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APC no threat to PDP in KebbiShuiabu Yusuf Mungadi is an experienced journalist who recently joined politics. In this interview, he speaks on various issues regarding Kebbi politics. Excerpts:
Many candidates aspiring for the governorship position emerged from both PDP and opposition parties come 2015. How do you foresee the chances of the state PDP or opposition parties?
I think this is a good observation. We can see that in Kebbi State, the APC, which is a very popular opposition party and PDP, the ruling party are having more candidates. This is because the opposition parties are becoming more pronounced and the ruling party is having more candidates and becoming popular too. Democracy is deemed not to be working in a situation where election is approaching and candidates or people are reluctant to contest. But now that there is influx of contestants, it shows that democracy is actually working; it shows that there are people in Kebbi State and its shows that Nigeria’s Democracy is also growing. I think the emergence of many candidates from both political parties is not a new thing and is not a threat also in the conduct of election anyway. This is because people are used to give and take, people now have the spirit of sportsmanship; people are used to contesting and also discussing, developing and raising concern.
So, going by your explanations, do you think PDP will win the election in Kebbi?
Anybody, whether a politician or non-politician, can equally predict that this party is stronger going by its activities, going by the contents of leadership and going by the qualities of its candidate.
PDP has been a strong party from inception; it has never been beaten in Kebbi State, it has always been the strongest party. Yes, a second political party ruled Kebbi for over eight years but we all know that the party was weaker then. The PDP came as a child of circumstance; it came because it took advantage of the then crisis with the PDP and emerged victorious, not victorious in election but actually victorious in advantage and that’s how Adamu Aliero became the governor of Kebbi State. Today, PDP is much more organized because we know democracy has grown older and more formidable than it used to be and today also, elites are leading. I don’t see APC as a threat, the party needs to have more qualitative opposition, more qualitative candidate; up to this time, nobody from APC came out to say this is our plan and nobody from APC came to address the people of Kebbi State on why the PDP should not be elected. I don’t know whether they are afraid or they are intimidated by the power of the PDP but actually, they should be up and doing if they really want to contest any election and make meaningful outing. But I think, to answer your question, nothing seems to be stopping the PDP. I can say no, it will win but nothing seems to be stopping it; I have not seen a formidable member from the opposition parties that can stop it.
You worked tirelessly as a group and marketed Alhaji Saidu Nasamu Dakingari, who became the governor of Kebbi State since 2007 to date, how do you assess his tenure in office?
Yes, since when I was in active journalism, I took my time to observe and analyse all political parties that emerged in Kebbi State and I saw PDP as my future political party then. I had interest in politics and I knew if I were to join politics, I would join PDP. I saw some political associates with brain, like minds; I saw some political godfathers with meaningful connections, who could actually give me a lift in the political journal. And I saw also a political party that was even now more accepted by the grassroots in Kebbi State. I cannot see myself contributing to build a house just for me to vacate that house after it is built and completed. Those who came and left, if you follow their history carefully, you will know that they have not been in the PDP earlier; they were from the opposition even before the merger and now, the merger came and they left the opposition to the PDP. The motive was not to build the party, the motive was to gain from the party and the business of politics is not done that way. If you really want to benefit from the profit or the spoil of democracy, you need to also give a hand in building the political party. So, they came as strangers and just as we are trying to accommodate them, they wanted to dominate the platform and when they found that it was not possible, they wanted to hijack so many structures and when found, it was possible they found their way. So, nobody missed anybody that left the party and when they left the PDP. They have nothing to contribute even while in the party. So, since they don’t contribute, we don’t miss their stay or their absence. However, on the tenure of Governor Nasamu Dakingaro, he is a human being, we actually did what we can to bring him to power and God in His infinite mercy decided also to favour him and make him a governor. He is a as good leader as far I am concerned. He is honest and trust worthy, he is hardworking. Dakingari is a very intelligent person but, Dakingari is not a good democrat; yes, he is my governor and I like him but he is not democrat. I have been defending him in many forums but, when the truth came, one has to say it as it is. He is not a good democrat because he is not open. Democracy is all about participation, the government of Dakingari is not as participatory as it should be. This man should have opened-up so that people can contribute meaningfully. In the first place, he had made a mistake. He constituted a cabinet not capable of helping him. Most of his aides have nothing to contribute to the government because when you give somebody an advice that’s bigger than him, what he should try to do is to squeeze that office to his size. But, if you give somebody an office that is very small to him, what he will do is to expand it.
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APC no threat to PDP in Kebbi
Description : LATEST UPDATE: APC no threat to PDP in Kebbi Shuiabu Yusuf Mungadi is an experienced journalist who recently joined politics. In this interv...
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