Alhaji Umar Duhu is the All Progressives Congress (APC) Interim National Vice Chairman (Northeast). He spoke with Correspondent Vincent Ohonbamu in Gombe, the capital of Gombe State, on the Jonathan administration, the 2015 polls and other partian issues, shortly after inaugurating the state’s Interim Working Committee.
WhAT is your mission in Gombe? My purpose of coming to Gombe this afternoon is to formally inaugurate the Interim State Working Committee, which will run the affairs of our party between now and the time we will conduct our congresses. The members of the committee are to oversee the affairs of the party and liaise with the registration committees from the national headquarters. They will work hand in hand to ensure that all eligible, enthusiastic and prospective members of the APC are registered so that they can participate in our congresses, which will commence with the national convention of the party.
Gombe is a PDP state. What is the chance of the APC here?
Our chances are 75/25 because we believe the entire Northeast region is solidly behind the APC and, from the foregoing, you can see that we have three governments controlled by the APC. And the former governor of the state, who handed over to Dankwambo, has formerly declared for the APC. So, we are so confident that, with the structure he has on ground, vis-a-vis the legacy party structures that were on ground before, we have the highest chance of winning election in Gombe State. By and large, we will also deliver Gombe State to the presidential candidate of the APC, come rain, come shine.
When precisely is the membership registration taking place?
Our registration will start by February and, if it finishes within that month, we will immediately after the registration start the ward congresses. I mean we will start from the units, the wards, local governments, state congress and then, the national convention. So, we intend to finish everything by the end of March.
Do you have any message for the admirers of the APC?
Well,s my advice to them is to be law abiding and to continue to play it according to the rules so that we don’t castigate people because we are in different political parties. They should also criticise based on ideas, based on suggestions, so that the sitting governor can sit up and deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizenry. We are not out to insult His Excellency; he is man of repute, he is a governor in his own right and a leader by statute. So, we’ll continue to respect him, until such a time we’ll defeat him politically at the polls. That is our mission and we intend to do that. We will not insult him; he is the governor. But the APC will definitely give him a fight for his money come rain, come shine and we will defeat him insha Allah
What is the grouse of the APC against the Presidency?
The man, as our leader rightly said, is still a kindergarten President. He is still learning, he has not taken Nigeria as a constituent. He has become more of a sectional leader. That is why people look at him and point fingers in his eyes and say look, Mr. President, you are not doing the right thing. So, I can allude to the fact that the man is not a leader that Nigerians will appreciate because the sufferings being inflicted on the majority of the citizenry have made Nigerians to begin to doubt the sincerity of the President. He is not perceived as the President of Nigeria. Rather, he is perceived as a sectional leader; he is sentimental in his judgement. He has forgotten that he was made the President by the common man. And at the same time, I will tell you that President Jonathan, if I am to score him, I will score him 15 percent because he has done nothing significant to suggest that he is the President of Nigeria, considering the colossal sums of money that Nigeria has made over the years. The regime has continued to condone impunity and it has been able to shield fraudulent public officers. I don’t know by whatever means, but he is the President that has given them the protection. So, they continue to steal our money with impunity.
So, what advice do you have for him?
I think, if he doesn’t sit up, he should resign or we will force the National Assembly to impeach him.
Information reaching us tends to suggest that the the APC is factionalised in Gombe. What is the true position?
All the members of the legacy parties are here with me at this inauguration. Behind me is my national officer from the party representing Gombe State in the interim national executive of the party. All the chairmen of the legacy parties are outside there. It’s just that some of our national leaders were coming from Abuja and you know what politics is all about. They blocked the runway. So, their aircraft could not land. But, we are not deterred, despite all odds, despite all the threats. I’ve been sent so many threats that if I come, they will kill me. But, I said, let me come and I will face them fire for fire. I am here, I have inaugurated successfully this committee. I am taking my leave and by God’s grace, nothing will happen to me and nothing will happen to any citizen of Gombe State because we are law abiding and we believe in God. It is God that gives and takes away power from whom He so desires at the time He wants
A faction of the party led by Abubakar Aliyu is accusing Sen. Danjuma Goje of hijacking the party hierarchy. What do you have to say?
I can assure you that there is no faction in thec Gombe APC. Apart from Abubakar Aliyu, who made that statement, other members of the party are here. The state party leaders are here. The members of the PDP that merged with the APC are here. So, who is the other person that you are talking about? If Abubakar Aliyu is working for the incumbent government, he should go and work for the incumbent government or resign from the APC and go and work for the government. He cannot be in government and also feel that he is in the APC. We will not tolerate that. The party is going to be very decisive; we’ll take decisive action against party members that are standing on the fence, that cannot decide whether they should be in the APC or the PDP. You cannot be in two political parties at the same time. It is either you are here or you are there.
Could you shed light on the APC reconciliation in Gombe?
I will tell you that, if our members are fighting, they will not be pressent at this inauguration. So, I don’t know where the problem is coming from. You are trying to create problem out of noting. I can assure you that, in Gombe APC, there is no faction. I am confident about that. There is no faction in Gombe APC ,as far as I am concerned. And anybody that has anything to say, we now have the leadership. Let him complain to the leadership. They should channel it to the leadership and the leadership will address it. Where it fails, then, we will step in as national officers of the party.
Can the APC dislodge the PDP in 2015?
I am highly confident that come rain, come shine, the APC will seize power from the incumbent. And, like I told you, we have respect for leaders. He (Dankwambo) is a governor in his own right. We will not castigate him. What we will do is to criticise him constructively and make sure that people understand where he is lacking and what we intend to do to capitalise on his lapses. The APC will spread the dividends of democracy. We was the local people at the grassroots to have a sense of belonging. We wants them to participate in the leadership of his country. We wants to give them voice in the state. We want them to drive development at the local level. The APC wants to make them proud as Nigerians.
