Shehu Yohana Kambile is the chairman of Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State. In this interview with journalists, he said that Nigerians would have a new lease of life come 2027 when ADC will form a new people-oriented government from ward to the federal level. ZEBULON AGOMUO brings the excerpt:
On May 29, Nigeria celebrated 26 years of uninterrupted democratic rule. What is your take on the journey so far?
So far, so good, because there is this saying that the worst democracy is better than the best military rule, but in terms of Nigeria we have witnessed so many challenges, especially the issue of insecurity and unemployment. Hunger has increased seriously especially under the All Progressive Congress (APC) administration from 2015 till date, but I believe that democracy has come to stay in the country. Our democratic journey started in 1999 with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with Obasanjo as the president and he put so many things in place which saw the arrival of GSM mobile phone and improvement in our communication life, and now we are really enjoying it. But now since the APC took over in 2015, Nigerians has not found things easy because they came with a propaganda mantra that they were going to change things for good by telling Nigerians things are going to be good but honestly things has gone from good to bad under the APC. Since APC came on board in 2015 you can see that inflation has gone up, insecurity, banditry and all vices are happening in Nigeria, and look at the Boko Haram resurgence again. And the question people are asking is, why again? You cannot get a job in Nigeria except you know people in high places or buy employment with millions of naira. It is very bad and unfortunate for us as Nigerians especially the youths whose parents will manage to train in the university and they end up roaming the streets of Nigeria with no job because you don’t have people in high places. So, come 2027, we in the opposition have to come together and form a coalition championed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the ADC is in the forefront of a coalition of people of like minds from different political parties because the ADC is the only party that is not corrupt and with the logo of love. Since last year, PRP has collapsed into the ADC and others have as well joined silently and we will make sure that the coalition works with one presidential candidate that will unseat the APC come 2027 and all the parties in the coalition will present their governorship, senatorial, House of Reps and House of Assembly members in their different states and challenge the sitting president, and by the grace of God, and the votes of Nigerians that have gone through massive poverty, hunger and living under fear in the last ten years of APC rule, we will succeed and form a government come 2027.
Africa Democratic Congress seems to be the new bride in Nigerian politics now. Why?
The Africa Democratic Congress was formed in early 2001 and we have been in the forefront of reforming the political system of the country and have participated in the elections with our presidential candidates of people with proven integrity up to 2003 but in 2023 we had so many challenges when we presented presidential candidate who fought the party leadership and at the end of the day, the party found out that he had so many corrupt allegations and the party had no choice than to withdrew his candidacy from INEC; so, the party had no presidential candidate. The party is not a corrupt party because if you go through the party constitution, we are for agricultural development of the country because you know that agriculture was the mainstay of the country’s economy in the 60s and 70s. By the grace of God, ADC will form the next federal government in Nigeria and Nigerians will feel the impact of good governance in the country because since APC came to power in 2015, it has not been easy at all with the citizens of this country. And the current government of Tinubu has worsened the situation with the removal of fuel subsidy which led to high cost of living. It is very unfortunate. By 2027, our candidates will go round to all the wards to campaign ward to ward and unit to unit, because there will be no corruption, no tribalism, no religious sentiment and everybody will be involved; that is why our logo is handshake, and love and we are going to accommodate everybody as far as you are not corrupt. The ADC is now the party to beat.
You said that insecurity has been a major problem in the country. How do you think Nigeria got it wrong security-wise?
It is just because of injustice in the country; just imagine a graduate with first class degree will not get a job but those with pass will get jobs. Is it good or does it encourage fairness and equity?
Adamawa First is the vehicle that you want to ride to victory in 2027. How prepared is the ADC for the governorship battle in Adamawa State ahead of 2027?
We are well prepared for the battle ahead. I want to tell you that Adamawa First was formed because of the suffering Adamawa people are going through and before Adamawa First was conceived we contested the 2023 gubernatorial election and we made our mark very positively which everybody saw. After the 2023 general election, we toured all the 226 wards, the three senatorial districts, the eight federal constituencies and the twenty-one local government areas. And after those engagements, people were saying though you people don’t have money, you are doing this, we will identify with you. And since 2023 we have been with ADC, enlightening our people about the party called ADC, our programmes, and the need to identify with us through Adamawa First.
Our party is a political party reckoned with in Adamawa State and the country at large and with our gubernatorial candidate, Mohammed Shuwa in 2023 and hopefully our candidate for 2027 who has worked so hard to sustain and made sure that ADC survived in Adamawa up till now, come 2027, the result will be clear for everybody to see. In fact, I can tell you that so many prominent people are trooping into Adamawa First because of the ideal of the organisation which is for the benefit of Adamawa citizens.
The ADC leadership under Mohammed Shuwa come 2027 will be built on empowering our people for the growth of the state because as I am talking with you, people are dying all over the country because of hunger and poverty but I promise you by the grace of God, with the expected coming of ADC in governance both at the federal and state level Nigerians will smile again. The All progressive Congress (APC) government since 2015 has abandoned the Nigerian masses because today whatever government is doing for the people they will hijack it among themselves and the common people on the street will benefit nothing.
How will you assess the government of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri in the last six years?
Honestly, I can tell you that the governor of Adamawa State has done well in infrastructural development of the state because there are so many projects going on in almost every local government of the state in the areas of healthcare, schools and roads. In fact, people now miss their way because of the infrastructural developments the governor has built.
He has rebuilt Madagali and Michika that were destroyed by Boko Haram with good roads and healthcare centres. The problem with Governor Fintiri is recycling old people like retired permanent secretaries, retired university professors and making them commissioners leaving out the youths. For me, it is not the right way to go at all and for any government to succeed, that government must give room for youths and women participation in governance but Fintiri government failed to do that.
All these SSAs, PAs appointed and hijacked by the commissioners and permanent secretaries should stop because it does not touch or reach the common people in Adamawa State; they should concentrate on the empowerment programme under Martins. This SA programme should stop immediately, and so I am calling on the People’s governor, His Excellency Umaru Fintiri to stop the appointment of SAs and focus on PAWECA which was created to empower youths, women and vulnerable groups in the society and to enhance the micro – economic development of the state and provide intervention on basic/primary issues geared towards value re-orientation and integration. I think the governor is using the facility built and the computer programme by Murtala Nyako, former governor of Adamawa State for this PAWECA programme where our children can learn different kinds of trades. The governor is on the right path with that programme and by the grace of God, we in the ADC is going to take over from him come 2027.
Finally, what is your message to Adamawa people in particular, and Nigerians as a whole?
My message to Nigerians and Adamawa state people is we should be patient and be focused because the battle ahead to redeem Adamawa state and Nigeria should be a collaborative effort.
You know that Adamawa state people are very educated, intelligent and resourceful and I am calling on the people of Adamawa state to vote massively for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2027.
They should avoid money politics and stop collecting wrappers and indomie.
They should guard their votes, avoid thuggery and violent acts and vote people with proven integrity, no matter their political party.
Nigerians should open their eyes and vote wisely not based on religion or tribe, because if they collect any bribe or gift, that is what they will eat in four years.
Nigerians should vote ADC from State Assembly to the national level and rest assured that there will be a genuine change..
