Northern govs in Jonathan’s camp are deceiving him –Shehu Sani
by AZA MSUE on Sep 15, 2013

Mallam Shehu Sani is the president, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria (CRCN) and a governorship aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC. Sani’s activism earned him a death sentence during the late General Sani Abacha’s regime. He was incarcerated at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison with the late Shehu Yar’Adua, MKO Abiola and former president Olusegun Obasanjo. In this interview with Aza Msue, he said that the northern governors in the President’s camp will disappoint him adding that Jonathan has appeased the North more than his South-South kinsmen, among other issues. Excerpts


What is your view on the threat by ex-militants regarding Jonathan’s election in 2015?

The Niger Delta militants do not represent the interest and views of the people of the South-South. They represent their own personal interest, greed, want and extortionist ideology. They are neither freedom fighters nor are they fighting for the rights of the people of Niger Delta; they are capitalising on their greed and exploiting the plights of their own people. There is nowhere in any part of the world where a woman or man that claims to be fighting for the right of the people will also be making some personal claims. The militants are part of the Niger Delta bourgeoisie (rich class). They have become an arm of the rich class in the Niger Delta. They claim to be fighting for the right of the people while at the same time making personal claims and insisting that they should be paid and rewarded. The amnesty programme that entails billions of taxpayers’ money being paid to ex-militants clearly denotes that the struggle which they have been waging is simply about being compensated.

We fought and went to prison for democracy, we made sacrifices in this country and mobilised against military rule. Some were killed, others were pushed into exile. I spent so many years fighting to bring an end to military rule and restore our country. If someone like me is not asking to be compensated for what we have done because we see it as a call to service and a call to our conscience, there is no reason why an ex-militant should simply demand compensation.

Their defence of Jonathan is because they know that without him they will be an end to their extortion. Their so-called emoluments, contracts and massive amount of money that is unnecessarily pumped to them, their lives and Jonathan’s are tied together because they see him as somebody who represent their own personal interest, and not that of the Niger Delta. As Nigerians, they have the right to support Jonathan but they have no right to threaten anybody who does not want to support Jonathan. Jonathan is one of the most incompetent presidents we have ever had in the history of Nigeria; his government and style have been dividing more Nigerians than uniting them, and he has unleashed a regime that has impoverished Nigerians and dislocated the economy. Corruption is pervasive and Nigerians have lost hope and even members of his own class have decided to revolt against him, which clearly testifies that he is a president that has failed. As such the Niger Delta militants should know that what is good for them is not good for Nigeria and is not even good for the people of Niger Delta.


How would you describe threats from terrorists and considering the United States’ prediction that Nigeria would break up in 2015?

Nigeria will not break up in 2015. There will be Nigeria and we have surmounted problems as a country. We have overcome the period of post-independent military rule, civil war, ethno-religious crisis, ethnic militia and we are now enduring the insurgency that is going on in some parts of the North. Nigeria has passed through a series of political trials, crises, challenges and has emerged from such. I have no doubt that the country will overcome all this. The threat from militants of the Niger Delta are even alienating those who are supporting President Goodluck Jonathan because he cannot win election by himself.

Going by the present calculations, what Jonathan and the militants should do is to try and win back their friends and not try to alienate and threaten them. You have 11 APC states that are opposing Jonathan and you have seven PDP governors that are also opposing him. It is wishful thinking for somebody to say states like Katsina, Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi and Kebbi are for Jonathan simply because their governors are for Jonathan. They are never for Jonathan. Those that will end up voting Jonathan are those from the South-South who will like to go with someone who has come from their area and some part of the East who have perhaps refused to join and see vision with the APC. Apart from that, I do not see anywhere even in the Middle Belt (only Benue and Plateau that are saying that they are from Middle Belt), even at that you can see voices of some of their leaders regretting voting for Jonathan because they have not seen meaningful transformation from him.

Considering the crises rocking the PDP now, what is your view on APC?

I think what the All Progressives Congress, APC should do is to learn from the crises in the PDP. It should avoid those mistakes. What divided PDP are absence of internal democracy, which is the politics of imposition and manipulation; dictatorship; politics without principles; politics without the people, and corruption, so APC needs to look at all these factors so that it will clearly avoid them and exploit the situation. APC should reach out to the seven governors with a view to accommodating them and reforming the alliance to take over governance in Nigeria because these seven governors are the key to whoever is going to win the 2015 election. If we allow them to go back to PDP, they will emerge stronger but if APC wins them over, we have added to the number and strength. We will simply take over government. These are the issues, so these few days are very critical, not just for PDP but the seven governors in deciding the fate of PDP and APC.

Do you see Alhaji Atiku Abubakar fight to finish or backing out half way?

