Nigerian-born Spanish politician, legal adviser and writer, Helen Mukoro, shook the world recently when she became the first Afro-European to contest for European Presidency in Spain. She launched herself to limelight when she contested the Mayor of Denia earlier this year on the platform of Union De Todos, a party she founded. She lost the seat by a narrow margin but remained unbowed, as she takes her political ambition to a higher level. In this interview, she speaks on her chances at the forthcoming poll, and urged African women to play active role in national politics.
Background
I am a Spanish politician, writer, legal consultant and forensic expert. I was born in Delta State, Nigeria to Mr Anthony Mukoro (the late Director General of the defunct Bendel State Government Treasury’s Cash Office, and Mrs Mary Mukoro & Apkomudjere (a retired Civil Servant. Governor’s Office, Delta State, Nigeria). I am a niece to Dr. A.G Onokhoraye, former Vice-Chancellor of University of Benin, defunct Bendel State, Nigeria and a stepdaughter to Hon Justice Emmanuel Akpomudjere, the late Chief Judge of Delta State, Nigeria.
I attended Saint Ita’s Girls College. Sapele, Delta State, Nigeria. I hold a degree in Social Education, Professional Master degree in Criminology, Professional Certificate in Criminal Law, Postgraduate Certificate in Tax and Labour Management, a Postgraduate Certificate in Forensic Psychology, a Postgraduate Certificate in Immigration and Domestic Violence, as well as a Diploma Certificate in Agriculture (College of Agriculture, Anwai, Delta State, Nigeria).
I worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Benin City, Nigeria and later deployed to Governor’s Office (Women Affairs Department) as Agricultural Officer, to help the rural women in Agriculture, and Asaba when Delta State was created. I worked as a legal consultant (Immigration Dept) at The RedCross Society, Spain. I worked as the CEO and President at The African Europe Chamber of Commerce, CEO/President at National Agency of Forensic Experts, Mediators and Technical Professionals of Spain and Europe. I am an author of many books.
At this moment, I work as politician and forensic expert. In Spain, when you contest for a political position, you can’t work in your profession, so I stepped down as lawyer.
How did you get to Spain? What was the attraction that brought you to Spain, knowing that it is not an English speaking country?
I respect what Spain stands for. Because of what this country stands for, I am here today because of the freedom, good system of democracy, the due process, the rule of law. I became a naturalized Spanish citizen in September 16, 2013 (dual citizenship in Spain is not allowed by law to Nigerian nationals). I renounced my Nigerian Citizenship at the Spanish Civil Registry in Denia, Alicante, December 16, 2013). I renewed my last Nigerian passport in March 2011 for convenience in renewal of my permanent resident permit here in Spain. I have since surrendered my Nigerian passport and notified the Nigerian Embassy that I have renounced my Nigerian citizenship. On March 11, 2014, I was issued a Spanish passport by the Spanish government.
How did you gain acceptance in the Spanish society, knowing the fears they entertain about Africans?
I live accordingly here in Spain. I do everything a citizen ought to do, and I thank God for what this country made me become. I grew up here. I learned the ways. I went to school here. And I would absolutely never take security and the defense of this country lightly. I feel a sense of pride in contributing to the national growth of Spain and Nigeria.
I also went to school in Nigeria and worked as a Civil Servant at the Governor’s Office in Benin City and Asaba when Delta State was created, deployed by the Ministry of Agriculture, before I came to Spain in 1992. To Nigeria and Spain, I say thank you”.
Getting into politics in Spain must have come after due considerations? What was the attraction in the first place?
Spain is supposed to be the pillar and the wealth Messiah of the European Community, however, it has failed to meet with the expectations of the Spanish majority. We live in a country full of talented and educated people who share a deep appreciation for our country. We have what it takes to make Spain an economically viable and sustainable for our families, students, businesses, residents, etc. We are here to ensure that Spain generates wealth, social commitment, economic recovery, housing and job creation is our priority”.
Some Africans, including Nigerians, are accused of double faced lives that erode the confidence of foreigners. How did the prejudiced opinion about Africans affect your relationship with Spanish people?
It is clearly the most developed expression of this phenomenon. The heart of the Spanish Government and the Spanish Community desire to seek among all, the end of social injustice, the Spanish Constitution (articule 14), does not tolerate any form of discrimination. I affirm and recognize that immigrants are well treated by the institutions and the country at large, in the same political voice and manner as citizens.
The African or Nigerian group is restricted within their own cultural beliefs and framework, and we cannot blame the Spanish Government for this, A number of minority groups has failed to integrate into the Spanish community. No one deprived them, they choose the path in which they live. I always say ”YOU ARE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE”.
You contested for the Mayor of Denia earlier this year. What lesson did you derive from that experience? What cost you the seat?
