Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro, popularly known as Koro, served as Senator for Lagos State from 2003–2007, and was later appointed the High Commissioner to Ghana. In this interview, Obanikoro dismisses the insinuation that he is no longer visible in politics. He also explains that the PDP is putting its house in order to enable it take over Lagos State in 2015.
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While he berates the state government as not being sensitive to the plight of Lagosians, he picks hole in the proposed elongation of the tenure of local government chairmen in the state.
Many people are worried that you have been absent from the political scene especially since your last assignment. What exactly have you been involved in?
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To say I have been active is to say that I have been visible. I have deliberately not been visible because I just returned from a national assignment as an ambassador and, you must also bear in mind that once there is a government in place, it makes a lot of sense to allow it to stabilize before you start criticizing it..
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You must allow government to make mistakes and, then, if after you have given sufficient time for necessary corrections to be made and those corrections are not made, you can begin to lash out on things you believe should be done and things that should not be done. May be I have taken a quiet path politically, but I have been quiet in the sense that I have been working within the party to bring about harmony within the rank and file.
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Losing elections after elections does not make sense for a politician who wants to add value to the society. And so, what I have been doing in the last one year is putting up very serious efforts towards reconciliation within our party so that we can present ourselves as a formidable force against the ruling government in Lagos State.
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Do you think reconciliation is feasible in your party?
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Yes.
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Especially with the heavyweights in the state chapter always at each other's throat?
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Well, it is feasible to the extent that I and Chief Olabode George are fully reconciled. And, of late, Senator Ogunlewe has fully reconciled with Chief Olabode George. There are still some key political actors who are not in yet, but I want you to know that all efforts are in place to ensure that we are all together and that we can speak, at the end of the day, with one voice.
Whether he is available or visible in politics or not, he just have to always remain active for us to know he is effective.