Gombe: ‘Why I stepped down for Nafada and became Buhari’s chief campaigner’

Why did you drop your ambition to contest the Gombe North Senatorial District seat?Precisely, I wanted to contest the position. But when the party conducted the primary election, a former deputy speaker, who was a gubernatorial aspirant couldn’t go through. And we come from the same constituency. So, I decided to let him contest the […]

Why did you drop your ambition to contest the Gombe North Senatorial District seat?
Precisely, I wanted to contest the position. But when the party conducted the primary election, a former deputy speaker, who was a gubernatorial aspirant couldn’t go through. And we come from the same constituency. So, I decided to let him contest the seat because he was already a principal officer in the National Assembly. If he goes to Senate, I am sure he may emerge as a president or vice president. If I win as a first timer, probably, they may give me deputy chairman of a committee. I am not in politics for my own selfish interests. I do everything because of my people. That is why I sacrifice my seat to Usman Bayero Nafada.
 
Is it true that the relationship between you and the former governor Danjuma Goje has become frosty?
He is our leader. We have friends from childhood before we joined politics. I used my resources and energy to help him win the elections and establish his regime. I held the position of chairman of his reconciliation team, where I reconciled him with all the PDP elite in Gombe.
Eventually, I seek a lot of positions. But he does not allow me to contest. So, I consulted my people and they advised me to leave the party. So, I defected to All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Later, we merged with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), to form a legacy party. After that, Danjuma joined the APC.  And he beceme our leader. Now, we have resolved our differences. There is no grudge between Goje and I again.
 
As Buhari’s Coordinator in Gombe State, what are your tactics to ensure that the APC wins elections in 2015?
Well, my first assignment is to make sure that all our state delegates vote for Buhari. And we have succeeded. The second is to strategize on how he will become president in 2015. It is also my duty to make sure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no longer in Gombe State. Economically, the state has become standstill from top to down. Well, he has been providing the infrastructure. But there is something missing in him – he doesn’t want to communicate with people. Virtually, in governance, you will not only provide infrastructure and sit down, as a governor, you have to carry people along and create conducive atmosphere, especially for the farmers. This will boost the state economy and create jobs amongst the youth. But the government is not supportive.
 
Buhari has ruled this country under the military. Do you think he still has any chance to lead again under a democratic government?
His chances are very brilliant, especially for those of us who come from the north eastern region. Buhari was the military governor of old Borno State. Many students benefited from his scholarship scheme. There is nothing somebody from my region will tell you about Buhari except his good virtues. Our candidate is a former governor, minister, General Officer Commanding (GOC), head of state and Petroleum Trust Funds (PTF) chairman. He still has energy to run this country.
He sees that the credibility of the current government is moving from bad to worse. That is the reason why he wants to contest. As the GOC in Jos, his command did very well. If we could remember, there were people who came to Maiduguri, killing Nigerians. He ordered our army to chase them out. He resolved Maitatsine crisis in two weeks at Bulunkutu, Yola and Gombe. He has zero tolerance for insurgency. That is the reason why we are yearning for him to be our next president as the level of insecurity is going high. If you look at Nigeria’s Civil War, it was halted within 30 months. But now how many years are we going to use to fight insurgency? This is because our government is not committed.
Then, our corrupt leaders know Buhari has zero tolerance to corruption. They are aware he will definitely deal with them. As a commissioner of petroleum (minister at the time), he built all the gigantic refineries with the exception of old Port Harcourt refinery. He constructed Warri and Kaduna refinery-petrochemical. Not only that, he rehabilitated depots and pipelines. Despite that, he owns no mansion in Nigeria, England or America like others.
But unfortunately, all those refineries are not functioning up to its capacity because the PDP, in their sixteen years, extirpates everything. I am sure that the Buhari-led government will revive the refineries. The main problem is that they cannot push crude from oil fields to the refineries because the government is treacherous and incapable.  The PDP-led government exterminates the whole country. You can look at all the government establishments and corporations that have been privatized. Today, we don’t have standard corporation. They publish improvement on the papers. But they will never quote the figures. We are waiting for 2015 to sweep them with the APC broom.
 
Why are you expressing optimism about Buhari ahead of the presidential election?
General Buhari is disciplined, irreproachable and virtuous. When he was serving a Muslim-Muslim administration with Tunde Idiagbon, Muslims and Christians live in harmony. Nobody was complaining. It was the first accountable government in Nigeria’s history.  The crude oil that has been sold can be accounted for.
So, if he assumes power, I am sure that nobody will complain because he will do what is expected. He knows what governance is. Before the PDP assumed power, many things are functional.  Our trains are moving. Nigeria Airways has 27 aircrafts. But they sold them. They are telling lies about railways transformation.
 
Buhari clocked 72 years, while Jonathan is 57. Don’t you think that the age disparity may affect your candidate?
Jonathan is in power for six years. But he has performed poorly. If age is a factor of performance, within six months, Jonathan would have done something better. Leadership doesn’t require age alone. It is a matter of who you are or where you come from. Nigeria is beyond Jonathan. He has no solution to save this country. Whether you are young or old, as long as you are visionary, Nigeria needs you.
 
Buhari has picked Professor Yemi Osinbajo as his running-mate. Do you think that their combination is right?
Well, it is an unbeatable team. General’s people are tested and trusted. He will not pick somebody who is not like him by virtues, decency and respectability. The background of Buhari’s running-mate has unquestionable integrity. He was an Attorney General in Lagos for eight years. He rises from university, produces good materials and becomes professor.
Yemi Osinbajo is a man of God. He is a Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). Buhari accepts him because of his outstanding credibility. I welcome him to be part of this great mission to rescue Nigeria. This is APC’s impeachable integrity. All of them are men of God and they will take us to Promised Land.