Kano — Alhaji Shehu Yusuf Kura, a journalist-turned-politician is a leading member of the Shekarau Political Action Committee (SHEPAC), the group that is working to ensure that Kano State governor Ibrahim Shekarau flies the flag of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2011 presidential elections. In this interview with Daily Trust, Kura speaks on SHEPAC and the ongoing electoral reforms, among many other issues.

Excerpts:

Many politicians in the country are concerned about the snail-pace that characterizes the proposed electoral reform, are you also disturbed by that development?

It is widely believed that there is a need for fundamental electoral reform in Nigeria. All election observers in 2007 have attested to the flaws that characterized the elections. Even the President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'adua, himself has attested to the fact that there were irregularities in the election that brought him to power. That was why he set up the Uwais Panel to go round the country to gather data, views and opinions so that we can have a credible, sustainable and internationally recognized electoral system. That has not happen because the President has not done anything beyond presenting some bills to the National Assembly and that of course is not a solution. The President has to pursue the bill to see that it is passed into law as 2011 is fast approaching.

In the interest of democracy and even the African continent, Nigeria needs to have a sound electoral system that would put the future elections of the country on a sound footing. But the President is not doing very well in that regard. Worse still, the National Assembly is reluctant in seeing that any elect oral reform comes to fruition. However, as concerned Nigerians we are doing everything possible to push for an electoral reform. This is why the Shekarau Political Action Committee (SHEPAC) has expresses support for the efforts of the CNPP, non-governmental organisations and other political groups that are pushing for credible and durable electoral system in this country.

How do you see the agitations that all elected officials should not take oath of office until pending election petitions are determined?

That is a very good suggestion. It is even part of our recommendations at the Kano State Electoral and Constitutional Amendment Committee. It is part of our recommendations that when an election takes place, the presumed winner should not take oath of office until all legal cases are settled.

The PDP in its own wisdom, however, is opposing this idea because it does not want any credible electoral reform in this country. It drives some of us crazy how PDP wants to determine what is good and what is not good for elections in Nigeria. That is not acceptable because it is the main culprit of election rules' violation. The PDP simply wants to continue to benefit from the kind of rigging which gave it the presidency and most of the states of the federation in 2003 and 2007.

One other problem is that President Yar'adua is not in control of the PDP that is why even if he has genuine intention on the ongoing electoral reform; the PDP would sabotage his efforts because they are not willing to bring about the desired change.

But if PDP doesn't want a change in the electoral system, why did it allow Yar'adua to come up with the electoral reform proposal in the first place?

They did that to blanket the concerns of the international community. Everybody saw what happened in 2007. In fact up to the time when President Yar'adua was sworn in, many countries did not recognize the elections that he was said to have won. We know that people were sent to US, Britain, France, and Germany and so on to go and tell them that 2007 elections were flawed but they begged for time to normalize the system before the 2011 elections. This is why they are reluctantly pushing the electoral reform leaving out some key recommendations made by Justice Uwais' Panel. If they are sincere, they should embrace the Uwais recommendations entirely and give it a trial since they formed the Panel themselves.

Yar'adua has nothing to lose by ceding the appointment of INEC chairman to a credible commission or authority as long as they believe that PDP is the most powerful party in Africa. Because of the fact that the PDP has messed up every sector of the country; the health, education, economic sectors, among others, are now in a shamble, hence its reluctance to accept a genuine electoral reform.

We have been made a laughing stock of the world. I watched a television programme where a group was soliciting for donation for one boy to be taken to Ghana for medical treatment. Could you imagine that Ghana and so many other African countries have more developed health sectors than Nigeria? This is what PDP has done for the health and other sectors of this country. PDP would not push for any credible electoral reform. This is why the Western world and the UN should come out before the 2011 elections to state their position that credible elections must take place in 2011 in Nigeria or the country would risk sanctions. Unless that is done, these people are not ready for free and fair election in 2011.

But some observers are of the view that that SHEPAC may end up wasting its time as Shekarau may not even contest the 2011 presidential elections or even cross-carpet to the PDP, which you are criticizing?

Malam Shekarau is a presidential candidate in 2011. There are no ifs, buts, or whatever. When we started agitating for him to come and contest the 2011 elections, he told us that he would wait for his party to decide. This is because Shekarau has never come out on his own to contest for any election, including the gubernatorial elections he won two times. He is always pushed by his people to contest elections and that is what is going to happen in 2011.

This time around the party in Kano said they are nominating him for the presidential elections in 2011. Therefore, he is virtually a presidential candidate in the making. The issue of whether he would or would not contest the 2011 presidential election is now over.

The next point is if Malam can win the presidential election? For me Malam is the only candidate in this country who can face the PDP in 2011 and win the presidential seat because anyone who knows Malam knows that he has the capability to unite the people of Nigeria behind a single cause, that is, to remove PDP from power. I know even within the PDP there are lots of people who would support Malam but nobody from the PDP can support Buhari or Atiku. Therefore, Malam is a unifier of all opposition parties. He has the popularity to push PDP out of power because he has done it twice in Kano.

How would you feel if he eventually cross-carpets to PDP?

I think this issue has been settled long ago. Malam has talked to the people about his intention to remain in ANPP but in case we have any twist of events, which I know is very difficult, Malam would go anywhere with his supporters including myself because we are largely following him base on his God-given qualities because he has the masses of this country at heart.

Contrary to some of his colleagues who are being worshipped in their states, Malam is humble and above all accept new ideas and always ready to work with genuine ideas that are not even his.