Barrister Kaloma Dahiru Mustapha is the Special Adviser on Intergovernmental Affairs to Jigawa state Governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
In this interview with Muhammad Aliyu, he gives reasons the direct primary method adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC for the selection of its flag bearers ahead of the 2019 general elections may be difficult to implement in the state
The leadership of your party, the All Progressives Congress recently adopted the use of direct primary method for the conduct of its primary election to select its flag bearers for the general elections.
What is your position on this in view of the controversy the decision has generated? l think there is a problem in this decision because the time is short for us to sit down and properly discuss the method and plan on how to make it work.
I think the direct primary election would have been the best of option for us to select our flag bearers if the APC leadership had adopted it six months back.
The party membership register should have been be updated and members should been given secured party membership card to enable to participate in the party primaries.
As it is now, party membership register can be forged.
I am sure many states will have the same problem because of the recent cases of deflection of party members.
It is possible that party members who have left the party with their political leaders can be used to participate in the party primary election.
Even the party membership register can be forged which can lead to many problem including legal issues within the party afterward.
So, what system should the party adopt for the primaries? We should use the delegates system.
But we have to improve on the delegate system for the primaries because those who will be representing the interests of the party must carry out the wish of the people.
Those who are elected as delegate must first of all consult the people they to represent so that their decisions will reflect the wish of the majority.
The delegates should first of all meet with people who have given them the mandate and endeavour to carry out the decision of the people during the primaries.
Sadly though, the case is different because most delegates don’t really know who they are to represent because the people have not given them the mandate for them (delegates) to meet with the people they are going to represent at the primary election before the exercise is held.
In 2015 you were a PDP member you wanted to contest the House of Representatives seat for the Babura/ Garki federal constituency but you were asked to step down by the then Jigawa PDP leadership.
Now, you have agree pick the form but under the APC? …
cuts in.
Yes, I have picked the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms because my people again want me to contest for that position.
Why did you step down for another candidate in 2015? It was a party thing.
The Jigawa PDP then did not conduct any primary election.
It was party affair, democratic process was not followed.
So the positions were allocated to people as desired by party leadership.
I had to let go and now the people have asked me to pick the form again which is why I did.
So please I am not desperate.
I am a successful lawyer.
If your party, the APC leadership in Jigawa, again ask you to step down for another candidate, will you oblige? This is a different political dispensation.
I am contesting under the APC.
Our party does not promote consensus candidate.
Already, the APC leadership in Jigawa State is making preparations to conduct the state primaries.
And the leadership has assured that all aspirants will be given the opportunity to contest.
We –aspirants- strongly believe this will be the case and that there will be no imposition of candidates.
What changes should Jigawa people expect from you if you win? There will surely be changes.
But please get me very clear, I am not in any way condemning those in power but definitely there are many areas that need to be touched to make the people feel the impact of democracy.
And the problem of this country is not our legislative process.
The problem is that our democracy is faulty because there are some grey areas in the system which we must collectively address to make Nigerians feel the change Buhari administration promise to give
Why did you forfeit your salary as a special adviser to a trust fund? When his Excellency, Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, gave me the appointment, I saw it as a chance to help my people, so I accepted it and decided to save my salary to enable me accomplish some of my projects in my constituency.
So far I have been able to save N20million in three years.
And I have started executing some projects in my constituency.
Who are the beneficiaries of the fund? There are over 500 people.
The fund has been used to assist 440 small scale traders, 20 from each of the 22 wards of the Babura and Garki local government councils.
We gave them N5,000 and N10,000 respectively depending on their trades.
Also, 20 physically challenged persons were also given wheel chairs, and some artificial hands in addition to some cash to enable start some kind of trading.
We provided special seeds for farmers.
We are also planning to establish small scale industries in each of the wards and install farm processing machines for various categories of crops in each of the 22 wards.
So far, we have spent N5million to assist people in Babura and Garki local government alone.
We hope that in the next phase we will support students studying in different institutions, pay hospital bills, because despite government efforts in this regard, people are still dying of malaria, which can be treated with even less than N1,000.
We want to keep our youths busy by boosting our youth centres, by equipping these centres with computers accessories and internet facilities, provide viewing centres as form of recreation as well as promote sporting activities in the areas.
