Honourable Abdulmuminu Kundak, a one-time deputy speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, commissioner and political adviser to former governor of the state, Malam Isah Yuguda. In this interview with NAJIB SANI, he reveals that Yuguda and himself are aspiring to become national chairman and state chairman respectively of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
You have submitted your nomination form for the post of Bauchi APC chairman, but the party is proposing concensus in the forthcoming congresses, what will you do if that is eventually adopted?
We as loyalists of the party in the state and national level have to commend the duggedness of the party leaders for making it still formidable and a ruling party at the federal level and many states for many years. Secondly as aspirants wishing to be leaders of the party, we need to abide by its rules so that we can be victorious.
What if the consensus does not favour you?
Remember, in 2003, I was defeated at primary election when I contested for state assembly member. I conceded defeat even though I was not satisfied with the election as delegates were intimidated to vote against their choices. I remained in the PDP then throughout the eight years of the Ahmadu Muazu administration untill 2007. I endured to remain in the party despite that maltreatment because I couldn’t change my political ideology because I was wronged by some people in the party. So I will remain in APC too no matter what because our target is to triumph in the 2023 elections.
Several people have indicated interests to be next chairman of the party in the state, what are your plans?
I will not disclose my plans. But if I emerge as the chairman, I will present my blueprints for the party.
Some state assembly members have defected from APC to the PDP in recent time. Don’t you think that your party can break before the next elections in the state?
We are aware of what is happening. Those defectors are looking for money. They are not there to bring development to the state or serve the people. So I am not bothered by the defection of such greedy lawmakers.
But if that has no negative impact on the party, what about the decamping of some PDP governors to the APC. Can we say that they are also inconsequential?
No, if a governor that rules a state leaves his party for another, that does not rule in his state, it means he knows that the APC has better manifestos and good plans for the country. It means the APC has better ideologies and principles. It means APC is a party of justice. APC is there to provide good governance, peace and tranquility in the nation. These are what all citizens need from the government. That is what we want to provide, good governance and enduring peace. If Buhari had got good people around him, he would have performed better. But even now, if you look at the agricultural sector alone, the federal government has recorded tremendous achievement by promoting farming. If we embrace it, a poor person can become a millionaire or a billionaire. Loans were provided to the masses to invest in farming. But unfortunately, due to lack of supervision as a result of the president’s ill-health coupled with the fact that those around him do not bother to help him do that, the funds are being diverted.
Ahead of the upcoming congresses, what is your advice to the party stalwarts before and after the exercise?
I advise my supporters to first of all pray for the success of the exercise. But leaders should be told the truth to do the right thing. My supporters should pray for me and the leaders of the party. All we want is hitch free exercise.
There is speculations that Isah Yuguda is aspiring for national chairmanship? Is he really in the race?
It is true. But we are contesting at different levels. His contest will not stop mine just as mine will not stop his. Kundak is contesting at the state level and he is qualified to hold any position in the state. And Isah Yuguda too is competent enough to hold any position in the country. He is eligible by age and had held various positions in the past. So he is not wrong if he indicates interest to vie for the post. I am soliciting the support of members and stakeholders of the party and I will be honest if elected. Let them remember that when we were in government in the state in the past, we did well. We had been tested and people had seen what we could do. Now that we are not there, are our successors doing like us? Since they can’t do what we did, let them bring us again. It is on record that yesterday was better than today in Bauchi state.
What hope do you have that you can beat your many opponents in this contest?
My hope is the support and acceptance I enjoy from APC stalwarts. When I visited the APC secretariat last Tuesday, I was overwhelmed by the crowd that followed me. I was even afraid whether I could meet the expectation of the people. However, I have the belief that God will guide me.
Are you optimistic that your party can unseat the incumbent governor Bala Mohammed in 2023 with you as chairman considering his infrastructural projects which the PDP can flaunt as achievements?
Didn’t we also execute projects? No body can ever compare Isah Yuguda’s projects with that of any governor in the state. We built a state university, international airport, teaching hospital and constructed legacy roads. Everyone is now trying to emulate him. So nobody can sneer at us as far as projects are concerned.
What prompted you to contest for APC chairmanship even though there are other aspirants that are equally qualified for the job?
It is the people that asked me to run. They have been making the call but I only accepted their calls last Tuesday. I did that in order not to disappoint them. But ordinarily, it was not my intention to contest for leadership position in the party at the state level or national. I was more interested in contesting for an elective office in the executive arm of government. I never developed interest in the legislature or party positions. But since people want me to do so, I think God wants me to also serve humanity in another capacity. My past experience will help me deliver because I had been in government since 1999 until 2019.
PDP governors have recently rejected the adoption of direct primaries as enshrined in the electoral act amendment bill, what is your take on that?
Lack of internal democracy and imposition of candidates on the people was what led to the downfall of the PDP in the nation in the past elections. But direct primary is the fairest method. PDP is good at imposing candidates, favouritism and godfatherism. But if you could remember, when we were in government, Malam Isah Yuguda brought government closer to the people as he gave political appointments to sons of the poor people. A poor man who had never dreamed of living in GRA had now built a house in GRA courtesy of Isah Yuguda. So I believe that he and I are very much qualified and can do the job.
