Someone Like Me Shouldn’t Be in Politics – Shina Peller

The lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola (Oyo State) Federal Constituency, Shina Peller, has revealed that he has been nursing his political ambition before setting up his companies Quilox and Aquila Records.

Speaking with Tribune in e interview, the House of the representative member who is a popular socialite said with the way things are done in Nigeria, someone like him should not even be in politics.

“But my involvement in politics is truly not for myself but for the people. That’s why I’m not one of those people who get carried away with their popularity and decide to run for the Senate or governorship. I know it’s new terrain for me and it’s always good to start from somewhere small, so one can consolidate one’s efforts so far and see how one can take it further.

READ: Shina Peller Wins Iseyin And Kajola Federal Constituency Seat

“I’m not the kind of person that likes to flaunt the power of money because I believe more in humanity and relationships outside money. When you depend more on money, it means that when the funds are no longer there, you would not be able to make any move.

Speaking on the comment made by President Muhammadu Buhari sometimes last year where some quarters interpreted it to mean lazy Nigerian youths, the lawmaker noted that the president was misquoted.

“I always tell people that when (President Muhammadu) Buhari called young Nigerians lazy youths, he didn’t really mean it literally. It’s simply because we refuse to take certain challenges.

“When you consider what happens in politics in these parts, you would realise that the youth are always active during elections but after elections, everyone would relax and go back to their ‘shells’. Mark my words; by 2022, you will see everyone coming out and shouting that they want to be president.

“People just come up with different unrealistic notions and relax without putting in much work. But now, I believe this is a joint task for us to motivate people and push them to take politics seriously because whether you want to be the best in your craft, you want to rise to the top of your company, or become a serial entrepreneur, the worst thing that can happen to you is if you are not a politician.

“It is through politics that our leaders are elected, so why shouldn’t we take it as seriously as the landlord association and PTA meetings we go for?,” he queried.

Peller who won the seat through the ruling All Progressives Congress revealed that he joined the ruling party due to the fact that it already has a base .

“The truth is one always has to take certain things into consideration. I don’t have any problem with Banky W’s move to contest the House of Representatives election to represent the Eti-Osa (Lagos) constituency during the last elections. His move certainly made a lot of sense because he is strong on social media and the percentage of people that use social media in the constituency he was aiming to represent is very high.

“However, if he had run under more established parties like the APC or the PDP, do you think he would have lost that election? Many people were against me when I joined the APC; they asked me to look at Banky W and Omoyele Sowore who joined new parties.

“However, I felt they had not got to the level where they could float a new party. You have to understand that there are just two major parties in this country. I have been to some areas where the people only know about the two major parties and are not even aware of social media. But with Banky W, it made sense because he wanted to represent Lagos and social media penetration is high in his constituency.

“One of the reasons I joined the APC was because I have so many colleagues that are back in the House and they always say their first term was an introductory process. And now that they know more about the legislative process, they want to make an impact.

“In the light of that, how do you expect a President, that is representing 774 local governments, to make an impact in four years? That is why I felt President Buhari deserved a second chance. Among many other things, he passed the not-too-young-to-run bill, and that means he has given us (young people) a level-playing ground. If another party had won the 2019 election, it means we would be giving room for that same person to run in the next election, but I would rather want a government that would complete its term, and we (young people) would produce the next president in 2023.

“My stepfather is the chairman of the PDP in Oyo State but there is no one that can say I should not join the APC. At a meeting with some of my colleagues in Abuja recently, I told them that there is no one that would have the kind of opportunity I have and still join the APC.

“My stepfather actually came to me and said I could get a House of Reps ticket from his party and I told him that family is different, and my political ideology is different. Until we have more people like that, we cannot truly have a change.”

READ: Shina Peller Convoy Attacked In Oyo State | Berates Political Violence

He also stated that there will be more youth participation in politics come 2023.

“By 2023, I want to see a lot more youths get involved in politics and I’m ready to put myself out there to campaign even outside my constituency. I want to follow a youth to Warri (Delta State) to campaign, but everything starts now, not in four years’ time. The kind of structure we put up now is what will help us achieve that.

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