Dr Muiz Adeyemi Banire is The National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this exclusive interview with thegazellenews crew in his Ikeja office, Banire spoke extensively on his relationship with the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the coming elections and other sundry national issues.
Excerpts:
In the first instance, let us talk about your relationship with the National Leader of your party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there are reports that you are not cordial anymore, is this true?
When I read stories about my supposed sour relationship with Asiwaju, I laugh. The other day, a blog reported that I was blocked from seeing Asiwaju. This is a lie. I have cordial relationship with Asiwaju. I was there at his residence with the likes of Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and former Governor of Ekiti State, Engineer Segun Oni among others. We all ate at the same table and discussed for a long time events in the country. This was during the national convention of the party where we picked the party’s presidential candidate. I have been there after that. So the report that I don’t have cordial relationship with Asiwaju is not true. Some people are just out there to be mischevious.
So you are telling us that your relationship with Asiwaju is still cordial?
Yes very cordial.
Let’s take a look at the present situation in Nigeria. In your opinion, do you believe the present government is ready to conduct an election?
Well, it is not within their discretion as far as I am concern. Honestly speaking, if you ask me, the whole bulk stopped at Professor Attairu Jega’s table going by the provision of the Electoral Act. It is only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that can decide that. If INEC says it is going ahead with the elections, there is nothing any arms of government can do about it. It does not lie with them. Of course anybody can be playing pranks all over the whole place but the truth of the matter is that once INEC says I’m going on with the elections, that is it.
But the INEC chairman said recently at the Senate, that he cannot guarantee if the elections will take place on March 28.?
Well unfortunately I did not watch that proceedings. If he says that …and he did not give any reasons?
He said it is only the military/security operatives that can determine that.?
But on a more serious note, can’t we conduct ourselves without the military/security operatives? Because it’s appalling. People vote in other places peacefully without the security operatives. Must we kill ourselves because of elections? There must be something unusual in the whole arrangement. What is it? Which security do we need to vote? Are we vagabonds? Are we saying that we are miscreants? I don’t understand because the picture we are painting is that we are not normal people and we need to be guarded with guns to do the normal things. Even with the current court pronouncement that it is unconstitutional for military to be deployed during elections. Yes, the court has pronounced that, that it is unconstitutional for military to be deployed for election. So I don’t understand. Honestly I don’t understand. Nigerians need to ask ourselves how we get into this kind of situation. How did we get here? Must we see guns all around us to obey and observe our civic responsibility of going to vote and go back home? For me, honestly speaking, even in those days, it is the civil defence personnel without weapons that were being deployed during elections. They were not even armed then. They used to be the only people around. So why suddenly do we need all the full military apparatus to conduct an election? We cannot even use them anyways, legally as the law stands now. So honestly speaking, I personally disagree with Jega that it is the security agencies that can determine whether election will take place or not.
Another controversial issue is the use of card reader. The PDP is insisting that it should not be used. What is your reaction to this?
I’m aware that the card reader machine has been tested and it is legal so there is no basis for not using it. It is just a simple accreditation process. Nothing is wrong with it.
You are the National Legal Adviser of the APC and I’m aware that a lot of legal problems has been lined up for your presidential candidate on the issue of eligibility. What is your reaction to this and how prepared are you to tackle all these?
We are very prepared. We have over 13 cases now as I’m talking to you. There are standing legal team dealing with them and that is why I have not been too visible in Lagos now because virtually all the cases are in Abuja. So I leave my life in Abuja these days because of all those cases and we have to be very vigilant in that regard. We are ready for them and on top of the situation.
Talking about the issue of certificate, do you believe that your candidate can be disqualified based on this?
It is not possible and the law is very straight forward on this. It is not possible at all.
What is the chances of your candidate in the presidential election?
We have won since, that is what I can tell you. Honestly we won long time ago. It is not a matter of chances again, it is obvious. Everybody can easily see that.
Photo credit: Premium Times
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