Daily Independent
(Lagos)
6 October 2008
interview
Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, former governor of the Old Kaduna State during the Second Republic and leader of the Conference of the Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) is seen by many as an unrepentant politician of the leftist extraction and an advocate of the Socialist economy and ideology.
He does not only preach it, he depicts it. The GRA Kaduna where he resides used to be the safe haven for the ubiquitous, but faceless and powerful Kaduna Mafia. But contrary to the expectation of a first time visitor, the modest residence of the former governor depicts the life of a Spartan - devoid of any comfort and luxury. In this interview with Kaduna Bureau Chief, SUKUJI BAKOJI, the astute politician bares on many national issues, including his experience in politics. Excerpts:
How do you react to the assertion by INEC that the commission is handicapped in prosecuting major offenders during the April 2007 elections because of the constitutional immunity, which they enjoy?
Well, it is a shameless lie told by INEC; because not all of them are covered by immunity. They talked about governors, ministers and other government's functionaries. But, in fact, only governors are covered by immunity. Ministers and other functionaries are not covered by immunity. And even in the case of governors and deputy governors, President and Vice President, if INEC really wanted to do their work, they ought just not regret inability to prosecute them. They should do better by investigating their malpractices, which affected the elections and exposed them; because there is nothing stopping INEC from investing and exposing even those who have immunity. It is only prosecution that they cannot do. So actually as I said, INEC told a shameless lie just for the purpose of deceiving Nigerians and hiding their treasonable actions by conspiring to derail the 2003 and 2007 elections. The PRP is still calling for the probe of the INEC in respect of their financial dealings and in respect of their conduct of elections, including the preparations leading to the elections. We believe INEC committed corrupt practices, which had been exposed by the Media. We believe INEC actually committed treasonable offences by conspiring to conduct fraudulent election leading to the illegitimate government that we are now battling with.
But don't you think that the call for the probe of INEC is belated considering the fact that attention has now been diverted to the health of Mr. President?
Well, only few Nigerians have been diverted towards the health of Mr. President. The vast majority of informed and involved Nigerians pray for his quick recovery. But that's all. They have not allowed themselves to be diverted by the health, as regrettable as it is. They are still pursuing their patriotic actions, by demanding corrective actions to deal with the negative state of the nation.
The main umpire at the elections, Professor Maurice Iwu, is still at the helm of affairs at INEC. Don't you think that he should be the one to be removed?
Well, I think we have gone beyond the removal of Iwu. Even if you replace Iwu it is the same thing. First, probe INEC over the conduct of elections in 2003 and 2007. Secondly, probe the financial dealings with INEC. Because a number of allegations of corruption have been made against INEC and we have heard nothing about it. Then, of course, after these, then you deal with the reorganisation of INEC, which includes completely new relevant electoral body that can conduct free, fair and legitimate election leading to legitimate government. Obviously, the INEC we see as relevant and capable of carrying out its responsibilities is an INEC, which involves political parties. In other words, the electoral body should include at least half, representing political parties, the other half representing civil society organisations like the NLC, the Nigerian Bar Associations, the youth organisations.
But President Yar'Adua had already inaugurated the Electoral Reform Committee. Is the opposition not comfortable with what the committee is doing?
I don't think any informed and involved Nigerians has confidence in the electoral reform committee for various reasons; but particularly, because Yar'Adua himself lacks the legitimacy, the moral authority to institute this reform because he is direct product of the fraudulent elections. So he cannot be expected to reform anything. His reform committee is meant to deceive Nigerians, buy time, and probably get acceptance and credibility. But, you know, the result now is everybody ignores this reform committee and the committee itself has found it almost impossible to win the confidence of Nigerians and to perform. So it has now ended as just one of the numberless number of committees that had been instituted in this country. I am quite sure by the time it submits its report, if it will submit at all, nobody will take notice of the submission of the report and the report itself.
The umbrella organisation for the opposition political parties, the Conference Of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), which you are the chairman has called on the National Assembly to set up a medical board of Don't you agree that this issue of the health of the President is over flogged. Many believe that the President should be left alone to do his work as long as he is still fit and has not said that he is sick and incapable of performing his official functions. After all Deleano Roosevelt of the United States who was crippled not only did his job but performed meritoriously as president during the Depression Period of 1930s?
What I said. Americans at that time and even now, have a standard, which was working. And because there was a standard, which has produced a leadership, which was working the role of the individual as crucial as it was, it was limited. Immediately, anything happens to the individual, the system will function immediately to remove any vacuum, to remove any negative result of the condition of health of the individual. The system and the leadership are there. But here, where is the system? Where is the leadership? Look at this issue of information. The President was sick and was overseas for over two weeks yet there was not a single information from the government in Nigeria. Can you imagine this happening in Britain, in America, in India, or even in Ghana? Can you imagine this happening? But it happened in Nigeria and it is still happening.
There are still lots of speculations trailing the sudden removal of Baba Gana Kingibe as the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF). What's your own comment on the matter?
Well, I don't think people should read too much into this. Because Baba Gana Kingibe as important as his post is, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, he is an appointee like any other appointee. He can be removed with the same ease that he was appointed. So unless we hear of something about the removal, I think we should just leave it as that. It is just a question of removal and replacement, and just face it.
But there is feeling that Kingibe was just a scapegoat whose removal was meant to divert attention from the health of the president. Do you think so?
Well, I wouldn't go to that extend until we know from the government. And you know one of the things we dislike about this government is lack of taking Nigerians into confidence and informing them about crucial issues. I mean even though the position of the SGF is not that crucial but definitely removal of the SGF means a little information to convince Nigerians that there is nothing wrong in the Government, nothing wrong about the running of government. But you know they failed to give that information. They just said he had been removed and replaced by someone.
The ruling party, PDP, has insisted that the President is medically fit to finish his first term and even go for the second term. How do you react to this argument?
What do you expect from a party like PDP, which even Obasanjo said, was not a political party but a political rally? What do you expect from them? Do you expect even any level of morality from the PDP when it still keep Obasanjo as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party in spite of his exposure as corrupt and immoral even at personal level, they still keep him. So what do you expect? Do you expect any moral standard from such a party?
There is this speculation that you know president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua very well and that he was your political adviser when you were governor of the People's Redemption Party (PRP) in the old Kaduna State. To what extent do you know the President as a person?
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