Henry Okonkwo
Consummate politician and foremost women leader Dr Sarah Jibril has given reasons she has stalled her ambition to become president of Nigeria.
In this interview, the four-time presidential aspirant decried the rot in the polity and unveiled her new political platform – Justice Must Pre- vail Party (JMPP).
Dr Jibril declared that the JMPP is a party that has come with the sole purpose of restoring sanity in the country and enthroning godliness in government at all tiers.
X-raying the performance of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Special Assistant on Ethics and Values to former President Goodluck Jonathan gave knocks to the present government, saying that PMB’s candidacy in the 2019 presidential polls is laying bad precedence for the Nigerian youths.
She also spoke extensively on other national issues in this chat with Sunday Sun.
Excerpt:
You used to be consistent in pursuing your aspiration to become president of Nigeria. The 2019 presidential election is another opportunity, but you’ve been somewhat quiet this time around. What happened to this your ambition?
By privilege, I have to go to school both in and outside Nigeria. I felt that it is still possible to re-nurture Nigeria back to sanity. I didn’t come into politics to get popular. I came into politics with the mind of warring against the evils, and inhumanness I found when I came back from my study abroad. So, in 1993, I contested against the late Chief MKO Abiola in the Social Democratic Party (SDP). I was sure I came third, but because of certain interests there, they pronounced me as number four. But I didn’t give up. So, when another chance came up, we started a political party called PAC (Progressive Action Congress) and I became the presidential candidate. We listed out our points clearly to Nigerians. But we couldn’t make headway because I wasn’t a member of the big parties. Then I came back and contested against President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003. There again we were denied the opportunity at the convention to speak with the delegates. At that time, I was being seen as an irritant. And for the fourth time, in 2011, I contested against GEJ (Goodluck Jonathan). And the same issue I faced previously confronted me. I was perceived to be a thorn in their flesh. But I cared less because as far as I’m concerned, I didn’t see any reason to fear anybody. To me, I didn’t owe anyone wickedness and nobody owe me anything. I’ve never been accused of stealing in the offices I’ve occupied. For now, I believe that at least the statement has been made. During my time as presidential SA, Ethics and Values, I made enough statements that more people understood, especially the young people. Now, I’m almost 73, why should I keep on boring people with the statements that I’ve been making all these years. I think I’ve made enough statements and I’ve asked for the grace of God to keep me to see the fruits of my consistent push that it is possible to charge our citizens to understand the increased knowledge that they have. I feel I shouldn’t be disturbing anybody anymore with my campaigns. Rather I should be busy and focused on mentoring new leadership. And I’m glad that as a media professional, you insisted on talking to me to know why I’m not in the race. But why do you want me to be talking? Our political sphere has been corrupted. So, people see my statements as empty noisemaking. I decided not to join the mega parties because I’ve seen the rot, the satanic foundation, the wickedness, the lack of fear of God and the impunity of constitutional defiance. Hence, I’m going into raising young leaders that understand issues, be bolder and with stronger lion hearts to do greater things and wrest this country from the hands of satanic forces.
Assuming you became president of Nigeria, what would you have done differently to better the nation?
My visions have not changed. And for decades, I have it in my head that as a mother and a citizen of this country, that Nigerians are teachable, changeable and transformable. So, I aspired that if I became president, I would kick-start a transformative process that would start from the grassroots through community activities. I foresaw a situation where we would raise people that will teach the citizenry in their local languages on how they can live in peace. I wanted to be president because I was concerned that if we did not educate the people then we would have a society that would be full of wickedness. I also believe that Nigeria can be developed, and people can be transformed from ignorance to positive civil knowledge. I am not satisfied with the political leadership we’ve had. They don’t have the philosophy of ‘Care’ towards Nigerians. And I feel their non-caring attitude possibly emanated from a non-caring conscience, devoid of the values our creator Almighty God had taught us. Nigeria should be built to be a leader in Africa. And to procreate the sort of light that would enlighten the people that there is a government that has God as their sole inspiration. But we are turning into a godless society. That is why Satan wants to move Nigeria away from God’s purpose. So, I am not just a political person seeking power for an egocentric reason. I am God’s focus for this country. But I know God would not leave this country like this. So, when I heard of visions of the Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP), I realized that God has shown the vision to this political party and has risen to get Nigeria out of this total nonsense corruption and wickedness.
Tell us more about this party, and why joined them?
