N/Assembly leadership: Why we’re postponing zoning until after the elections – Adamu

Senator Abdullahi Adamu, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), speaks in this interview about the outcome of the presidential election, the party’s preparation for tomorrow’s governorship election, the zoning of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, and the call for his resignation, among other things.

 

The presidential and parliamentary elections produced some surprises, with the APC losing some of its strongholds to the opposition. What did the party learn from the exercise in preparation for the governorship and state assembly elections?

The most important and unfortunate lesson we have learned from APC is that ethnicity and religion have been elevated far beyond what we had previously experienced. Whatever you think of the other factors influencing the election, that step taken by our people is, in my opinion, a setback.

 

We hope and pray that all politicians who want to deepen democracy in this country will examine the situation critically in order to get the country out of this mess of religious and ethnic politics.

 

However, we performed admirably. We never set out to have a perfect election; instead, we set out to have a free and fair election, which we accomplished.

 

Certain significant developments that were very different from what we were used to seeing in Nigerian politics occurred during the last election. People at the forefront of Nigerian politics, including yours sincerely, lost the election in their strongholds, for reasons that are difficult to explain.

 

How do you explain Governor Nasir El-Rufai losing Kaduna to the PDP; me, as the national chairman of our party, losing Nasarawa to the Labour Party; and the president-elect, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, losing the presidential election in Lagos, which he ruled for eight years and has been the centerpiece of Lagos politics? How do you explain our loss of Gombe or Yobe, the governors of which are my predecessors in the APC (Governor Buni)?

 

There are numerous events that occurred, and it is difficult to explain why they occurred. Despite these losses, we did not cry. I didn’t cry, nor did Tinubu or El-Rufai. Though it is politically painful, we have the fortitude to bear such a setback in our politics.

 

However, as you can see, the person who defeated us in Lagos is complaining about the election’s fairness. This is a man whose party did not have a single local government chairman when he ran for office. There are lessons to be learned, but I am grateful to God Almighty that we won the election.

 

Though there have been some losses in some areas, which we now refer to as flashpoints, we hope and pray that we will overcome them in future elections.

 

You mentioned religion and ethnicity being important factors in the last election. How do you account for your party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in all of this?

 

Perhaps this heightens the religious element, but we’re looking into it.

 

What is your party doing to avoid the upsets of the last election in the governorship election this Saturday?

 

After a few setbacks, we’re back to the drawing board to see what we can do, where we made mistakes and incorrect assumptions, and then correct ourselves. By God’s grace, our party will fare better in the governorship and state assembly elections.

 

Are you having sleepless nights because your governors in the states, who were previously regarded as your vote bank, are already fearful of a repeat of what happened in the presidential election?

 

I sleep well when I’m not sick. Since the presidential election results were announced, there hasn’t been a single day when I went to bed and stayed in bed for 10 minutes without sleep taking over. I get a lot of rest.

 

There is no doubt that I am concerned and concerned about what I will do. But once I make up my mind to do something to correct a particular error, I just do it. But once I lay down, I sleep and have dreams. One of my recent dreams was that we would win more states in this governorship election.

 

How many states did you hope to win?

 

That would be far too prophetic. We have 21 states governed by the APC as we approach the election. I’m hoping we’ll get more. However, we may lose one or two in the process. And, by God’s grace, regardless of how many we get in and how many we lose out, we will still be in the majority in the end.

 

Every time God gives me leadership, I lead my party to victory, and this election is no exception.

 

All eyes are on the president-elect and you, particularly on this religious issue. How do you intend to balance the equation in light of the reaction to the Muslim-Muslim ticket?

 

Our new president is a fair-minded politician, and he will be no different now that he has won the election. It is a natural characteristic. As the party’s national chairman, I am responsible for advising, directing, and leading the party in developing and implementing a strategy that is best suited to achieving political equilibrium.

 

We made it clear during our last meeting with National Assembly members-elect that we needed to meet after the governorship election to discuss the issue of National Assembly leadership.

 

There is nothing the president can do without the National Assembly’s approval. We suffered in the 8th Senate because some people cheated the system, putting our entire tenure in jeopardy. There was no harmony between the executive and the legislature, which hampered governance. But we managed to meander through the crisis-ridden National Assembly, and it was due to selfishness.

 

Some people simply believe they want to be the leader of the National Assembly. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having ambition, but not unguarded ambition that’s tinged with betrayal and abuse of trust.

 

According to key players in the 8th Senate, there was no clear directive from the president regarding zoning the leadership of the parliament, which is why what happened…

 

This is due to the fact that they defeated the gun.

 

Legislators-elect are already banding together, and there is concern that if zoning is not released on time…

 

But what do you call timely zone release? The election is still ongoing, and the National Assembly will be inaugurated in the second week of June. So, what’s the rush? There is nothing wrong with consulting or presenting yourself to your colleagues; however, why risk it?

 

We don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the 8th Senate. It was a hard lesson to learn. We told the lawmakers-elect at our last meeting to wait for the president-elect and the leadership of the platform on which they were elected.

 

If it becomes necessary to collaborate with other parties in order to increase our membership in the National Assembly, the party will do so. But, for the love of God, don’t beat the gun. We have a very delicate situation on our hands, and we must proceed with caution.

 

Should Nigerians expect a Muslim to lead the Senate?

 

That is not for me to say. But I can assure you that we will be as equitable as possible and sensitive to Nigerian sentiments. It is not for me to make a decision at this time. My role is to guide the party toward fairness and equity.

 

What are your thoughts on the opposition parties going to court to challenge the presidential election results?

 

I wish them safe travels. It is their legal right to go to court. I hope that whether the court rules in their favor or against them, they will accept the outcome. It sometimes amazes me that Nigerian politicians lack the heart to accept defeat when they lose an election.

 

We signed a peace agreement before the election, which they have already discarded. Why is the election fair in Lagos, where they won, but not in Borno, where they lost? The same umpire and rules apply.

 

Nigeria has never had a more peaceful election. This is the first election in recent memory in which no one has mentioned vote buying.

 

What surprises me the most is that this thrash is being heard in some developed countries. They are not treating us fairly. How old is Nigeria’s democracy? What is the average age in America? Didn’t Donald Trump try to destabilize the American government because he didn’t accept the election results? This is beyond comprehension naivety. We won the election in a free and fair election.

 

How will you respond to one of the APC NWC members’ call for your resignation?

 

I don’t have time to argue with Salihu Lukman about it. I have more important things to think about, discuss, and attend to. I don’t want to lower myself to that level.

(TNT)