Though I Made First Class, I Wish I Have Second and Third Degrees

With a graceful gait, the politician dressed in a checked white-and-black embroidered agbada with a patterned cap to match, finds himself surrounded by a group of little children – they are bemused by the ‘stranger’. “My kids, especially the smaller ones,

Were there occasions you had to whip into line a member on the floor of the House? Yes, I have had several causes to whip a member into line. But while whipping, I have had to be diplomatic because the position of Chief Whip is defined by the concept of first among equals as they collectively have the right to whip me out of office.

If elections were to be held today, would APC return to power?

I would want to say yes. As a politician and loyal party member, I will never hope for any failure of my party. I want to say without mincing words that APC will obviously return to power.

People say the fight against corruption is one-sided. What’s your view?

One needs to know that there’s still a mechanism in place to fight corruption. And this is done through established agencies, like the EFCC, ICPC, Nigeria Police Force and the DSS. These agencies have the statutory and institutional rights to fight corruption. Any APC governor that is found guilty or culpable of any charge is also brought to book. I can tell of some governors who have been found culpable. The Senate President, number three citizen of the federation, is also an APC card-carrying member, occupying an APC legislative position and chairman of the National Assembly, is now facing serious charges. Whoever is found culpable will face the wrath of the law and if there is any APC governor found guilty, I believe certainly, he will be brought to book.

According to people, the Senate is supposed to be for mature minds. The Senate seems to be embroiled in all sorts of controversies. What do you think?

I disagree with you. The concept that Senate is for mature minds while the House is for younger ones, is basically not true. A young man of 35 is qualified to contest election and be a senator. Being in the Senate or House of Representatives has nothing to do with your age.

Being a vibrant lawmaker, do you see yourself someday as a senator?

As it is today, there could be other people who may be older than me by their biological age, but I’m the oldest serving member of the House of Representatives because I started as far back as 1992. The likes of Adolphus Wabara, Uzor Orji Kalu, and Bola Tinubu were my colleagues in the National Assembly. I’d rather repeat being a member of the House of Representatives than just pass to the Senate or to be a governor.

Away from politics, what was your childhood expeience?

One obvious thing I know is that I’ was a very controversial boy. I was troublesome. I never allowed anybody to cross my way for unjust reasons. And I identified myself with a cause that would be justifiable. Even when you found me quarrelling with my peers, you would hardly find me guilty. I’ve always found myself in the position of leadership among my peers. From day one, it’s like I was preparing myself as a leader. I’ve not been used to reading. I don’t read, and I’ve never read. If there’s anything that has given me an advantage, it’s that I was trained as a communicator. I studied mass communication. In mass communication, I got a first class degree from Bayero University, Kano, and I have never practised journalism.

Would you have loved to practise? I would have loved to. I’m still interested in practising. No matter how old I may be, my dream is that at the end of my service as a politician, I will certainly return to the newsroom.

With a very busy schedule, how do you find time to spend with your wives and kids?

If I should be honest with you, I’m a very scarce commodity to my family because of the nature of my engagement as an active grass-roots politician. This role I play has denied me the chance to have a very free relationship with my wives and my kids. That does not mean I deny them their basic entitlements or their basic requirements as my spouses. Without being economical with the truth, my wives are only being patient with me because sometimes I get home very late, sometimes very rarely. My kids, especially the smaller ones, will come round and be asking, even when I’m in a group with some other friends, who is their dad. My own kid, at the age of three or four, will be contemplating: is that my dad? He