Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir is the National Vice Chairman North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview, he expresses the party’s disappointment at the statements credited to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, on President Muhammadu Buhari leadership. BODE OLAGOKE reports
Former Vice President said he has been sidelined by the party, and that normal party meetings no longer holds, what do you say to that?
I think yes, like I said earlier Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has made some contributions like many other party members in 2015 election and in building the party, but the bigger picture given wasn’t correct because I know in the North West zone which I represent we had eight presidential campaign rallies which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar didn’t attend anyone. Secondly, yes he added value by virtue of his personality but, there are so many other members of the party who have made financial contributions and also added electoral value. North West is the most populous zone in terms of APC membership and in terms of electoral victory not only to the president, but the seven governors from that zone are products of the APC. So I think we are critical and a major stakeholder in this party.
Like I emphasised there should be some decorum in what we do. People who have attained high privileged positions should know that they have attained certain status in the society which they can’t afford to be talking anyhow.
Atiku met Buhari a Number of Times
As a matter of fact, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has visited Mr. President, what they discussed we don’t know but we know he has visited him. I am sure he was not just there to greet him. He can’t just go to greet the President without discussing one thing or the other, but that isn’t our business what they discussed in those meetings. I know that immediately after the 2015 National Convention of our party in Lagos where Buhari was nominated as the party’s flag bearer there were a number of leadership meetings which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was in attendance.
Also formal party meetings one of which was held in the Villa or rather two, three meetings were held in the Villa together with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as an APC meeting and there in the National Secretariat.
As a party we caution our members from making unguarded statements that are capable of ridiculing the leadership of the party and the leadership of the government that this party formed and I think we as a party we will not relent in our effort in installing discipline and installing decorum amongst our members.
What is the party’s response to the outburst by the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhasan on President Buhari’s second term bid?
I think this is also applicable; people have the right to express their opinions and views and those rights I think morally are suspended if you find yourself in a situation being a member of the cabinet or being a member of the party. There are certain things that are expected of you because it sends wrong signal of your commitment to the party and the person you are serving. Some of these things are largely I think within the discretion of the principal of that minister that is the president. But you see the situation is that the statement even at the cabinet level is creating an impression as if things are not well. As far as the party is concerned everything is well in terms of the issue of cabinet members but you see there is a personal responsibility for that minister to do the right thing. I think the right thing to do if you think otherwise, the honourable thing is for you to quit, but to give the impression of blackmailing the president or forcing the president will not be accepted by the party. So these are the issues I want to clear because they have come to public domain and members are entitled to hear from us and we are supposed to be heard and part of our responsibility of leading this party is to ensure that the correct things are done and we will correct whatever wrong impressions were created by some of our members.
Caution Leaders on Statements
Firstly, we are not meant to decide or discuss this but this is an ongoing debate for the house to see things going and do nothing until they are bad. Members of the party shouldn’t bother themselves about this thing and begin to caution leaders on their statements, like Atiku Abubakar, to guard their statements, to do the right thing, to lead by example.
As high as that office is, people resign and leave on principles that are ordinarily if not that I am a member of APC I wouldn’t have accepted to serve and I accepted to serve thinking that normally I am not convinced still that you can lead me so I think giving an opportunity to somebody else I will support. It is a statement coming from a senior member of the party given an impression, so the best thing is to resign. You can’t say that you will continue to play in a team until the second half I won’t be in that team.
You are speaking the minds of the APC NWC. Can we also ask you whether the APC leaders would advice the president to purge his cabinet especially when there is rumour that he will reshuffle his cabinet that the likes of Alasan be sacked if she doesn’t resign?
You see we shouldn’t at this level be working on speculations or rumours as bad as you mentioned it. In fact, it is even better if it is speculation because there is something factual on the ground and don’t expect us to be advising the president through this mass medium. The president is a member of our party and we have ways of communicating and it isn’t proper and clear at this level for us to be advising Mr. President in public. So the issue is something that he is using his own discretion, he is entitled to discuss with us and we are entitle to consult with him and advice on what we feel but not to use the media as a medium. Secondly, about Alhasan, I said it earlier it is simple, she shouldn’t throw the garbage onto Mr. President. Mr. President didn’t ask her to make statements. Mr. President is not responsible for her thoughts, it is her own personal thoughts which she is entitled to, but what we are saying in this kind of situation if she believes in what she said what business does she have to continue? What is she doing there? She has an option and her discretion is that she is no longer interested. The body language now is that you made a statement and after making that statement you realised that you are good even trying to blackmail the president again that the president isn’t naive meaning that some other people who are suggesting her removal as you have said don’t understand what she said but the simple issue is Mr. President as a reasonable person will not look at the fact that because you made this statement I am sacking you. And the next thing when he does that people will say because she made that statement and not because she didn’t have merit. But what is important is, I chose not to belong to this team so why do I continue to belong in the team? It is for her on a moral grounds if she really believes in what she said, is for her to leave. That is the honourable thing to do not for Mr. President to sack her.
Is there disciplinary action against any of these persons or people who have continued to make comments that portray the party as disunited?
You see our concern is some of these things are suggestive. Firstly, statement was made and this statement like you all know, the constitution of Nigeria guarantees you to express your opinion but that shouldn’t be done at the detriment of others, once you cross the boundary the other also has a right in that respect so it will not be crossing. Circumstances present themselves in a manner that disciplinary measures have to be taken and that is a different ball game all together. But what I am here for is to convey a word of caution not to just some leaders of the party but the general members of the party that they have an obligation to the party. So we haven’t reached that stage, it is human management, this is something that has arisen. If probably one member of the APC has access to the media and maybe he expresses something like this and he doesn’t go anywhere. But people will be interested in what Atiku Abubakar has to say, because not only in APC but because he is a statesman.
Now that Mr. President is back what is the party doing about the convention?
You are here, this is a process, our constitution provides a process of how to convoke a convention or NEC meetings. All our meetings are regulated by the constitution even if he had been around, it is a process and the process is on, even, what is required is to give a notice to INEC and other party and there are stages you have to go through but soon you will hear the date of our meetings.
In Kano there is crisis between Ganduje and Kwankwoso, is your leadership addressing this?
You see, issue of crisis is a human phenomenon. So like you know, the issue of leadership in our zone, we have resolved it in terms of who is the leader of the party and we are at that level that Abdullahi is the chairman of the party and that doesn’t stop people from having crisis, disagreement or another and the question is how do you handle it? And this is something that is continuous. What I mean is that people are bound to disagree especially politically. They disagree on position, they disagree on line of action etc, and if it is managed well that is part of democracy, if people embrace democracy recognising that the other person is entitled to disagree with you and you are also entitled to disagree with you, we have a mechanism of mediation which every time we deployed and that is about management of this crisis.
Then, what do you make of that of El-Rufai and Senator Sani which is becoming irresolvable?
You see, everywhere we have one problem or the other and the society can’t exist without those crises and that is what we are here to manage. Once you are elected as a leader you are elected to manage crisis even personal at times. You have crisis even in the family between you and your wife, you sleep together but you still have crisis. So it isn’t something that you will reduce to some personality. Like I told you repeatedly, my position and principle is that I don’t talk about personality, I address issues on behalf of the institution. APC isn’t about personality, Nigerian government isn’t about personality it is about all of us.
