All Progressives Congress chieftain, and Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has implied that the adoption of the National Conference report and the formation of a new constitution for Nigeria may throw the entire West African region and beyond into chaos.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Kwankwaso stated that President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to achieve a life presidency through a new constitution.
Excerpts:
What is your view on the problem in the National Conference over endorsement of a new Constitution?
In my last chat with you, when I mentioned the issue of a new Constitution and the confab, many people thought it was a joke; but this is a very bitter reality. Today (Wednesday), immediately after Council meeting, I received calls from northern delegates attending the National Conference in Abuja that the issue of new Constitution 2014 is now a reality in the confab. Of course, all people who love this country and really understand the situation we are today, and the consequences, of a brand new Constitution which Aso Rock Villa wants to use to start eight years, beginning from 2015, certainly, it is a very dangerous development.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all those who have rejected the issue of new Constitution; let me also take the opportunity to thank the National Assembly because they were the ones who have received earlier plan by those at the Villa to have one single term of six years beginning from 2015, which they rejected. Now to succeed, they are smuggling it into the confab. I believe that the delegates, whether from the North or South; Christians or Muslims; Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or any other tribe should help in rejecting that Constitution, because that will not help this country.
That is why we told our delegates very clearly that they owe this country a duty by rejecting that new Constitution. We have seen some of the contents of the new Constitution, the issue of six-year single term resurfaced after it was kicked out like polio and Ebola by the National Assembly. We also have the issue of 50 per cent derivation, the scrapping of 774 local governments, listing of additional 18 states, and limiting of Ministers to 18. The only good thing that I saw here is the limiting of Ministers to 18.
Now, we hope that those pretending to be representing us there in Abuja will have no place when they come back. They have to remain there in Abuja or we will send them to the Almajiri schools being built by Jonathan. I believe that all of us should join hands and save this country. It is difficult to know their thinking in Abuja; I think they are too high in the air, they don’t know what is happening on the ground. The story of the higher it goes, the cooler it becomes, maybe, applies to the situation in Abuja today. Those who are very high are in cool atmosphere, while the masses are very much suffering from poverty. Illiteracy is killing this part of the country; and, of course, the issue of insecurity. Everyday, people are being killed and maimed, everyday, properties are being destroyed.
As we sit here, displaced Nigerians in Borno are taking refuge in the forest, many of them in Cameroon, many in Chad, and also thousands in Niger Republic; and what we are talking about is to extend the tenure of Jonathan to life presidency! It is very sad that this thing is happening. I am one of those who have travelled across the world or have the opportunity to read; Nigeria’s history, geography and, of course, political situations across the world. What is happening today in Nigeria, if 10 per cent of it happens anywhere, that leadership cannot stand. We are very happy here with what we are doing for the people of the state; but we are very angry because we have read the minds of our people and know they are not happy with what Aso Rock Villa is doing. They seem not to care, they seem not to understand, they are very busy in the air, working for themselves and helping themselves to steal forever.
I always remind people that when the insurgency happened in the North-east, little did many people know that one day, it will come to this part of the country. We have it here, it is also in the North-central, and now it is crossing over to the South. I am sure that you are aware that some parts of this country now have flags other than the green-white-green. This is unprecedented. Any Constitution other than the 1999 Constitution should be rejected because any thing less than that is an instrument designed by those who think it will help them, but it will not.
As a major player in the opposition, what steps are you likely to take to ensure that the new Constitution does not see the light of the day?
One of the steps is what we are doing here. We want to make our position very clear to them and the entire world, especially our friends across the world, that we believe that what is happening now is very dangerous not only to Nigeria, but also to our neighbours; and I believe the consequences will cut across the continent. That is why I want to take this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians to shun the division that we are seeing in Abuja. There is division on the basis of North and South, Christians and Muslims, tribe. The keyword is divide-and-rule, and I don’t think that will help.
And the information I have which is not correct—that many people are saying those who are not supporting the new Constitution are the minorities and that whether we like it or not, tomorrow, they will push it to Nigerians; and the next thing is to start a kangaroo referendum. They will cook the figures like they did in Ekiti and force themselves on us. I don’t think that is good enough. I appreciate the elasticity of Nigerians, but I think that elasticity has a limit. When you keep on pulling and pulling, there will come a time when it will not take anymore. That is why I think the good people of this country should speak because the consequences, as many people are now seeing, will affect everybody.