The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prof. Ango Abdullahi

  • Nigeria ‘s unity not settled – Prof Ango

    Nigeria ‘s unity not settled – Prof Ango

    The unity of Nigeria is not  yet settled, Professor Ango Abdulahi has said.
    Abdulahi, who is the National Chairman of Northern Nigeria Union (NNU) also asserted that being from the northern extraction, it is not automatic that the North endorses the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in 2019.Abdulahi, while speaking on the activities  lined up by the NNU for the 5th Commemorative lecture in honour of late Dr. Olusola Saraki holding November 27 at International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja said the late former Senate Leader would be turning in his grave with the disposition of current Senate and the House of Representatives to the Executive today.

    President Muhammadu  Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the 36 States governors amongst other dignitaries are expected to grace the event.

    Flanked by former Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Ibrahim Lame and former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Chief Patrick Adaba among others, Abdulahi, who  recalled that President Buhari has been in the vanguard of discouraging calls for the break up of the country however regretted that the many political challenges facing the country would continue to test it’s unity.

    He said: “Two days, I spent about 2 hours of interview with Biafra Radio of Germany and the issues have been unity, marginalization, disaastifaction and so on and so forth.

    “So based on this current debate if you want to be honest and sincere, you cannot say that Nigeria unity question has been finally settled and no more issues will be raised about it because it is not even human to say so in the sense that if you really thinking about the constitution of the country, no constitution anywhere around the world is perfect.

    “Issues are being raised constitutions about constitutions of countries within themselves.

    “Take for example, recent discourse in Britain, there was the issue of referendum to determine whether scotland wants to remain or not after 350 years.

    “You can see what is happening in spain today. You can look at very many other countries like India which started with one country, the following year, it is India and Pakistan, etc.

    “Unity is a final settled question in any country particularly a country in diversity like Nigeria.

    “It is utopian to say that unity of the Nigeria is settled because there will always be recurring questions about something is wrong somewhere.

    “Whenever you raise the issue of something is wrong, then you are also raising a fundamental issue of perhaps, this perfect unity people have been hoping for that needs to be revisited. So for me, personally, I think that the question of Nigerian unity should continue to be asked especially now that we have not achieved the perfection our founding fathers want us to achieve.”

    On the candidacy of President Buhari and the position of the north, Abdulahi said the endorsement would depend on  performance devoid of sentiment.

    He said Buhari must earn the endorsement of the North, add8ng, “Well, do not expect that the fact that Buhari is of the northern extraction will automatic translate to satisfying every aspiration, yearning of the nooks and crannies of northern Nigeria.

    “In any case, he was not elected exclusively by northerners. He was elected by all Nigerians irrespective of the number of votes he got in different parts of the country.

    “The election was one to elect the President of Nigeria and this is what has happened regards of how we feel in other parts of the country. Like I told told, a few days ago, I was arguing about the issue of marginalization in my interview with Biafra Radio, Germany. People should expect rewards from vote they have cast. Of course, 81 percent of the Buhari’s votes came from the north.

    “So, we should expect 81 percent of all shares of government to come to us but that’s not being realistic.

    “That’s not what our constitution also says. So, the president I think has done extremely well in terms of his outreach to all parts of Nigeria irrespective of the votes he got in the last election.

    “We may complain a little bit, some of us in the north. That’s legitimate politics. He himself admitted, I think, today that some party supporters that were expecting rewards for their support have not realized their aspirations.

    “He was aware of this but I think that he has kept to the promise of he is the president of Nigeria. He belongs to all Nigerians. So, we take it that he doesn’t belong to the north or any particular person.

    “He belongs to no one. I think that we should take it that he is the president of the federal republic of Nigeria and he will serve in the best interest of Nigeria. Well, there are shortcomings and we hope that someday, it will be made up”.

    The Union  however expressed disappointment with the disposition of the current National Assembly to the Executive.

    Abdulahi said despite having a slim majority, late Saraki was able to marshal the National Assembly to work harmoniously with President She Shagrari.

    He said “Dr. Saraki provided a condusive enironment that made it possible for President Shagari to run a very good administration in 1979.

    “As the leader of the Senate in the Second Republic, Dr. Saraki was a rallying point for his colleagues in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which dominated the National Assembly.

    “Because of his inclusive brand of politics, Dr. Saraki embraced everyone, irrespective of partisan, religious or ethnic differences.

    “He did not only preach peace and unity among Nigerians, he lived it. It is our belief that this fifth year commemorative lecture could have not have come at a better time as it provides an opportunity for scholars, political actors and other key stakeholders in the Nigerian project to further interrogate the issues around national unity and development and make suggestions for the way forward”.

