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By Daniel Kanu
Dr Yunusa Salisu Tanko, national chairman, National Conscience Party (NCP), and the party’s presidential standard bearer in the 2019 elections is also the head, publicity for the new political movement, National Consultative Front (NCfront).
In this interview with Sunday Sun, Tanko, a die-hard activist lamented Nigeria’s condition in critical areas, particularly security, economy, and governance.
He touched on other sensitive national issues, including the complicity of Southern politics, 2023, and the Igbo presidency, as well as the alternative for the present leadership failure. Excerpt:
Watching the entire political scenario in the country, what can you make of the situation so far?
Of course, you can see this craze among the political class for the purchase of presidential form despite the huge amount placed on it. It does plainly show you that a lot of people who even belong to the ruling party are totally disenchanted with the way governance is being administered in this country and so all of them are now scrambling to see if they can fill that vacancy despite the fact that they belong to a party where they have had abysmal performance in terms of governance. All of these jostling for positions, is that they are now trying to consolidate on the wrongs that they have done to Nigerians. So when you see this large interest despite humongous money that is being placed on the nomination form, it makes you wonder that the corruption that we were supposed to fight within this particular government has now been elevated beyond anybody’s imagination. Look, let me tell you, corruption has simply been institutionalised and elevated beyond imagination. We cannot say there is any justification or probably anybody to start feeling that what they have to offer is in the right direction for the interest of the country. It’s so disappointing. Nigerians should wake up and vote them out. You can see that some did not even return their nomination forms, they have seen the pendulum and how it is swinging that if they create problems within themselves the more, being fully conscious of what is happening that they will be swept under the carpet, so some of them have decided to wait in the wings to use the instrumentality of the law to continue to perpetuate themselves in power. We are also aware that their money (those that dropped their presidential ambition) will be returned to them secretly, through the back door. It’s all a game that they are playing Nigerians, but we are monitoring them closely as Nigerians will no longer accept such. I think enough is enough. The money that they are using to play games on us belongs to the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Honesty, the level of impunity, the show of corruption, the show of intimidation, and the show of complete lack of apathy in the midst of what Nigerians are passing through must be challenged and it is time that Nigerians make a decision whether to go the same way or take the better alternative.
What of the individuals that are also coming out from the opposition PDP, are you satisfied with those showing up there?
Both the APC and the PDP are sesame twins and what people are looking out for is the enthronement of a new force, whether people call it the third force or the alternative force, we are galvanizing Nigerians towards more formidable and better candidates that have the capacity to change the political dynamics of this country and that for me is more or less worthy of looking into than even considering the PDP or APC.
How do your organisation (NCFront) or group intend to mobilise Nigerians to key into this new movement because this is not the first time the people were introduced to this new effort, but it appears it’s always saboutaged or dying on arrival or something like that?
Yes, I agree with you that this may not be the first time Nigerians have been urged to buy into the vision for a positive change that will usher in genuine development, but today we are more determined to elevate it and actualize it. That is the reason what we are doing is that we already had political parties, about three political parties that we are working with, including other political parties that are willing to align and these political parties are: the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and others that may wish to join because we have realised that no single person or group or organisation can dislodge these people (APC and PDP) because they have already eaten from the same pot, they behave the same way, they have together put Nigeria into total mess and disdain. So, it will only take a kind of coming together of people of like minds to dislodge them.
When you talk of coming together of the people or the political parties you just mentioned, how far is their national spread…?
(Cuts in) The spread is large, we are talking about the coming together of Labour Party and kabour movement, this labour movement includes the TUC and the NLC and you will agree with me that they have their structures all over the federation. So, the coming together will enhance that particular grassroots mobilisation. Secondly, the NNPP is not a new party; it’s an old party, but with a new influence of well-tested grounded politicians in it to give the political experience that is required. Of course, you know that labour is not a political party, but just a union and so there is a different thing from labour to politics. So, the NNPP and PRP as well as NCP (National Conscience Party) and the other political parties will give the political background. You will agree with me also that we may not have the structures in that large numbers, but in every part of this country we have the NNPP members who have been there before Kwankwaso joined them and PRP members too, we have them all over the country before Prof Jega, Dr Akeem Baba Ahmed and Dr Usman Bugaje joined. In the NCP, we have well-grounded activists cutting across the entire federation, so by joining all of these forces together I think we will be able to march any opposition to this particular groundswell.
What is your take on the security challenge that has persisted and growing by the day in the country?
