INDEPENDENT

Buhari, Atiku Should Withdraw Petitions Against Yar’Adua – Daboh 

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00

GODWIN ADAZUA DABOH is not new to the Nigerian political scene. He is also the present National Auditor of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview with Senior Correspondent, ALEX EMEJE, the intrepid Daboh speaks about the right steps taken by President Umaru Yar’Adua and why Atiku and Buhari should withdraw their petitions against him. Excerpts:

One thing I must say about Yar’Adua’s seven months in office is that it is exceptional. We don’t expect him to take control of the mechanics of Federal Government as quickly as he has done. But I am satisfied that he has completely taken control and is in control now in spite of the case against him which is an inhibiting factor. But one fact I want to assure Nigerians is that in the event of the tribunal nullifying Yar’Adua election, the president would win an unprecedented vote up to about 80 per cent of the voters. The only place I know he will not win is Abia and Kano States, but in other states, he is going to win a minimum of 80 per cent. President Yar’Adua has restored peace; he has restored pride to the average Nigerian. Recently I was in England over the Christmas and New year holidays, I was in the hospital and the Nigerian doctors there some of them who came home for Christmas said my God, there is peace now in Nigeria, there is peace in Lagos, there is peace in Abuja one of them is from Benue and he said throughout his stay in Benue, there was no single case of armed robbery because of the kind of security arrangement the governor there has put in place. Not only is confidence being restored in governance. The corrupt elements are now being checked. In fact, government officials are now afraid of themselves. Today every public officer knows he has to be careful about what he or she is doing. So I must say that I give President Yar’Adua a pass mark and fortunately, he has relegated the corrupt people to background by trying to effect a gradual generational change in the leadership of this country. If you have someone like Babagana Kingibe that is a man you cannot corrupt. He has made his money even before he became a politician. You cannot corrupt the former Head of Service and now Minister of Defence, Adamu Yayale Ahmed. So Yar’Adua has surrounded himself with people who are great in their own right, so he is bound to succeed and I can say this certainly that in the event of the tribunal nullifying his election, he will win exceedingly because the man has stopped the corruption of Ghana-must-go-bag in the National Assembly, before you get a bill passed is no longer there. This is because you have my brother-in-law there, the Senate President, David Mark, who has brought unity there. Today you hardly find the difference between the Senate and House of Representatives because the two chambers are working as a body and in harmony. Today, the Senate is what it is supposed to be and is now highly respected under the leadership of Mark. So Yar’Adua’s ability to blend with the legislature and agree on national common objective is the greatest thing that has ever happened in this country. I want to assure you that Nigeria is going to make a lot of tremendous progress as long as the executive and the legislature continue in this form of giving hope to the Nigerian people.

There was the recent controversy on the removal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), do you think that it was a good decision?

Let me say that one of the greatest thing Yar’Adua has done is removing Nuhu Ribadu, the former chairman of EFCC to go on course. Ribadu has had phenomenal promotion that nobody has ever had in the Police Force. He rose from the Assistant Commissioner of police (ACP) to Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police within the space of three years. Obasanjo was doing everything to pamper him without following due process. Another good thing Yar’Adua did was making Mike Okiro, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP). Okiro is a policeman. I know him as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), as far back as that and anywhere there were tough assignments, he would be contacted and he will deliver. So, I am saying that all the steps taken so far by Yar’Adua are in the interest of the nation. He has formed a police reform committee and the police no longer demand bribe again under Okiro because if you are caught, you are dismissed. That is Okiro police force for the first time; you have a police force that is well paid, that is well equipped and doing the correct thin. The Police Equipment Foundation, (PEF) headed by Kenny Martins is doing a wonderful Job. He is supplementing the police effort. For the first time, we have a body that is helping to complement the effort of the police to achieve efficiency. The police had no respect, no integrity, but since Okiro came, the police force has regained its lost glory and today we are happy. In the police there is now acceptability and you can no longer misbehave any run away. The police are now what the police should be. Let me tell you that now crime has been reduced tremendously. Today, if you go to Benue State and you see the kind of security arrangement governor Gabriel Suswan and the police commissioner have put in place, they have completely disembarked the activities of the criminals. There is no way armed robbers can operate in the capital of Makurdi because the Governor and the Police Commissioner have equipped the police. My appeal is that Nigerians should give Yar’Adua a chance. He means well and he is somebody who fears God. He is capable of carrying out restitution.

But there are other problems of infrastructure like the epileptic power situation in the country?

The energy factor is going to change just give him another two years. Let me give you an example. In Makurdi, I was on generator throughout for two years and recently I was there for six days and the longest time NEPA, took power was for an hour. I slept well and was able to use air condition instead of my generator as it were. Things are changing even here in Abuja there is tremendous amount of changes with power supply. Yar’Adua has put the right people in the right position, so this country is going to improve under Yar’Adua. Nigerians should be patient with Yar’Adua because he is going to use the next one year or so to clear all the mess left behind by the last regime and he has started doing it.