  • Northern elders reaffirm Buhari’s endorsement

    … Attempts to postpone elections will be resisted – Forum

    The Northern Elders Forum on Wednesday rejected calls for the postponement of next month’s general election on the account of insecurity, saying postponement of the poll will rather give a resounding victory to Boko Haram.

    This was as the forum reaffirmed its endorsement of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that the former head of state has better credentials to lead Nigeria out of its current challenges than President Goodluck Jonathan.

    NEF stated these while addressing a world press conference in Kaduna, insisting that any design to prevent the expression of popular will in February under whatever guise or excuse will be rejected and resisted by all Nigerians.

    Addressing journalists in company of key members of NEF, The Secretary of the Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said, “NEF is aware of sentiments being canvassed by anti-democratic forces that an unconstitutional Interim National Government or a similar illegal arrangement should be put in place to stop the forthcoming elections. We want to warn in the strongest terms possible that any designs to prevent the expression of popular will in February under whatever guise or excuse will be rejected and resisted by all Nigerians.

    “We fully support the ongoing efforts to eliminate all kinds of threats including the Boko Haram insurgency. The Forum wishes to remind the nation that any effort to postpone the elections, limit its scope or truncate the democratic process will be a resounding victory for Boko Haram. Only enemies of Nigerian people, worse than Boko Haram insurgents will wish this on our people.

    “The February elections must hold under the most secure and peaceful conditions possible, and we have no doubt that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is in a position to guarantee this, if it wishes. We therefore urge to President Goodluck Jonathan to rise to the occasion and prove to Nigerians and the world that he can provide the necessary and enabling environment to conduct credible elections. We expect the President to openly and unequivocally condemn any sentiments or efforts to truncate the political and electoral process.

    “The Forum is concerned that violence in many forms is becoming one of the defining characteristics of the campaigns and the preparations towards the February elections. We are concerned that the insurgency which terrorizes some parts of the Northeast may escalate its attacks as we move nearer to the elections. This must be resisted by our military, so that every Nigerian who wants to vote will do so in safety. “

     

  • Boko Haram: ‘21 councils under siege’

    Boko Haram: ‘21 councils under siege’

    The North is critical to national unity, Secretary of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Dalung Solomon has said.

    Dalung spoke on “National Conference: National Unity & the North” at the inaugural lecture of the Bauchi Generational Leadership Awareness Initiative.

    The event, chaired by former Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ango Abdullahi, was held at Zaranda Hotel in Bauchi.

    Dalung said with about 40 million of the nation’s 70 million registered voters, the North cannot be overlooked.

    He said: “The North cannot be neglected when issues of national unity are being contemplated. Nigeria’s unity is at a cross-road because the North is not at peace, hence Nigeria cannot be at peace. As I’m talking to you, over 21 local governments in the Northeast are under siege by insurgents.

    “About 3.3 million northerners are refugees in neighbouring countries. Some of those in Cameroon went to the extent of harvesting grains from their hosts’ farms to eat to survive.

    “In fact, some Nigerians steal to survive and we have a country where 9.3 million U.S. dollars is trenched somewhere because some people want to buy arms illegally. That money could have provided food for the displaced Nigerians.

    “National unity is threatened because we Nigerians have submitted ourselves to manipulation. We have designated ourselves as slaves to corrupt leaders. We have lost our integrity as a people.

    “Most Nigerian leaders have selfishly refused to be honest and patriotic. They are only interested in dividing Nigerians to remain in office, stealing the country blind.”

  • ‘Why power can’t return to north now’

    As the debate over the 2015 presidential election hots up, an emerging northern group, Arewa Peoples Patrotic Front said on Monday that those clamouring for the return of power to the region should have a rethink since it ( the region) no longer exist as a single political unit.

    Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, the National Chairman of the group, Mordecai Sunday Ibrahim, said that the north as a single entitle died long time ago when some leaders came up with the idea of the north and the core north.

    Former Vice- Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, was reported to have said that the north will take back power in 2015, hitting at the President’s men for denying the principle of rotation.

    Mordecai said, “Prof. Ango and his team demanded that power must return to the north in 2015 but we want to know which of the north he is referring to. Not long ago, he was in this country when we were told of two norths – the north and the core north. We have seen and are still seeing the effect of that balkanization of the north.

    “We also want to know whether there is any constitutional provision that prohibits President Goodluck Jonathan from having a second term in office. To our mind, President Jonathan and his Vice, Arc Namadi Sambo are doing their very best to move the nation forward given the circumstances they find themselves while serving as leaders of this country.

    “It will be uncharitable of anyone therefore to say that they are not or have not done anything good to better the lives of Nigerians and so they should vacate office in 2015.”

    He noted that for several decades, the north held on to power without any positive impact on the life of the people, saying “we had power in the north for decades, how did it change our fortunes? What impact did those northerners who ruled the nation for over three decades make in our lives?”