Over-centralization is a scourge of development in Nigeria, says Odunsi

A leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Senator Akin Odunsi, who represented Ogun West in the 7th National Assembly, in this interview with OBIRE ONAKEMU talked about the effect of the centralization of power in a federal system of government and how to keep Nigeria united.

Odunsi

What is your reading of the political situation in Nigeria as we prepare for the 2023 general elections? The political landscape is very dark. Genuine Democrats are asking questions as we prepare for the 2023 general election.

People are curious about the transparency, openness and fairness of the process that will produce candidates for the various elections. I think we still have a long way to go to assure Nigerians that we take democracy seriously in this country.

Insecurity worsens in the South West; how worried are you? First of all, my heart goes out to the various families who lost loved ones in the Owo massacre. One would have thought that being in the church or in a place of worship is a security in itself, but terrorists slipped into the church and massacred the faithful during mass. This is unfortunate and says a lot about the security situation in the country.

We are still awaiting the result of the investigation that the police and other security agencies have started, I hope those who were arrested by traditional Owo hunters and paraded to Olowo Palace do not s 'will not escape or be released without proper investigation.

What do you think of the monetization of the Nigerian electoral process and its implication for election integrity? The monetization of the electoral process is proof of the country's poverty. It is unfortunate that people ask for money to fulfill their civic responsibility. In another civilized climate, political parties fundraise to ensure that those who end up running as candidates are funded to fly their flag in elections. But in Nigeria, political parties are only owned by a handful of people, who can put their money in the hands of their so-called supporters for mobilization.

Those of us who were young and now old enough will remember that if you want to be a party member in the Action Group (AG), you paid money to be a party member, but those these days, I don't think that's happening. And I think we need to revisit this issue of party membership.

Not everyone should belong to a political party. One can be a supporter of a political party and it is not necessary to be the holder of a card. And you can look at party policies to determine who to vote for. But in Nigeria, the way we are going, I hope the younger generation will change all that. I hope so.

How will you advise the security agencies as we move towards next year's elections? They must be straight and active. Ideally, we should now have local police. If we had provisions for the local police, security would be an easy issue to manage as the officers are people who know the grounds on which they operate. In recent primaries, we have seen cases where they stole ballot boxes even in the presence of police and military sent to monitor the primaries.

How will you advise the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the need for credible elections in 2023? INEC showed a level of seriousness in the elections for governors of Ekiti and Osun states. I just believe and hope that they will continue to be serious and unwavering in ensuring that they follow the electoral laws, especially the electoral law of 2022. So far, I don't think you can fault their efforts the idea of ​​digitization which has also helped and I hope they will continue it in the next general election in 2023.

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