Atiku belongs to the rich political class. He so much believes in the existing system and he is not different from those who are in power… the ideas of free market, capitalism, but I think that he is a bit different. He holds some principles and views for the very fact that he is a man who likes social issues. I do not see the possibility of his backing out because he has not been known to be someone who can go back on his views. Once he throws a dice he throws his heart on the ring. In this sense, I can tell you very well that Jonathan has wasted the goodwill of Nigerians. Northerners came out en-masse to vote for him even when some of us said they should not vote for him. To be fair to him, no government in Nigeria has appointed so many northerners into government than that of Jonathan but appointment is one thing and performance is another. Jonathan has appeased northerners more than even the South-South but those people he thought he has appointed to cover his inefficiency and failures have not been able to help matters. His vice-president he selected to help has not been able to douse the tension even within his state as far as opposition to Jonathan is concerned. I am conducting this interview with you in my house here in Kaduna but I want you to go round this part of Kaduna city.

Here in Kaduna, we have Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun and Igabi. Show me any house where you will see the picture of Goodluck Jonathan. You will never see his poster even in election period. In the Christian side of Kaduna State, there are more of my pictures than his. I can tell you that this is the city where I was born. There is no family here that we do not know and will say ‘we are for Jonathan’. This is where the vice-president comes from, so he cannot even win over the city for Jonathan. You can see that Jonathan’s strategy of appointing northerners in top positions has not helped matters beloses cause those people are part of the rich class who cling to any person as far as they can be appointed in top positions. He would have been a honourable man if he had limited his quest for power. I would advise that he should not contest than for him to be defeated because Niger Delta problem will not be solved even if he remains president for the next eight years. The way Jonathan is going about it, he will lose election and then his people will lose the respect and sympathy they have with other Nigerians.

You spoke about the inability of the Vice-President to garner support for the President; what do you mean by that?

For Jonathan to choose Namadi, he must have gone for loyalty but loyalty is one thing and having the command, respect, control and capacity to mobilise is another thing. Namadi is a loyal Vice- President to Jonathan because anything he says he will accept. I am not asking Jonathan to drop him and pick another Vice-President because whoever he picks as running mate, he is not going to win. What I will ask Jonathan to do as a young president is to go back and rest. What we need right now is fresh government with fresh ideas and good policies to deliver Nigeria from bad governance, corruption, deceit and violence.

Based on current happenings in the country, what is your assessment of the Jonathan administration compared to the previous military dictators?

There is no basis for comparison. Jonathan is by law the constitutional and democratically elected president of the country. He has his tyrannical tendencies the way he was manipulating his party and using the police to go after his party associates who have opposed him. He has imposed a state of emergency that has led to all sorts of atrocities. Despite these, he cannot be equated to a military dictator. He is still a democratically elected president; there is the constitution and the National Assembly, but he has the tendencies of a dictator which is common to all African leaders.

With your posters pasted all over Kaduna State, what is your intention in 2015?

The last time I stood up, I wanted to contest for the senatorial seat but I was denied the opportunity. There was no primary election and the candidate was imposed, who is now a senator. My supporters in Kaduna central senatorial zone have decided on their own to print posters and paste around but my supporters who are not from this zone who are in Southern Kaduna Christian area and Northern Kaduna, Zaria area have also printed posters and pasted round and said they want me to contest for governorship. I know very well that we will settle it out in the primaries and present ourselves to the masses. I am part of those that will contest in 2015 election.

Now that there is a merger, if the APC denies General Muhammadu Buhari the presidential ticket, what would be your steps knowing that the North is his stronghold?

As a democrat, you offered yourself in an election. If you lose and the process was fair, you accept the result; simple. If Buhari offers to contest and he beloses, then whoever wins will carry the ticket of the party. He has said it himself, but if there is manipulation, that is where we will have problems. If there is imposition, we’ll have problem. We had manipulations in the last CPC primaries; that is why CPC has not been able to make any strong presence in terms of wining states and I think they have learnt their lessons. They know that imposing an unpopular candidate will not work. What we should know is that Buhari is a rallying point to most people in the North. I know he has a strong followership but if anybody will win he will do a harder work to convince the people. If he loses election on a fair platform, he has the capacity to calm people not to constitute violence because some of his supporters are also fanatical about him.

If Buhari finally picks the ticket, do you think he can beat Jonathan?

Jonathan could have simply had the chance to win without the crisis that has come now. The crisis in his party, the fact that APC is waxing stronger and that he has not been able to do his home work very well, he would not be able to win in 2015 general election. The simple arithmetic is: 11 states are opposing Jonathan and seven governors are opposing him. Even in those states he seems to have support, the masses might not likely vote him. So Buhari will win the 2015 presidential election and would be sworn in as the democratically elected president.

Would the Yoruba vote Buhari this time because in 2011 election, they voted for Jonathan?

This time round, the initiation comes from them and the merger is beyond the control of one section of the country. The political equation that will bring a Yoruba man as a vicepresident will favour the Yoruba race very well and the feature of the APC is with them and not the PDP. If you look at this, you will believe that they will certainly vote for Buhari. APC will definitely win the 2015 election by God’s grace.

Apart from General Buhari in the North, have you seen any other candidate else?

