One of the failed House of Reps candidates representing Jos South/Jos East has revealed in an interview ways in which the President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari, can have a smooth regime with the National Assembly.
Hon. Bitrus Kaze
Honourable Bitrus Kaze, who represents Jos South/Jos East in the House of Representatives, is not returning to the House.
However, the outspoken lawmaker, in this interview with Ruth Choji, guides General Muhammdu Buhari on how to have a smooth presidency with the National Assembly, as well as the reason why his party, the PDP, lost its grip on Plateau to the APC
Read excerpts below: -
You party’s loss must have caught you unaware. Isn’t it?
I was not totally surprised because I remember Mr president invited the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives to the Villa on the 22 February, 2015. I was privileged to be among the two people that spoke on behalf of the North-Central. I told him that in states like Plateau, the PDP gubernatorial primaries did maximum damage to the prospect of the party in the general elections. I told him that unless he acted quickly and fast, the anger on ground will spill over to his own elections. That is why I wasn’t surprised. It appears to me that, just like elder statesman, Edwin Clark, said, some governors wanted to hijack the party; they wanted to determine who succeeds them and at the same time, come to Abuja as senators. This naturally brought dissension at the grass roots because in trying to achieve that, in some places, they didn’t allow the people to choose their delegates; they handpicked them.
So, stories and reports of betrayal do not exist?
In an election such as the one we had, it is not good to pinpoint one reason and conclude that, that was why it happened. There are several factors, some have happened for a long time. I believe that the terrorism we witnessed beginning with the Plateau was a long term plan to paint Mr President in bad light. Unfortunately, when we were crying, he did not understand and it helped to damaged him. Take the story of Chibok girls and the bombings, for instance, they portrayed the president as not capable. While those who were carrying out these nefarious acts had their political target as well. Another reason for me would be that some of the people Mr President had close to him were purely double edged-sword. Where as they were working for him, they were also connected with his opponent. There was a point in time when I said that despite the fact that Mr President decided to favor the far north with post elections largesse like Almajiri education and juicy appointments, I actually said that in the long run, the far north will not give their vote to him unless he steps down for them or decide not to contest the elections. There was a grand desire among the army, police and even his ministers; indeed, even a colleague on the floor of the House of Reps stood up and said, the crises in Nigeria will continue unless the north is given back the presidency. So, it is not something you will attribute to the chairman or minster, it is a long time plan that has worked so well for the opposition. There are also certain mistakes Mr President made that are obvious, those also contributed. So, you cannot blame just one person.
There have been issues of huge sums of money being used for the campaign. As an insider, what is your take on this?
I will call myself a villager because I have never seen N100million naira cash. I don’t know how it looks like with all my years in the National Assembly. I don’t even want to know. So, I cannot imagine a trillion. Therefore, when they talk of two trillion which is half of our national budget, I don’t think anybody in Nigeria will spend up to that in an election. In any case, you are only talking about Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, what about Buhari, how much did he spend? What about Atiku and governor of Kano State, how much did the opposition spend when combined? Has anybody thought of that? What about the jets that were flying up and down, foreign trips and foreign consultants that were hired to give a new public face to a conservative northerner now appearing in suits? I don’t believe that such money was spent because I was in the Finance Committee and our job was to raise money for the campaign. I know how we suffered to raise the little we had.
Nigerians are beginning to wonder why the President is sacking people at the twilight of his administration?
He is still the president and if he has good cause to sack anybody to the extent that it does not offend any law, he is correct. People can give any kind of political interpretation they want. You cannot afford to work with anybody that will betray you even if it was your last day in office. He employed them and so they are supposed to be loyal to him. If an officer in any regimented service is found wanting, it will be irresponsible for an outgoing president to leave him just because he is leaving office. If the person has not been loyal to the constitution of Nigeria and he leaves that person, it means he doesn’t want Buhari to succeed. I think Mr President acted very responsibly. In any case, none of the officers sacked has complained of being victimised, so why are people talking about it.
The president-elect has urged incoming legislators to make sacrifices as their contribution to the nation. Some are of the opinion that their salaries and allowances be cut as part of the sacrifice. What is your take on this?
The legislators like those in the presidency and anybody in government do not determine their salaries while in office. It is determined by another body entirely. If the new president is asking for sacrifices, leadership is by example. We want to know what the president has sacrificed because we know how much was spent when he was the chairman of PTF. It was like another parallel government in those days. If he is calling for sacrifices, charity begins at home, let’s know what he has done first. I am afraid because my perception of the president-elect is that he is a very conservative person with most of his life in the army- a rule-based organisation that does not see anything outside its rules.
Most military men find it difficult to adjust when they leave the barracks. I believe he belongs the group that finds it difficult to adjust to circumstances after leaving the regimented services. I say my perception because the stumbling or rough road the president-elect will have to pass through is the National Assembly. The legislature, by nature, is such that you cannot gag it. There are intelligent people there with experience and contact. It is not easy to come to such an organisation and exert control in a short period. I believe Gen Buhari will have to learn overtime like what Obasanjo went through in 1999. It was very rough.