Despite all that you’ve said, there is still the problem of corruption to grapple with in the country?

Corruption is on the decline. Recently, a new body was formed; the National Anti-Corruption Coalition has been formed with Alhaji Abubakar Tsar as the national President. I can assure you there is no corrupt act that we will not know, but in order to make the organisation more efficient, we are not disclosing the state structures, but what I am saying is that we are supporting Yar’Adua and Mark totally.

But what would happen if their results are nullified?

The nullification of Mark’s election will even be better because he will return to the National Assembly with highest votes any senator from Benue State has ever garnered. David Mark of today is a result oriented leader who knows where he is going. When people accuse Mark of arrogance and anarchist, such things are no longer so. Just before I travelled out before Christmas, I could see a different Mark in his lifestyle. People go to him and they are relaxed and he is now a new Mark. I want to commend Gabriel Suswan for establishing a good partnership with Mark. Both of them are leading Benue State to be great. If this kind of justice had been extended to the Idomas who are in the minority, they would not have been agitating for Apa State to be created for them. But they did that because they suffered deprivation, oppression under former administration.

So what are you suggesting in respect of the petitions against the President?

Again, I want to appeal to General Mohammed Buhari (rtd) to withdraw his petition against President Yar’Adua which he has the right to do. I also want to make a passionate appeal to the former Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku to also do so. I remembered that I first met Abubakar Atiku in Kaduna in the house of late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, the elder brother to the present President. Atiku should think of his long relationship with the Yar’Adua family. In life there are certain things you say you will not do because of these and that. Yar’Adua was like a father to Atiku. The present President is like a younger brother to him, so I am appealing to Atiku to withdraw his petition and say I am doing this because of General Shehu Yar’Adua who was like an uncle to me and was also my political mentor. It was the late General who brought Atiku into politics. There is nothing one cannot give up because of friendship, a long standing relationship and brotherhood. I am appealing to these two people to withdraw their petitions against Yar’Adua.

You’ve been stressing Atiku, but it seems that Buhari stands a better chance of upstaging the President, so what is your view about this?

Buhari cannot be President; he cannot win an election because he is not in PDP. The only party that can win an election at present in Nigeria is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Even if tribunal nullifies Yar’Adua’s election, Buhari cannot win the election because his party exists in only two states. He cannot get two third majority to win an election in Nigeria because his party All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) is in the minority.

Atiku also left the PDP for the Action Congress (AC)?

Atiku left PDP to go to AC, and recently he said he has no intention of coming back to the PDP. The AC exists in less than five states of the federation, so they cannot win an election. Why are these two men harassing Nigerians? Most of the things Yar’Adua can do are right now inhibited by the tribunals in the case that was brought against him by these two men. I am however begging Atiku to withdraw his petition because of his relationship with late General Yar’Adua because it is God that gives power. Atiku is a good man and a good leader. He is a national player. But the PDP is in the mechanics of control in almost all the states of the federation. Buhari should in the interest of Katsina people and the north as well as Nigerians withdraw his petition. In Nigeria we say I could have done this, but because of this I will not do it. In the end posterity will be angry with Atiku because it will be said that he deprived his younger brother of something. Even if the election of Yar’Adua is annulled today, PDP of today is more united than the PDP before the April election and every PDP controlled state will deliver his state and even the local governments. PDP control over 600 council out of the 774 local government councils and 28 states in the country, so how can Buhari and Atiku win the presidential election. I am appealing to both Buhari and Atiku to announce at a joint press conference that after taking into consideration the interest of peace, interest of future generation etc, we have decided to withdraw our petition against President Yar’Adua and everybody will be happy with them. It is not an act of cowardice to do so. Like in Benue today, Professor (Senator) Daniel Saror went to the tribunal against Gabriel Suswan and we the elders called him and appealed to him. He withdrew. He has a case. He may have won or not, but the mere fact that he withdrew the case allowed Suswan to quickly set up a government that we expect of him.

Earlier on you said Yar’Adua will not win in only Abia and Kano States, why?

This is because the former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, is like a political anarchist. He will not allow PDP to win. He is my friend, but I know that he is in total control of Abia State, not only Abia, but also in Imo State where Ohakim, the governor is a player with him. So, PDP cannot take those two states. In the next election, they will do better than those two states. While in Kano, Ibrahim Shekarau, the present governor, knows his onion. He has neutralised the whole political titans in the state. In Lagos, you have my friend, Bola Tinubu who is there with Babatunde Fashola. Tinubu is a cowboy, is a political cowboy, and sleeps with one eye open. So, I happen to know that there are some states PDP cannot win no matter what we do. The leaders in those states are in the mechanics of control in those states.

