ISMAIL OMIPIDAN
Mohammed Alhaji Yakubu, a chieftain of both the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Northern Union (NU) has declared that any attempt to shortchange the North in 2011 would be resisted, insisting that June 12 crisis would be small when compared to what would happen should Acting President Goodluck Jonathan run.il 20, 2010
Speaking in an exclusive interview last Wednesday, the Kogi-born politician, who is the youth leader of the Dr. Abubakar Saraki-led Northern Union, warned that “the consequences of any attempt to shortchange the North in 2011 can better be imagined. I want to place it on record that what we witnessed following the June 12 annulment would be small compared to the consequences of shortchanging the North in 2011.”
He also spoke on the need for the North to come up with its best and to checkmate any attempt by former President Obasanjo to decide for it, among other issues.
Excerpts:
State of the nation
I want it to be on record that this is my personal opinion. It is true that I am the youth leader of the Dr. Saraki-led Northern Union, and that I am also a member of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, and at the same time the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Salvation Party, PSP, led by Dr. Junaid. But all that I would say in this interview are my personal views.
Having said that, talking about the state of the nation, while not trying to join those who have succeeded in politicizing Yar’Adua’s ill-health, I do not believe he was smuggled back to the country the way you put it. Although I haven’t seen him, I want to commend the National Assembly for using the doctrine of necessity, which gave us a leeway. We have an Acting President, who has not done badly, but it is not yet uhuru, he should strive to write his name in gold as suggested by General Theophilus Danjuma.
I will also advise that since the PDP has zoned the Presidency to the North, and it is the ruling party, which has all the machinery to produce the next President, he (Jonathan) should respect that gentleman’s agreement. He should not listen to those who are urging him to shortchange the North by running in 2011, as they do not mean well for the country.
Still on state of the nation, do you think it was proper for Gusau and Danjuma to have accepted to serve under Jonathan?
I think I am one of those who believe that they should not have taken up the appointments because these are people some of us look up to for direction, and considering the way they were both treated by Obasanjo, one would have expected them to operate from behind. I hope to be proved wrong, but I foresee them getting another Obasanjo treatment.
But don’t you think Jonathan needed a Gusau around him to crush the so-called cabal?
Look, T.Y Danjuma and Gusau have boys like Dangiwa Umar, Col. Hamid Ali, Jafar Isa and the likes. If their boys are there, they can get anything done through their boys, without necessarily taking up an appointment. If they want anything done, they have their boys and I know they can get it done. This is my thinking.
The North and 2011
It will be difficult to shortchange the North. And for peace and tranquility to continue to reign in Nigeria, it will be in the best interest of the peaceful co-existence of this country to respect that arrangement.
Anything wrong in Jonathan running?
There is nothing wrong in him contesting. I mean he is eminently qualified as a Nigerian. He has all the qualities and credentials to run. But at the risk of sounding immodest, we have not reached that stage, where we make this thing open, I am sure when the time comes, the zoning issue would fizzle out.
But let me also warn that the consequences of any attempt to shortchange the North in 2011 can better be imagined. I want to place on record that what we witnessed following the June 12 annulment in 1993 would be small compared to the consequences of shortchanging the North in 2011.
The North and core North in the race for 2011
That is a creation of the media. I read one of your editors today (last Wednesday), I quite agree with him, and his views tally with what we are doing. I want to assure that my generation and the group I am working with, will search for a credible northerner, one of our best 11 to run in 2011. I am a northerner; no one can call me a peripherial northerner. So whatever accrues to the north, I’m entitled to it, as such, 2011 will not be business as usual, as we will not allow any single individual to decide for us, and our commitment and determination will manifest in the days ahead. We are determined to do this, this time around because we believe that Yar’Adua was not the best the North could offer in 2007.
Talking about an individual determining for the North, already some of those showing interest have started consulting with that individual, how do you checkmate him?
You see, there is nothing wrong in IBB consulting, but to consult Obasanjo means he is consulting the wrong person, because this is someone who has not only betrayed the North but the entire country, by inflicting a sick man on us. We will certainly not sit down and allow him determine our future again. Never!
What ACF and NU are doing about the search for a credible northern candidate?
As you are aware, the ACF is a socio-cultural group, the last standing moral authority of the North, while the NU is a political group. I believe they both have different roles to play in the days ahead. But my group will put across our proposal to them to assist in searching for a President of northern extraction, who will not be talking about power (electricity) in the 21st century.
Which is your group?
I am talking about people of my age group, people of like minds, who are bothered about the future of this country. We are talking.
But a young man, Hassan Jallo, an IBB supporter based in Kaduna recently said we should allow old men in their 70’s to continue to rule because your generation has failed the nation. How do you juxtapose that with your latest move?
Well, I know Jallo; he is entitled to his opinion, depending on where he is coming from. But this struggle is for every young man who is desirous of change, every young man interested in seeing a re-play of the Obama kind of Presidency in Nigeria. The struggle is for young men and women who have refused to mortgage their future. Nigeria will be 50 next October, yet we have nothing to show for it. We must make deliberate efforts to change the cause of events in this country.
How are we sure you are not campaigning for GovernorBukola Saraki, considering the fact that his father is the leader and founder of NU?
Well, you see we have a problem in this country, because it is difficult to believe people even when they are doing things based on principle. If I have to work for Bukola, I would have joined the PDP but I am not even a member of the PDP. In any case, he has not told me he is contesting.
If he says so tomorrow, what happens?
When we get to the bridge, we will cross it.
Finally, we understand some northern ministers are already working for the actualization of Jonathan’s Presidency, where does that leave your group and your project?
This is democracy, and people are free to do whatever they like. If it is true, they will return to their constituencies, and let’s see how they can sell the candidature. But let me again warn that those doing that are inviting anarchy. I am sure you are old enough to know what happened in 1993, it was because the Southerners, South-West in particular, felt shortchanged, and that was why we went through those harrowing experiences. Now I want to say that if they try to shortchange the North in 2011, the consequences can better be imagined. I mean 1993 episode will be small compared to what we will witness.
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