PDP reconciliation flops
You can’t be president, Jubril Aminu tells Atiku
•Insists VP beg OBJ
By PATRICK ASONYE (patrickasonye@sunnewsonline.com)
Sunday, June 25, 2006
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•Aminu
Pix: Sun News Publishing |
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Left, right and centre, more troubles seem to be trailing
Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who only on Thursday had eight
of his aides sacked by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
But as if that was not enough, Senator Jubril Aminu has restated
that Atiku lacks the credentials to be Nigeria’s president,
suggesting the failure of the on-going reconciliation effort
directed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) three weeks ago.
The Vice President, together with the Adamawa State Governor.
Mr. Boni Haruna belong to a faction of the party in the state,
while Aminu heads another faction that has the likes of former
Lagos State military administrator, Brigadier General Buba
Marwa (rtd).
Speaking exclusively with Sunday Sun, Aminu
insisted that the VeePee must beg Obasanjo for there to be
any meaningful engagement towards reconciliation in the party
in the state.
His words: “Reconciliation has dimensions. Let us task
about the physical dimensions, which is about the people involved.
It looks like it will be difficult for there to be reconciliation
between the vice president, the governor and us.”
The former Petroleum Minister was categorical that Atiku does
not fit into his own idea of what a president should look
like.
Beyond the festering crisis in his party, Aminu took a look
at the agitation by the South-South for the 2007 presidency
and declared it illogical.
Here are excerpts.
Senator, what are the chances for success in the reconciliation
efforts in the Adamawa State chapter of your party, the PDP?
Reconciliation has dimensions. Let us task about the physical
dimensions, which is about the people involved. It looks like
it will be difficult for there to be reconciliation between
the vice president, the governor and us. The reason is that
structurally, its very difficult now. We went on a re-registration
exercise and we did it; almost every other politician in Adamawa
went and they refused to cooperate with us. They decided not
to register with us. Though ludicrous, they decided to hold
a parallel congress and Atiku is insisting that before he
can reconcile with PDP, we have to break down everything that
we did; collapse all the structures and go back to square
one. That is not possible. To me, its not the mood of somebody
keen on reconciliation. It is give and take. It is not just
a simple question of making your demand and then if it is
met.
That is not reconciliation. From that point of view, I don’t
see it happening. The other dimension is not secret anymore.
He and the president don’t see eye to eye. And we are
loyal members of the PDP. We support the president and will
continue to do so until 2007, until we have a new president.
And unless, he and President Obasanjo reconcile, it will be
very difficult for these things to solve themselves. So, at
least, on these two physical dimensions, you can see the problems
we have. This is why Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and his team
went. It was not possible to achieve reconciliation. Iwuanyanwu
drove straight to the Government House.
The governor was not there. The vice president was not there
but he told us in Yola ‘I’m not staying with you
people. I’m staying with the governor.’ He stayed
there. They gave him accommodation but there was nobody to
meet him. It was only the protocol man for the governor. In
spite of that, he went to have a meeting with the vice president
in his house in Abuja just for him to believe he tried his
best. It didn’t happen. So, I don’t think that
type of physical reconciliation in terms of people looks likely
now. It doesn’t but miracles always happen and we’re
waiting for a miracle.
The other dimension was about minor differences within the
PDP. There was a misunderstanding between us and a small faction
led by Brigadier General Buba Marwa. He was with us. I supported
him fully when he came and they wouldn’t even allow
him to come and be there personally. I supported him with
everything. Then, he wanted to take over the party because
he was declaring for president but he didn’t succeed.
But Iwuanyanwu tried and brought about some reconciliation
in that respect.
So, the PDP, the real PDP, I believe that if we work to gather
like we did for the registration and the congress, there’s
no way Atiku or Boni Haruna can best us in Adamawa because
the people are with us.
What exactly is at the centre of your disagreement
with Atiku?
The vice president and I are from the same state. We were
fellow conveners with the PDP. We allowed him to contest election
as governor. None of us was a candidate. I went round with
him. Among the eldest, I was the only one campaigning for
him. I contested the senate seat. We were working together.
