Why Kwankwaso should step down for Atiku, he is only after his political survival not masses – Ex-NNPP North-East Leader
…….Tinubu, can’t do or say anything without making mistakes
……..Obi can’t win the South East
Ex-NNPP Zonal Secretary in this interview with CHIMA AZUBUIKE, x-rays his experiences as a member of Kwankwasiya movement and reasons for endorsing Atiku and asking Rabi’u Kwankwaso to support PDP presidential candidate.
What is your name? My name is Dr Babayo Liman.
Is it true that you have defected from NNPP to PDP? Is true I defected that I have defected from NNPP to PDP on the 14th of January 2023.
Why? It’s better for me and all Nigerians at this point in time to focus on the reality and the reality is for my leader the presidential candidate of NNPP to withdraw from the race and support Atiku Abubakar of the PDP because Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso, doesn’t have the capacity zeal and courage to lead this nation to the promise land especially with the problems erupting in the party in a particular state not to mention the entire 36 states of the federation and Abuja. We were meant to understand he doesn’t have the courage to continue the race and lead the nation.
How true is it that you defected because you were sidelined?
Yes of course there was an issue that erupted at that point in time,am the zonal secretary of the NNPP and based on my position any thing that has to the with the zone I have to be part of it , I remember sometime ago when I issued a query and suspension later to a state chairman in Bauchi because of his dubious attitude and character the national working committee rejected the later of suspension by saying it is null and void that I have to follow due process in suspending the state chairman and to the best of my knowledge I think I followed due process, but because the interest of some of the executive, in Abuja they made mention that I did not follow due process and the process I followed in suspending the state chairman, is a process that each and every administrator would follow. I as the national zonal secretary in my own state, think am the leader or almost a leader in the party and the state acting chairman was just swapped without even contesting for election to win the seat of the chairman. The person that won the election based on consensus in the person of Shehu Bala, and they did the swapping without our knowledge as the executive and without our consent and the acting chairman began to introduce some characters, challenging and insulting the leadership of the Secretary of the board of Trustees Engr. Abubakar Galadima three times in the presence of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, who is the leader of the party and he cannot do anything and because of that we decided to at least question him for his attitude in the zone because twice Engr. Abubakar Galadima and Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso, have asked me what I have done in the zone I decided to organise a meeting and at least let us hear from him, we invited him we the zonal officers he refused to attend the meeting neither did he give us any reason why he did not attend , so we decided to give him a query, and he should respond to the query within 48 hours why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for some of the attitudes we mentioned
and some of the suspicions, and this is something you can defend if it’s true or not but he refused to even collect the query neither did he respond to the query. So I called for another meeting which we were in attendance, the executives and including the Zonal Chairman and we decided that since that is the case it’s better we suspend him and I was directed by the chairman to write a letter of suspension and we suspended him, and without even inviting us they said the suspension is null and void. I have nothing to say than to remain mute. Also, when the issue of the zonal rally started in January, I think been the Zonal Secretary I should be part of the meeting, at least for us to see how we can mobilise people to support the presidential candidate but without my knowledge they organised everything without telling me what is going on, if Kwankwaso can not resolve the issue of the political party of the state then he doesn’t have the courage to solve Nigeria’s problem. Honestly, i decided to contact my supporters in North-East and they decried the events of the past five months and I cannot resolve it and it’s better we left the party, so that was why I decided to resign my appointment as National Zonal Secretary. I also resigned as presidential campaign member, I also resigned as a member in the party, as well as the Coordinator of the North-East Kwankwasiya movement under Kwankwaso. I’m no longer part of the organisation, so at this time amongst our people some decided to go to Tinubu and some decided to go to Atiku. So, 80 per cent of my supporters and myself have decided to support Atiku, because we believe in what PDP has done for the past 16 years, in terms of development and infrastructure, in delivering dividends of democracy, at least if Atiku Abubakar wins the race Nigeria would go back to its normal state and everybody would be happy so that is why,
Some people said that PDP was able to achieve all they achieved over the years because of the oil price , and that this current administration it has been graded by the fall in the oil price, that PDP succeeded because of the economic prosperity of the country how true is that?
I would say that’s their own thinking because in my own thinking is not like that because if you look at the price of the crude oil at that point in time some are saying it over 150 dollars per barrel. When APC came into power it reduced to 40 or 50 dollars per barrel and if you look at the rate of dollar at that point in time it’s 170 and during APC dollar rised to 300 or 400 at that point in time and now it’s almost 700, now the 150 during PDP is even equivalent to the 50 dollar per barrel during APC. So there is no difference, only that APC government lacks capacity
to rule this nation. PDP has done their best for the past 16 years and looking at the insecurities it tells that if PDP comes back to power peace and security would be restored, let me set an example during PDP insecurity is basically from the North-East part of Nigeria and in the North-East part Of Nigeria it was only few states with the problem like Adamawa but the main states are Borno and Yobe but there was none in Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and people move around from Maiduguri to Lagos peacefully, from sokoto to Port Harcourt peacefully. When APC government came into power, we have seen the Boko Haram issue is still on ground, the problem hasn’t been solved, then the issue of bandits, and banditry is a case of total devastation, kidnapping is everywhere, there is no safe place at this point in time that is the reason we decided to come back to support PDP to win this election.We believe they would unify this country and tackle the issue of poverty if you look at it during PDP we bought a bag of rice at N7000 or N8000 look at it today even local rice it sold for over N30,000 naira and the foreign rice is over N40,000 then they can not control this nation, gradually the issue of poverty is devastating, everywhere so we believe if PDP come into power they will take this country to the promise land.
