Yar’Adua, PDP, Have No Respect For The Rule Of Law – Bafarawa

BafarawaThe recent nullification of the governorship elections in Sokoto State and the renomination of the deposed former governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamako, by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the same candidate for the run-off elections has generated much crisis in the state. The former governor of the state, founder and presidential candidate of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, in this interview with SEYI GESINDE in Abuja, speaks on the crisis, the role of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the EFCC factor and his relationship with Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, among other sundry national issues. Excerpts:

You are one of the founding fathers of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), but you eventually left to form your own party, what informed this?
That was one of the good things of democracy. When you are trying to practise your own ideology and some people think what you are doing is not practicable, that is enough for you to change party and leave with your vision, manifestoes and whatever you have in your blue print. Certain unfortunate things happen in this country, people see all those who present themselves to contest for the councillorship, governorship or presidency as politicians, but that is not true; there are mix-ups, there are people who are not qualified to be councillors or local government chairmen, but are governors or president(s) in this country. Their ambition is to become governors, and no matter what, they will not mind to go to any extent to ensure that their ambitions are fulfilled. But for me, I’m a professional politician who is not in politics to become a governor or the president; I am in politics so that we can help democracy to grow in this country.

People should understand what democracy means; it is bringing government near the people, and this is to foster their betterment. I’m a founding member of APP (All People’s Party) and ANPP (All Nigeria People’s Party) and then I decided to quit and form a political party which I think is a future political party, so we are not in a hurry, but we have to start from somewhere, that was what made me quit ANPP and form DPP (Democratic People’s Party).

But one would have thought with your level of involvement in Sokoto politics, your party would have produced the next governor of the state, especially when you were just leaving as a sitting governor, so what really happened?
There was no election in Sokoto, but you know, I was a peace-loving governor; I was brought up in that way. I’m as well not looking for power as a do-or-die affair. Before the elections took place, I knew I was not going to win, because the police, military and INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) were all biased. But we had to go for the elections because I knew history would tell and judge. I’m glad at what has happened, the tribunal having nullified the elections, because right from day one, if there was to be a free and fair election, definitely, there was no way I would not win in my state, but because of the intimidation that we saw during that election, that made us to lose the state, not through the votes cast, but by intimidation from the EFCC, military and police. They all collaborated together to take Sokoto from us.

Now that you are going for a re-run election, don’t you think those forces that you said robbed you of the victory are still there?
Even if they are there, we are going ahead to participate in the elections, let the people judge whatever anybody is going to do, that will not stop us from participating. If there is going to be a free and fair election in Sokoto State, by the grace of God, we are going to win it, no matter what. Also, I think if we are going to abide by the rules of the constitution, the Electoral Act, the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) does not have any room to contest again in the governorship elections, but they feel they are powerful, they can overrule any judgment, however, we are not folding our hands, that is why we took the PDP, INEC and the candidate to court for justice to be done.

That will still not stop us from preparing for the elections, we are only trying to show the whole world that the PDP is not respecting the rule of law, for making an attempt to produce a candidate who is not qualified to contest the elections because that was why the tribunal nullified the elections in the first instance. This election is only going to be for those who are qualified to contest. I don’t know how they are going to do it or perhaps they are going to change the rule; what are they going to do for their candidate to qualify, because the documents that got him removed are still there? We just want to show the whole world that this is what is going on in the state with the PDP and INEC, especially now that the PDP national government has said it will abide by the rule of law.

Don’t you foresee what happened in other states like Kogi and even Adamawa, the state of the former vice president Atiku Abubakar, happening again in Sokoto State, even with all the confidence of Atiku believing that his party, the Action Congress (AC) would win, he still lost?
I’m not going to be discouraged, not minding what happened in Kogi and Adamawa, we are going to face the elections squarely, provided there is going to be a free and fair election, even if it is not free and fair, people will judge that it isn’t free and fair, but at least we are going to participate and by the grace of God, we are going to win.

