Sebastine Uremadu, a professor of Banking and Finance at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and political analyst, in this interview with UDOKA AGWU in Umuahia, explained why Ango Abdullahi, chairman of Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) and his group are opposed to the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari and the emergence of a president of Igbo extraction. Excerpts:
Recently, Ango Abdullahi, chairman of NEF reportedly said the decision of the group not to support the re-election of PMB stemmed from his non-performance in office. What is your reaction to such statement?
The reason why NEF is refusing to vote for PMB is because he has not complied with their entrenched northernisation policy. This is evidenced in their two-point advice to him that he should take concrete steps to address the abject poverty and under-development in the North and not in the whole Nigeria.
That has been the issue of these negative-minded northern elders who would not want Nigeria to be peacefully united to achieve her economic growth and greatness instead they continue to pursue northernisation agenda first initiated by Ahmadu Bello since 1952 when he became Premier of Northern region.
From the likes of Ango Abdullahi, you only hear north, north nay Nigeria unity and progress. It is quite unfortunate that they have so chosen to themselves, never to want Nigeria unite as one country to reap benefits of its greatness and resources in materials and human capital. It is really unfortunate.
Mr. President rightly knows his people that they have been wooing him with entreaties to cause him make commitment to their northernisation course or agenda that has never led Nigeria to anywhere in the past since it was instituted in 1952.
Now, they would want him crucified, but God will not permit their evil wish. For the fact that the President is for the whole Nigeria is the main reason why he should be encouraged to continue and people from the south ought to learn this and not reject him and opt for another who would come in to continue pursuit of northern agenda and not of Nigeria. A word is enough for the wise.
Finally, it must be noted that Aisha’s revelation of two powerful men in Buhari’sadministration influencing him negatively or rather slowing him down in his quest to unite and develop Nigeria has no correlation with what NEF members are postulating. Rather, those two big men by their negative actions have been wanting to compliment northernisation policy of NEF and that they draw from Sarduana’s 1952 policy which he told British that he was openly pursuing without minding its negative implications/consequences on the entire unity and development of the entire Nigeria.
However, two other core reasons why Ango Abdullahi would never want PMB re-elected in the forthcoming election are to have another northerner to rule for eight years instead of four years of Buhari in his 2nd term and for the fact that he has promised to support an Igbo to emerge as president in 2023 through principles of rotational presidency.
What is your take on Fashola and Osinbajo who while campaigning recently for Buhari in the South-west told the Yorubas that to be sure power comes back to South-west in 2023, they should vote for Buhari?
They are being mischievous, greedy and tribal in their disposition in this matter towards Ndigbo interest in producing next president in 2023. Major political parties in Nigeria have been zoning Presidential slots to six geo-political zones in the country since 1999 (SW, NW, SS, SE,NE andNC). This based on our level of democratic development and the system has to go round among the six zones before leaving it open to any qualified Nigerian from among political parties no matter the zone he or she comes from.
Being that Yorubas (S/W) took the first slot in 1999 in Obasanjo, then Shehu Yar’Adua was selected by PDP in 2007 from NW (Hausas) and made President of Nigeria with Goodluck Jonathan as his Vice president. Two years into his first tenure Yar’Adua died and Jonathan completed his tenure and did another four years from 2011-2015, and PMB took over from him in 2015 to continue in for NW and by 2023 power would be shifted to the South if PMB wins the forthcoming election which would be the turn of South-East to produce president of Nigeria, if Nigeria truly wants a peaceful and united Nigeria.
Igbo of SE make up the three tripod stands on which Nigeria leans and you cannot sideline them based on any sentiment or ethnic hatred. President Buhari has said on a number of occasions that he would support Igbo presidency when the time comes.
It is now left for Ndigbo to back his second tenure bid in 2019 by massively voting for him in the forthcoming election. However, this should not be used as a condition for zoning Presidency to South-East in 2023 as Victor Ndoma-Egba has rightly pointed out.
It is the turn of the SE whether they vote massively for Buhari or moderately for him. In other words, there should be no conditionality attached for the South-East to utilise their slot because in1999 when the whole Nigeria decided to make a South-West Yoruba man, Olusegun Obasanjo president, the Yorubas never voted for him, rather they voted for Olu Falae of AD, their tribal party that was founded by Tinubu and other prominent Yorubas. So, both the Yorubas and Hausas should stop placing condition for an Igbo President come 2023 should PMB win in the forthcoming election.
No doubt, all signs point to him winning 2019 election to complete his two-term tenure because he has been performing in the three areas he assigned himself to pursue—diversification of the economy through Agriculture, fight against corruption and determined efforts in fighting insurgency to the barest minimum and we have been seeing results in these regards.
Additionally, he has been making giant strides in reducing infrastructural deficits, building roads/bridges and all worth and these are laudable projects that should earn him second tenure in office.
My advice to the Igbos is to try and vote massively for Buhari in the forthcoming elections.
