How APC primaries pushed us out in Bauchi – Pate

Dr Muhammed Ali Pate was minister of health during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He contested for the governorship of Bauchi State in 2019, on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), after he and others were allegedly denied fair primaries in the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this exclusive interview with […]

Dr Muhammed Ali Pate was minister of health during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He contested for the governorship of Bauchi State in 2019, on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), after he and others were allegedly denied fair primaries in the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this exclusive interview with our reporter, he opened up on what happened in 2019, lessons learnt and his planned future political engagements in the country.

 

You were once a major political player in Bauchi State and a onetime governorship aspirant. After you left for an international assignment, did you look back at what happened when you contested in an election?

Yes, we participated in the 2018/2019 political cycle in Bauchi State. The reasons for our participation were to help improve the quality of governance in the state such that, government is oriented to serve the people, who are the reason for its existence. Government exists to create opportunities for citizens to improve their lives. Government has to put in place, the right economic policies to stimulate the economy and provide opportunities for the teeming youths to have quality jobs, so that they advance their own aspirations. The government is for investments in health, education and for peace in the society to reign based on justice.

Participation in the political system helped us to demonstrate the principle of holding governments accountable through elections because at the end of the day, it is the people that select or elect those who govern them through political processes and elections for a limited term. And all the elected political leaders are subject to that accountability check every four years.

In our case, the people of Bauchi thought that they needed a different leadership, and we are very fortunate to have contributed in creating that change, aligned with the aspirations of the people. We have remained engaged, even though professional activities took me outside the borders of Nigeria, but we remained closely engaged with people in Bauchi and other parts of the country because at the end of the day, we have to collectively work to make Nigeria a better place by participating in the political process.

You initially vied for the governorship ticket on the platform of the then ruling APC in Bauchi and later moved to the PRP. Your party emerged third after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC during the elections. How did you achieve the feat?

We participated actively as loyal members in the APC. We contested on that platform with the belief that the party would adhere to the principles of internal democracy, where it would allow or follow the stipulated rules for primaries to be undertaken in fair and transparent manner for candidates. But unfortunately, at that time in Bauchi State, that expectation was not fulfilled. The party failed to address the injustices that were meted in the conduct of the primaries at the state levels, so it left us with no option. Because we are in a democracy, we had no option but to exercise our rights through other alternatives to achieve our objective of enshrining political accountability in Bauchi. Therefore, we formed all the necessary alliances across stakeholders in the state, which led to the outcome that manifested in the general elections.

In a way, the people of Bauchi State showed their political sophistication in the Nigerian landscape by rectifying what the APC was unable to rectify through its own internal party mechanisms in the primaries conducted in 2018. The outcome of the general elections was not one that could not have been foreseen.

Because we were present at the grassroots, we understood the sentiments of the population and we publicly and privately alerted the leadership of the party, and unfortunately, they did not listen or understand the depth of those concerns we were expressing. The rest is now history.

We only hope that the party has learnt its lesson and that all the political parties in the country have learnt the necessary lessons to ensure that they have better internal democracy, particularly how to manage their primaries to ensure that they don’t unduly influence outcomes or act unjustly between members of their party in the contest of elective offices.

You fought a battle in two fronts. You were contesting against your former party, the APC on one hand and the PDP on another. How were you able to cope?

We worked hard and tried to forge the right strategic alliances to achieve our political objectives. But the people made their choice, and as democrats, we fully respect the choice of the people and are grateful for the tens of thousands who voted for us in the elections.

The government we now have in Bauchi is internalising the lessons of 2019, understanding that it is the people that hold power and elect who they wish. It seems to understand certain expectations for the government to deliver. If it doesn’t meet their expectations, the people will make the necessary adjustments. With this realisation, we have seen the present Bauchi State Government appearing to be trying quite hard, at least by virtue of physical infrastructure springing up in the state despite a very tight fiscal situation. They are also trying to attract private sector capital and create economic opportunities. We encourage them to broaden and continue on that path and to ensure that not only do they develop physical infrastructure, they should also nurture the human capital infrastructure so that people are healthier and children educated. They should create quality jobs, pay salaries, as well as ensure justice and equity in the administration of the affairs of the state. So long as the state government does this, it will meet the expectations of the people of the state.

Looking at the socio-economic and political challenges facing Nigeria and considering your experience in politics and governance in other countries, what do you expect in 2023?

Nigeria has the potential to be a great power, not only in the sub-region but in the whole of Africa, as well as a key player in global affairs. But that potential is not to be taken for granted. We have to earn it by governing ourselves in ways that lift our economy, leading us to live in peace and allowing us to industrialise, as well as enable us to harness the tremendous human capital and population we have, so that our influence will be based on what we have done within our borders. We should be projected to others that are in Africa and all over the world so that people will respect Nigeria.

We hope that 2023 would be another opportunity for all political leaders to reflect on the key lessons in the last two political cycles of elections and to improve on where we fell short of expectations. We need to ensure that competent leaders who can deliver and are able to heal and unite the country are elected at all levels. This is because a house divided cannot stand. It is our hope to end up will leaders that would inspire us to greatness, not those that would ride to power by dividing us.

What about agitations for separation by various groups in the country?

Those who are agitating for division in one way or another are misguided. Nigeria is stronger as one entity. It will even be stronger if its economy grows fast enough, faster than its population. It will be a stronger country if all its youths are gainfully employed. It will be a peaceful country if justice forms the basis for all t we do, in terms of respect for laws of the land and administering all affairs with highest levels of integrity.

Nigeria will be a stronger country if leadership is seen as a call to serve, rather than an opportunity to enrich few individuals. We will be a stronger country if our economy becomes one that is inclusive, innovative and all citizens have a sense of belonging, whether they are farmers, traders, herders or fishermen. It is then that the country will prosper, and on the back of that prosperity we will earn the respect of all countries, not only in our region, but in the world.

Are we going to see you back to the political scene in 2023?

There are two aspects in terms of my understanding of how individuals can contribute in politics. There is participation, and then there is competition. Winning or losing an election or competition is only part of the story. Participation in politics is a responsibility that all citizens of this country have. If God wills we plan to continue to participate as we had done for many years in the past since holding the political position of a minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan.  Since then, we have opportunities to participate at critical junctures in the political system. I intend to continue to remain engaged and contribute my best at all appropriate stages towards good governance and development in Nigeria, Insha Allah.