It’s all part of politics to put fear in Nigerians. As I speak, they still attacked people on the Kaduna/Abuja Expressway and all of these things are just to intimidate the people and then send the wrong signal to put fear in our minds and I think this is the time when Nigerians really need to come out tough to defend the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and give Nigerians the desired leadership that we require. Look at the economy, it’s in a mess and they will be hiding behind the COVID-19 situation, telling us it is a global issue. Does the global issue stop us from being productive as a nation? Does it stop us from securing our country? Does it stop us from providing employment for our people? Do other countries not provide employment for their citizens despite the pandemic? Do other countries leave their borders porous like our rulers do in Nigeria? They should simply own up that they have failed rather than holding on laughable excuses. This government has failed woefully, they are not able to provide the right leadership that will galvanise Nigeria into a productive nation and that, of course, has affected our economic situation. And until that is overturned, I can assure you that this people will not do anything that is meaningful because already they are winding up, and all that they are interested in is the struggle for power for their selfish interest. They are running from pillar to post trying to ensure that they win the election at all costs, by all means, hook or crook.
The Southeast seems to be feeling aggrieved, perhaps, that their region has been saboutaged by other regions following the understanding that the next president will emerge from the Southeast in 2023 from zoning?
Do you remember my statement when I was at Awka in Anambra State? I supported the emergence of a Southeastern president of the Igbo extraction for obvious reasons; just to balance the equation even though the constitution of the country does not recognise such (zoning). But I put a caveat and said then also that our people in the Southeast must work the talk, meaning that they must be able to reach out to other political regions, reach out to the North and to every other part of the country to showcase that they have the capacity to lead this country. Unfortunately, that was not done. And if I can take you back again the Southern governors had their meetings and they completely agreed that they were going to support a Southern candidate, but what they did not do at that time was to either micro-zone it to Southeast as the case may be. So today, you have people from the Southwest massively campaigning for the president. You have people from the South-South also massively campaigning for the presidency and you have not too much people from the Southeast also canvassing for the presidency, so the disenchantment and the betrayal started from the South itself, so you cannot blame the North. Remember the Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi who said you cannot blackmail the North if the South itself cannot even agree on where to zone the contest or presidency to, and agree and support the zone. Today, we have Rotimi Amaechi, Bola Tinubu, Fayemi, Ibikunle Amosun, Pastor Bakare, Wike, Sylva, name them, all of them are running. So, all the people who are agitating are not serious and doing forceful agitation and for me, it is only Pa Ayo Adebanjo who clearly said he is going to support a Southeastern candidate.
Pa Edwin Clark is another strong supporter…?
Even Chief Clark has been economical with his support because he has been receiving other candidates aside from those from the Southeastern extraction. So, where is his position? The South first shot themselves in the foot before you can accuse any other part of the country, like the North.
But the Southeast elders said they reached out to the North and to other political regions, accusing them of conniving to frustrate the Southeast of their 2023 presidency opportunity?
Who is frustrating who? If they come out in unison, of course, all the candidates will fall in line and obey their agreement and ensure only candidates of the Southeast extraction will run and they will all (the South) support them. They will agree and ensure they zone it to the Southeast in the first place. Is Rotimi Amaechi a Northerner? Is Asiwaju Tinubu a Northerner? Is Sylva a Northerner? So, nobody should fool anybody. They themselves have not come together as one which we have warned long time ago. They (South) cannot say they are working together as a team. So, who do you blame? If they say today that they are supporting Peter Obi and all of them agree, and others drop their ambition, will it not be easy to reach out to the people in the North? Will it not be easy for Tinubu, for instance, to reach out to his friends in the North and say look this is what we agreed, this is what we want, we want the president from the Southeast…the case will be closed if others do same. If that happens and if then the North did not do what they are supposed to do, it is then you can blame them. With the level of honesty and patriotism the North has been able to do this for the North over and over again when the occasion demands for it, when the chips are down. But the question or what the people will always say is that the North has been taking their crony in the South to say this is the person that will do our bidding. If I support you Dan (this reporter) from the North, and because I know you, have I done anything wrong? It is wrong to blackmail the North for choosing who they want to support when the South has not agreed on any individual or micro-zone.
The South claims that what the North does is to plant a mole in the South or anywhere…?
This argument is laughable. What stops the South also from planting your own mole in the North? Plant your own mole in the North to give you the result that you want, simple. For me, those particular statements are cheap blackmail. This is politics and don’t forget, it is a matter of interest, where you know you will benefit better is where you pitch your tent. Present your candidate, they are there and sell them. Look at what Peter Obi is doing right now, he is selling himself, he is telling everybody that he has the capacity and many people in the North are supporting him. Senator Pius Anyim is also doing his own and some people are also showing support, but then how far has the reach been, how far has his own people from his own background supported him? So, you first put your house in order so as to sell yourself to other people.
Finally, what is your assessment of the President Buhari-led APC government?
What is there to assess when I can’t travel to my village in Kano? What is there for me to rate, people are hungry and there is no food for them, what do you want me to assess? To be frank, this government is a total failure. Our children are out of school, are you talking about unemployment, it is high, local government has been neglected. There are no indices for you to rate this government if not to say it’s an abysmal failure. Are you not bothered that this state of insecurity in the country may badly affect the conduct of 2023 elections? Things are indeed bad. Somebody was asking for an interim government, for what? Some people died because of this democracy so we cannot derail it because of the selfish interest of the few that want power and want us to remain in bondage. We will resist it.