”Yes, I contested for the Mayor of Denia on May 24, 2015. The party was less than three months old when I contested, It was a wild ride and I like a challenging experience, I give endless thanks to GOD for giving me the unique opportunity to experience it. We lost the elections, but we came together to ask ”what’s next”. Take a look back at our campaign themes and the ideas we were hoping to implement, that we can still work to make those things happen. We can still influence our peers. Our campaign team stated to me ”You were passionate enough and confident enough to run a campaign on these issues, then you are the one we still need to make these things happen, and asked me to go for the presidency”. I accepted without mincing words”.
You formed a political party, Union De Todos to canvass more political space. What is the mission of the party? Did your position as the founder influence your emergence as the Presidential candidate?
Yes, I formed and floated a political party ”UNION DE TODOS”, but members of our political party come from a variety of political traditions internally democratic with different experiences on the strategy and tactics of political action. Decisions are made by party members, allowing all members present their views openly, to organize other members about these views and to change the policies of the organization if a majority is convinced they are correct. We strive to build a stronger Spain, our mission, it is not simply to be more democratic and more “progressive” than existing parties. We are simply a different set of positions stance in nation building and collective bargaining. We are here to build hope to the Spanish community that has a fundamentally different relationship with other political parties we have in Spain today: the low class struggle, we are here for “group interests” not ”political party interest”. This historic task is not just something to be overlooked today; millions of the spanish community who constitute the active base of such a class, can not substitute themselves this time for the traditional elite political class, that is where our party comes in. Our approach rejects both substitutionism as propagandism in favour of the ”rich approach” in existing struggles in which we know rich elites participate and which we try to draw lessons aimed at further strengthening of the Spanish community. The party suggested I contest for presidency, my main role in the party is widely recognized.
What are your chances at the Presidential poll?
We are motivated, we believe we can, but cannot speak on illusions of the mind. It is”the Spanish people” who are called to the polls, legitimated to play the constitutional role and to decide the leader they deem fit continuously in a democratic way.
Is Spain truly prepared to go with you and vote an African-Spanish President?
Yes, Spain support the efforts of all nationalities to self-organization in all areas – political organizations, unions, the women’s movement, in the community, and society in general. Spain supports the struggle for affirmative action within integrated institutions, and the struggle for economic and political freedom, including the right of self-determination.
How did the Nigeria/African community in Spain accept your candidature? Do you expect bulk votes from other minority groups as well?
I’m a political icon here in Spain and Europe to the Nigeria/African and Latin American countries. I made history as the first Nigerian European to run for the seat of Mayor in Spain and Europe and the first African European immigrant to found and float a political party ”UNION DE TODOS” here in Spain and Europe. Of course the Nigerian European community and other minority groups will support us. The positive attitude of our people will beam like a Rainbow in our political paths and is understandable and normal”. The census of immigrants (2014) in Spain are 5.023.487
Economic and political tides are turning the tide against European countries and their allies. How would you reposition Spain on the global stage if you actually become the first African-Spanish President?
The organization of the millions of low-paid workers in some countries in the European Union, who are at the center of gravity – though not necessarily the center of power – within the working class is obviously the key to any strategy for transforming the change and the good image in the EU. But it is not simply hiring more professionals to increase the budget for the organization of unions today, much less to hire advertising wizards or sell a good image to the poor. It is a political issue. It requires the dissemination of a new consciousness that embodies opposition to collapse the barriers of employment, education, corruption, race, capital, and gender as well as those of trade and business. This requires a new political movement to protect the interests of workers, women, children, etc; that is where our political party comes in, that the power to change life for good is once again a central concept of unionism; and that some traditional political parties are outdated and are considered corrupt dogs, instead of representatives as watchdogs. It is obvious also that the international re-division of labor that has created many of these changes requires an internationalist perspective. They should forge stronger ties with the new rising ”Third World Countries”.
How would you leverage on your current status to make a strong political statement to fellow Africans, still struggling in the vice grip of undemocratic systems?
Africans are the heart which emphasizes self-organization and activity. In the electoral arena, the principle of self-organization requires self confidence. I believe that the same principle should be applied in the field of politics.
What is your advice to Nigerian women, who still hide at the backstage and decline active roles in politics?
I believe that the struggle for women empowerment requires a struggle for the equality of women in all works of life. We can not make or build a society we expect unless women are fully part of nation building. I also recommend that the struggle for the empowerment of Nigerian women requires the alliance of feminist movements with the help of the public institutions. Most women can not hope to control their lives and achieve equality with men in a capitalist society.
Women empowerment does not happen only in the government or in political parties, but also in organizations, we need to unify all movements of subordinate groups. Women empowerment helps to create unity in a country. True unity is only possible when it is based on equality, equal participation of women in all levels of organization in a full commitment of organizational resources to work in the women’s movement, and the incorporation of feminist perspectives in all areas of socialist political activity.