A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Garus Gololo has berated the party’s leaders, especially the chairman, for failing to put a stop to the crisis in the party.
In an interview with IDU JUDE, Gololo blamed the APC chairman, Senator Abdulahi Adamu for the party’s poor outing in some states, including Nasarawa, where the party chairman is a former governor. He also spoke on other issues.
You’re not happy with the performance of Senator Abdulahi Adamu, the National Chairman of your party, APC. What are your grounds?
If I should comment on the issues surrounding the office of APC National Chairman, I might get angrier and I might lose my head. I can tell you that Senator Abdulahi Adamu has disappointed the party, he even lost at his polling unit. This is another man whom I respected owing to his past in politics but I also feel disappointed when they fall short of rescuing the party at their various polling units and states. How can Senator Abdulahi Adamu as the National Chairman fail to win at least one House of Representatives seat in Nasarawa State? Even one senatorial seat could not be delivered by a National Chairman and I keep wondering the kind of politicians we are to merit the positions we occupy at the national level. Go to Nasarawa State, there are internal crises here and there. Even with the governor being a member of APC, it doesn’t change anything.
I can tell you that the governor delivered himself and that is why there is crisis because he is accusing the governor of not giving his candidates Senatorial seats. Take a look at Adams Oshiohmole for example whom no one gave a chance, because we all believed he did not do well as a former National Chairman, He came back and delivered himself and other Senators and House of Representative members to the party. Which one has Abdulahi Adamu achieved?
Why are there internal crises in the All Progressive Congress (APC) even after the elections?
You are right. But I must tell you that the party is not losing sleep over the crises and that is because the threats of those saying they would defect would have no major effect on the party.
Let me also express my displeasure over the party’s wrangling at the National Assembly, shortly after the NASS leadership election, where some are threatening to abandon the party to the opposition. I can tell you that such idea within a ruling party can only be tolerated under the supervision of a party chairman like Senator Abdulahi Adamu. Let me also tell you that the party wouldn’t miss any of those ready to leave the party as rumoured.
But we also have several governors and senators who lost their states during the general elections
Yes you are right. Mallam Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, as a sitting governor, lost Yobe State to another party, which never happened since the days of Senator Bukar Abbah Ibrahim. What we are saying is that a ruling party shouldn’t make choices of working with people with lukewarm attitude in handling national appointments. This brought the party down to its knees. But I am very happy that the president is changing the narrative and I advise that anybody who is not ready to work in line with the party’s constitution and respect to the leadership to throw in the towel.
Were there any reconciliatory moves before or after the NASS elections to bring everyone under one umbrella?
Let me tell you that there are people who are not at the Senate to add value to the development of this country. And that is why they keep making trouble here and there. And if you look, they are not being good politicians because good politicians add value to their party.
What is your take on President Tinubu’s first 30 days in office?
I think that Nigerians should bear in mind that the fuel subsidy was not removed to kill the masses. We should also bear in mind that Tinubu did not also commence the removal of fuel subsidy, and that this is what Nigerians and indeed people and organisations all over the world have been warning us against. I think I am with those who are praising President Tinubu administration for fuel subsidy removal because he has toed the line of truth. As a listening president, he has also called for a halt in electricity tariff increase for the time being. He knew that an additional pressure on Nigerians might be perilous. I must tell you that the whole thing would turn to be a blessing to Nigerians, since the country has been defrauded of trillions of dollars since the return of democracy in 1999. We all are aware that these trillions of dollars that ended in individual’s pockets could have been used in putting the national refineries in order to serve the country domestically. I am sure that if this was purposefully and patriotically done, Nigerians would not have been in a fix of subsidy removal. I am sure that he is getting it right because this is what the poor masses has been defrauded and misled with within the 24 years of democracy in Nigeria. I appeal that Nigerians should give him a chance to optimise what he has started well and things would be all right again.
A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Buba Galadima recently alleged that his party’s mandate in the February election was stolen by the ruling APC. What’s your take on that?
Can’t you see such was the reaction of a man about to be drowned politically? Well I was almost not reacting to Buba Galadima’s rants. His speeches make sense to those who do not know him from childhood. He is somebody whose childhood and background I know. The man should possibly retire from active politics. Let me tell you that Buba Galadima failed even his own political godfather, Late General Sani Abacha who brought him to Abuja and made him MD of NIMASA in those days. But when Abacha died, he joined Abacha’s son, Mohammed in the struggle for the governorship of Kano State. He even refused to give the young man the ticket to contest in honour of his late father, Sani Abacha, who did everything for him. So if somebody like Buba Galadima is moving around with such propaganda that his party should not challenge the outcome of the presidential election result because of lack of confidence in the judiciary, then know it that such a person does not even have a party platform to start with.
During the merger of parties to form APC, he was of the ANPP. He kept lamenting that former President Buhari betrayed him. After that he joined PDP and Atiku for 2019 election. They also failed to win the presidential election. He’s now in NNPP, and they failed as well. So, as far as I am concerned, Galadima has no political party as he keeps jumping from one to the other.
Please try and ask him to name the achievements of NNPP in the last presidential election. How many states did the party win and what does the constitution stipulate on the condition to win presidential election? Can’t you see that he has no party and nothing to challenge in the court? How can a political party that won only one state talk of a stolen mandate? And he kept speaking to the media while trying to make himself relevant.
Buba Galadima is not a grassroots politician with incoherent voting record in a particular polling unit. He is an Abuja politician who casts his votes in Abuja instead of Gashua in Yobe State where he comes from. He claimed NNPP won Yobe State, but it is a lie, because PDP won in Yobe State. Which is also surprising because the state, since the days of former Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim, had never lost the governor’s seat. So I am surprised at the degree of anti-party activities that made the party to lose the state. But it is understandable because the former governor was eyeing the seat of Vice- President. But he does not have that political clout to equal that of former Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State in terms of who would fit in the office of Vice- President from the North East.
Are you saying that Galadima was wrong in berating the judiciary under APC?
It is obvious that the NNPP led by Galadima for the 2023 Presidential election, apparently showed lack of financial capacity to run a presidential election in Nigeria, which post election issues or going to election tribunal is an integral part of. What is that man even saying? Does he imply that the NNPP did not have a grasp of the electoral guidelines prepared by the electoral umpire? Does he think that running a presidential election is a child’s play? Come to think of it, when APC and Buhari as the flag-bearer lost their first attempt, did we not go to court? Did we also not lose at the court? When PDP and Atiku lost in 2015 and 2019, didn’t they challenge the outcome in court? So what is wrong in NNPP going to court this time to seek redress like others?
And let’s not forget, I, as a politician, believe in the rule of law and also APC as a party believes that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. I can tell you that the election was free and fair with Ahmed Tinubu of APC coming first, Atiku Abubakar of PDP coming second and Peter Obi coming third. NNPP has no position in the election. So I would implore them all, including Galadima, that they should continue to give support to good governance that Ahmed Tinubu is bringing to Nigerians.