Abdulrashid: Jonathan’s Re-election, a Fait Accompli Chairman and National Coordinator of the Jonathan/Sambo Forum, Chief Suraj Mohammed Abdulrashid, spoke to Dele Ogbodo, on why President Goodluck Jonathan must return in 2015, amongst other issues. Excerpts: Opinions are still largely divided on President Jonathan’s bid for a second term. Why is this? The right question that I think we should be asking ourselves is: Is the president constitutionally qualified for re-election or not? I want to say, that besides politicking, names calling and all that, politicians should find and create time with their lawyers to study the constitution very well, before making unguarded statements. In the first place, the sitting president like every Nigerian has the same right that every other person has, why should he not stand up for another term or re-election if the constitution allows it? The pedestrian argument that he signed for one term or not does not arise. However, there has not been any documented evidence to show to the public that the president signed to rule for one term. And Nigerians should not be cajoled into a hear-say syndrome. However, the president has not come out in the open to tell Nigerians that he signed a document to rule for only one term. I believe that he has done a lot in the lives of every Nigerian with the way he has been going about with the issue of governance in the country. And that is why our goal is to ensure that he comes back in 2015 to consolidate on these landmark achievements that have been recorded across the country. Is the constant defection of politicians from one party to another not worrisome? As politicians, we acknowledge the value and strength in numerical figures, because a vote can lead to failure of a candidate or the party, and so it is not encouraging to lose any candidate, whether low or high as in the case of governors recently. The defection really is not palatable in the political history of this nation. We, in the forum are not just perturbed because of the defection from the PDP, but also from the other parties to PDP. This shows that some of our politicians lack ideological inclinations. However, we are working round the clock to see that these defectors come back to PDP and at the end of the end day, they would see reason to return. How do you think the ravaging insurgency can be tamed? There is need for total collaboration between the state and federal governments in curtailing this insurgency. As a way forward, the border posts between Nigeria and Cameroun should remain closed until the insurgency has been fully surmounted. Besides, strengthening the military is also important such that retired soldiers and security officers should all be drafted and incorporated into the present military strategy and intelligence gathering to eliminate terrorism from this part of the country. However, the federal government in this attempt to eradicate terrorism act, should not mind whose ox is gored. The issue of opposition party should not arise in this region at all. The solution should not be palliative; it should be a holistic one that takes care of all views in the fight against terrorism in the country. I want to commend the effort of the president in waging the war against terrorism in the north and especially in the north east. When this insurgency spread around the north central zone with the bombing of the United Nations (UN) building, the THISDAY Abuja office, Police Force Headquarters and even the Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, with destructions of lives and property trailing it, nobody was happy. However measures were taken to nipped this in the bud with government stepping up its security mechanism. As we speak, the insurgency has moved to the north east. I want to appeal to all concerned from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States to please regard Nigeria as one entity. The country should not be made ungovernable at any cost because the lives of the future generation matter so much. A former President also expressed his reservation about Jonathans second term bid. Do you share his views? There is no doubt that you are referring to our respectable world class statesman and elder of the party, who has in no small measures helped in building the party from the beginning. Sincerely speaking, we feel that it is time for him to take the back seat. This is the time for him to leave the stage, because now the ovation is loudest. We appeal to him to leave the president alone and if there are issues in the family that need his wisdom, he will be called to offer the way forward. And if there are areas that we think he has reservation, he should call the president and iron it out amicably like father and son relationship. The media should not be the channel to vent such opinion. To be candid, his recent take on the president is tantamount to ridiculing him and if that is the case, it is also like ridiculing himself too, because he has held that exalted position before now. There is nothing wrong if he supports Dr. Jonathan again for his second term bid, knowing full well that four years is just around the corner. What in your view is the import of the president’s recent visit to the South-west region? For it is a welcome development done in the spirit of consolidation and build-up towards 2015. The trip is not an accident. We would keep our plans for now to our chest, but more trips will come that will finally liberate South-west and return it to the PDP fold. Let me tell you, the truth of the matter is that South-west originally belongs to PDP, internal wrangling among members and extraneous interference reared its head which of course, is inevitable in a dynamic party like the PDP. I want to assure you that Jonathan’s recent strategic consultation and fence-mending across board among the members will yield the desired objectives. More strategic appointments like that of the Chief of Staff and many more to come is no doubt a healthy development. Also, his recent meetings with the Ooni of Ife, the Alafin of Oyo and other prominent traditional rulers in that part of the country shows his humility and respect for our traditional rulers. This visit is vital and fundamental to his reelection bid in 2015. For now, I will not disclose the plans that we shall be unveiling that would shock the opposition party. This, no doubt, will bring the party back to its winning streak in the region. President Jonathan walking back to the Villa in 2015 is more of fait accompli. God himself and the people are solidly behind him. We have our strategies and plans to make sure that he is genuinely reelected in 2015. What is your take on the coming national confab? This is another welcome development in our nation’s political evolution. With this overwhelming acceptance of every dissenting group from all the geopolitical zones to participate, portend a brighter future and stability of the country as it would chart the way for a more robust federalism in all ramifications. Previous attempts at national dialogue have always been beset by one controversy or the other. So taking the bull by the horn this time is the right thing to do as all necessary logistics that would ensure its success have been put in place. The dialogue will no doubt be elixir for the country’s crisis resolution mechanism. How is your forum reacting to the statement by the suspended CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi that President Jonathan is a good person but surrounded by corrupt Aides? We do not need the suspended CBN governor to tell us that the president is good person and that he is someone that has the interest of the nation at heart. We don’t even need him to tell us that he is doing his best. Without mincing words, we know Dr. Jonathan to be best thing that has ever happened to this country. His humility and simplicity should not be taken for a ride, just like what he (Sanusi) is trying to portray to the public. I do not work with CBN, but if there are serious- national issues that warrant the president’s attention, I think there are ways to go about this rather than acting as an undercover agent or getting involved in whistle-blowing that are not necessary. The position of the CBN governor is such a strategic position that careless statements can throw the nation into crisis of confidence. What the president did to him is in the right thing to do. Thank God that the minister in charge is taking appropriate steps for a total audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). His grand design to distract the president will at the end of the day raise his political profile. However, it should be noted that the recent cabinet reshuffle and in some cases redeployment in governance is a strategic move to keep cleaning the system. It is when he (Sanusi) knows that the chips are down that he is now singing a different song saying that the president is a simple man. If he was aware that the president was such a simple man as quoted in several newspapers recently, there are several approaches he could adopt to put forward his grievances, but he has embarrassed and ridiculed the president with his behaviour. Nigerians cannot take this from him. What he is saying now is just an afterthought. Why should Nigerians support the Jonathan/Sambo ticket in 2015? I’m grateful for this question. Great leaders are naturally endowed with listening ears. President Jonathan and his deputy have it. You cannot filibuster or rush them into taking actions that would boomerang later on Nigerians. Wisdom in itself is humbly listening carefully to all sides and making good and informed decision after sifting through all the issues raised. Those are qualities of renowned leaders. The present administration’s human rights records speak volume. No side of the country is being unnecessary oppressed. No doubt this is the kind of person that Nigerians would love to see as their president come 2015- somebody with human feeling in whatever he does. Also he has the political pedigree that is backing him and his deputy up: one time deputy governor and governor of Bayelsa State, he has been vice-president of the country and now president. That pedigree is rare to come by in any country of the world. These qualities have really galvanised our interest in him and that is why we are rooting for him.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:22:27 +0000
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