By SUNDAY ISUWA

Alhaji Bello Abdulkadir is the national chairman, Patriotic Movement of Nigeria. In this interview with SUNDAY ISUWA, the former Secretary of Northern Elders Political Forum Consensus Candidate Committee in 2011 says PDP zoned it’s presidential ticket to the North because of its previous experience and other national issues.

What is patriotic movement of Nigeria all about?

Patriotic Movement of Nigeria was born out of the need to inculcate patriotism to Nigerians. The aims includes to mobilised and galvanized respectable Nigerians not minding their ethnicity, religion or tribe for the betterment and upliftment of the Nigerian state.

Some people are calling for restructuring while others are calling for a referendum. What is your group doing about it?

When you look at it from a very knowledgeable perspective, you will realized that these agitations are coming not because of anything, but as a result of failure of leadership in the past. The connotation for restructuring have different meaning to different people. To some, restructuring means the division of this country. To others, restructuring means institutional restructuring. That is, having the central unit intact. This is the group of thought we aligned with. Because if the institutions are restructured in such a way that they meet the aspiration of the people, and the people are better served, all this agitations won’t arise. On the question of referendum, I don’t know whether they are making it out of mischief or out of ignorant. The truth of the matter is that if we must talk about restructuring or referendum, we must follow what the constitution says. There is no way you can call for a referendum without looking at the constitution. So, as it is now, calling for a referendum entails doing a lot of work because you have to go back to the National Assembly and amend the constitution to accommodate a close for that. I am not saying it is difficult. It can be done but it is not something that can be achieved over night.

Is this process you mentioned advisable?

To me, let’s start with the restructuring first. If we make our institutions functional in such a way that can meet the needs of the people, there won’t be agitation.

You’ve gathered leaders in all the states of the federation. What is the aim of your group?

If you have been following the trend, you will know that there were a lot of tensions created concerning referendum, restructuring, quit notice and break-up. We look at it that most of the organizations that we have in the country are regionally base. So, we wanted a group that will hold the centre. In as much as the unity of this country is not cohesive, agitation of this nature will continue to linger. In as much as the centre is left alone, you will never get away with this kind of agitation. We now decided to close the vacuum that exist at the centre. That is why we came up with the name patriotic movement of Nigeria. And as patriots, our constituency is Nigeria and the unity of the people of Nigeria. To take it away from being an ethnic organization, we had to bring in people from different tribes, religion and regions of the country. This has given us an idea on how everyone in the country should be carried along.

Is your group political, human right or an economic empowerment group?

I want to say that our group entails everything you mentioned. You have to be part of the system to be able to effect some amount of change. You have to defend the right and opportunity of every Nigerian. We are after a better united Nigeria and our group captured everything you mentioned.

Will your group play part in deciding leaders that will emerge in 2019?

Obviously, if we are to go with our objectives as I earlier highlighted, we will definitely decide the kind of leaders Nigerians will elect into political offices. We want Nigerians to elect leaders that will be selfless, leaders that will be accountable, leaders that will be servants to the people. So, definitely, we will encourage the people to go for these kind of leaders. As I earlier said, what gave birth to all these agitation is lack of proper leadership. Leadership in the past have not been able to meet the yearning of Nigerians.

The APC has a Northern person as the president and the PDP has also zone the presidential ticket to the north. What is the thinking of the North?

I will want to answer this question in the context of the movement I am heading. As it is now, no body can be able to say that the incumbent president will contest or not until when the time comes. PDP, because of the previous experience it had, now zone it presidential ticket to the North. But for me to tell you that this is the person the North is going to present, I will be telling you lies because there are a lot of interest involved. It is until somebody tells you that he want to contest. That is when Nigerians will know. You cannot just go to someone and drag him into. The contest because he is from the north. That person must show interest before people will back you. As for the APC, we already have a seating president. Even though he has some health challenge, he will be the only one to decide whether to contest or not, whether the North will have to look for a replacement for him or not. Assuming he decides not to contest, remember, we have a constitution that will guide Nigerians. I think one Nigeria is what we should all yearn for. In whatever. We do, the unity of Nigeria should be paramount because without Nigeria, you can’t get the office you are aspiring for.

What is your call to Nigerians?

