Former Minister of Sports and Internal Affairs, Dr Saidu Samaila Sambawa, is a close ally of President Goodluck Jonathan. In this interview with Regional Editor, Olawale Rasheed, the former minister reviews the state of the nation and concludes that President Goodluck Jonathan did not offend the North.The PDP is facing hard timesin the caliphate states. Why isthe PDP in crisis in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara'Well, this is a PDP zone. Kebbi is and will remain a PDP state. In the last poll, we won overwhelmingly at all levels-local councils, state assembly, National Assembly. The PDP is exceptionally strong in Kebbi. Even at the gubernatorial level, we won clearly. We are one family in Kebbi PDP. We are all solidly behind our governor, Usman Dakingari, to ensure that we are triumphant in all outstanding issues. Even if you go back a bit, in 1999, the PDP won 15 out of the 21 local governments in the land. If tomorrow we are to have an election, the PDP will win over 90 per cent of the votes.Are you not worried about the nullification of the governor's election at the lower tribunal'Well, Kebbi is the only state where PDP technically lost the gubernatorial seat. It was on technical grounds. We won our election clearly with wide margins. Luckily, no one questions the integrity of the votes but errors on two forms were used to nullify the gubernatorial poll. The allegation was that the two alleged forms were hand-written out of thousands of such forms used at the election. I have confidence that at the Appeal Court, the decision of the lower court will be reversed. The Nigerian judiciary has proven to be very credible and reliable; hence I have faith in his lordships that they will upturn the lower court's verdict. Let me say that even if the worst should come to the worst, Dakingari will still win, even with a wider margin.But aside Kebbi, PDP is facing challenges in Sokoto and Zamfara' Let me tell you that the PDP is not facing any storm in Sokoto. What is happening there is just press war. The governor of Sokoto is in absolute control; the president is behind the governor. Challengers of the governor are not grass-root based; they cannot in anyway unseat the governor and the PDP. Outside the PDP, there is no challenger. Governor Wamakko is going to win clearly and soundly for the PDP. In Zamfara State, it is a personal rather than party loss for the PDP.Our candidate may have his own issues, challenges and handicaps which led to the loss of the governorship. But let me tell you that we are talking to the Zamfara governor; we are expecting him in the PDP sooner than later. Governor Yari is a good man and we are wooing him to come to the fold of good people in the PDP.But the opposition alleged that the PDP used force to take over the three caliphates states in 2003 and that what is happening now is a restoration of people's voice. What is your take on this'The North-West zone was never an ANPP zone. True, we lost four states then, namely Jigawa, Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto in 1999 due to certain circumstances. The change that followed was not because of force. We had a change because our zone was never known to be out of national politics. We don't play sectional politics. From the beginning, we pioneered national politics in the North-West. We changed to support the PDP because the Nigerian nation had done so much for us. We had produced so many presidents and occupied so many national offices. So, it is unthinkable that it is the North-West that will be thinking of sectional politics. The PDP will continue to wax stronger in this zone. We had regained Kano and Jigawa, Sokoto and Kebbi.The remaining one state of Zamfara will come back to the fold in due course.The national convention is coming. What are we to expect from the contest for PDP national offices'It is going to be a democratic affair as usual with our party. The chairmanship has been zoned to the North-East in line with our tradition. Let me thank our national leaders for keeping faith and for particularly zoning the position to the North-East. I pray the North-East will get more national offices to compensate for its weak representation at the centre. I know the North will support the best out of the contending aspirants for the chairmanship.Are we expecting the new chairman to come from a non-PDP state in the North-East'No. That is not correct. What the PDP is looking for is the best of the best. I agree that there is a need for the PDP to bring Yobe and Borno to the fold, but I don't think the current trend is in the line you are putting it. But I don't agree that the chairmanship should go to a non-PDP state. If a PDP state contributed to the making of the party, why should we deny it the opportunity of leading the party' Over all, I can assure you that the PDP will elect the best out of the whole lot angling for the position. We need a chairman who understands the party, who understand what the party stands for, who has high regards for the elders and who can provide for the president the needed support to deliver on his transformation agenda.Who among the aspirants is that person'Anyone that fits my description. I know all those running. I have worked closely with almost all of them. But it is all a family affair. I am just telling you the type of person the party is looking for, the type of chairman the president is looking for. The president is looking for a chairman who will be a dependable ally in the realisation of the transformation agenda. Of course, the agenda will only succeed when it is not just the president's programme but our collective agenda.When will the North forgive President Goodluck Jonathan' Honestly, I don't know what offence the president has committed that will warrant the issue of forgiveness. Jonathan did not offend the North. He only exercised his democratic right and the presidency was freely given to him by the Nigerian electorate. I had criss-crossed this country with President Jonathan both when he was a Vice-President and as a presidential contender. I know him as a hard-working gentleman, a dedicated patriot and a truly detribalised Nigerian.First, he was made the Acting President by the National Assembly in line with laws of the land. Nothing else could have been done than to make Jonathan the Acting President then. It was a natural, constitutional change of baton. And when he was elected president in April, the Nigerian people had a variety of choices. He was never imposed on Nigerians. He went round the country to sell his agenda. Jonathan did not carry a gun and said vote me as president or else.Let me put it on record that Jonathan got the required 25 per cent votes in most of the 19 northern states. The Jonathan presidency was a divine incident and there could not have been any way out. If he had coerced us, that would have been another ball game entirely. He was rightly elected leader of Nigerians from all walks of life.So if he has not offended the North, why the security challenges for the northern part of the country'Every country has its own challenges and the administration is addressing the challenge. It is not just a northern matter; it is a nationwide situation that the president is addressing very diligently. The administration is approaching governance holistically, tackling developmental challenges that may be fuelling such conflicts. Developmental imbalance is being addressed with a view to making every part of the country happy with the nation.Are you satisfied with the handling of the security situation by Mr President' If I said I am satisfied, I don't think even Mr President will agree with me. You know why' I know he can do better, much better. I think when you address social services, you reduce social discontent and conflict. That is where I think the administration should focus more on.So how will you rate the performance of the economic management team' I have high regards for the chairman and the members. They are doing a good job under a very difficult situation. But my advice is that the team should be mindful of the many Nigerians out of work, many unable to feed, many industries and factories closing down and increasing grinding poverty in the nation. That will help them in fashioning policies and programmes under the transformation agenda.
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