What is your position on last year’s elections?

Let me tell you one thing President Umaru Yar’Adua at the appropriate time is going to do away with Prof. Maurice Iwu. But no leader wants to be told that I was told to do this and I did it, my appeal to Nigerians is that they should give Yar’Adua a chance. At the right time, he will send Iwu packing. But he doesn’t want to do it because the opposition are saying he should do it. Certainly the State Security Services (SSS), the police and other security agencies must have briefed him on who Iwu is and the role he played in last year’s election. But it is not fair for Iwu to be removed until the tribunal cases are over. Whether President Yar’Adua wins or not Iwu must go, he will not conduct the next election. My advice is that Iwu should step aside for the next elections into the state House of Assemblies, National Assembly and Presidency, for someone else to conduct the election. I am appealing to Iwu to honourably resign by the time all these cases at the tribunal are dispensed with, because it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that all the elections that were annulled were as a result of the mismanagement of those elections under Iwu.

There are allegations that the present executive of PDP have developed a sit-tight agenda and don’t want to give way for another convention to hold, how correct is this allegation?

(Cuts in) No! We were elected in 2005 for four years. Our mandate is to expire in 2009. The only two positions that are left in the PDP are that of the national chairman and the national secretary. The chairman, Ahmadu Ali has been appointed as the ambassador, so he must go and the National Secretary, Ojo Madueke is now a minister. So these are the only two positions left to be contested for. Also, the Board of Trustee chairman Olusegun Obasanjo position must be contested for because of the sex scandal around him. He is no longer fit to be there. But at the state level, if there are those executive members that have been appointed may be as commissioners and minister their positions can be contested for at the state level, otherwise, the rest of us must be there till 2009 and nobody can push us away. I don’t think Ali want to sit tight because he must go.

You earlier commented on the posting of Ribadu, but in all, how would you assess his handling of the EFCC?

I respect Ribadu. I tremendously admire him as a young man. But his selective application of the EFCC was what angered me. Let me give you an example. Where people were known to be pathologically corrupt, Ribadu did not do anything about it. That is a minus for him. Of course, he did a good job. He is capable of being an IGP. If you carry out a comparable analysis, I will give him 60 per cent. The job he did at the EFCC. He did well.

Many governors are now in jail, what is your advice for the present governors?

The point has been made and I want to and I am appealing to the National Assembly to ensure that the immunity clause is removed and to make the leaders accountable for any offence committed while in office. That is one thing they should do in the proposed constitutional amendment. It will make the leaders know that nobody is above the law and that you are accountable for what you do. In Europe, and even Indonesia, a minister was involved in a sex scandal and he resigned immediately. But under the present administration, the immunity clause prevents arrest and prosecution, but the law must always take its course. 50 per cent of the war against corruption in Nigeria would be won if the immunity clause is expunged from the constitution. The only people that should enjoy immunity are the President and his vice, but as for governors no.

The Niger Delta crisis is another nightmare for the Federal Government, what do you think is the solution?

The solution to the Niger Delta problem is dialogue; there is nothing you can do, but to dialogue. They must dialogue and there must be dialogue. If there is no dialogue, there cannot be peace. I am calling on the Federal Government to engage Ijaw leaders, the ethnic groups, and the ethnic minority in the Niger Delta to a true dialogue. I am appealing to Tom Ateke, because I knew him as a young man to think in the interest of Nigeria, in the interest of himself, his generation and the generation to come and enter into dialogue with the River State government and also with the Federal Government, because God will hold us responsible for anything we do. This life is a transition and short. What we should learn to do is to live good legacies so that when you go people will remember you for that good you did while on earth.

What intervention are the Benue elders making in the political rift between Senate President David Mark and Alhaji Abubakar popularly known as Young Alhaji?

Abubakar is wasting his time. His judicial campaign is unreasonable and unrealistic. The paramount ruler in Idomaland, Ochidoma has called him for an advice, but he has refused to listen to him. Everybody who is somebody has called him, but he has refused to listen to wise counsel. Alhaji cannot be the President of the Senate, he cannot be the chairman of a committee in the Senate. Mark has brought respectability to the Senate. He has restored the glory of the Senate. This was what Senate used to be during the time of Dr. Joseph Wayas. Today, the Senate under Mark is prepared to play its role of effective lawmaking in Nigeria. Alhaji will get the greatest shock of his life. Even if the election is annulled, Mark would win and return to the Senate with 99.9 per cent of the votes. So he is wasting his time. Mark is now in total control of politics in Idomaland. All the council chairmen are his boys. He has taken total control of the politics of Idomaland.