Then on his own, together with Governor Boni Haruna decided
that I should leave senate and organised with a lot of people
that they would recall me from senate. The called the people
to come out on October 2 to sign for my recall but my people
refused to come out. They were going round with the papers;
giving a thousand Naira to people to sign. What sort of man
is that?
Was that why you fell out with him?
We didn’t fall out. They said all sorts of things about
me. They said I was supporting Babangida and so many other
things. They told a lot of falsehood against me. I went to
a normal northern senators’ forum meeting that senators
attend, they used that to say all sorts of things about me.
They used the lame belief that if it is politics, you can
tell lies, if it is politics you can slander, or libel people.
What sort of man is that?
Given the Nigerian reality, why would you support
President Obasanjo and not Atiku who is your kinsman?
Remember I told you I was his (OBJ) ambassador. I’ve
been working with President Obasanjo. I knew him long time
ago, since 1967. We sit down together and talk from 1974 in
Lagos and of course, when they came into government, I worked
for them. I was one of the first people to support him when
he came out in 1998. So, the political and personal relationship
between him and me is quite stronger and longer than that
with Atiku who is nevertheless my younger brother. He is from
Adamawa but there is no way somebody would tell me this man
is from your town and this is another man from Abeokuta; you
are supposed to choose somebody from your town. I’m
not made that way.
But can there ever be reconciliation between you
and Atiku as a person and why are you so opposed to his presidential
ambition?
I don’t see what is impossible about it. They were the
ones who insisted that I would go and said all sorts of things.
They threatened people because of me. They couldn’t
succeed. He did all that. He should tell you the one thing
that I did to him. So, the only thing is that I kept to myself.
But I don’t wish him ill, only that I don’t support
his ambition. I don’t think it’s a crime not to
support somebody’s ambition. I am not supporting him
because I have my ideas as to what a president of Nigeria
should look like and I choose the people I support on that
basis. I have been around from the time of General Gowon,
have had contact with the presidents of this country till
today. And therefore, I have a fair idea of what a president
should look like.
The South-South has been making a strong claim for the presidency.
Would you not support them?
I don’t like the way they are making their case because
it doesn’t sell, I’m sorry to say I have so many
brothers and sisters there. It doesn’t sound too logical
to me that they want the presidency. South-South is trying
to say that it has never been in the presidency.
But, that is if you talk about the six geo-political zones.
The South-South was part of the Eastern region and their son
Ironsi, ruled Nigeria. Therefore, they cannot say they have
not had anybody from 1914 because there was no South-South
in 1959. They were part of the Eastern region and even during
Biafra; they were doing very well. General Effiong was commander
number 2 to Ojukwu. Graham-Douglas was Attorney General. Chief
Akpan was secretary to government. So they were involved.
They were on the inside and not outside. If they say they
were only part of the Eastern region, I can tell you a large
part of the North that was only part of the Northern region.
Nassarawa, Benue Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Jigawa, Gombe. I
leave Bauchi out. The whole of that eastern flank never held
any number two position until this Atiku thing. So, they can
also use this argument that the South-South is using.
But the South-South has been a long time ally of
the North?
That is the one I wanted them to use. You’ve raised
a very important point because I remember in 1999, the two
Etiebets went to do the screening for the National Assembly
for Rivers State and found me and said, ‘Jubril, we
thought if the North was going to concede presidency to the
South, they’ll concede it to us.’ I couldn’t
answer that one very easily and I feel very sad that they
are not using that argument. I expected them to say to the
North that ‘look, If you give it to us, it is like you’re
giving it to the North.’
Honestly, I could not reply to the two Etiebets very well.
I didn’t have any good answer to give them, I was very
uncomfortable. And, I believe that is the line that would’ve
worked instead of saying we supply this, we supply that. So,
in my view, power has been in the South for eight years. It
should go to the North. And, I don’t care what part
of the North it goes to.
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