National Publicity Secretary of Northern apex socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, in this interview with NEWS EDITOR, Ajibola Abayomi, shares the pains of the North on the aborted presidency zoning arrangement under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He laments that the present crop of leaders are not following the path of the founding fathers of the nation and insists that President Goodluck Jonathan would be judged by his performance during 2015 general elections. Excerpts…
Some politicians in the North still believe that President Goodluck Jonathan’s continued stay in office is “cheating” on the region’s turn on presidency, do you share that sentiment?
Let me be very clear on that issue, if you have been following my thoughts, I have been against tagging the politics of 2015 “turn-by-turn” time. Mr. President told us that he spent two years analysing the policies of government in other to avoid the mistakes of the past. Nigerians should give him the benefit of doubt. The President said he started work in January 2013. If that is the case, what is the basis of approaching 2015 election with sentiment? If Jonathan came on the basis of hope, we believe he should rather be judged by his performance. From January till date, would that be enough for anybody to pass judgment? That is why I have said the man should be given the benefit of the doubt. At the end of the day, we should use his performance to assess him before we pass judgment. As regards the issue of whether he is a cheating on the North or not, to the extent of politics of zoning, he is a cheating. I believe sincerely that within his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there was a zoning arrangement. Well, circumstances led to the death of former President Musa Yar’Adua. Constitutionally, he became the president. I believe that after completing that tenure in 2011, the North rightly laid claim to the presidency. We were morally blackmailed and Jonathan refused to back down. Since he refused and won the general election, democratically, we have accepted the result. Nigerians by the result of that election pronounced zoning arrangement dead even though initially we felt cheated. If Nigerians had wanted zoning, they wouldn’t have voted Jonathan. He has been voted. We have agreed that politics of zoning is gone and gone for good. However, we Northerners were morally blackmailed to accept politics of zoning. Let the Southerners remember that during the 1994/95 Constitutional Conference, they were the ones that espoused the idea of zoning. When it was our own turn, all of a sudden, we hear people arguing constitutionalism and merit. There was no grammar they didn’t use to qualify the situation then. Now it has come and gone, so we are ready for election in 2015.
If your argument was based on zoning in PDP, on what basis do you want majority of Nigerians who are not members of the party to accept that the arrangement should be binding and do you foresee any future for the North in the party?
The reason was very simple. If you look at the history of Nigeria’s politics with exception of the Yoruba, you would observe that most parts of the country don’t believe in politics of opposition. They value incumbency so much, whether they fear power or not, I don’t know. It is on that basis that the people are talking like that. PDP is not the only party but you still have to appreciate the fact that within the PDP, in terms of ranking in Nigeria, the number one, two, three and the fourth persons in order of hierarchy are from the Northern zone. Out of 23 states controlled by the PDP, 15 are from the North. Naturally, if the North is to calculate its political strength, it would fall back more on PDP as a party but that does not mean that PDP is the only party. Well, to that extent, those calculating like that are right, but if the performance of the party is so bad, people are free to change their mind in a democratic setting. Having such political representation in the PDP that does not mean, however, that the region would tie its apron to the party forever. Things are changing now.
Sometime ago, we learnt that ACF was part of the decision of Northern leaders to back a consensus Northern presidential candidate in the 2015 election. Do you think that will work out?
I have corrected that wrong impression in the media severally. Mr. President has said that this is not the time for politics but for governance. ACF and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have said the same thing. This is not the time for politics because the electoral body has not blown the whistle. Whatever you are hearing are mere aspirations. No official position has been taken concerning that because, in the first place, if we are to take a position like that, we would have an elaborate meeting and we would reach out to our friends in the South. We are not expecting that Northern candidate should get all the votes from the North and that the Southern candidate should also get all the votes from the South. We can never move forward like that if we want proper democracy. The ideal thing is that during the presidential election, the Northerners would go to the South and the Southerners would come to the North to canvass for votes. We don’t believe in what would threaten the unity of the country. Anybody that is saying that each region should vote for its candidate is not a patriotic and serious minded person. The constitution is even against that because you must have a certain percentage of votes across the country before you are declared winner in the presidential election. You are not going to be the president of one zone but that of the entire country. That mindset of sentiment votes is not our position. However, we are aspiring to win the presidency because even in my house, I am aspiring to be the president of Nigeria if they would give it to me.
