Battle for 2027: Ordeal won’t change my political leaning — Tambuwal

Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, former governor of Sokoto State and currently, the senator representing Sokoto South Senatorial District in the National Assembly. He was recently arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N189 billion fraud. In this interview with Weekend […]

Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, former governor of Sokoto State and currently, the senator representing Sokoto South Senatorial District in the National Assembly. He was recently arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N189 billion fraud. In this interview with Weekend Trust, he said nothing can derail him from the path he has chosen.

 

What can you tell Nigerians about your experience in EFCC custody?

Thank you very much for this opportunity to talk to you and I believe that if it’s about accountability,  about rule of law,  about democracy and good governance, there is nothing wrong with an invitation extended to a citizen to come and account for whatever is being alleged against him.

I must commend the officers at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) They were very courteous, and I can say that they were very professional in my interrogation and up till the time I went to my cell, they were very courteous. I also believe that there has been some little improvement, especially in terms of the hygiene of the environment.

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Most Nigerians would ask, why now? Considering the fact that you were governor of the state for eight years and you have been out of the state for over two years. What do you think propelled this investigation at this time?

Well, people are not fools. Nigerians are not fools. I am very involved in a democratic process that is aimed at changing this government in 2027. I believe that some forces are not comfortable with the role some of us are playing and are using every entreaty, effort and cajoling for us to join them. It’s not a hidden thing and if you are pliable, they try to show you one page of something and you get intimidated, before you know it, tomorrow, you start singing a different song. I wasn’t surprised; quite frankly, I wasn’t surprised. I believe that this cannot deter me from remaining on the course that I believe is for the good this country.

And this is not the first time in my own case. How did I become the Speaker of the House of Representatives ? I was even tear gassed as Speaker of this country; all in our efforts to make sure that the right thing is done.

The vice-president had said it before, a few weeks ago. The then president wanted to remove him and I stood my ground. I remain that person.

I believe in democracy, rule of law, and good governance. And no one, no agency can intimidate me to abandon that cause.

I’m not doing it just for myself. I believe that what is going on in this country is not right and that is how I left the All Progressives Congress (APC) in August, 2018, even as a sitting governor from the North West, where President Muhammadu Buhari came from. If I had wanted to remain in APC, to seek a second term, I could have done so, but I left and decided to join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) because even at that time, I believed that the APC administration was derailing; how much more now?

All those variables that made me leave APC in 2018 are even more present now; all those reasons, all those factors. Is it in terms of insecurity, the economy, infrastructure or well-being of Nigerians, what is it. Where is the improvement even in power?

So, we are working together, because as I said in my earlier remarks, in my speech, there are two parallel lines in Nigeria today.

Those who believe that they can go with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration for their personal

benefits and those of us who believe that, look, something is wrong.

The policies of his administration are not people friendly; there is no human face, no compassion in the running of this country. What attention is being paid to security challenges in this country? Tell me one major policy or decision that has been made by this government in relation to the security challenges? Is it that they lack the ideas, is it that they lack the resources? Even to recruit people; the recruitment is not making sense. 

To create, to have more boots on the ground, you don’t need the permission of anyone as commander in chief. You can direct, you can send a budget to the National Assembly and direct for recruitment of more personnel into security services. Have they done that?

So, we believe that we need to really do something about this, and that’s why we initiated this. And it wasn’t out of nothing. We initiated the discussions about coalition, about coming together, from a report we received.

We instituted a committee of both political academics and practitioners to advise us on the way forward.

How is PDP, how is Labour Party, how is NNPP, how are the remaining parties in Nigeria faring? All of them have been infiltrated. It is not hidden. By who? By the agents of government. That is why we said let us have something that we believe is good for what we are about to do; that is not infiltrated, that is about this country.

This coalition is not about any individual ambition. I have been involved from day one and I know that what we have before us is working within the democratic process to bring about a new government in Nigeria for the people of Nigeria.  That is my conviction and that is why I am involved.

 

Are you now a member of the coalition party?

I have not registered.  It is only when I register that I become a member. 

 

Are you in the process?

Of course! Absolutely.

 

Most Nigerians believe that the coalition is all about Atiku’s interest?

Most Nigerians or some?  You see, you cannot stop people from making insinuations. Even Atiku has said that it is not about him. It is about this country. Let us go through a democratic process and see who emerges as the candidate. Atiku was involved in 2015. Did he become the candidate? He lost to Buhari in Lagos. Kwankwaso lost to Buhari in Lagos. Rochas Okorocha lost and late Sam Nda Isaiah lost to Buhari. So, it is more or less a similar thing. Let’s have a platform, and then whoever wants to express his ambition is entitled to do that. 

I can tell you, I am very close to Atiku Abubakar; I was the last Director General of his campaign, that this coalition is not about him. It is about this democracy and country. 

I am involved in this not for personal gains. I am involved because I know things are not working with the current system. And it is not just about the system, it is about the operatives. We need to change the operatives through a democratic process and I am committed to it. I am looking for partners; if you are ready to join me, please do.

 

Based on the happenings within your party and the coalition, are you optimistic that things will work in your favour?

Well, the first question is whether Nigerians are okay with the current way of things? They are not. What is the alternative? We are bringing an alternative to what is going on. People are saying that we have not said anything about what we are going to do for Nigerians. You don’t just speak; you have to think through it, then come up with something tangible; that is in the works. 

The leader of the coalition; the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) David Mark, recently announced that we are going to constitute a 50-man policy committee that will come up with policies and programmes that we are going to campaign on. And that is what we are going to market to Nigerians. Be rest assured that these policies and programmes will benefit Nigerians directly. They will right the wrongs of today and project the future. 

 

Nigerians are still feeling the impact of the subsidy removal; how do you feel about it?  

Well, my position has always been known. When I was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I convened the sitting of the House on a Sunday to intervene and stop the then President Goodluck Jonathan from what he wanted to do; which was the removal of subsidy. So, my position has always been known. And when the late President Buhari came in, a committee under then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was proposing the removal of subsidy and I said, ‘Mr Vice President, you knew my position when I was the Speaker of the House, I cannot be part of this removal of subsidy completely without any frame work, without nothing. I made my position very clear, if you are removing subsidy, what are you doing to cushion the effect of that policy. 

President Bola Tinubu just came to the Eagle Square and announced that, ‘subsidy is gone’. No policy framework, nothing. He brought two inhuman policies, the debasing of the Naira and fuel subsidy removal. He should have gone through it, come up with a programme for alleviating the effect of that removal. We knew that once subsidy is removed, it would have a ripple effect on virtually the entire economy of the country. That is what happened and till today that is what is happening. Are they accountable for the proceeds of fuel subsidy?