Alhaji Abdullahi ‘Little’ is a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State under the previous administration of Governor Isa Yuguda. In this interview with Alhassan Yusuf in Bauchi, ‘Little’ bares his mind on what “killed” the PDP in the last election and the current power tussle over the chairmanship of PDP at national level. Excerpt:
What is your take with regards to the power tussle presently taken place for the post of chairmanship between Ali Modu Sherif and Senator Makarfi?
Well, politics is being played based on interest. I did a lot to PDP and I started with the position of chairman my ward, then secretary local government. I joined the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar while in AC before it changed to ACN. But we later return to PDP. We consider politics in such way you that as we play it, a lot will be going to our people from the national level in particular. And we do believe that once your interest would not be protected, then a change has to take place and which is why we had such a change. I don’t have a position in PDP currently, but my former governor who was my leader and my mentor in the state, Malam Isa Yuguda, a person with good character, philanthropist and enthusiastic leader who led his people equally and helped them when the need arises.
Yuguda had to leave the PDP because of sordid act and poor leadership syndrome that took over as he noticed that there was no readiness to solve such problems in the party. So, I reaffirm that I am not a member in the PDP and I said earlier, what is going on in the party is politics being played based on interest or to defend the interest of someone you like or your master. You also have to believe me that my master Malam Isa Yuguda has left PDP and same with me Alhaji Abdullahi little.
There was this issue of defection nearly or before and after the 2015 presidential and governorship elections in the country. You can also see that the leadership in the PDP, especially about the issue of chairmanship between former governor Ahmed Makarfi and the Ali Modu Sherif, what is your take on that?
I have to reemphasize that being in politics is something based on interest, and where you think your people have the majority is where you have to join and those that have defected from PDP to another party could be as a result of bad leadership. Others might have left the party due to the fact that they were defeated at poll and failed to understand that leadership is given by God.
Only members of the PDP can really give the details about the current chairmanship power tussle in their party.
But I can say that was negligence of equity and justice in the leadership of the party, there was dictatorship among the leadership. You have to agree with me that whoever in power, be it a Christian or Muslim, leadership cannot last long if there was injustice but can be firm and straight forward to whosoever among the two religions once there was justice, faith and good mind or clear intention to work for others.
God Himself forbids injustice among mankind warned us to desist from doing so. Believe me again that the party does not have reasonable leaders in it. The current administration in the state, we cannot say they failed but the wrongs were paramount in their leadership and the main reason why those in the PDP defected to the APC is bad leadership in the PDP.
When politics was going on smoothly in Bauchi under Malam Isa Yuguda, he gave freedom to the people and isolated them from the wrong leadership they found themselves. And going back to the leadership tussle in the PDP as I have told you, I’m not a member of the party anymore but the challenges of leadership at the national level was there when Ahmadu Mu’azu was the chairman. When the problem broke at the national level of the party, I think all what had to be done was to organise and ask senior stakeholders who supported the party to win elections and come to power to solve it, but they did not do this.
What PDP is going through today should serve as good example to them and has something to do with what they did to their people in the past.
The emergence of Modu Sherif was very surprising why because you have to ask yourself, when did Ali Modu Sherif left APC for the PDP? Never in history did the PDP hand over its chairmanship of the national party to a member who just defected to the PDP. This is something questionable. Leadership does not require dirty hands but clean ones and once you intend to take leadership, be sure that you are very clean, a man of integrity, a reasonable leader.
Therefore the present leadership challenges in PDP is because of bad leadership, and this is one of the reasons why Malam Isa Yuguda served as minister in PDP for six months, won his governorship under ANPP but defected to PDP with the good mind to take his people on board with a view to fulfiling the mandate of his people and serve them very well.
I can tell you that Governor Isa Yuguda did a lot for his people, which many have forgotten but now they were crying and recalling the good work of the governor. The defection of the governor brought about developmental changes which include, the construction of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International airport, Bauchi State University, Gadau improvement in TETFUNDS in the state, scholarship to students to study abroad for the poor, increase in workers’ salaries and removal of Bauchi formula that harmed the state workers over the years. There was the appointment of SSA, SA, Advisers by the governor. all these were to improve human development and youth empowerment in the state.
But today how many such political officers were engaged to reduce hardship? You can also believe me if I say that the peaceful atmosphere created by the past administration is still the peace the people of the state are enjoying today.
It would be recalled that Yuguda gave car loans to senior staff, motorcycles and money to the junior rank and file in the civil service of the state. To me, I can say that somebody like Malam Isa Yuguda is eligible to lead the PDP but will they allow him to lead the party? For example, take people like Sir Ken Nnamani, Atiku, Wammako and Kwankwaso they believed that injustice had taken root in the PDP and they left the party.
And if we are to refer to what Malam Isa Yuguda has said about PDP, considering the injustice and bad leadership, which made him to dump the party, and then we can give him a thumb-up and commended him for doing so.
Yuguda has did his best to bring about changes, to see that there was good change in the party but his efforts proved abortive which is why he decided to leave the party.
What do you expect for your people under the current new administration in the state?
Well, thank you for this question. First of all you have to agree with me that the people of Bauchi State criticised the former governor over the non-payment of salaries of two months. Now, the new administration is on and can you tell me how many month salary the present state government has been unable to pay? To me, there is no way you can lead the people by leaving them in hunger which this can be seen happening in our state due to the poor leadership by the government in the state. You have to agree with me that the APC government is now the one actualizing such ugly attitude, considering that we are in the holy month of Ramadan and people cannot even get one meal a day.
Workers too have found themselves in harsh conditions. They collected soft loans with a view to saving their souls but to no avail, due to non-payment of their salaries by the present government in the state.
But surprisingly the current economic situation has not stopped the present government in Bauchi from carrying out their official activities in the state. So, this government is doing nothing for the people who voted it into office. Therefore, the present APC administration in Bauchi would have nothing to show or compare with our previous administration.
What is left for the present government is to kill people off. As far as I am concerned, the present administration in Bauchi is incapacitated and doesn’t know what administration is all about. So, if the government led by the APC in the state has not performed, then people now can judge for themselves between the past government and the present administration.
So, for now, our ex-governor left the PDP and we don’t know exactly where he will decide to go but we are with him wherever he wishes to go. One thing to know is that Isa Yuguda is waiting for the decision of his people. Now, my advice to the people of the state is to pray to God Almighty who made them to be as they were and how they met with the conditions affecting them, because God never goes where there is injustice but warned mankind to do justice always and God can test His people because of one person.
I am appealing to the people of Bauchi to avoid the politics hatred and grievances, and to stop choosing candidates based on sentiment. My message to our people in Bauchi is, let them consider this change as a test from God
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