INTERVIEW: Irregularities at LG election inspired me to run for Lagos assembly, says Tari Taylaur

Tari Taylaur is a public servant and politician who recently contested the position of councillorship to represent Eti-Osa 1 LGA in Lagos. Although her bid was unsuccessful, she remains actively engaged in environmental governance and youth empowerment through education and entrepreneurship. Ahead of the 2023 elections, she is vying to join the Lagos house of assembly to represent Eti-Osa 1 constituency on the Youth Party platform. In this interview with TheCable’s MARYAM ABDULLAHI, she speaks about the challenges as a female politician and the need to have more women participate in politics.

TheCable: Tell us about yourself.

Taylaur: I am a Nigerian, a child of God and a public servant. I’m running for office in the Lagos state house of assembly to represent Eti-Osa 1, under the Youth Party. My track record speaks for me. I am very active in the Lekki Estate Residents Association (LERA) where I am the environment secretary for the entire body. I work a lot with government agencies, from the ministry of environment, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), to local governments to achieve a clean environment in Lekki. Based on all the work that I do and my understanding of the challenges and opportunities that exist, I am running for office because I want to amplify the good work. We have created jobs for young people, we are recycling and we are converting our waste products into useful solutions to benefit our community. So, that is my long-term vision for Eti-Osa 1 and by God’s grace, come March 2023, we will clinch the vote that will get us into the Lagos house of assembly.

TheCable: Can you shed more light on your journey in politics?

Taylaur: It has been a journey of learning, discovery and lots of patience. It has been a journey of resilience and determination. I have been in public service for quite a while, I have always volunteered in projects and worked in a community but I actually ventured into politics in 2021 when I contested for councillor in my ward here in Lekki at the local government election.

That was an interesting chapter for me, we didn’t win the elections but we went to the tribunal afterwards because there were so many irregularities and we wanted to put it on record to show the public that we cannot continue to have such impunity and rigging and just all sorts of blatant irregularities in the local government elections.

If we ever want to have governance at the local level, which is the closest government to the people, then, we have to ensure that those local government elections are well monitored and ensure that people participate. The public needs to participate, to be engaged so that we can get the best at the local level. So, that was my starting point.

TheCable: What was your experience during that process?

Taylaur: It was quite a journey for me, like I said, we went to the tribunal, and we appealed afterwards so I got to see the entire process through to the end. I was just amazed by the incredible support that we received. So, this year again, I stepped out to run for the Lagos state house of assembly because the challenges and every issue upon which I was campaigning when I was running to be a councillor is still the way it is, nothing has changed at that local level.

The people lack adequate and effective representation that actually cares about their interests and legislates for their good. So for me, there is still a void and I thought to myself, everything I want to accomplish at the local level — because of the way our system operates where the local government is sort of strangled by the state and they have the autonomy and all of that — can still happen at the state level, especially at the state assembly where legislation is made.

So I thought to myself, I can make a lot of impact being a part of that assembly, representing the interests of Eti-Osa 1 and legislating on a higher level to make sure that Lagos becomes the mega city for everyone. That was my intention for stepping out again towards the general election.

The journey so far has been an uphill battle, it is not for the faint-hearted and it is a brand new terrain. When you think you’re sitting pretty in politics, anything can happen — so much uncertainty, impunity and so much lawlessness but you just have to stand firm for who you are and what you believe and always keep that purpose ahead of you. For me, I always have to remind myself why am I doing this. What is it you want? What are the things you want to accomplish? You know, I have to always remind myself of that purpose, that higher purpose and that is what keeps me going. In a nutshell, that has been my experience.

TheCable: How do you feel about the journey so far?

Taylaur: I feel motivated, it is just the grace of God and there are so many things that have happened in my journey that strengthened my conviction. So you might be facing difficult circumstances or impossible situations and from nowhere, one help will just come through, and one door will just open and give you the confidence that God is with you in this. That has been my experience so far.

So, a lot of times, I feel tired, I feel like, oh my goodness, what have you gotten yourself into? Yes, a lot of times I feel very disillusioned by the system, the corruption, the impunity. But what do we do? Do we just roll over and die and do nothing?

TheCable: What are your thoughts on low female participation and under-representation in Nigerian politics?

Taylaur: I think the first thing is that; are there enough women stepping out to participate at the party levels? What roles are women occupying? Is it just the woman leader, welfare and all of those kinds of roles? Are women actually stepping up to leadership within the party structure? So if you are not engaged or participating at the party level, the chances of you having the opportunity to come in and even go for higher offices is very limited.

And then, the next follow-up question will now be; if there are enough women, why is it that they are not stepping out? And that is a myriad of reasons ranging from myths and a lot of things people have heard about politics. I don’t want to get myself involved in all these misconceptions and prejudices and all that… some people stay away because of that or maybe sometimes, the barrier is a little too high for them. The cost of participation, the cost of buying a nomination form, all of that sometimes is too high but that should not even be a barrier because there is a party that encourages women to participate and the nomination forms, as a woman, you probably will get a half price and I know other parties do that as well — but if half price of N100 million is N50 million, I mean, how many people can still afford that anyway?

So, we really have to bring the barriers a little lower so that competent women who actually have value to offer in their communities can step forward and put themselves up for governance.

TheCable: Would you say there is more voter illiteracy among women than men in Nigeria?

Taylaur: When I am on the campaign trail, when I go into the communities, a lot of women are pretty clear about what they want and women are pretty straightforward about what they are looking for in a candidate.

So, I think women are politically assertive in that sense. They know what they want and when they see it. Now, there are those that because of poverty and because of other factors may allow themselves to be induced in one way or the other. I think generally, women are more assertive. They just see you and they immediately know, you will see it in their body language immediately whether they are with you or not.

TheCable: What can be done to improve women’s participation in politics and elections?

Taylaur: It is a journey and we are just not there yet. Where we are now is not where we were 10 years ago or 15 years ago. It is a progressive journey and with more orientation, more women stepping out and more women like me who are already in the arena, and more people seeing women like myself succeed, it will encourage them to step out.

My dream is that by 2027, I see a situation where even at the local level, there will be so many women vying for so many strategic positions. This 2023 election is going to go a long way in determining the number of women that will step out in 2027. If a good number of women are successful in 2023, then it will empower and inspire a lot more to step out. It is a progressive thing, it is not going to happen in one event or one year. It is a long-term goal and a long-term vision.

TheCable: Aside from community development and youth empowerment, what else motivated you to be a politician?

Taylaur: I believe in the impact that I can make in that public office. I know what I am doing as a private citizen, so I know what I can do with public office. So, I want to be elected, I want to be accountable to my constituents, I want them to vote for me so that I will become accountable to them and every day, I will show up and I will work for them and get things done, moving them to a better place, the better quality of life, better primary healthcare, better primary education, a lot of things that affect their daily lives. So, that’s my motivation. That’s what I want to do and I believe that I’m very well-prepared and motivated to do it.

TheCable: What is your advice to other female political candidates?

Taylaur: Get into the terrain, just do it, don’t overthink it or analyse it, start somewhere and just do it. There is always a way you can add value right where you are. Just make it a culture of adding value to everything that you are doing. Seek to add value and you will be surprised at the opportunities that will come and the doors that will open up, the sky is only the beginning.