Anybody assuring Jonathan of Borno is playing a fast one — Ndume

President Goodluck Jonathan visited Maiduguri for his campaign, were you expecting him to do that since he couldn’t make it since the abduction of the Chibok girls?Actually, like every other good citizen of Borno State I was also thinking so. I never expected that the president would have the audacity to come to the state […]

President Goodluck Jonathan visited Maiduguri for his campaign, were you expecting him to do that since he couldn’t make it since the abduction of the Chibok girls?
Actually, like every other good citizen of Borno State I was also thinking so. I never expected that the president would have the audacity to come to the state only to campaign while he refused to come and empathise with us when we were agonising. Besides that, just few hours after he left Maiduguri the city came under attack and this has continued. Not only that over 2000 of our people were killed in Baga but up to now neither the president nor any of his aides has said anything about it. But they were quick to condemn the terrorists’ attack in France which happened at the same period. It is very unfortunate. Borno people are waiting; they will pay him back with their votes.
He said he didn’t go to Chibok because the girls weren’t there, don’t you think he is justified?
The irony of the president’s statement that he didn’t go to Chibok because the girls were not there is that he had the audacity to go to Maiduguri to canvass for votes. In order to facilitate that visit, he paid a surprise visit to the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army and one of the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps which was just an hour’s visit. It was just to prepare grounds for him to return for the campaign.  But the good thing is that the peace-loving people allowed him and he came and left but you saw what happened in other states that he went to. But our people have clearly told him that PDP is not on ground. PDP can come in and go peacefully but they are not accepted by our people after the neglect, abandonment and suffering they have been subjected to by the federal government.
The government has consistently neglected the North East region and Borno State in particular in view of its response to the insurgency. We have thousands of displaced people even in neighbouring countries but the federal government is not doing anything about it. Even in the 2015 budget only a meagre N5 billion was allocated for the whole of the North East while over N35 billion was spent on ex-militants.
So you are saying this indicates the insensitivity of government to the plight of your people?
We have been saying this long ago but it is coming out much clearer now. The good thing is that with the election around the corner, we are very hopeful that change will soon be here.
But the PDP leader in Borno State, Senator Ali Sheriff, has given assurance to the president that Borno State will vote for him.
 Ali Sheriff has been used to saying that. He was the governor when he lost his bid to come to the senate. And even when he was a sitting governor his relationship with the president has been very cosy. In the last election as a sitting governor and with the same president contesting he couldn’t get 20 per cent of the votes. So now that he is not a governor I wonder how he will do that even at a time his popularity has dipped further. He can say whatever he wants to say but our people are not fools, they know what is right and who is for them. In Borno, they are scrambling for 25 percent of the votes but I can assure you that they can’t get even 20 per cent.  Sheriff was in office in 2011 when he vowed that even his shoes can defeat me in the election  but I won and he lost. So, it is not a new thing to us. It is just a mere empty boast. Sheriff’s defection to PDP has even worsened the chances of the party because of who he is. Remember, PDP had two senators, myself and Senator Ahmed Zannah. Zannah left because Sheriff joined and so many prominent PDP members in Borno State have left so I can’t see the chances he is talking about.  He left with only three members of the House of Representatives and about two state assembly members and one local government chairman. Therefore, it didn’t make any impact.  In fact, we are even expecting more PDP members to join us in the coming days which include 20 local governments of the PDP, a sitting member, top stalwarts who are joining the APC not for any party position but having realised that the PDP is not a party for Borno State. To the people of Borno State the election between PDP and APC is like an election between your friend and your enemy. The enemy of Borno people is PDP and APC is their friend.
Are you saying that is going to be landslide for the APC?
Not only in Borno State but in the country as our leader General Muhammadu Buhari will win with landslide margin. We are witnesses to the rallies in different states and Nigerians are trooping out en masse to show their approval of our party unlike the hired crowd of PDP. This is revolution that Nigerians are yearning for and it is here for them. PDP has ruined this country for 16 years. Nigerians have never had it this bad. Even Nigerians that were born when PDP was formed are now yearning for change.
What is your take on the calls for postponement of election?
It is simply because they have seen massive defeat awaiting them that is why they are looking for ways to scuttle the election.  However, I don’t see how they can postpone the election. It must be backed by law and I don’t see how they can do that.
The only reason for postponing election is when the country is at war and it is only the National Assembly that can approve it but we are on recess and won’t reconvene until after the elections. The whole world is saying that the elections must be conducted.
All elected office holders are going to be beneficiaries of the extension including yourself, don’t you think it is a win win situation for you too?
No. It is a lose lose situation because we are representing Nigerians and Nigerians don’t want that. I cannot imagine members of the National Assembly coming here to approve any extension. Where will they stay? I don’t see myself being a party to that and it is same with most members because out there Nigerians are looking up to the coming change and we won’t do anything to scuttle it.