‘Attempts to weaken genuine opposition can instigate ugly tendencies’

Strong elements in APC behind crisis in PDP

Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and a former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, in this interview with

Northern Bureau Chief, SAXONE AKHAINE, spoke on the festering leadership crisis in the party, the Southern Kaduna crisis, and why meddling in opposition politics by APC signposts danger for the nation’s democracy.

At what stage are reconciliatory efforts in your party, especially in the light of Senator Ali Modu Sherrif’s insistence that he is the chairman of the party?
I don’t want to over-labour this matter. If you are a leader, you are expected to lead people, but when you don’t have the people behind you, I don’t know what you are leading. Having said that, let us allow the court to decide the issue at whatever time they find convenient. But, what I may say here is that this matter is a very serious one, and has the potential to bring avoidable disturbances to large parts of this country. Why do I say so? Where you have some elements in the ruling party interfering in what is going on in an opposition party, may be in order to bring down genuine opposition, such can instigate ugly tendencies as we head towards local government elections. In an APC-controlled state for example, they can use such a division to deny PDP the chance to legitimately field candidates and this will be the greatest disservice to democracy in the country. That is why I am telling the judiciary that the situation we are today is not just a simple party affair but linked to elections across the length and breadth of this country with unimaginable consequences if allowed to linger for too long.

Of recent, the Supreme Court ruled that states must hold council elections at certain periods of time. That being the case, the judiciary ought to settle all manner of cases, not just those involving the PDP, but any other before them, involving political parties in good time before the processes for council elections begins otherwise, there is the potential to bring avoidable fracas in a number of states. We will not do anything on our side to promote violence, but when you sense danger, you voice it out. We already have enough problems in this country. I think we should take all measures to prevent ugly situations when we sense them coming.

Recently, a group of women protested against Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, and asked the Federal Government to sue him over the arms funds scandal. What do you make of this?
Well, we all know that the president and governors have immunity and cannot be prosecuted until they complete their tenure, or are out of office. So, it is over-politising issues to call for the impossibility. That being the case, the protesters should wait until Fayose leaves office. Meanwhile, they should gather whatever evidence they feel they have against any chief executive. They can write petition against any governor, or the president to any investigative authority, even while they are in office. Nothing stops the authorities from doing their investigations, but prosecution is not possible. To call for the impossible is to be ignorant of the law. Whether the law is a good one or not, that is the law. So, I think they are just playing politics by calling for his prosecution.

Do you see the protest against Fayose as a way of sensitising the people against his candidature for any elective office in the future, or any of his anointed candidates?
You see, he is not going to contest for the governorship again because he is already doing his second term, except he wants to go to the Senate, which I have not heard him say so. But, as you know, in Nigeria we have this ‘drag him down syndrome’ going on. I am not in the position to know their reasons for doing so, but all I am saying is that to call for what you know that constitutionally is not possible at this particular time, is politicising the issue.

Do you think Fayose can function well in office as chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, with all the allegations raised by his opponents and the Federal Government?
He is not the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum where you may say the majority APC governors and the central government would have asked ‘why do you support such an individual?’ It is simply an internal family affair of PDP governors. Currently, he is the most senior governor. With their modus operandi, they have chosen him for the short period remaining for him in office, as governor to lead their forum and that should be respected. He is not the leader of the PDP; he is leading the PDP Governors’ Forum.

The crisis in Southern Kaduna, has lingered for long. The affected area is a PDP-controlled senatorial zone. How do you see the ongoing violence, and what measures should be adopted to put the crisis to rest?
What is going on there is unfortunate and I condole with the state government, people of Kaduna State, and especially people in that area that have been adversely affected by the crisis. May God repose the souls that were lost.

However, I must caution that government and people from the area must not politicise this issue irrespective of their religious backgrounds. It is a serious criminal issue and, of course there may be matters to do with other things that may not be seen as criminality. I am not in a position to say much because I don’t have all the facts. Again, let me say that we must not politicise the matter because if we attempt that, the crisis will spread beyond Kaduna State and that would be a disaster.

I welcome the Abdulsalami’s committee because we need a body of arbitrators composed of men from both sides of the divide that the people can have confidence in their ability to stem the tide, and re-establish stability and lasting peace in that area. It is something that requires collective effort. I don’t want to look at it from PDP point of view, but I have been speaking with a lot of people from the area, both the ethnic groups, not minding whether they are of this tribe or that, this religion or that. They are all concerned about what is going on, and nobody mentioned politics to me. I believe that some of them are also talking among themselves to see how they can be partners in restoring peace in the area. The situation there is a terrible one that must never be allowed to continue. I believe that the solution should be community-based. With the support of the centre and state government, as well as other leaders, the problem should be brought to an end very soon.

As the bloody crisis between Fulani herdsmen and inhabitants of Southern Kaduna festers, Governor Nasir El- Rufai, was alleged to have paid for the cows of herdsmen from neighbouring countries that were killed, based on a committee’s report of the post-election violence, in order to ensure peace. What do you make of this?

Well, I have not seen that particular report; maybe it is the Sheikh Lemu’s report of 2011 post-election violence. You see, the problem in this country is that it takes too long a time to implement reports. If it was the Sheikh Lemu’s Committee report, and it was implemented on time, maybe it would have removed suspicion. But, if other things begin to happen, because a lot of water has passed under the bridge, and then you come and implement, or impose the report, and maybe without even educating the people, the people may misunderstand it or get it misinterpreted. I don’t have all the facts, but I am only saying the possible things that might have happened. All I can say is that the events of the past have happened; it is where we go from there that matters. And where we must go is to restore peace, not only in Southern Kaduna, but also in all the troubled parts of this country.

Guadian