From DESMOND MGBOH, Kano
Alhaji Dahiru Yusuf Yabo, was a former Commissioner for Commerce, Industries and Tourism under Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa in Sokoto State.
He was to emerge as governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, after its primary but was displaced by his party for Engineer Abubakar Yabo.
In this interview in Kano, he examines the chances of the main opposition parties in the country involved in merger deal and expresses his reservations over the fortunes of the emerging All Progressives Congress, APC.
Excerpt:
Recently, the main opposition parties, ANPP, CPC and ANPP held their individual conventions and ratified the position of their parties to concretise a merger deal. How do you see the merger eventually playing out?
I had remarked on this elsewhere. Maybe, I would say it again. The fact remains the people in this country, particularly the Northern side, and to some extent, the South-West and a few states in the South- East are really clamouring for change and they are residing their hope in the merger of the opposition as a platform for the anticipated change of governance.
What I would say is that the people really want a change of the system and they feel that by coming together, they would succeed. But that notwithstanding, I feel that there are so many grey areas of this merger arrangement that need to be addressed.
Let me say that based on our experience and background of this kind of setting, we can see and appreciate the actions and inactions of the key people involved in the merger
. And to this extent, I have my fears.
What are those grey areas that you feel would endanger the merger?
Once there is justice in anything, it is bound to succeed and once there is injustice in anything, it is bound to fail.
As far as this merger is concerned, we are looking at people – I mean the big shots in the merger arrangement – that are either selfish or that are too rigid and, therefore, do not appreciate the values of internal democracy.
These are people, who, by their antecedents, do not agree that the popular votes count. And in as much as these same people are in charge of the merger arrangement, I fear that things may not work well in the long run. Secondly, let me state that before you do anything outside, you should do it inside. Charity must begin at home.
People are not looking internally to take note of the fact and ask questions about the records of the key players in terms of their respect for internal democracy. Quite too often, we are more concerned with looking at the PDP as the issue.
We are often criticising the PDP, saying they had failed to do this or that they have not done that. Quite normal of Nigerians! But internally, in our own parties, have we done any better? In our parties, there are so many things that are inappropriate and incorrect. So many things that we are not doing well.
Can you speak in more specific terms. Is these irregularities happening in the ANPP or is it in the CPC?
Before I even go into that. We are accusing PDP and PDP government of so many vices, but the ideal thing is that charity begins at home. Before you try to correct somebody, you must to be seen to be a corrected person yourself. CPC, in particular, has a number of crises, and so far, all the reasons that were responsible for our failure in Northern Nigeria in 2011- where we posted so much hope- have not been rectified or reconciled or corrected. The party is still challenged. Yet, the party still went ahead to hold a convention.
Again, take note that there was a court order, restraining the party from going ahead with the convention and despite that,the party leadership still went ahead to hold the convention. Does that account for a party that is law abiding, a party, which would respect the rule of law when it comes to power? And sadly, everybody in CPC, who was at the convention, did not seem to appreciate that they were engaged in something that was opposed to the law.
And if this convention should be nullified tomorrow on the basis of this court order, then people would start raising sentiments and pointing fingers at the PDP, whereas there is an internal crisis within the CPC. These are some of the issues we are talking about.
See, I have just finished reading the former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Dan Musa's interview. He was talking about his problem with General Buhari and the reason he parted ways with the General. He was talking about how the party's gubernatorial election was held and how Lado won and how General Buhari substituted his candidacy with that of Masari and following this, he disagreed with Buhari.
And the funny thing about the General is that he would say that this is his "don'ts." "Don't do this" and "don't do that", yet he would end up doing the same thing.
How would you describe General Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu?
A number of Nigerians have accused them of dictatorial tendencies. Do share same view? That is what I was driving at. The point to note here is that General Buhari is still a military man although he has tried as much as possible to reform his political ways and style because, actually, many people are telling him that he must up his political cards; that this is not the way to go about it.
But the point is that at his age, the General is an already made person and may not be amenable to significant behavioral change(s ). He can hardly change. And unfortunately also, he is surrounded by a few people, whose intention are not very clear in terms what they really want to achieve by following Buhari around. It seems to me that he is either wrongly trusting them or he is being blackmailed by them or both.
I can give you an example of Alhaji Sule Yahaya Hamma. This is a man that has been accused severally that he is working for other interests outside the CPC. Indeed, he is the one that was responsible for a lot of problems in the party in 2011, a result of which we had serious problems in Kano, we had serious problems in Sokoto and we had the same problem in Bauchi and Kastina States among others.
All these problems of substituting candidates. The same Sule came to Kano State, a PDP state, to take an appointment and the same Buhari came along for the inauguration of his appointment under a PDP governor? But it was the same person (Buhari) who engineered the suspension of Lado and some CPC faithful who were given appointment as commissioners in Katsina State. They were subsequently suspended because it was felt that by taking appointments from a PDP government, they had engaged themselves in anti–party activities.
Yet, and quite sadly, the same champion of their suspension, the same Buhari came to Kano, with some supporters of the party, to show solidarity with Alhaji Sule Hamma during the inauguration of his appointment by a PDP governor.
How do you reconcile that?
But can you substantiate your claim that General Buhari initiated the suspension of Lado from the CPC?
Of course, you should have known that Lado cannot be suspended from the party without his approval, being the Chairman of Board of Trustees on an issue that affects his own state.
What is your impression of Senator Tinubu?
Tinubu has achieved a milestone in his political career. This is somebody that have evolved from the leader of one state to the leader of five states from his region , which means that currently Action Congress of Nigeria is in charge of the South -West Region.
All that Tinubu is looking for is a small feather on his cap, something to just lift himself a little bit higher than the governors. What he is trying to do since 2011 is to help the North in particular, so as to pull resources to dislodge the PDP. But all of us know what happened in 2011. That Buhari refused to accept the terms. Let me take you home.
What does the merger of opposition parties means to the people of Sokoto with Governor Wamakko in charge of about 23 local councils? Does the merger offer any hope of dislodging Wamakko?
You see the political issue in Sokoto State is relative.
First and foremost, let me start by saying that Governor Wamakko is currently riding on the back of a fake popularity and acclaim. This is because in the first place Wamakko was not voted into power as a popular governor by the electorates in Sokoto State.
That was why his initial election was nullified by the court on the grounds of proven irregularities. For anybody to come and say that Governor Wamakko is popular, I know such a person is talking nonsense! Or is not from Sokoto State!!
Via: Sun News Online