The issue of killings by herdsmen being a source of concern to many in the country, what do you think is the solution?
It is sad that Nigeria is gradually being turned into a state of blood as a result of killings by the herdsmen, and clashes between farmers and herdsmen. From Benue to Taraba, to Nasarawa, Zamfara and other places, including some places in the southern parts of the country, killings by the herdsmen has become a worrisome development. But we must find a way to provide a lasting solution because farmers who plant crops do so in order to reap profits, for them farming is a means of livelihood and also for the Fulani herdsmen, their cows must survive, they must graze, then what is the solution? The solution is for cattle owners to start building ranches. Cattle rearing is a big business, a big commercial venture, so those who are involved must be ready to spend money to secure their business, and the only way to do that is for them to start building ranches as it is being done in other parts of the world. That is the modern practice, and through that way, there will be peace. Enough of bloodletting. It is only here in Nigeria that cows have become kings of the road.
Ahead of preparations for the 2019 general elections and now that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been registering new political parties even though some people are of the opinion that the parties we have are too many, can we get your reaction on this?
I am also of the view that we have too many political parties. However, INEC should not be blamed for registration of new political parties. INEC is just complying with the provision of the nation’s electoral act which stipulates certain criteria and conditions to be met by those wishing to float new political parties, and any group or association that met those criteria are bound to be registered by INEC. There is nothing anybody can do about the new parties, it is left for Nigerians to accept or reject them.
The idea of a Third Force to wrest power from PDP and APC has become popular among some Nigerians, what is your reaction to that?
There is nothing wrong with a Third Force, it is part of politics, and in politics political alignment, is nothing strange. There is nothing wrong with it,. It’s part of political processes, but what I disagree with is the habit of some of our politicians who can’t tolerate the idea of being in opposition for a second. There are some politicians, the moment their party lose power, you see them cross-carpeting to the new ruling political party. That’s not genuine politics, but it is the popular politics being played in this clime.
Look at a country like UK, there was a time the Labour Party was in opposition for 18 years and yet, none of the party members left to join the then ruling Conservative Party. But in Nigeria, that’s not the practice. Look at the number of PDP members that have cross-carpeted to APC. Is that progressive politics? It is sad that many people who profess to be politicians in Nigeria are just looking for what to eat, and that is why they are not principled and reliable, you only see them in places where their bread can be buttered. Most of the so-called politicians in Nigeria don’thave principle; they lack political ideology.
What is your view on Coalition Movement for Nigeria (CMN) being floated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo?
Apart from Obasanjo, I don’t know much yet about other characters that are part of the movement. Although Obasanjo’s voice is very strong, but I don’t know how he wants to go about the whole thing. I don’t know how he wants to get the desired change he craved for Nigeria. Why do I say this? Without having a political platform, it will be difficult to effect any change, and Obasanjo’s coalition movement is not a political party. If Obasanjo’s coalition movement doesn’t transform into a political platform or party, nothing will come out of its efforts.
Agreed Obasanjo is a very strong personality, without a political platform, there is nothing he can do or achieve regarding the change he claimed he desired for Nigeria.
But there has been alignment and realignment of political forces with the promoters claiming that the main objective of what they are doing is to ensure that Nigerians get an alternative to the PDP and APC, while some believe that there is no alternative yet to the APC and PDP, do you also believe so?
We should not just dismiss those people and groups involved in the ongoing alignment and realignment of forces with a wave of the hand. Nobody knows what can happen tomorrow. Before 2015 general elections, when those groups that eventually crystallised into the APC started meeting, some Nigerians didn’t take them serious but at the end of the day we all know what happened, how the APC eventually defeated the PDP. In politics, anything can happen. Nobody or group should be underrated. I don’t underrate anybody in politics.
The only group that I know that could have formidable political party if they are united is Nigerian workers. If Nigerian workers have been united, the Labour Party would have been a formidable party, but unfortunately the Nigerian workers even though have very strong structure, but the workers are not united.
How do you see PDP faring in 2019?
Like I said earlier, in politics anything can happen. Nobody should underrate the PDP. The PDP will bounce back in a very big way if we can get our acts right. We must, however, realise that PDP bouncing back will not be on a platter of gold, we have to work very hard. Again, everything will depend on how the party’s affairs is being steered by the national leadership of the party. For the PDP to bounce back in a big way, it is going to be a collective efforts, but surely it will be suicidal for the APC to underrate the PDP or write the PDP off.
What is your take on the reordering of 2019 general elections by the National Assembly, which has become a subject of debate and controversy with some Nigerians saying that the lawmakers action was targeted at some people especially President Muhammadu Buhari?
There is nothing you do in this country that some people will not read meaning into it. What members of the National Assembly have done by reordering the 2019 general elections to start with is that the National Assembly has reordered the elections in the best interest of democracy and Nigerians.
More so, this is not the first time that general elections will start with the National Assembly first. The fact that we reordered that elections should not start with the Presidential election first as it was done the last time in 2015 didn’t mean that our action is targeted at President Buhari or any other individual. Those saying that President Buhari is being targeted are being mischievous.
The question Nigerians should ask those saying that is whether the APC lawmakers were not part of the decision, or is President Buhari no longer an APC member? What about Senate President, and the House Speaker, are they not APC members like President Buhari?
National Assembly members in their own wisdom have decided that National Assembly elections should come first, and this is the consensus by all members and our decision was taken in national interests, Nigerians should ignore those people reading meaning into our actions. As lawmakers, we are patriots and in whatever we do, Nigeria comes first.
You were a former Deputy President of NLC, and also former Secretary-General of NUPENG, how do you see the perennial fuel crisis in the country?
It is a big shame that Nigeria as an oil producing nation is having this problem. Our hope is that things will be sorted out very soon. The National Assembly and other stakeholders have also intervened, and we are taking measures that we hope will resolve the problem once and for all.
There is a lot of confusion in the oil industry, and this is why the sector need to be sanitised. Successive governments have been spending a lot of money on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of our refineries, but yet there have been no tangible result as we still continue to have fuel crisis every now and then. Our refineries need to be operating at maximum level, but sadly it is still far from that. It is unfair, very unfair for Nigerians to be suffering from perennial fuel crisis when they are aware that their nation is an oil producing country.
For those who are saying that President Buhari should relinquish the Petroleum Ministry portfolio, I don’t think that will solve the problem. When Obasanjo was in office, he also made himself Minister of Petroleum, but the problem was still there throughout his tenure.
APC has finally agreed to restructure the country, but some Nigerians are being skeptical about the party’s promise, what is your reaction to this?
For those doubting the APC, certainly, they have their reasons. But one of the reasons which I know that is making some Nigerians to be doubting the APC’s sincerity is that until now, APC has expressed reservations about restructuring, and actually opposed it.
and then