Another example is Kebbi State. The governorship election was also formerly nullified by the tribunal, but was restored back to the office by the Appeal Court, and the governor being an in-law to President Umaru Yar’Adua, people insinuated that Yar’Adua probably had a hand in influencing the court’s judgment, so don’t you think you need to restrategise because of the power that be?
When Yar’Adua came to office, he talked about respecting the rule of law, but a dozen and one cases challenging that have happened, with the particular case of Kebbi State where his son-in-law was involved, and then you hear that the mother-in-law went to Kaduna, begged the judge to help her so that she would not be ashamed and all sort of things. At least, people are seeing and taking note of all that is going on, and gradually we will see its end.

But with the case you have taken to the court, don’t you think that in a way you are delaying the elections?
We are trying to see that justice is done. We are not the judge, we are not the INEC, but we are trying to correct the anomaly. We can’t keep quiet because we want the elections to take place, we have to challenge the system where things go wrong, we can’t just close our eyes because we are in a hurry for the elections to take place, wherever we see mistakes, we have to challenge it and see that things are put in normal shape.

Like some of your colleagues, one would have expected you also to go for the senate and contribute those ideas of yours to debates in the chamber, but you rather went for the presidency, why not the senate?
After serving for eight years as a governor, I can’t go back again, thinking of being a senator. When my colleagues were looking for senate seats, I was looking for the presidency seat because I believe I had a vision, something to offer my country as I did for my state. So, my thinking is not to be a senator, that is why I contested for the presidency.

Then on the issue of the EFCC agents, they did not immediately run after you as they did with your colleagues as soon as they left office, what is the magic?
There is no magic. The EFCC is free to check anybody and if people don’t know, I was the only governor who invited the EFCC in writing to come to Sokoto and investigate the account I left in the state. I said I left money, but my successor said no. So, I invited the EFCC to investigate the account and see who was telling lies, either I or the governor, and thank God, two weeks before his election was nullified, he confessed that I left money. So it is not a question of magic but a question of what you have done, no matter how late or early, if you have done well, it will be known by all.

But you and your successor have been together for a long time, especially during your tenure as a governor, so presumably, one thinks you were friends, so what actually happened? What caused the problem between you and former governor Aliyu Wamako?
You see, that is the problem people are talking about, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve never in my life quarelled with Wamako, he too knows that. He decided to create a faction within our party and he brought it to the national level of the ANPP. He was supported because there was an agenda between him and former President Obasanjo and some of my colleagues, and as far as it was something I couldn’t afford, to see me fighting with Wamako on party issues, that was why I left the ANPP for him, so that there would be peace between me and him. I have never quarelled with Wamako.

That was one; two, people should know that there is no way I can join issues with Wamako, the writers - the pressmen who don’t even know what is between me and Wamako - are just writing all sorts of things. What is even making me sad is the way Sokoto is today, everybody in Sokoto knows there is no peace in Sokoto, you can see the thuggery, the thugs are going with weapons openly, harassing people into their houses, burning their vehicles and then they will come back to be covered by the government and security agents, this is the most annoying thing.

I don’t mind if there are thugs in the PDP, AC, DPP and every other place, let them be arrested and questioned, but unfortunately, the Sokoto we had in the last eight years, the last hundred years is not the Sokoto we have today, that is the most annoying thing and you will not expect me to feel happy about what is happening in Sokoto State today. I’m an elder statesman, I need peace in my state, Sokoto, so no matter what, reporters should not go ahead and start comparing me with Wamako, abusing me, it is most unfortunate, and nobody should do that.

Wamako served under me for seven years, we are together, so if my government is bad, Wamako was part and parcel of that government, and if it was good, he was equally part of the good that my government represented. So, for him to abuse me and my government, he is abusing himself. There is no way I will sit down and join issues with Wamako; when Wamako was eyeing governorship seat, I was eyeing the presidency, so, there is no way we can be compared.

Is that why Sokoto is in flames, or there are other reasons?
The indiscipline of the security agents, especially the police is the cause of the crisis. I was attacked by Wamako’s thugs in the eyes of the police, no arrest was made, even if you go to Wamako’s house today in Sokoto, you will see the thugs and how they are living. On two occasions, the Commissioner of Police went personally with mobile policemen to attack our governorship candidate in his house, even they fired into his house about a month ago. After that, two Sundays ago, over one hundred mobile policemen surrounded his house and when our people were attacked, we took the matter to the police, nothing was done, so you can see the injustice that is creating disunity and a lot of problems in Sokoto State, the records are there for people to see.

