As
parties and their candidates take their campaign messages to all nooks and
crannies of the country, soliciting votes, Honourable Jingi Rufai, state
chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Adamawa State, in this interview
with ZEBULON AGOMUO said that his party’s gubernatorial candidate, Nuhu
Ribadu, is likely to win. He dismissed the fears of possible violence
during the exercise in the troubled North East zone of the country, among other
issues. Excerpts:
The
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) flagged off its campaign last week Thursday and
since then has been moving from one state to the other soliciting electorates’
votes. What do you think is the most selling point of the party as election is
drawing nearer?
Since
the return of the country to civil rule in 1999, PDP has been ruling Nigeria;
we have huge followership all over the country. I want to tell you that you
will definitely hear some noise all over the place arising from the primaries,
it is normal in politics.
In a situation where you have different kinds of
followers with different kinds of ambitions, interests, orientations,
expressions and reactions, people find it difficult to accept defeat.
But in
every contest, there is always a winner and a loser. We have our own style of
politics in Africa; you hardly see a politician that will willingly accept that
he has lost an election; this is the cause of all the murmurings we have been
hearing about.
But I want to tell you that PDP is on ground; we are going to
win the presidential election. We have done it, not once, not twice and not
thrice; we are going to do it again this time around. The PDP government has
done a lot for the country. And this will not be the last time we are going to
win. We are going to win because we have a large number of followers and we
have all it takes to win.
As
the new chairman of PDP in Adamawa, what steps are you taking to reconcile
those who are aggrieved by the outcomes of the primaries in the state?
We
have started doing that; there are those that are still in the party, there are
those who have left. But anybody who has left the party, directly or
indirectly, is telling you that he is not actually a PDP member.
Such a person
must have come into the party through the back door and decided to leave
because of his own selfish ambition. But anybody that is for the party is still
in PDP; what we have started doing is to reconcile the members- individuals who
have lost with those who emerged winners.
Government is a big valley where
everybody can be accommodated. No individual can fight a government, the party
is bigger than anybody, but we have started with the process of reconciliation;
we are strong and by the grace of God, we’ll remain strong.
What
are the chances of Nuhu Ribadu winning the gubernatorial election in Adamawa
State?
Nuhu
Ribadu’s chances are 99 percent. This is because he is one that you cannot
compare with any other contender. He is somebody that his pedigree is robust.
In Adamawa State now, we need somebody who will come on board and move the
state forward.
We have been backward for many years, but I want to tell you
that people like Ribadu are what Adamawa State is looking for and we are happy
that we have found him and he is going to win come February 28.
I want to tell
you that there is nobody that can compare to Nuhu Ribadu, not only in Adamawa
but in the whole of northern states in terms of credibility, accountability and
in terms of ability to provide quality leadership.
What
would you like to be remembered for as the PDP chairman in Adamawa State by the
time you leave office?
It
is that all those who are currently contesting on the platform of PDP win
election. That is one. Two, anybody that contests on PDP platform will be
satisfied, whether that individual loses or wins; finally, I will be satisfied
to see that the electorates give our candidates their mandates.
There
is still the fear that there could be violence during the election; again, do
you think that given the level of disturbances in the North East, of which
Adamawa is part, there will be peaceful election in those troubled spots?
Election
is going to hold peacefully, not only in my state, but I assure you, it is
going to be so all over the country. That’s one. Two, the issue of violence
which people are foreseeing, let me tell you, since 2011 this projection has
been there, that there will be bloodshed and all that, but in 2011 except some
pockets of disturbances, the elections were largely free and fair.
Those who
won, won and those who lost, lost. Let me tell you again, people are
over-flogging issues by insinuating a lot of things; but I want to tell you
that come February, the election is going to be conducted all over the country
under a peaceful atmosphere. By the way things are going; it will be very, very
peaceful.
Source: http://businessdayonline.com
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