Says Osinbajo A Better Option
A former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council and Director of Civil Society, Hajia Najaatu Mohammed, has accused Bola Ahmed Tinubu of financially inducing APC governors to emerge as the party’s flagbearer at the primaries.
Naija News reports that Hajia Naja’atu Mohammed had last Saturday announced her resignation from the APC campaign organization and the ruling party.
The former director had stated that her conscience would not allow her to continue in the APC PCC, claiming that Tinubu was too sick and possibly suffering from Alzheimer’s disease as he could not hold a teacup when she visited him in London some time ago.
Speaking in an interview with ThisDay, Mohammed said Tinubu’s gaffes and blunders were an indication of ill health, which shows that he is incapable of presiding over the affairs of the nation.
According to her, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would have been a better choice given Tinubu’s poor health.
Disclosing that the party primary election was a cash-and-carry exercise, she said, “You see, there is nothing like democracy in this democratic system. The whole thing is a hoax. I will tell you, for instance, what happened in their primary election. People were given ballot papers with Asiwaju written on it. That was what happened, and we saw a clip in which governors were collecting money. It’s so shameful. It’s a disgrace.
“Yes, collecting money, sharing money given to them by Asiwaju. It is such a disgrace. It is the first time that I have heard or seen such. At least in this dispensation, I have been in politics for decades, I was born into it. But this is the first time that a presidential candidate will be sponsoring governors.
“This is what is happening. So, you see, Asiwaju is synonymous with money. So, for God’s sake, if all it takes is money, then, what else will he do when he takes over power? It’s for him to retrieve his money. It is not even about Egbe Omo Oduduwa, Osinbajo is, even more Egbe Omo Oduduwa than Tinubu.
“He’s a Professor, he’s brilliant. For few weeks he was given to govern this country, he did a great job. But the Lagos-Ibadan press, they said all sort of things against him. Tinubu controls the strongest propaganda machine in this country, which is the Lagos–Ibadan press.”
The former director of the APC campaign in charge of civil society, who has recently met and allegedly endorsed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, said those from the north believe Tinubu is not capable of governing.
“Let me tell you why they are following Asiwaju, they know that he’s incapable. They know that he can’t decipher, they know that there is something seriously wrong with his brain. It is like they say in Hausa, somebody will hold the horn, and you will be milking. So, all of these people talking all these nonsense know that he’s incapable, know that he’s handicapped but they also know that he’s already a cabal that they can depend on for the piece of a pie.
“No more, no less. I want to tell you that I have not spoken to anyone, both in or outside APC from up north that I know that has told me or that believes Asiwaju is capable. But all they are saying is that you know we have to get something out of it.
“The problem is extreme selfishness. All these people that you are talking about are thinking of themselves as individual, their personal interest; they don’t have the country at heart. That is why I said I have to follow my conscience because I cannot afford…in fact, to be silent is criminal. This is my position. Anyone that refuses to talk when they are supposed to talk is either a hypocrite or a coward or both. So, that is why I took the position I took.
“These people that you are talking about, in Hausa, we say they are the plugs from north to south. But they are an insignificant minority and the voice of the generality of Nigerians that they have allowed themselves to be pulled by the nose, some out of ignorance, some out of tribal or religious sentiments.
“Let me tell you what our prophet said, when they said Muslim-Muslim ticket,…because Islam is explicit on the question of leadership. What it says is a chosen atheist is better than an unjust Muslim. The first law chosen by God is the law in which Allah himself put on himself. The first law was that if he had denied himself the right to oppress, that is the law and then he went on to say that he had denied injustice within my creation. So, what are we talking about, what the hell about Muslim-Muslim,” she said.
Explaining Tinubu’s assertion that he had no blueprint for the North, she said: “It started the day he made that declaration in Ogun when he said it is his turn. By saying that, it means that Nigeria has become the personal property of some people. It is like…you pound the yam now, you cut your own, you eat you own, now it is time to cut my own. That was what he said, and that is what he meant.
“I excused that because in life, you have to be patient, you have to use your wisdom. I didn’t partake in any of their activities and then they called me to be the director of the civil society organisations, which I rejected. Having rejected it, they started to plead with me, please in the name of God, please take it. I said I don’t want to take it because I haven’t sat with Asiwaju to actually tell me what he has for us, particularly, up north and I don’t want to be arrogant.
“So to cut a long story short, we agreed that I will be sitting with Asiwaju as soon as possible and if I am not satisfied with what he tells me, then, I can opt out. And that is why if you noticed, when they put my name, two names were put, I was made a co-director in case I rejected it, they still have a director, So that I wouldn’t be embarrassing them if turned them than.
“I went to London the next day to see Asiwaju on his invitation, because he called me to say Naja, I appreciate your stand that you rejected the appointment. I said yes sir, because I can’t be a zombie at this point in time, I have to know what you have for us, then he said if I can come to London. I took a flight the next day and went to see him in London and we sat down for two hours.
“The first question I asked him was what he has for us up north, he told me point blank that he didn’t have anything. I asked him, I said sir, you mean you don’t have a blueprint, he said no! I cannot have a blueprint until I win the election. I said sir, if we wait for you to win the election, there will be a lot of distraction, you have to have a blue print. You have to be able to tell us what you intend to do.
“I said we have so many problems, aren’t you aware of the insecurity? Aren’t you aware of out-of-school kids? Aren’t you aware of the hunger? That people cannot go to the farms? He said look Naja, if you can please, write out what you want so that I can put it in my manifesto. I was angry, I still remain patient. I left him, I stayed back in London.
“I mobilised our people and we came out with some demands so to say.
“Till date, sir, they have refused me to see Asiwaju and give it to him. I did everything possible, I haven’t seen Asiwaju; I haven’t sat with Asiwaju since then. They didn’t allow me to see him. The man is caged.”