a concession by the politicians to the entire military and the main driving force of a military leader is different from that of a civilian. Under a civilian driven leadership, consultation is the key word- you bring your ideas and I bring mine and in the end, we take the best. This is what I see as a major shift between the two administrations. This new administration will surely be more civil in its approach.
Some people have advocated that since the outcome of the election is still a matter of disputation at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, the inauguration should be shelved for now. What is your take?
Well, I don’t agree with them. This is not the first time that a president –elect is sworn in while there is a petition against him. It happened before. Check your records. This has also happened in other countries with similar form of democratic system. He should be inaugurated and should carry on with governance. And if the court eventually says that he is not duly elected, he will step down. My take is for us to wait for the outcome of the tribunal.
The President – elect is inheriting a deeply divided Nigeria, what is your advice to Tinubu in this regard?
I will not agree that he is inheriting a deeply divided Nigeria. Tinubu, rather is coming to power as the leader of his party, a party which contested elections and won the elections under the presidential system of government. And he is coming with the members of his party who are in the majority in the legislative arm of government. And therefore, there would be harmony and cohesion in the running of the country.
How soon do you expect the president- elect to form his cabinet bearing in mind that his predecessor took several months to get this task done?
He is in a better position to say how soon that would happen, but I personally don’t think it would take a long time to get this done.
Economically, what would be your advice to the President – elect?
Well, I believe that he has his own advisers who have been thinking all along to come up with an economic blueprint for the administration. I would advise him to listen to them and recruit some of them into the government, not necessarily as ministers, but as advisers to the administration. They would be around him and they would keep on updating him as things unfold.
Do you think it is right for America to attend an inauguration of the President that is being contested in court?
Yes it is right for America to grace the inauguration like any other country of the world that is invited. I don’t see any wrong doing here.
