Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has said that the comments made on regional and national issues by the former Emir of Gwandu, Major Mustapha Jokolo (rtd), were “inappropriate and indicative of the mischief that motivated him.”
Jokolo had, in a newspaper interview, advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to seek the presidency in 2015, warning that doing so would mean that the president was commiting a “political suicide”.
He also berated some northern leaders, including Vice President Namadi Sambo and the Northern Elders Council (NEC) chaired by Yakasai.
Jokolo is the former aide de camp to General Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant.
In a press release yesterday, however, Yakasai, said: “Given my age, pedigree and political experience, it will be out of place for me to trade words with Mustapha Jokolo whose truncated career as a soldier and deposed traditional ruler render him irrelevant, misguided and frustrated even as he struggles to remain in the limelight.
“His chosen medium to proffer advice on sensitive national issues to President Goodluck Jonathan is most inappropriate and indicative of the mischief that motivated him.”
He argued that Jokolo’s advisory role “should have been made available to his former military master who has thrown his hat into the ring of politics without the required sincere counselling, hence his record of failure in each attempt to gain high office.”
The ocogenarian politician added: “It is quite obvious that Jokolo can only add nuisance value to national discourse since he has chosen the easier road to cheap popularity by rumbling incoherently to the press.
“For the sake of posterity, it is important that we set the record straight. The Northern Elders Council, as is contained in our Mission Statement, is our own creation aimed at fostering national unity and peaceful coexistence amongst Nigerians.
“Our membership is spread across all the three geo-political zones in the North. We have, in our fold, tested politicians, technocrats and successful entrepreneurs who are not only patriots, but see Nigeria from the perspective of ‘One for All, All for One.’
“Our decision to come together is in pursuit of our fundamental human rights as citizens to form and belong to legitimate associations.”
Yakasai said the NEC was not in competition with any other association.
“As we all know, socio-cultural organisations are voluntary in nature. They are therefore not elected by the people to pursue a predetermined agenda but merely serve as pressure group to pursue a defined interest. Even if Jokolo disagrees with our position on national issues, we expect him do that in a reasonable and rational manner.
“I live in Kano and spend all my life in Kano and I must remind Jokolo that I have never been sent in exile. I will however not go into Jokolo’s obsession for breach of laid down laws and procedures which is legendary.
“Even though I do not hold brief for the Vice President, his reference to the Vice President as a political liability stems from deep ignorance, lack of sincerity and mercenary motivation.
“It is imperative for us to reflect on the results of the 2011 presidential elections, which will further confirm the political strength and acceptability of the Vice President in his state, Kaduna State, where his party, the PDP won the elections convincingly.”
He advised the former monarch to be “treading carefully in his current chosen pastime of running other people down.”
“As a failed soldier and monarch, he may probably be an intending politician. He should stop hiding behind a smokescreen and be courageous enough and so that he can come under the full heat of public scrutiny and ridicule which his unenviable half-baked careers will surely deserve.”