Newly inaugurated member of the House of Representatives, Shina Peller has revealed why he supported President Buhari second term bid.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aquila Group of Companies and Club Quilox in an exclusive interview with Opera News in Lagos bared his mind on the present political system currently in place in the country among sundry issues.
Responding to questions on the place of social media and its supposed impact in electoral victory within the Nigerian context, the lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola Federal Constituency in Oyo State had this to say;
”I need to see that we are all working together because even on this course of Not Too Young to Run. Do you want to tell me that if Banky W had ran under the APC he would have lost that election? The percentage of people on social media is huge and that is a huge constituency of his. So you know that his constituency can make an impact on him flying a new party.
‘So that’s it. Because I know a number of people that went against me when I joined the APC and they were saying, look at Banky, look at Sowore, you understand?
”The truth is, Nigeria has not gotten to that level where you will say I want to fly a new party and go and run. You need to understand that there are just two parties, that have the clout and the structure in this country. I have campaigned through the nook and crannies of Nigeria and gotten to areas where the people have not even heard anything other than egbe olope ati egbe umbrella. Egbe umbrella ati egbe olope (the umbrella party and broom party).
”These are people that don’t even know anything about social media, they do not even have access to phone or anything. But with Banky W, it makes sense because it’s Lagos and all that.”
On the interesting question of why he decided to run on the platform of the All Progressives Congress for the House of Representatives seat, he says this was necessitated by his desire to really make an impact:
”But now, we have four years and one of the things that made me join APC is because, I have a number of colleagues that are back in the House and they will tell you that the reason why they are back in the House is that their first term is like an introductory period, a learning curve and now they know the legislative work and they are just coming to make impact now.
”So if someone that is representing one or two local government, or four maximum is saying that he needs up to two term for him to make an impact, how do you expect a president to make an impact within four years where he has 774 local governments he is overseeing.”
Speaking further on why why he decided to support President Muhammadu Buhari, he had this to say:
”So for me, I voted for Buhari in 2015 and I see a reason to give him a second chance, because Buhari has given us the Not Too Young To Run Bill. For him signing it, it means that we have a president that has given everyone a level playing ground to play.
”If we had another president in 2019, it means we will have someone who would want to complete his term by 2023. So, for me I’d rather prefer a president that will complete his term and if we can work rigorously between now and 2022, 2023 to produce the next president because he has and will give us all a level playing field to play on. So for me, these are the reasons why I joined the APC.”
The businessman turned politician had every reason to join PDP because is stepfather is a the party Chairman is his constituency but chose to run under the ruling party.
”My step father is the Chairman of PDP in Oyo State, when I wanted to join the APC, we were having a meeting in Abuja with a select group of my colleagues, I told them that there is no one here who would have the kind of opportunity that I have and would still decide to join the APC because my step father is still the present Chairman of PDP in Oyo state.” he said.
”He came to me saying that even if I’m not in Nigeria, will it now be hard for me to get you a House of Reps ticket with all your value and everything but I had to tell him Daddy, family is different from politics, my political ideology is different. It doesn’t work and until we can have people, more people like that that we can change this country.” he concluded.
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