Politicians are in full swings, the formation of the new political parties, the cross carpeting and realignment of forces to play full and adulterated POLITICS like we have been used to in Nigeria. The Team of Ibadan City ANNOUNCER had an exclusive, no hold bar with one of the gladiators, Bolanle Sarumi-Aliyu politically known as BASA to keep an eye on in 2026 precisely as we gear up to go into the elections in 2027 to determine the winners, the losers, contenders and the pretenders. We bring you the full transcripts of the interview for your reading pleasure
IbCity ANNOUNCER: Can You Start by Sharing a Bit About Your Early Life In Ibadan and How Your Life in Ibadan and Time In UK Shaped Your Path Into Politics and Philanthropy?
BASA: My name is Bolanle Sarumi-Aliyu, people call me BASA politically, I’m an academy director, I’m a businesswoman and an entrepreneur of over 30 years’ experience in business. Also, into politics, a nation builder.
So, basically, I believe the philanthropic part came out well when my grandmother was alive, that’s my father’s mother, Alhaja Sefinatu Tinuola Sarumi. She always accommodated people every time we went to see her in police post, there was always crowd. She’s part of those that started selling clothes in those days and founded Gbagi Atijo in Lebanon street. So, she trained many people, she had strangers who will bring their children to her to train them in textile trading, so we grew up seeing her as a giver, and my father also, who was always a business man, he was also a giver, he would give more to the people than even to us in the house, because he will tell us that we will be fine, but people out there have nothing. So, I think all that shaped it and then I grew up in areas whereby we are surrounded by people who are less privileged.
I left when I was 17 years old, so I really grew up here in Basorun, I was born and raised here, only went back to UK for my college and university
IbCity ANNOUNCER: some months ago, you announced your resignation from the People’s Democratic Party, what led to this decision and what really transpired between you and Governor Seyi Makinde?
BASA: So, basically, a few things went wrong. When I joined the PDP and met his excellency, after I lost my elections as governor, I told him, “hope you’re not angry that I did not step down for you?”, and he said he’s not. I told him I had to do it because women have never contested before and I thought I was going to win, but God knows best, and he chose you. I told him I’ll like to work with him, so we can move Oyo state forward, because my goal is for us to all live a thriving life. And he invited me in and gave me an appointment to be his diaspora officer, which is on the promise that he was going to support the 35% affirmative action, he promised me that he will include us women in the next election in 2023.
Don’t let anybody fool you, it’s the governors that decides who will be the rep, who will be in the Senate and who’s going to be assembly members, this is Nigerian democracy. You can buy your forms, but if you have a sitting governor, and he’s not ready to have you as the next candidate, you’re not going anywhere.
We never knew that, but that’s what we discovered in the 2022 primaries. The governor was able to choose who he wanted in various local governments. He had bought all the 14 forms for rep, he bought all the 3 forms for Senate, he also bought the same for his assembly members, which should not be the case, you should let people buy their form themselves.
And then he called all of us politician aspirants into the government house and there and then, he was telling me that the local government he wanted. He said “leader Oluyole, I want to give Jagaban that ticket”. We said no, we want to give Akeem Olatunji, he said no, I want it for Jagaban.
They all went into one room, talked and came out, leaders looking sad, we are looking sad as well because Akeem Olatunji was the person we all thought was going to get it, and Jagaban got the ticket. So, the governor was able to choose for Oluyole. He did the same thing for Agboworin and Odidi Omo. So, what happened to us the women? our own local government? why would you ignore us?. And the people that came out are not much, myself in Ibadan North, another lady in Lagelu and another lady in Ibadan South East/South West. We are not more than 3 or 4, what will it cost to give us at least 3 tickets for reps at that time.
Senate as well, there was no woman that came out for senate at that time, meanwhile he had promised me one on one that he was going to give me a ticket for this Ibadan North where we are talking from. My dad used to be there in 1999, my uncle was there in 2003, and they all did very well, so I know it will be easy for me, but we didn’t get it.
So, for that reason, I had to leave the PDP. PDP has never favored a woman for the gubernatorial before, which is poor. APC has favored women more than once; Mama Taraba, may her soul rest in peace, Mama Binani in Adamawa, they filled her for governorship, so what happened to PDP?.
That shows that, that is a party that does not encourage women.
And then, the other reason was when the G5 was born. G5 was born to scatter the elections for our presidential candidate. And as soon as I saw that, I knew the PDP was dead, and I said it everywhere, I said PDP is gone. People couldn’t take that courage and believe me and let’s leave. I was like we have to leave and move somewhere else, because we are still young and we still want to contest. Because I believe when it’s your time, it’s your time, just make sure you’re present, just make sure you’ve worked hard and when God is ready for you to be where he wants you to be, you will get there.
IbCity ANNOUNCER: You joined the ADC after leaving the PDP. Who are the leaders of ADC in Oyo state?
BASA: Don’t mind them. They are going around saying that ADC does not have leaders, they said ADC does not have prominent people. But you will be surprised that their own PDP only comprises the governor. The governor is all that is remaining in PDP. Many of the people in his cabinet and around him, have one leg in ADC, so what does that mean?
Now, our own ADC, we have people who have been in this Nigerian politics, Oyo state politics for over 30, 40, 50 years, so how much prominence do you need?
