An elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai said he did not support President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential ambition in 2015 because he felt the former military leader lacked the needed capacity and competence to tackle the nation’s challenges.
He said that the events of the past seven years have vindicated him.
Tanko Yakasai stated this in an interview published by Saturday Sun while responding to a question on the security challenges plaguing the country.
Asked if Buhari could tackle the nation’s security challenges, Tanko Yakasai said, “You know my position on this, right from the world go. You know my position about the President.
“By the time he was to contest for the position, I did not support him. I said that I did not support him to some journalists in the past and they asked me why. And I said that he has no capacity and competence to tackle the problem. And seven years is gone, the problem of insecurity in Nigeria has not been tackled or addressed. It has gone worse from where we were.”
Asked why he felt a retired general could not take insecurity, the 96-year-old said, “You cannot change somebody. This man joined the military when he was about 20 years old and now he is 80. You cannot change him.
“Look at during Obasanjo, when there was problem at Zaki Ibiam and one other area, what did he do? He ordered the military to move in.
“That is to tell you that you don’t change people simply because he dropped the khaki and picked up an agbada. You don’t change people. Until the end of his life, he would think in a military way.”
According to him, true leaders instead of resorting to brute force all the time rather seek out “people with great ideas from different vocations, regardless of whether they are from their party or not, and then tell them the problems worrying you
“You urge them to think and come out with the solution to enable you tackle the problem. And when they put their heads together, they would come up with a number of recommendations out of which you can pick those that could be handled immediately. And in a matter of one year or so, you will begin to see a difference.
“This is the reason why when you are in politics and when you are in government, you make out your priority. Priority is the thing that requires your immediate attention and can be immediately addressed while you address others in the future.”