In this concluding part of the no-holds-barred interview, APC Apex Leader, Alimosho Federal Constituency, Abdullahi Enilobo, explains in details his side of the corruption allegations made against him and the chairman of Alimosho Local Government in a petition to the State House of Assembly.
Enilobo also reaffirms his unwavering loyalty and that of Rauf Aregbesola to the 2023 presidential ambition of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
He says emphatically that there is no group in Alimosho.
The APC leader also explains the criteria for selecting candidates for elections in Alimosho.
Could lying, propaganda be part of the political game?
How can lying, for goodness sake, when you say lying and propaganda are part of the game, then politics does not really worth it! If lies and propaganda can be part of it, what you are saying is that Godly person, decent person cannot come into the game. That’s it. Just the same way you are lying while selling, lying when you are marketing, lying when you are a banker, is it not part of the game? Politicians are the people who the electorate, the masses, the people in the society, believe can handle their lives, If those people who are being given such responsibility are liars and propagandists, does it worth it, should that be? I don’t, I won’t lie! One of the things why they hate me is that I won’t lie.
One of the major things politicians do, you are here now and said you want to come out for House of Assembly and I Know you are just new in the system, and I know your efforts. You may be financially bouyant, and I know there are some hindrances that will work against you, I will tell you but politicians will not tell you! And I tell you it’s an advice, you have right to take to it or to abandon it. Please, in Alimosho, whoever becomes party candidate it’s not by his money and whoever loses it’s not because he is financially handicap.
I do tell them that please be mindful of your spending. Your money will not be the major reason for you to have won the ticket in Alimosho. That’s one of the reasons they are saying Enilobo is playing God’s position. I would rather advise you and tell you it’s an advice. And I will warn them, go and look at our anticedent, nobody has become something in Alimosho based on his financial strength. Your charisma, your political inclination, your CV and what have you will be added to be part of the reasons you will be chosen. Nobody has ever become anything because of his financial strength in Alimosho. I repeat it again and I stand to be challenged (beating his chest). It’s only in Alimosho, be it a council chairman, that’s why you see a barber who cannot boast of N50,000 we made him a council chairman. Honestly, go and look at our anticedent.
Politics, a dirty game?
When you say dirty, what do you mean by dirty? All works are dirty! We are the reflection of our society. Go to those who are selling bags of rice in Daleko or you go to the mechanic, they know what you are to fix in your car but they won’t tell you the truth. Is mechanic not dirty? When you buy a bag of 50kg rice in Daleko, when you get home you meet 40 or 45kg there. So, what they are saying is a reflection of our society. It affects all aspects of our lives, that’s why we must help to change the situation. A lot of people with their personal attitudes they bring it into politics. Why is politics so complex than any other institution? I will tell you. Write to a bank now that you want to be a banker. You will be interviewed. You will go through screening. The essence of that is to see how mentally fit you are to handle the assignment but in politics, no screening. Were you to be in ward meeting now, let one mad man who is putting on underwear and singlet, you know all of us are putting on normal clothing, let one foolish man come in, he has right to sit down. He will sit down but when you are discussing issues, the question he will ask is ‘Ejoo, owo te pin lanaa yen…! (Excuse me please, what about the money you shared yesterday…) Before you know it you will discover that there are more mad people who are well dressed will be supporting him saying “Eje ko soroo enue now, oun naa ni right ati soro…” (Let him talk, he also has the right to talk na). This is despite the fact that they know that this man is a mad man! That makes politics very complex than any other institution. Don’t be surprised, what you are seeing on social media is a reflection of this definition.
Any place for thuggery in politics?
Why won’t you have thuggery? Where do you expect to find a thug who wakes up in the with no job? And to Join politics costs you no kobo. You don’t have to go with your CV. Nobody asks you where you’ve worked before, your anticedent, your livelihood, so you see a lot of things in politics. We understand it. And honestly speaking we are on top of the game.
The same thing is applicable to what you are seeing on the social media. It’s not all those that can write that you see on social media that are level headed. If not, if not, people will be praising Obasa! People will be praising Obasa today that by Nigeria standard, by world standard, any reasonable person will be praising such person, who by now, Abacha that had a higher position as the head of state of Nigeria could not boast of having an account established by the government institution. People will be praising Eji that we all know who gave birth to him. The gene of his father who was an hired assassin, these are facts. There are things you say, let them challenge me. Let them come out to say ours.
They wrote a petition against the council chairman of Alimosho, that he gave out a contract of seven million naira to someone and that person, in the petition, that was why I was invited by the house of Assembly. It was written that seven million was paid to a contractor and six million was transferred to my own account. Honestly, without calling me, without requesting for me. All you needed to do was to ask the person to present the teller where you sent the money to Enilobo. If that person had said the incident happened in 2019 it’s not impossible that he has misplaced the teller. It costs no kobo for you to go back to his bank and print out his statement of account.