The JMPP is a party registered in 2017. The national chairman is Dr Olusegun Ijagbemi, a Christian with the heart of a Muslim. I joined the party when they got to know about me. And I am at rest here because JMPP is a party that believes in the sustenance of hope. Nigerians should go on our website to know more about this great party and about our oaths. We’re coming with the type of leadership that includes God, righteousness, rightness and civic responsibility. JMPP would never go into harassing people, or stealing, shedding human blood, and burning churches and mosques. They talk about Muslims and Christians uniting to work together because they are conscious of what to do and how to behave to God and to one another in their holy books. And I can tell you that I’ve found my rightful place in this political party, where there is a common understanding of what it means to instill leadership. And to start a political leadership revolution that would cause a paradigm shift, and enthrone God’s focused leadership in this country. We call on God when reciting our National Pledge, or taking an oath of office. This means that Nigerian people still recognize that we need God’s help to excel as a country. But what we lack is to be humble enough to teach, and comply with the commandments of this God we profess. God is jealous to take over this country in 2019. And He is going to shock this country. All these arrogance, wickedness and corruption, certainly God would not allow this nonsense to continue in our country. And He has arisen to use the JMPP to get Nigeria out of the conspiracy against her people.
So, since you’re not in the presidential race, would your party, JMPP be forming any alliance or endorsing any of the major candidates we already have?
Did I sound like someone that would run away from the truth I believe in? How can you think I would be running after the same old people that I’m very sick and tired of? Of course, JMPP has our own candidate. We have done our primaries and we nominated an apostle as our presidential candidate. The name of our candidate is Apostle Sunny Chukwu Egwuzolugo. He is coming up as the David from Southeast, Nigeria. He is the political justice God has done for the Igbo in this country. I told you that our party is for both Christians and Muslims. So, he now has an Imam as a running mate, another young person from Zamfara State as his vice president, and his name is Mallam Aliyu Salihu.
How would you access the performance of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and PMB’s last four years in office?
Excuse me! I am not thinking backwards. I am thinking forward. PMB has performed according to his own level of understanding. So, I and other good people in this country are now going beyond the level PMB has reached. PMB is a family friend. We are no strangers to each other. We live in the same neighbourhood in Kaduna. But I must say that I’m disappointed in him. The word of elders must be their bond. How come he said after people have given him all the confidence that he will rule for only one term? But everything now shows that he’s going for the second term. It rubs off negatively on his credibility. And as a family friend, I didn’t have access to talk to him. But I’ll state that he’s setting a bad precedence for the younger ones. So now where is the place of honour? The most important role as a leader is to set a standard of integrity and to raise leaders. He just marked his 76th birthday. What strength does he have left to lead this country? When we have so much of younger experts in and outside the country? This is my gross with our family friend PMB. He’s like a senior brother to me. But I remember all the goodwill between his family and mine, my candid option is he should drop his ambition and his party should drop his candidature before the election starts. People voted in trust that his words be of honour. I am disappointed! But that doesn’t erode the goodwill we share as family friends. But it is my prayer that God should arise to help this country for the sake of the younger ones, those who are suffering and rescue the system of this country from the corruption and wickedness in the administrative set up of this country at all levels and tiers and in all sector.
What do you make of PMB’s recent statement that Nigerians should prepare for tough times ahead because things would go worse this year?
God has hidden all the good treasures of this country because of our spiritual stupidity. Because He knows we would mismanage it and get Him angry. But if a few of us all over the country can have the sense of heeding to the content of JMPP, then God for the sake of these few would show His wonders. I won’t be part of anybody’s analyses or the idea of a bleak future. So, whether it is PMB or another person saying, I must declare that that is not the portion of Nigeria. People who are leaders must be conscious of their God-given powers and should be positive overtly and covertly to give goodness to the people. So, as far as I am concerned, whatever the party or president is saying, that is according to their own level of understanding. I plus others have gone beyond negative news to Nigerians. And I profess that it shall be better for Nigeria. I decree with the purpose of God for Nigeria, my country that things must get better, and God must hear the cry, and innocent blood being shed in this country to save Nigeria from the satanic era. It must be better for us in this country. It cannot be worse.
What would be your advice to Nigerians, especially the women?
My appeal to Nigerians, particularly religious leaders is that it is high time they stopped and prevented the calamity of Sodom and Gomorrah in their religious centres, especially in the churches. Our Christian women are losing their self-dignity, dressing as if they want to walk on the streets naked. Our Christian women seem not to have any more dignity for themselves. All they seem to want is to dress to suggest prostitution. How can we have women wearing short pants and working on the streets? Now, we have women wear catsuits that expose everything about the figure of the woman even the pants. We now have women at 60 years old try to compete and look like teenagers. And elders are looking at them. I must say the church has to take the blame. We see little girls dancing sexually with hot pants. They cannot tell their girls and women to stop this nonsense. If we didn’t talk and raise these standards, the satanic forces would succeed in turning Nigeria to Sodom and Gomorrah. Even the youth, you cannot come out and speak against indecent dressing because you like looking at them. Why are the youths, media, elders, pastors and bishops not talking? Who are you all afraid of? We need people who can rebuild our dignity. And I strongly hope that the next government of JMPP would create a ministry of ethics, values and culture in the country.