2015: As a mark of honour, Jonathan should respect one-term pact –Sani

[Mirror]

Says, 'PDP crisis is not beyond redemption' Anthony Sani is the National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). In this interview with AYODELE OJO, he speaks on the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the alleged one-term agreement President Goodluck Jonathan had with governors and other national issues. Excerpts:

One major factor in the polity today is the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which has led to the formation of a parrallel faction. How do you see the development?

The crisis in the PDP is a source of concern to Nigerians because it is the ruling party, which mandate is to bring Nigerians together in order to enable them live up to their synergistic potential.

And if the party is unable to provide order and direction to itself, then one wonders whether it can do so for larger Nigeria. That about six governors would walk out of its mini convention to form New PDP and the establishment of a secretariat symbolises a deep division within the ruling party, considering the party has about 23 governors.

We only pray this would be a wake up call to the leadership of the party about the need to come together and provide leadership and direction to not only to itself but also to the whole nation that has given the party the mandate to deliver on the promise of democracy, and not to preside over a divided party and over a divided people.

What is your take on the demands of the aggrieved PDP governors that Tukur should go and that President Jonathan should not contest the 2015 poll?

As far as I am concerned, the Tukur saga has much to do with failure to go by the rules in line with constitutional democracy. Consider the laws governing selection of party leadership during congresses and convention, and candidates during primaries does not provide for a consensus candidate. And that is why in situation of a single aspirant, there must be yes or no vote. But in the case of emergence of Alhaji Tukur, there were 11 aspirants, out of which 10 dropped on the eve of the convention and left only Tukur to take yes or no votes.

The circumstance which led to having only Tukur as the sole aspirant suggested undemocratic practices. So, the yes or no vote to comply with the law that bars consensus was not real. So, from day one, the election of Alhaji Tukur was fraught with its own problems. The politics of PDP is merely stoking it. But the situation is not beyond redemption, given purposeful leadership and political will as well as patriotic courage on the part of the leadership of this country. Reconciliation can resolve the impasse. As Pope John Paul II would say, "act of pleading for reconciliation is not cowardice or weakness.

On the contrary, it demands courage and some times even heroism. It is victory over self rather than over others." As regards the demands that President Jonathan should not contest in 2015, I understand the demand derives from an earlier agreement between Mr. President and about 21 PDP governors that he would contest for only one term which he said was enough for him to deliver on the promise of his mandate. I do not have the facts, but I believe it has to do more with the need for Nigerians to have leaders they can trust.

Else, campaign promises, budgets and government policies would have no place in the order of things as far as democracy is concerned. People must know that agreements do not win elections. It is people who produce presidents. Yet the need for leaders who can deliver on their promises cannot be overemphasised. Hence the significance of their hankering for President Jonathan to honour his words, however delivered, as a man of honour.

Do you think that the one term agreement really exists?

I have told you over and over again that I do not have the facts. But the Chief Servant in the person of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu is too intelligent not to know the dire implication of going public with what does not exist. More so that we heard Mr. President said that much in Uganda. That may explain why I am tempted to believe him.

What is your take on the threat of former Niger Delta militants against Northern leaders, especially ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar over 2015 poll?

My take is that they are crossing the fiducial mark, precisely because democracy is a contest of ideas and reasons, and certainly not intimidation and threats. No group can rule this country through threats and intimidation. So, let us all come together and nurture our democracy that is premised on triple foundation of liberty, justice and common decency for public good and national interest.

Do you think Nigeria will cease to exist if Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015 as some people have made us to believe.

There is no group in this country that can rule this country through intimidation and threats, neither will this country disintegrate on the basis of a mere electoral contest. No, it cannot happen.

There have been talks of the Presidency returning to the North in 2015. Does the North really want the Presidency in 2015?

The North, just like any section of this country, would want the presidency in 2015. But I do not believe it will be a do-or-die. This is because it is the whole country that has the final say which will find expression through votes. And if a Northern candidate does not win, heavens will not fall, since no president can emerge without some votes from the North. So, let us not make our elections to be contest of survival.

How do you see the sack of nine ministers; do you think it was due to performance or has political undertones.

The sacking of the nine ministers has both factors of performance and politics of PDP. But if I were Mr. President, I would not do it at this time, considering the ongoing efforts to reconcile the aggrieved party members.

It seems the North is opposed to Jonathan's re-election.

When you say there is Northern opposition to Jonathan's re-election, you give the contest a North/South colouration. Let me tell you, even if all the 42 million registered voters in the North vote for a candidate from the North, and all the 31 million registered voters in the South vote for a southern candidate, such pattern of votes cannot produce a president, precisely, because the law does not allow it. I want to believe such voting is neither feasible or desirable. So, there is no need for you to give the contest a North/South colouration.

There is a renewed call for a national conference. Do you support the agitation?

I have told you that the North is not opposed to a national dialogue by way of National Conference. What is disagreeable to the North is Sovereign National Conference, which amounts to vote of no confidence on our democracy and its institutions. Even there is no agreement on the number of ethnic nationalities and how they can be represented in the SNC.