So your choice of Atiku is not because you are from the North-East, is because of capacity, that’s comparing him to Tinubu and Obi and the rest is that correct ?
Yes, it’s correct, let me tell you one thing you don’t know I am a Muslim and if I swear to Allah I must say nothing but the actual truth, I swear to Almighty Allah, I have never met Atiku Abubakar face to face. I’m more than 40 years of age now ever since I was born I have never met Atiku Abubakar face to face. So I think this is a clear indication that I want somebody that would lead this country to the promise. For Tinubu, I met him during a wedding occasion and gave him seat because am amongst the security committee members and Peter Obi, I have never met him. But for kwankwaso, I have been with him for the past 10 years and I know his character, he is somebody that people look at him as someone that care for the masses or try to bring dividends of democracy but when you come closer to kwankwaso you would know that he is fighting for his political survival not for national interest, because kwankwaso won’t spend a single kobo, instead people spend for him. He also feels high that people are with him because they want to gain something; either popularity or things of the same nature, if you remove Engr Buba Galadima, who is with kwankwaso, who else is a well known person in Nigeria absolutely nobody. Kwankwaso doesn’t have a former governor with him neither former Minister with him or commissioners how can someone with this character become president he listens to no one.
What is Kwankwaso’s attitude to leadership?
His own decision is always final, he pretends to know better than everyone anything you bring to him as suggestion or advice, he won’t take it rather he will tell you he knows better than you. He never appreciates what you did for him. He doesn’t sympathise with you when you have issues. He is only trying to fight for his own political survival not because of Nigerians. The Kwanwasiya Foundation that he claimed to have sponsored youths overseas to further their education through first and second degree that was as a governor, is it through his own personal money? He used government money to sponsor them now that he is not in Government, he set up a Foundation called Kwankwasiya Foundation where where we all donate money under the foundation to sponsor children it’s not his personal money because I know someone in Kano that gave N30m, someone else N50m, etc. When I wanted to do my own scholarship in Bauchi someone advised me to take the money to the foundation to give Kwankwaso, I told the person I’m not going to give him one Kobo. So, I was able to sponsor 50 children from Bauchi to go and further their education outside some in Benin Republic, and so on.
What happened some looked forward to a merger between NNPP and Labour Party what actually was the problem?
Actually, I don’t know because I have never attended any meeting at the National as former zonal Secretary. Kwankwaso doesn’t take advice from us nor does he seek for our inputs.
Aside from the track record of PDP his political party what else distincts Atiku Abubakar from the rest?
If you look at the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, his eight years administration we achieved alot, infrastructural development was almost everywhere and his Vice was Atiku, he wouldn’t have achieved what he achieved without Atiku Abubakar and it was under PDP. My former mentor Kwankwaso didn’t achieve anything outside PDP, he became governor, Minister, Senator under PDP. President Goodluck Jonathan achieved as president under PDP. Nigerians don’t have a right not to support PDP, if APC continues I’m sorry for all Nigerians.
Are you not surprised Obasanjo failed to endorse Atiku but chose Obi?
Peter Obi can’t win elections even in his homeland. I saw videos where his people are rejecting him, even those in Diaspora have wondered what Peter Obi, will do for the people. Obasanjo know that Obi can’t win, he stated that to make peace with some christians in the southern part of the country. It would have been an issue if he endorsed Tinubu, although he is sick. Tinubu, can’t do or say anything without making mistakes, common statement, walking, talking he makes mistakes so how can you rule this country at least we are supposed to give Atiku an opportunity. We know PDP also made alot of mistakes but it can’t be compared with the current issues people are begging them to return the country to where PDP left of.
How many of your supporters moved ?
Uncountable, I can’t tell you the exact exact number but I registered 2.6million people. It’s our members we registered. Each state we have more than 500,000 in every state.
Members of Kwankwasiya are not hiding, usually we buy cap and share to them. Once we give you a cap you become our member and you will buy additional ten caps for others and that is our strategy.
Appeal to Nigerians? I call on Nigerians to vote Atiku Abubakar to lead the country to promised land if we make a mistake by voting APC or any other party we are on our own, we should stand to cast votes for PDP.