I will give you some names, we have Alhaji Aleshinloye, Alhaji Adegboyega, we have Alhaji Sulaimon Aderogba, from Oke Ogun, we have Baba white in Oyo, we have our leader in Ibadan North West, Alhaji Jide Kolade, so, we have prominent people in the ADC.
Don’t let anybody fool you, they are using it to make you feel we are not strong. We are too strong, we are rooted, grass rooted with crowds. So, PDP is empty.
IbCity ANNOUNCER: Will you support a northern ADC Presidential candidate or Obi against Tinubu in 2027?
BASA: For fairness and equity, since it’s always a zoning matter, if you do your calculations well, you’ll discover that the southern zone has done many more years than the northern zone. Baba Obasanjo was there, he did 8 years, he’s a, after him was Yar’Adua, he did 2 years, after him was Jonathan who did 6 years, that’s 14 against 2. After Jonathan was Buhari, he did 8 years, with the 2 years of Yar’Adua, that’s 10, but the southern still ruled more, and now we have Tinubu who is doing 4 years.
So, really, the Northerners have only done 10 years, while the southerners have done 18 years, so it should go back to the North.
So, I will support the most credible candidate that I know, statistics wise, voting pattern wise can win this election, and that’s the same person I campaigned for in 2023, that I said he’s the only one that can win these guys, his name is Atiku Abubakar, that is who I am supporting.
However, we need the obedient on board. I am also Atikulated and Obidient. I want Obi to partner with us, if truly he has good intentions for Nigeria to be great. They can make their own agreement together of how many years each will use of share sectors. For example, I will not be anybody’s deputy, because typical Nigerian deputies are dummies, the governors never allowed them to do anything talk less of allowing commissioners to even do any project. If I’m ever going to be someone’s deputy, you must give me either education or health, I don’t need the rest, just give me one, but they never do that.
So, Atiku and Obi can negotiate and come up with what they need to do, because there’s a lot to be done if they can partner together. We need those two together because that’s a winning ticket. We will have a major victory if the two of them can partner together.
IbCity ANNOUNCER: You’ve run for governorship in this state before, will you be running for governorship in 2027?
BASA: 100%, you have been seeing it, BASA’2027, the dream is alive, I will never give it up because of young people who need an enabling environment to strive in, I will never give up because of the pensioners who are hawking the street to make money for a living, I will never give up because if our children in public schools, that are rugged with leaking roofs, schools in bushes, I will never give up because of them.
IbCity ANNOUNCER: You have spoken about the 3fs women face in politics, that’s the fear, finance and frivolous offers, drawing from your own experience as a former governorship candidate, what advice will you give to aspiring female leaders and how can we increase women representation?
BASA: Women need to come into this politics, you’re the one giving birth to children, and they’re not allowing your children to thrive, that means you have to enter now, enter now and be in a party, be in the structure, so that you can be able to vote in the primaries, and also to choose the right candidate, because that’s the issue. Most people are always lying, so, join their party, become their exco members, then you’ll be able to choose who you want to be your candidate, otherwise, the party will keep fielding people who are not up to par and that way, you will have a candidate that is not ready to work for you.
On the issue of how we can have more women in politics, it’s very easy. It’s for all the political parties that are coming out to sign MOUs or make it legal that they will fulfill 35% minimum affirmative action. We have done that with ADC already, ADC has assured me that they are going to give us 35% affirmative action, they will work on it to make sure that we do get that 35%, that’s the promise, and also for the youth too, they promised the youths the same amount.
IbCity ANNOUNCER: You’ve mentioned some of your vision for Oyo state, as a nation builder and a philanthropist, what’s your long-term vision for Oyo state and Nigeria as a whole, particularly in bridging the gap between the elite and everyday citizens?
BASA: So, mine is to give power back to the people, I want the people to have enough power to be able to say “come here governor, we want to see you in our local government, all the promises you made, you did not fulfill it. If you do not come, we are going to block all the roads, so that you cannot pass anymore”, I want the people to have the power to do that, because that’s what they do in my mother’s country. In my mother’s country, if you want to run for any election, it’s the people in that residence and area that will do that campaign for you, so, when you get there, you dare not do your work, if not, they will sign signatures and you will resign humbly, if you don’t resign there will be trouble, so politicians always listen to them. That’s the power I want the people to have, so I will squash money politics, so that people can become great people in life without looking for 5 billion, 10 billion. Once I’m there, I ensure all struggles end.
IbCity ANNOUNCER: What message would you like to leave with the people of Oyo state?
BASA: To the youths, I need you all to wake up, I need you all to know that you’re powerful, you’re more than us the politicians, you’re more than the elite, so now, you need to quickly enter a political party, I will say our own party, which is African Democratic Congress, ADC, because the PDP has done you no good, the APC has done you no good, so, now is the time to follow the new party that has promised to do us good. Join that party and begin to watch what candidates and aspirants are coming. Once the aspirants come, choose who you feel is going to be there for the people, that’s what we need to do. We need to all get involved, there should be no sitting down at home, you must work with us to make these things happen, Oyo state, Nigeria, can be great and will be great. I believe in Nigeria, my mum is English, I could have decided to stay back and be comfortable, but I decided to be in Nigeria to make it work. I want a country where we will become proud sons and daughters of the land, where we will not be following politicians for any money, where we will be content and confident in our own A.