Recently, the Patriots under the leadership of Prof. Ben Nwabueze called on President Jonathan not to seek second term, saying he should concentrate on his transformation agenda.

I guess the calls by Prof. Nwabueze's Patriots have been informed by the desire and need for our leaders to be people of honour who should live up their agreements with people. Mind you, the president, as leader of the nation, is an embodiment of our national ideals, moral values and social contract.

Why is the North calling for the sack of Chief Festus Odimegwu as chairman of the National Population Commission?

Since the appointment of Chief Odimegwu, he has been sublimating his energies in discrediting past census exercises that they have all been manipulated to favour a section of the country to the chagrin of the other section. More so that religion and ethnicity have been excluded from the data.

He then vowed to use 2016 to make corrections. We never opposed any management practices that would improve the quality of census exercises, but for the chairman to submit that all past exercises favoured only one section might be understood but not acceptable.

It means the results of the next census is already known, at least that is how some sections would conclude. Consider the North which has been adjudged to bring up the rear in all aspects of our national life is now said to have outsmarted other sections in census exercises for about 100 years. This is unbelievable.

As regards the exclusion of religion and ethnicity, it is because census is meant for planning of our socio-economic development, and not for promotion of any religion or ethnicity.

More so that religion and ethnicity are emotive to such extent that no religion would accept the outcome of census that puts it at short end. It is too early to forget the testament of power of ideas, like "my religion is better than your own or your ethnic extraction is inferior to mine," which cut big swaths by way of heaps of skulls in Cambodia and fields of graves in Bosnia and Rwanda last century. If they could cut such big swaths in other climes, they could do so in Nigeria, if not properly managed. So why court trouble with data that are superfluous?

Why does a section of a country think the investigation of Senator Bukola Saraki is politically motivated?

Our suspicion is informed by the circumstances surrounding his invitations by the investigators. Any time the senator grates the nerves of the power that be, he is invited. Consider his invitation after his motion about petroleum subsidy. Today, it is after Saraki has joined the New PDP. If the authorities are sincere, they should not wait for when the senator "offends them". Since when has dissent become a crime?

The state of emergency in three North- Eastern states has been for some time now. What is your assessment of the progress amid endless killings of youths in the Civilian JTF?

Thank you for that question. Let me remind you that nobody, including the government, has ever thought the use of force would ever bring to an end violent activities of the sect. The state of emergency was actually intended to reclaim those Nigerian territory said to be under control of the religious sect, if I may say so, and make members of the sect amenable to dialogue that goes on concurrently.

To some extent, some successes have been recorded by the JTF, since no part of Nigeria is under the control of Boko Haram any more. And from the briefings and consultations by the Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Dialogue, there is progress in the dialogue, since the committee is in contact with some faction of the leadership of the sect, which is agreeable to dialogue. More importantly, the manner of using some clerics to apply the same Holy Book and dispel some strongly held misconceptions about the religion. Call it de-radicalisation if you like. It is a case of genuine ignorance.

And that is why it is often said in terrorism, it is better to work on the heart and head than using weapons directed at cities. I believe, given consciously directed efforts with unity of purpose that comes with clear thought and clear morality by government with political will and patriotic courage, as well as the best in everyone, we shall overcome.

As to the killing of youths in the civilian JTF and schools that are now the targets, it is important to take a hard look at the operations of the youths who are expected to provide intelligence to the security operatives for effect, and not to be part of the combatants in the field, since they are not armed.

What is the relationship between JACONG and ACF that is known as the umbrella platform for majority of Northerners? Is JACONG now over and above any other Northern platforms to which all must report to?

Just like in many other regions, there are proliferations of fora and groups, which profess to speak for the same North on some specific areas, though most of them are members of ACF, which is the umbrella body. At a point, some of the groups approached ACF on the need for cooperation in specific areas for purpose of synergy.

Hence the idea of an arrangement that would enable the groups come together and compare notes to prevent contradictions and to enhance the peace and unity of the North for performance. JACONG cannot replace ACF, which is the parent body.

But there are certain things which ACF cannot do. For example, while ACF can be political on issues of national importance, it cannot be politically partisan. And the reasons are not far-fetched: membership of ACF cuts across party lines. As a result, politically partisan decisions cannot be taken by ACF. More so that ACF is more of a pressure group that does not field candidates for elections.

What about the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation?

A foundation is more or less a Trust Fund targeted at specific areas. We have a couple of such foundations in the North, namely Tarka, Aminu Kano, Shagari, TY Danjuma, etc. They are trying in their own ways to add value to society.

But in the case of Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, the name and the northern governors who launched it made it a northern foundation. I happen to be a council member of the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, and so can say it is adding value in health, relief materials to victims of clashes and flood as well as in areas of development of entrepreneurial skills and education in the area of scholarship.

On the other hand, the roles of ACF are in the areas of pressures towards making desires possible and then actual by those with executive authorities to make things happen. But the two can also be complementary.

National Mirror

[Folami David]

Well there are just so many advice trailing the president so that could even leave him confused. Let's hope he would work thing out!