PDP now know how to win elections in Lagos – Busari

Yemisi Busari is the running mate of Jimi Agbaje, PDP governorship candidate for Lagos State. The amazon who is a lawyer has been in the corporate world for about three decades. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her expectations, role of women in politics and more. Excerpts.

In the recent American elections, the women did very well. Are you seeing the same thing happening to Nigerian women in the next elections?

It’s difficult to say because our societies are different. Our societies are different and the way we do things are different but one thing that I would say is that Nigeria is also coming of age in terms of grooming, presentation and everything. In politics and in the corporate world, you find that more and more, we are able to hold our own. We have very strong women in politics and what you find again is that when women believe in something, and they are passionate about something, they do a very good job of it. Women are generally able to multi task’; they are focussed and talented. Women are also generally more loyal and committed to something that they are passionate about. Also, you find that they excel because of that in whatever field that they have chosen.

Violence is something that is part of politics that draws a lot of women away. Does it scare you at all?

Well, we do not play politics of violence and we do not intend to encourage it. Am I scared? Anybody would move away from anything that will cause damage or harm to them. The way we behave and the kind of politics that we run, there is no bitterness, there is no acrimony. There is no violence and this will reflect in the way that we have comported ourselves. There is a picture of all four of us; my principal, myself and the other two on the other side at a function. And the photographs were engineered by us because we walked up to them, to greet them. I didn’t know them and I was being introduced to them by my principal and pictures were taken to show that it is not a do-or-die thing. If we believe in some things, we would do them and we would still live together in the society. So, we need to be mindful of that as politicians; that we would still live together.

 When they first approached you to contest as deputy governor, how did you feel?

I actually thought that this must be God’s doing because I have had my passions and I have always thought of how can I impact on lives. I have always tried to see how I could change things. So, when this came, I said ‘okay is this God’s way of telling me this is the platform for you? This is something you have always wanted to do.’ So, that was my reaction and I went back into myself and I prayed about it, asking if this was the platform for the passion that I had always had about not maintaining the status quo.

Talking about your passion, what are some of the things that you have done in terms of impacting lives and leadership?

In terms of impacting others, I would like to keep that private because it is about the charitable things that I do. That is my way of giving back to society and showing gratitude to my creator. But, I would talk about the leadership things that I have done. In terms of leadership, I have been in the corporate world in the last thirty years and I have been part of the team that mentors people. I also counsel young people and I assist people to determine what it is that they want to do with their lives.

I help them put in building blocks that allow them do this. This is because, sometimes, you come across people that are actually confused; who don’t even know what they want to do. So, that is the role that I play. I enjoy it, I sit down with people and so generally those are the kinds of things that I have done. However, as a leader in terms of the role that I have held in the different functions that I have found myself and how I have held myself accountable to these roles and all.

I have always worked with a team, I am a team player. But I have always been very strict on my deliverables and people who have worked with me know. I run a very friendly team but when it comes to work, I run a tight schedule. My deliverables are clear and I will give you everything that you require to deliver and so I expect the objectives that we have agreed on from the beginning. That is how I run my thing.

Would you say life has been a smooth journey?

I don’t think that there is anybody who would say that life has been smooth. There are usually ups and downs for everybody. I think that the important thing is how have you dealt with it? Have you been the type that sits back, cries or folds your arms? Or are you the type that falls and falls and gets up; and says, ‘I must do it again.’

For me, my life has been interesting and I have had the low and the high times. I have had the static times, that I had just been coasting along. I really don’t believe that there is anybody who would say that it’s been smooth. Even the holy books tell us. Let’s even look at it from the individual perspective, I am a Muslim and the Koran tells me that you would be tried. But then, what Allah is interested in is how you react to these trials and that is what determines the next level.

Is there a particular person that influenced you?

I always find that question very interesting. But I think that I am always grateful to my parents who moulded me and put the fear of God in me, taught me values and made me who I am today.

Where there dreams that you had as a young girl?

Oh yes! I always saw myself as a leader. When I was young, I always saw myself as someone who was in front and everyone followed. Someone who led the path, being the innovator, being the fashionable one, being the person everybody looked up to.

Talking about the fashionable part of your life, tell us about the early days.

For people who know me quite well, with all sense of humility, I think I have a very refined sense of fashion, which I have no apologies for. I have an eye for good things, I love good things but I am very hard working. So, I balance it. If you work hard then, you are allowed to enjoy the benefits of your hard work. So, I love to look good, coordinated all the time. For me, it actually comes effortlessly. I have to go somewhere and I just open my wardrobe and I put it together. I get there and everybody is like, ‘have you been planning this?’ but I just open my stuff and brought the pieces together. Sometimes, I find pieces that match so well and it looks like I bought them for themselves.

What advice do you have for women in politics?

My advice to women in politics would be, to be fair. To hold on to what they believe in. To hold on to the natural good conscience values because certain things are right and certain things are wrong. Most importantly, to have the fear of God in all that they do. If you lead your lives being ruled by the fear of God, you won’t get it wrong. In everything there is room for improvement, and the more the merrier.

Then we can create a critical mass that can lean together and fight for the rights of women and achieve more. If you have a critical mass, then in terms of lobbying, when policies and laws are being made, you can help to lobby, put positions forward that will positively impact on women. But, if you don’t have the right critical mass, then it makes it difficult. Which is why I said it can be better, because the more the merrier.

There is the popular saying that women are their own worst enemies. What is your opinion about this?

I don’t think that I have had that experience. It is something that I have heard also in the corporate world. I think that that saying is a general saying because it is about individuals and attitudes.

Your party, PDP, has tried to win in Lagos State but didn’t. What would you be doing differently this time around?

We have done it two times and we didn’t get it. I think that this time it’s different. Why do I say it is different? We have learnt lessons from the past, with everything. The strong person is that person who is able to rise after making mistakes and say that, ‘you know what, I have learnt some mistakes. I am going to do it again.’ And so, I think that is one fundamental thing for us. We have learnt a lot of lessons and intend to do things better.

Secondly, you ask what are we going to do differently? With all sense of humility, I would say that my coming to the race is a different ballgame. I think that should provide some difference; that was on the lighter note.  But on a serious note, what we are going to do differently is that we are going to attack the issues that people have. I am not going to tell you that we are going to provide the usual manifestoes. We are going to look at people’s pains, people’s needs and we are going to see how we can address them.