The patriotic movement of Nigeria is self finance. We are not out for any individual interest that is why if you look at our membership, it cut across political parties, lineage, religion and tribes. Our belief is to mobilised Nigerians and patriots alike for a solid and unify Nigerians state. On that basis, we have set the agenda of consultation, bringing together all the warren groups together, we are discussing with the traditional, opinion and religious leaders to a round table to know the importance of a unify Nigeria. I want to tell Nigerians that whatever demand you may have, there are better ways to achieved it and the constitution has already spelt out such. If you are not investing in peace, definitely, you will face some challenge in the feature. These are things we are working on. The interest of the country should be the first thing.

But how will your organization achieved this?

We have lined up activities that will include meeting our people, I mean Nigerians. This framework is broken down into the following and specific action plans: Consultation/Outreach/Multi-Stakeholder Buy-in. The PMN will facilitate wide-ranging multi-stakeholder consultations and outreach ventures to ensure an organic buy-in into its patriotic agenda centred around signing and endorsing its National Unity Pledge. Consultations will be segregated within the following national stakeholder clusters: Former Presidents/Heads of State/Vice/Deputies, Former Senate Presidents/Deputies/Speakers HOR/Deputies/Former Chief Justices of Nigeria, leading nationalists/elder statesmen, retired generals and retired top officers of the other security services.

Also, NASS leadership/Governors’ Forum/ALGON/Leadership of the leading political parties at all levels, Leadership of Ethnic nationalities groups like Ohaneze, ACF, Afenifere, Union of Niger Delta, Middle Belt Forum, will be contacted on this goal. Leadership of Inter-faith organizations/Leading traditional rulers/community leaders, leaders of various Women groups, Leading civil society platforms operating in the areas of peace-building/conflict resolution/democracy building/governance/human security and human infrastructure/economic development, Leading youth organizations and radical youth movements- IPOB, BIM, MASSOB, Arewa Youth Assembly, Middle Belt youth groups, Odu’a Youth organizations, Niger Delta Youth groups and so many of them will be contacted. We are also planning for a town-hall Meetings/Deconfliction Strategy Session. We are also developing structured multi-stakeholder public advocacy aimed at de-escalating inter-ethnic tensions and reducing the upsurge in separatist agitation and we will facilitate an integrated, dynamic and highly interactive town-hall meeting in Abuja which will bring together members of the various national stakeholder clusters as well as leading experts in the field of political science and conflict mediation for a robust exchange of ideas with all issues in the national question being in play. We will facilitate multi-layered ethno-sectarian deconfliction sessions in select locations in the North and South East and select conflict nerve centres in the South West and South South geopolitical zones; and facilitate non-state actors’ review of the presidential dialogue initiative and expected follow-up actions. There will also be public/Media space Advocacy both on social and the mainstream media.


http://leadership.ng/2017/07/21/pdp-zoned-ticket-north-previous-experience-abdulkadir/

Which experience, the ife killings?

vanbonattel:
Which experience, the ife killings?

No sire

The October 1st deadline

sarrki:



No sire

The October 1st deadline

Okay, but are they still holding the guys and women arrested from ILe ife?

So with all this cries

PDP still zoned the presidency to the north ?

I want someone

Not emergency analyst to tell me

Who will beat Buhari in the north ?

PDP has no choice


Even if Buhari "the people's Choice" decamps to PDP today, they stand no more chance at the National level again


If PDP by any chance wins again then many of us will join Nnamdi Kanu's "kurukere strategy " to struggle for the land of the rising sun

I can't fit laff.

vanbonattel:


Okay, but are they still holding the guys and women arrested from ILe ife?

Lol

sarrki:
So with all this cries

PDP still zoned the presidency to the north ?

I want someone

Not emergency analyst to tell me

Who will beat Buhari in the north ?

Nobody, except Shehu Shagari

greatiyk4u:
PDP has no choice


Even if Buhari "the people's Choice" decamps to PDP today, they stand no more chance at the National level again


If PDP wins again they many of us will join Nnamdi Kanu's "kurukere strategy " to struggle for the land of the rising sun

The whole country has no choice, either they restructure or else....... (because some ppl are already crying)

vanbonattel:


The whole country has no choice, either they referendum, restructure fully or implode.

Young man be careful in your words

sarrki:


Young man be careful in your words

Am a patriot

vanbonattel:


Am a patriot

A patriot won't use the word implode