They didn’t do that. If I had been found wanting on that by now I would have just kept quiet and gone somewhere and said “these people have got me” That’s not where I am going. Such person you called him on phone when you invited the council chairman and was told he sent six million to Enilobo account, that person said no oo! The following week they invited him, I think something must have transpired. You can’t deny, you can’t change it because a petition has been written, we have a copy. He said “that six million, I gave N3m to council chairman, they came to collect the N3m from me at the bank, I can’t remember the face of the person any longer but it seems the N3m was transferred to Enilobo’s account.” For goodness sake, you don’t need to be a lawyer, were you to be in that position, what would you have done? Does that case have merit any longer?
Three things have happened. A petition was written. Seven million contract was awarded. Six million was transferred to Enilobo’s account. They called him on phone, he denied it. He came physically to say the chairman collected N3m from him. Three million was given to someone he could not identify but from what he saw it seems the three million was transferred to Enilobo’s account.
And yet the house of Assembly was inviting me! Did they need to invite me before they know the truth? Must you invite me? What is this guy’s name that was arrested in Dubai, Hushpuppi, they had done all their investigation before they arrested him. But because it’s political witch-hunting, they deliberately want to downgrade me, crucify my name, paint me black before the world. Put yourself in my shoes. That was what happened and I challenge the guy today the teller for that three million let them go and print it out. It’s a case that need no any evidence again.
How better can I explain myself that I am innocent of all these lies! What other better way, except a mad person who just believe he wants to be part of them.
They said I granted an interview, that I said Rauf Aregbesola is more preferred in the north to Asiwaju. They should present the recording. At least the one I am granting now is recorded and can be presented anywhere. They could not present anything. The one they brought out yesterday was about Sanwo-Olu. Must any reasonable person continue to listen to them? They went to ACME to say we denied them registration. The process will last for two weeks. Let them be denied the first day so that we will have evidence.
The most cheapest thing to do is to make allegations. Why must one man just make allegations against me and with all the evidences earlier before now and yet any reasonable person will still be believing them!
We are strongly committed, and I am still saying it, to Asiwaju. My boss, Rauf Aregbesola, is also committed and loyal. And his (Aregbesola) loyalty has been tested several times. Rauf Aregbesola will remain loyal to Asiwaju for ever and ever. At no time has he ever told us that he has an aspiration to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What he told us was that Asiwaju is close to it, we should start all the support we could for the aspiration. Now you are alleging such a person to bring him down politically so as to get to his position.
Won’t the activities of dissenters within the party affect its fortunes at the LG election coming up in six months time? Any mechanism in place to ensure LG chairmen performance(Agbado Oke Odo as an instance), Asiwaju as the soul presidential candidate of APC?
Of course, to us in Alimosho, Asiwaju is a candidate already. In Alimosho, we don’t see him as an aspirant. This is Asiwaju country ( referring to Alimosho). The whole of Alimosho has agreed that Asiwaju to us is not an aspirant. Come now, come tomorrow we are voting for him. Ask us to vote now, he has our votes already. As far as Alimosho country is concerned, aside God it’s Asiwaju we believe in. We adore him politically. So, to us Asiwaju is not an aspirant!
On whether the activities of the dissenters within the party will affect our fortunes in coming local government elections, let me tell you, as much as I do everything possible to embrace everybody the God that created us is in charge of all affairs. I am a Muslim. Those who will go into hell fire are more than those who will enter paradise, are you aware of that?
There are certain things that are beyond humans. As you are now, I can’t expect everybody to like me but the best I am doing is to ensure that I am being fair to everybody. I have never used any of my relatives, my friends for political position. All that are there now are there for reasons that can be defended. I can defend them. Nobody that is holding any political position today in Alimosho that cannot tell you this is why so so person is there. I don’t have my relatives, I don’t have my friends, I don’t have girlfriends. I am a real Muslim I don’t even have girlfriends! I challenge anybody to come and tell me she is my girlfriend, I don’t have.
So, on the question, it occurs every election period in all the states across Nigeria. During the election time you see some set of people ganging up, believing that because of their aspiration, immediately they fail some of them we talk to them and they come back to the party. I am sorry to mention names now, Falade and co are back with us. Those were the people we started the party together, not those who joined us 2015.
Akin Bashiru left the party to contest on the platform of Accord party. I called him and said it’s painful that you left the party but this is going to be an evidence to you that I or the leadership of Alimosho are not holding your destiny. It’s a clear evidence to you. Now you are going to another party and you have been given the ticket and you are now their candidate, you are going to face us. I can challenge you, you can’t have up to two thousand votes. I told him, and I am saying it to the public. I called him. I swear to Almighty God! That it’s painful as much as I don’t want you to leave. But at the other side I feel happy that at least you will satisfy your mind that God is the Alfa and Omega who presides over the leaders.
I called Akin Bashiru when he became the candidate of Accord that you can’t even come second. This is going to be a clear evidence to you if we are the ones holding your destiny. You know now that it’s God that prevails all over things. The Bible said that God influences the heart of all leaders to whatever He wants. At times you will think this person will be better for this position but God in His own mysterious ways will just influence the leaders. Ditto to Asiwaju.
