2023: Why I’m not visible on the field, by Senator Adegbenga Kaka, former Ogun State dep. gov.
Alhaji Shefiu Adegbenga Kaka, was one time Deputy Governor of Ogun State when Aremo Olusegun Osoba was the governor. He has also been a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The die-hard democrat of the progressive clan was a formidable member of the anti-military force, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that haunted the jack boot out of office to give room for the nascent democracy the country is enjoying currently.
But when politicking started gathering momentum towards the election year of 2023 and the renowned unbowed democrat was nowhere to be found on the field, The Nigerian Xpress decided to search for the grassroots man to find out why the ominous silence.
Our man, Razaq Bamidele succeeded in tracking him down during the week on phone and the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) explained reasons for his ‘Sidon Look’ attitude in the recent time.
Your Excellency, your supporters are worried that you are not visible on the field at this crucial period towards the 2023 general election! Is anything the matter?!
Thank you so much my brother. My absence from the field is deliberate. Deliberate in the sense that, we have reached a hard tackle stage on the field of political game where one has to mind his legs. I cannot be part of deceit, dishonesty and falsehood.
In a situation where ephemeral takes over the reality and people start chasing the shadow rather than the substance, you know me very well that I cannot be part of such an undemocratic arrangement.
The situation in the country now has reached a stage where education has taken a flight leaving behind ignorance. There is no other way to it, in the absence of education, what you find is ignorance. And I have come a long way to identify reality when I behold it.
But, Distinguished, don’t you think things could be straightened up with collective efforts? Or is the situation so bad that…..?
(Cuts in) the situation now is that politicians are now playing religion, tribes and ethnicity rather than playing politics. Killing in the name of religion is now, sadly the order of the day! It is sad and ironical that people are killing in the name of religions the origins of which they don’t even know!
They may not know that Christians and Muslims put together all over the globe are not up to 50 per cent of the total population of the world. And the clerics have stopped preaching posterity.
They are now preaching politics of religion and ethnicity. Those who are supposed to be the shepherds are no more taking proper care of their flocks and the flocks are straying away.
We are now in the era of grab, grab and grab. As I said earlier, I am not cut out for the present style of politics.
In that case, what is your assessment of President Muhamadu Buhari in the scenario you have painted?
May the Almighty Allah forgive the President. I will rather advise him that, if he knows he is not sufficiently healthy to handle the situation, he should please throw in the towel. Is it compulsory to remain president at all cost?! Thank you very much.