This is somebody who has never held office being subjected to legislative power and it is not going to be easy with him. Gen Buhari will have to learn how to be subjected to the National Assembly. I pray that our successors will understand him to that extent and bend backwards to tolerate him. On his own account, he should understand that the National Assembly is the reason why we say Nigeria is running a democracy. Take it out, then there is no democracy. He must learn to respect that institution. I hear people say motions are not laws, so you are not bound to obey them but they speak the voice of the people and it ought to be respected.
What do you think will happen to the PDP now that it has lost out at the centre and in some states?
For some of us, I will say, ‘I dey PDP kampe’…
But you must be worried about the massive defection into the APC. Is this not so?
Yes, I am worried, but it is lack of patience. Doesn’t it appear to those who are defecting that the APC will look at them as fools? Actually, they should even ask them to stay away. The APC see them as fair weather friends; people who are there to partake in governance. It is even better for those who defected long ago. But now that the APC has won, is it because the rice you used to eat in your father’s house is no more, so you ran to another man’s house and claim him to be your father just because of rice? You will be regarded as a borrowed child. I will call on those defecting from the PDP to remain and build a credible opposition. and make Nigerians see reason why the PDP umbrella is better than the APC’s broom.
Some PDP members are calling on Adamu Mu’azu to resign because of the elections. What is your take on this?
No, I don’t think he should resign. It is mere campaign in my view for any PDP member to tell Mu’azu to resign. When did he come? Is it not the same people that asked Tukur to resign? Is it not the same Mu’azu that they described as ‘the game changer’? How soon are we asking him to leave? Because Mu’azu did not dance to some people’s tune, they want him out? He is a confirmed chairman of the party, he was elected at the convention last year so he will not be removed at the whims and caprices of some members. Even if Mu’azu is at fault and I do not exonerate him, the party should sit down, re-strategise and move forward. If some people want Mu’azu to resign, then many more people, including some serving governors and minsters must leave the PDP because they too contributed equally in the party’s misfortune.
What will happen to President Goodluck Jonathan?
President Jonathan has become an international hero by his act that has changed this country forever. By merely placing a call to congratulate his opponent even when results have not been announced is an extra-ordinary act. It is un-African; it is world class. Goodluck Jonathan is the only reason why Nigeria is not in flames. He is the only reason why Buhari can take over smoothly. For me, Goodluck has become a United Nations Ambassador for peace worldwide. He is a classic example of leaders who think more of their people than themselves. If Jonathan wanted to retain power anyhow, Nigeria could have been at war, he wouldn’t care but he said no, and he has shown that his ambition is not worth any Nigerian’s blood.
Going back to Plateau State, it used to be regarded as the stronghold of the PDP, how did it lose the governorship to the APC?
I made my point in good time. As early as 2012, when opinions were being sampled on who will succeed the governor, I came out clearly to say that, the governorship seat should be taken to Plateau South, to promote a sense of unity on the Plateau. We have 54 native tribes in the Plateau. It is not possible to go by individual tribes, but when you recognise senatorial zones, that sense of belonging will foster unity. Unfortunately some of our leaders didn’t accept that. Somehow the primaries were conducted, it was one of the primaries that had less credibility than any that I have ever seen on Plateau. It was conducted in a poorly lit environment, people who were not party officials found their way into the stadium, wearing various tags, they were entering to vote. So people did not trust the outcome of that primaries and this showed overwhelmingly in the elections. If you consider the outcome of the contest; voting pattern for GNS Pwajok of the PDP and Lalong Simon of the APC, you will see that Lalong won decisively in 11 of the 17 local governments. GNS Pwajok won in only three. What does this tell you? In the remaining local governments, they won 50-50. This is to tell you that, the people wanted the seat to be zoned. The 11 LGs show you that, this is how it should be. I was so happy that GNS Pwajok came out to say that, he will support Lalong because power comes from God and that, Plateau has spoken.
Now that I hear he has gone to the tribunal, I am surprised.
So I will use this opportunity to call on Baba to tell GNS to withdraw the case against Lalong. It will not serve the best interest of the Beroms, Plateau north and the state as a whole. If he continues in court, there is a possibility that he will lose, even if he wins, it will not best serve the interest of the Plateau. After all, the people of Plateau South gave us their votes overwhelmingly in 2011, even when their daughter contested, they refused to vote her and voted Baba Jang instead, so it will be good and in the best interest of the people for GNS Pwajok to withdraw the case at the tribunal and support Lalong to build the Plateau.
What is the state of the PDP in Plateau State?
Honestly to describe the state of the PDP in Plateau is difficult. To start with, it is running with an acting chairman, we don’t have a substantive chairman, how that came about is a story of its own. The last elected chairman was disgraced out of office under strange circumstances. He was suspended without being heard. The PDP in Plateau has gone bad, that it actually chose to deal with only those who share their views. If you are like me who believe the seat should be zoned to the south. You are completely ostracised. There is no way such a divided party could win elections. It got to a state where some people put themselves together and formed a parallel party on the Plateau in the name of reformed PDP. I didn’t agree with the reformed PDP and did not equally agree with the leadership of the real PDP because they didn’t carry everybody along.it is unfortunately that it was under their watch that the PDP in plateau lost elections under circumstances that could have been avoided.