By Olakunle Olafioye
The National President of Arewa United Consultative Forum, (AUCF) Alhaji Shuaibu Ado Dansudu, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would convince Nigerians in the next two years about his government’s determination to take Nigeria out of the woods and set her on the path to greatness.
The Arewa leader, who sounded confident that the ruling party would retain power in 2027 despite the threat posed by ongoing alliance, however expressed fear over the defection of politicians from opposition parties into the ruling party.
In this interview, Dansudu shared his worry over the gale of defections into the APC. He also spoke on other major issues of national significance.
The current APC government has been in power for over two years now. But to an average Nigerian, the government has failed to ease the pain induced by its policies which the government claimed were aimed at fixing the country. What is your assessment of this administration after two years?
So far, so good. The APC has done creditably well. Things may not be going as people want them, but I can tell you that the current administration is doing everything politically possible to right the wrongs of the past and set the nation on the path to greatness. The process of rebuilding is not always easy; that is why the government is seen by many to be taking some hard decisions that the people consider harsh. But having said that, you will agree with me that the two years of this administration is too short to repair all the damage of the past, so it will be wrong to really assess the Tinubu government by what is visibly on ground now. I will appeal to Nigerians to exercise more patience and allow Mr President to fix the country first for the good of our present and the future. Things are beginning to pick up and I am certain that in the next one or two years, the good work this government is doing will become more apparent for all to see.
The 2027 election is drawing closer. And it appears the ruling party is approaching it in a manner that shows that the party is not confident enough, considering its desperate approach to woo members of the opposition party to the APC. What is your take on this?
Sincerely, I am worried about the defection of members of the opposition to APC. I have the feeling that it’s not every one of them that is coming to APC with a free mind. Some of them may be coming to destabilise the party. Politicians are the most unpredictable creatures. Even without them coming to the party, APC has what it takes to win the coming election. The masses are definitely going to queue behind APC because the good work of this government is gradually becoming visible to everyone now, and in the next one or two years, every Nigerian will be able to feel the effect of the good work which President Bola Tinubu is doing in this country.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for an opposition party to singlehandedly dislodge a ruling party in Nigeria without opposition parties forming a coalition. Why is this so in Nigeria?
There is one fundamental question we must ask when political parties decide to form a coalition. That is: what is the motive behind the alliance? Are they going into the alliance in the interest of the people or is it for their own selfish interest? Majority of the people we have seen so far joining the current coalition are major actors in past governments; they are the same set of people that put us in the mess the current administration is trying hard to clean up. It was during their era that the country was sunk deep into debts with nothing to show for it. It was because of their stained and reckless past that this government decided to go for fresh hands to be appointed into government. Having failed to get appointed into this government, they have now decided to team up to fight the Tinubu government. That is the reason behind the on-going gang up which they call coalition. But Nigerians are wiser now; they know their motive is to return to power and continue to wreak havoc on the nation but God will not allow them because they will not succeed. The only form of alliance Nigerians can take seriously today is the one formed by a new set of people, people who were never part of those that put us in this sorry state, people who are genuinely ready to work for the masses and the nation.
But the general belief is that this alliance is fuelled by the fear that the current administration is doing everything within its power to kill the opposition in the country and foist just one political party on the people?
What evidence do they have to support the claim that the APC wants to kill the opposition? There is none. Like I said earlier, it is desperation on the part of those who were disgruntled by the fact that they could not make the cut for political appointments and those who lost out after this government came to power that are promoting the alliance. Even among those who defected to APC, we know those who did so in the interest of the people and those who defected because of their own selfish interest. I can assure you that the party is watching them closely.
The resignation of the national chairman of APC is one that is believed will impact on the fortune of the party in Kano State. Some are of the opinion that the development has made the political situation in the state more unpredictable. What is your view on this?
The resignation of the national chairman of the party will not affect the fortune of the party in any way. Kano State remains an APC State. A lot of rumours and insinuations are being flown about because of this development. Dr Abdullah Ganduje was like a caretaker chairman, he was not elected and everyone knows that a time like this will definitely come.
Insecurity has continued to escalate, especially under this government. What would you say is responsible for this?
A number of factors can be identified as reasons for the escalation of insecurity in Nigeria now. First, it’s one of the liabilities this government inherited from the past administration. Boko Haram started during the Obasanjo era down to Yar’ Adua/ Jonathan and to Buhari before the Tinubu government came on board. Banditry started during the Buhari era. When Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as the President, the bandits swore in their own version which they called as Buhari Danji, which is “Buhari of the Forest”. But the Buhari government treated the issue with kid gloves and allowed it to fester until it became the monsters that we now have to contend with. Had the previous administration shown the level of the commitment the Tinubu government has shown in defeating these monsters, Nigeria would have overcome this challenge. But for eight good years, the Buhari government allowed them to have a field day and allow them to grow out of manageable proportions. But since this government came to power there have been sustained efforts to flush out these criminal elements from our forests. Many of them, particularly their leaders are being neutralised on a regular basis. That is what the previous administration failed to do. The immediate past administration closed our borders for eight years and directed that anybody who crossed into Nigeria should be shot while those who crossed into Nigeria with rifles were allowed. The failure of the Buhari government to deal decisively with these roguish elements is responsible for the problem. But I can assure that this government will defeat insecurity.
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