Chief Femi Majekodunmi is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State. In this interview, the Bada of Egbaland shares his thoughts on the state of the nation, especially the current security challenges—banditry, kidnapping and terrorism across the country—and how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been tackling the menace head on.
Question: APC has been accused of muzzling the opposition to achieve its one party state agenda. How would you react to that?
Majekodunmi: APC with one party state agenda? That cannot be true. Of course, it is true that the APC is the only strong and functional political party in the country today. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is nowhere to be found today. I can’t see the ADC, which has just been formed, achieving anything significant other than preparing for the 2031 general elections. Other than these two, no party is doing enough to be considered a viable opposition for the forthcoming 2027 general elections. So, it’s not true that APC is muzzling the opposition to achieve a one party system.
Question: What, in your opinion, is fuelling the current wind of defections to the APC?
Majekodunmi: The incumbent President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a strong factor. He is a very intelligent person. He’s a sound, knowledgeable politician with tremendous experience over the years. He did well in Lagos State. From the time he became governor of Lagos State in his first term, you could see he was everywhere, administering to the best of his ability. Everybody could see the results that emerged. No wonder he has taken the whole country in the same pattern. The way he’s working and performing since he became President is unprecedented. He has put so much seriousness into governance, and many people appreciate his contributions to solving the problems he inherited.
I believe if he’s given time, many of those problems would become a thing of the past. Look at how he solved the Rivers State crisis, the Lagos State House of Assembly problems, and so many others. See the problems he’s tackling — the Donald Trump like fearful threats. Given more time, he would do better.
Question: Can APC genuinely and honestly exonerate itself from the festering crises in the opposition, especially the PDP?
Majekodunmi: Like I said earlier, APC is a very strong party and everybody can see it. Tinubu is even stronger. I see Tinubu as a God given President at this time in our history. The problems the country faces are many. Expectedly, the way he is solving them has generated both supportive and antagonistic comments. But he is a smooth, silent operator. He doesn’t make noise, so I can’t see him muzzling opposition.
For the current insecurity, he believes there are collusions within the ranks and file of security, and he’s tackling them in a no nonsense way. If this continues, many of these problems would be solved.
We talk about the Sambisa Forest and it’s still there. Why is it difficult for the Nigerian military, especially the Army and Air Force, to tackle it? The Chibok girls were taken there — up till today we know nothing about their movement. That means there is serious collusion. With the way Tinubu is tackling the problem, it’s just a matter of time.
Question: Considering the key figures in ADC, do you see the coalition forces as a threat to APC?
Majekodunmi: It will take time to know what’s happening in ADC, with Atiku and other big politicians joining them. The best they can do is prepare for 2031 elections because I can’t see them achieving anything in the forthcoming 2027 elections. They have had problems with long standing members of ADC, which has never been a strong party nationally.
Already, there are less than two years left for the party’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections. All we hear is talk, talk, talk. I don’t know how they’ll organise that party to be ready for any election. With what we see on the ground, APC is definitely a winner as far as the 2027 general elections.
Question: How have Nigerians fared under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?
Majekodunmi: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came in at a time when we had serious problems, and the problems are still there. But the way he’s tackling them, I have a strong conviction that he’ll solve them. People say Tinubu isn’t prepared for governance — what preparation do you need from someone who knows what to do at any given time? He fits what they call ‘small body with a big engine’. He has that God given engine he’s using to do many things in the country. He’s solving problems noiselessly, yielding results from time to time. When you talk of the economy, things have been improving and the indices are there. We see prices of commodities going down. It’s just a matter of time; Tinubu will excel. We should all keep praying for him. He means well, he’s doing his best, and he doesn’t want to offend anyone. He wants the job done and a good life for every citizen. It takes time. Nigerians should be patient.
Question: Is Nigeria winning the insurgency and terrorist war?
Majekodunmi: We are very much in it now. We can see Nigeria is winning. That’s one reason Tinubu changed the service chiefs. He’s leaving no stone unturned to deal with security challenges. He’s likely to turn many criticisms — even Donald Trump’s — into a force that helps solve problems. Criticisms should be used as caution and as a weapon to solve issues. When people criticise, there will be one or two points that help. He’s bound to succeed. With time, criticisms will die down. This is one of his strategies — managing critics instead of fighting them. He’s a strategist in his own right.
Culled from Sunday Sun