What happens if Jonathan wins the 2015 election, would the North go to war?
It was the former President of America, Abraham Lincoln, who defined democracy as the government of the people by the people and for the people. When the people are campaigning, first, what they would be professing is the interest of the country. However, after the elections are conducted, the wishes of the majority would prevail while the minority would have had their say. The majority would have both their way and say; the minority would only have their say. Jonathan cannot win the presidency with votes from the South alone. The total number of registered voters in the entire South is 31 million while the North is 42 million. There is no way Jonathan can win the election without the North. If it happens that he wins the election, it then means he would have won with votes from the North. So, which North would then go to war? He cannot win without appeasing the North. We are democrats and we would accept the outcome of the election if he wins.
It is believed in some quarters that Boko Haram is a creation of Northern leaders, is that not true?
I have addressed the issue seriously in the past. When the militants were on rampage in the Niger Delta, lots of people said they were political tools used and abandoned by their leaders during elections. Sincerely, I do not think that Boko Haram emanated from the actions and in action of Northern leaders. As a journalist, you were very informed that in 2009, President Yar’Adua gave order that the security operatives should clamp down on members of the sect. Thousands of them were arrested and killed including their leader at that time. Don’t forget that the late President was a Northerner. Northerners cannot back any group like that. We are too intelligent because we know that such people would turn back to witch-hunt our people. You think you can have the Boko Haram switched on and off like a TV? They have been killing the Northerners too. In fact, the number of Muslims they have killed is higher than that of the Christians they have killed. They have given the killings regional, ethnic and religion colorations, but I think we should deviate from that and tackle the problem of insecurity.
Is the North not bothered that the economy of the North East is being destroyed by Boko Haram?
Of course, we are, but the area is vulnerable. Look at what is happening in Kenya, Tanzania and even in Britain, there are bombings everywhere.
Boko Haram, at the initial stage, said the educated and privileged ones have abandoned the poor in the North, so most people are of the opinion that the North is to blame now?
I have heard people say so. In fact, in those days when the Boko Haram members used to telephone me that we are not giving them the kind of support they wanted, I used to tell them that what they were doing was not the right thing. Bad governance and poverty gave rise to Boko Haram. However, I refuse to believe that that was what solely led them to that. Thuggery also gave impetus to it.
Since the North was not fairly treated by the PDP on zoning, where do you think the electorate in the zone should look in next election?
You don’t need to tell them. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different result. If the North feels that a particular party has not given them what they deserve, they have the right to change their mind. The ball is in their court. In Islam, they say God gives you leaders that suit you. In the secular world, democracy emphasises the use of your democratic right to choose the leader you want. It states that your vote counts for the emergence of good leadership. Any reasonable human being would take a rational decision. I don’t have to convince the North on that. If they like they can bargain with their population. T.Y. Danjuma told the Yoruba in 1999, that they can produce the king but they cannot be the kingmakers. When Yoruba people put forward Olu Falae and Olusegun Obasanjo for presidency, he told them that we have agreed that you would produce the king but give us the opportunity to be kingmakers. The population of the North can be used to bargain if the people so desire.
When do you think Nigerians should do away with the sentiment of which zone produces the president?
That thinking has died with the election of Jonathan in 2011. As regards politics of zoning, we were morally blackmailed because of General Ibrahim Babangida’s annulment of June 12 Presidential election. We have accepted that in the spirit of the game. Was it not what made the North to concede the choice of Obasanjo and Falae as presidential candidates in 1999? Was that not atonement? Now, we are going to go for election proper. You don’t have to talk about zoning any more.
Considering the number of years the North has held on to power both under the military and civilian regimes, don’t you think it is fair for the South to retain power for a while?
Don’t worry, I will ask you that question. Most of them in the South are very educated. They are experts when it comes to argument. In fact, they can turn black to red with beautiful argument. The military people did not consult Nigerians when they took over power and they did what they wanted. …
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