So, my own case that relates to my grandfather, my mentor, my leader, what have they not said about Asiwaju? EndSARs started, Asiwaju was tagged to it, that he was the one financing the protests, look at that! Who was most attacked? Who was most affected? Was it Asiwaju that asked them to go and set his businesses ablaze? Look at the way they are relating Sunday Igboho to Asiwaju.
We are in a society that the media should help. It’s not just writing and assisting to disseminate information, I beg you and I challenge you. You must also do your own proper research and fact-checking before publishing. Whatever cannot be substantiated should be dropped. A person was alleged that his father was a hired assassin, he was telling me that my mother was a tenant. He told me he was doing the bid of his father, that I was a vulcanizer. The media should be able to come up and tell on their own that these things are not related. That’s the work of the media. I stand to be corrected.
Media men are known to be one of the most highly intelligent people who will listen to A and B and be able to affirm the facts, and be able to help the society. Unfortunately, what I discovered now is that the Media too is assisting in disseminating false information, and this spreads very fast. We must put correction to this or else our country will continue to degenerate, and when we are tending to fake news and falsehood, how are we going to face the realities of life?. For goodness sake, the Media must help our society. We discovered that more than 75 to 85 percent information out there are falsehood! And when you sit back, it will bounce back on you guys.
The media professionals must distinct themselves to us. Saying “we are doing our job with pride and dignity. We will not allow our dignity to be soiled.”
Go and ask Kehinde Joseph and those in the house of Assembly, I can call him and ask him to his face “did you have N10m in your account before you became house of Assembly member? Was it with your money? Prince Bisi Yusuf, let him come and tell us, all other people, all the council chairmen! You can only find that in Alimosho.
We don’t believe there is a group in Alimosho. Rauf Aregbesola does not have group. Enilobo Abdullahi does not have group. What we have is Tinubu Country! Other external forces with those who are aggrieved, who wants to remain in power for ever and ever, they went out so as to have a way of attacking the leadership. The target should be me now. In Iraq, it was clear. It was when they got Saddam Hussein that the war came to an end. Why are they still fighting Boko Haram? It’s because they’ve nothing gotten Shekau. So, any reasonable person will go for the leader. Whatever you read in the media about me, 97-98% are false.
I admit that I am a vulcanizer, does that make me less human? They said Mubashiru Obasa, the speaker of speakers, must you be a speaker to be human? Must you be an elected person to be human? By your profession, are you not human? Must you be in the rep or cabinet? Those that supposed to be given credit are someone like us, who are not aspiring, yet working assiduously for the party. I challenge them, let them leave their aspiration and come and do what I am doing, to see whether it’s more profitable. But because it has always been about their aspiration and ours has always been a collective effort.
The interest of our society, our party, the interest of our communities, the interest of our leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is paramount to us. They are only disguising. Obasa went to form Obasa movement. Go and ask in Agege why they created that group. It was when there were too many attacks on him that all groups should be suspended, he now metamorphosed into BAT. Who is he deceiving? Can he love Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu more than us? Nobody can love Asiwaju more than Rauf and Abdullahi (beating his chest). I challenge them, nobody! In our Spirit, in our private lives, in our public lives, none of them can boast off loving Asiwaju. They are only looking for ways to create trouble between us so that Asiwaju would clamp on us so that they can have a base in Alimosho. We will challenge them. Let them come. We have all the facts and figures. Those they are backing as their followers are not up to seven percent. They are too far from us.
We will allow them, they will register. Quote me. We will allow them to register. If they mobilise 10, Wallahi, I am a Muslim, we will mobilise 10,000! They don’t have it. We have all the organs of the party. I challenge everybody, those who are reasonable. The six council chairmen we are together, the six party chairmen we are together, all the zonal chairmen, the 36 ward chairmen we are together. We have demonstrated that. You tell me any outside group will defeat this organ! Must I even tell you before you even know it. Must I tell anybody! We have the 36 youth leaders, 36 women leaders. All the house of Assembly members we are all united, speaking in one voice, working in the same place for the same purpose, and working as a team, and you are now telling me some few people that I cannot even refer to as minority, people who cannot even boast of winning their wards.
Let them go and win two Wards, I will resign from politics! I am saying this to the leader, let them win two Wards I will resign. Are these the ones we will be covering our books for? People talk foolishly. This is Tinubu Country where when you talk about party structure, it is solid. Not in Lagos State alone but alll over Nigeria. You think these liars can affect us? I have been the mobilisation officer for the state for years. This is what I know how to do best.
In terms of performance, honestly speaking, the late chairman, Arogundade, did his best. Go and judge us on what the current one is doing and get back to me. They are doing well.
When you compare what they are getting to what they are using. Don’t forget Agbado Oke Odo is the largest local government out of the fifty seven. And they are collecting the same amount with the others. Don’t forget, what you collect as federal allocation and the little one you generate, and don’t forget Alimosho is purely residential area. What you are expecting will be determined by what they generate