Balarabe Musa is a good candidate. I believe Col Dangiwa Umar is also a good candidate to also contest and we have so many of them. Among the seven governors, you have credible personalities that can still win. The governor of Niger State is there; Sule Lamido also has progressive credentials and Musa Kwankwaso has also performed creditably. He can as well contest the 2015 elections. On the side of the APC, all of them can perform very well.

There are speculations that Major al-Mustapha or Malam Nasir el-Rufai would contest if Buhari is not keen, what is your view on this?

I do not believe in that speculation and I do not think it is true for him to simply come out from nowhere and go in APC and contest elections. I do not think it is technically possible.

Usbeel: Make Jonathan stop deceiving him self ooh! He think say Bauchi will vote for him after all he never even visit the state since his election? He think say Gov. Isa Yuguda and Minister Bala Muhammad will vote for him? Hahahaha I swear they won't, indeed them go all leave PDP by 2015 as well as he will contest. This man goi see wonders, even Asari Dokubo that keep blasting 'their will be blood shed' will not vote for Jonathan, them go just chop his money and leave! Even his V.P Sambo is not going to vote for him(Sambo is presently in Borno flagging off Saudi flight together with APC governor and high officials)

STUPENDOUS8888: I am from middle belt and I can say that we do NOT like Jonathan here!

He is too daft and foolish. What has he done for us? Nothing!

chukwudi44:

Bros did GEJ win in Bauchi in 2011? Abeg leave that matter jare.This man is a hausa man what else do you want him to say? Do you really believe southern kadunna will vote for a northern muslim? It is even easir for APC to win in the east than in places like southern Kadunna

TechyGuy:

Busted!!!!!

STUPENDOUS8888 Profile
Time registered: September 15, 2013
Time spent online: 23 minutes & 45 seconds
Last seen: 9:57am
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APC laptop crew will never stop amazing us.

TechyGuy:

Busted!!!!!

STUPENDOUS8888 Profile
Time registered: September 15, 2013
Time spent online: 23 minutes & 45 seconds
Last seen: 9:57am
View STUPENDOUS8888's posts (5) | View STUPENDOUS8888's topics (0)

APC laptop crew will never stop amazing us.

STUPENDOUS8888:

Yes, I just joined the forum today. What is your problem?

Isn't this one of the rules: 10. Don't expose the identity or post pictures of any Nairaland member without his/her consent.

STUPENDOUS8888: We CANNOT blame the government for this. GEJ is the best thing to ever happen to Nigeria, so I don't care that some kids cannot read.

STUPENDOUS8888: I am from middle belt and I can say that we do NOT like Jonathan here!

He is too daft and foolish. What has he done for us? Nothing!

Usbeel:
Jonathan did not win in Bauchi, Only PDP governors use to win Bauchi but not President, PDP will never win in Bauchi

TechyGuy:

But again I got this from your posts:


https://www.nairaland.com/1439862/nigeria-biggest-embarrassment#18132666


Who are you?
Confucious?!

STUPENDOUS8888:

Yes, I just joined the forum today. What is your problem?

Isn't this one of the rules: 10. Don't expose the identity or post pictures of any Nairaland member without his/her consent.

STUPENDOUS8888: I am from middle belt and I can say that we do NOT like Jonathan here!

He is too daft and foolish. What has he done for us? Nothing!

Usbeel:
Not just middle the whole nation, what has he done? How many promises did he made during his campaign?

Sincere 9gerian: "Northerners came out en-masse to vote for him even when some of us said they should not vote for him"
-Shehu Sani

Isn't an irony that the above statement came from one of the northerners who vehemently opposed GEJ's election in 2011?
http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/generaltopics/shehu-sani-warns-jonathan-against-contesting-2011-presidential-election/
http://www.gbooza.com/group/nigeriapolitics/forum/topics/2011-how-north-will-defeat#axzz2ewwzLfSo

"To be fair to him (GEJ), no government in Nigeria has appointed so many northerners into government than that of Jonathan"
-Shehu Sani

Atleast Shehu has confirmed by the above statement that the fierce opposition to GEJ from certain elements from the north is not because GEJ is marginalising the north or any part of the country, whether in terms of appointments or project execution. So why the fierce opposition? Why the pull-him-down syndrome? I can only see heavy dose of tribal bigotry at work

STUPENDOUS8888:

Are you some kind of stalker? Stop STALKING ME!!!

This is scary. I am never joining an online forum again. Tooooo many weirdos. Are you guys really paid to do this? Harass people that don't like your oga?

geeez: I'm surprised he doesn't know this

GEJ lost the north in 2011 and only got there because the SW gave him the votes

In 2015, he may not be so lucky

Wily1Wily:
Yoruba man, tell me one single Yoruba leader that is better than Jonathan

chukwudi44:

Bros GEJ beat buhari by 10m votes and the SW(including millions of igbos +others in lagos) gave him just 4m votes out of his 22m.so even if you remove this 4m from his votes he will still beat Buhari by 6m votes