But with the strategic position of Sokoto State in the north, the calibre of its political leaders and their affiliations, don’t you think this crisis, if not well managed, can spread to other parts of the north?
That is my fear and the cause of my sadness. I’m supposed to be part of those elders who should be trying to restore peace back to the state, but unfortunately, I’m being somehow incapacitated by those who are comparing and joining me with Wamako, so whatever action I’m going to take, they will claim I’m doing it with an ulterior motive. Also, there are certain elders who are supposed to call everybody to order, but unfortunately, they are not doing so. They know themselves, but unfortunately, if things happen in Nigeria, you see them running to Abuja, trying to reconcile things, but sadly, there are things happening at their home base. You cannot just call yourself a leader and yet you are unable to control your house and put it in order, so you cannot deceive anybody that you are making peace all around the country when your home is on fire and you have not made any effort to quench it, that is the unfortunate situation we have in Sokoto State today.

Also how far have the Sultanate and Arewa been able to mediate in the crisis?
That is why I said I found myself in a fix, if not, I would be playing a role that would bring about peace, not only in Sokoto, but in other parts of the country where I can contribute my own quota. But now, my hands are tied. There are some people who are supposed to come in and ask for what is happening, see it by themselves, but they are all watching, so it’s a serious problem we have today in our home.

With the rate of development in the present democratic dispensation and given how the security agents are going about their job, what do you think the future holds?
We have seen what happened in Kogi and Adamawa States, let’s see what happens in Sokoto before I make a comment on that.

Outside Sokoto, you are a known friend to the former head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and when he gave his daughter out to the Zamfara State governor, you were there, people have insinuated that he is probably building the Zamfara State governor up for the presidency, come 2011. Do you, like others, think that he is trying to reproduce himself in power?
Babangida is a leader for all as far as I’m concerned. The unfortunate thing for Babangida is that he has only one daughter, if he had many, I’m sure you will see a lot of people coming to marry his daughter, not for any other thing, but because of his behaviour, as a gentle man. He doesn’t have many children, and you can see, that is why Mohammed, his son, took a second wife and Aisha married my younger brother, the governor of Zamfara State, so this is just a question of Babangida uniting himself with all parts of the country, and as you can see, his wife comes from Delta State, you can see he is a full Nigerian, he didn’t marry from the north and he equally didn’t take a second wife. I can assure you that if Babangida had a hundred daughters, by today, they all would have got married. Not because of the material gains people want from it, but because they want to identify with somebody like Babangida, because as I’ve said, Babangida is a gentle man to the core and my relationship with him is equally good and it will continue forever.

People believe that if someone associates with Babangida, it is a political blessing in a way, that you have arrived politically in the country, let alone giving you his daughter in marriage. Can you stress more on that?
Talking of Babangida, I’m not talking of the marriage relationship between me and him, it is beyond that and if it is for material gains, we would have fallen apart, it is natural. He believes in me, I believe in him.

In that same vein, one would have thought that Babangida and Gen. Muhammad Buhari would not relate together again, but recently, Buhari went to his house to congratulate him on his son’s wedding, can’t that same spirit be applied between you and Wamako?
If people will remember, I’m the first person to bring the two together in my house during my daughter’s wedding; they came to my house, so you can see I’m a peace-loving person.

Why did you do that?
Because we love ourselves, they, Babangida and Buhari, are our elders, and it is not good for us to take sides. I’m loyal to the two of them and seeing the two not being together, I was not happy, the best I could do was to bring them together so that we could move ourselves forward, being apart is not helping this country, so we want to see them together so that Nigeria can move forward.

As we see with the other tribes of the country, the Yoruba having somebody as their leader, the Ibos striving for that too, who is the Hausa leader?
Maybe because our population is higher than those of the Ibo and the Yoruba, our case is not the same, but we have our elders and we respect them. They have their reasons for taking only one person as their leader, but we are trying to have a lot of elders so that we can move together because we believe two heads are better than one. So when we have more elders we can benefit from all of them.

But before now we used to hear of Kaduna Mafia, where is the Mafia now?
You too you said you used to hear, you haven’t seen it, so wait and wait till the time you see it. You were hearing it and you haven’t seen it, so don’t let us talk of what you haven’t seen.

So are you saying it existed out of people’s imagination?
I think we have finished!