Dr Abdlrahman Usman is a chieft of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a member of the Governing Council of People’s Democratic Institute (PDI). In this interview, he speaks on the defection of members of the main opposition party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other issues
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has joined APC and some people are saying that with his exit, PDP is now dead in the South-East geopolitical zone. What is your take on this view? One thing I want to say with respect to Governor Peter Mbah’s defection is that quite a number of these governors that are decamping are not going there because they believe in what the APC is doing, but they are actually seeking for protection.
That is likely what is happening and one thing I can assure you is that Tinubu will undo himself with this decampment that is happening, because quite a number of people that are decamping are going to end up working against his interest in the 2027 election.
These people are decamping because of their personal interests, not because it is what their people want, and it is not because they believe in what the APC is doing. What is there to savour about the APC government that somebody will say that he or she loves? You heard the recent statistics rolled out by the World Bank, that every minute, 11 Nigerians go into poverty.
These are not cheering news. The poverty index is increasing, inflation is increasing, insecurity is going up, and it’s not reducing. The economic hardship is not alleviating. The power supply is another thing else. He said if he does not fix power, we should not vote for him again. And look at what happened even with the presidential pardon. Has he not brought shame to Nigeria in the eyes of the international community? Over 70 per cent of those who were granted pardon are people who committed heinous crimes against the state.
Drug trafficking accounted for 40 per cent, and another 34 per cent are those engaging in illegal mining, very serious economic crimes. What kind of leadership is that? This speaks volumes about the kind of people we have in government. One is really ashamed of the governance style of the APC, because it’s not really about alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians. It is just about themselves and state capture. That is what you have with this government.
You can see what happened with the President’s daughter, Iyabo Ojo, and what she attempted to do in Benin, Edo State. That your father is the head of state does not make you the Iya Oloja of Nigeria. They see the nation as their personal entity. It has never been this bad. Seyi Tinubu sees himself as the number one youth in Nigeria. Did we vote for them? Nigerians didn’t vote for them. It shouldn’t be so debased like this. But I believe that at the appropriate time, Nigerians will act.
About people decamping from the PDP, there is nothing that has not happened to PDP in the past. A former vice president has decamped. Even Goodluck Jonathan; his case is as good as decamping because for the past 10 years since he left power, he has alienated himself from the party. And that goes to question those that are throwing rumours around that Jonathan wants to contest under PDP.
Contest under which party; the he party which he has never bothered about alleviating its sufferings even in terms of intervening in the crisis that we have here and there. How can you just wake up one morning and say because you are a former president, you want to assume it is yours to take. I don’t think that will happen. Nigerians should brace up because it is all about us. It is beyond the issue of party politics.
It is about the future of our country. Nigeria must be salvaged. Look at the statistics that were rolled out for the shortlist for the Customs. Are we out for the South Western Republic of Nigeria or what are we into? A lot of things are really wrong. The nepotism is very wrong. The corruption is something on the high side. It is very unfortunate.
Some people are calling for the removal of the service chiefs over rising insecurity. In his independent speech, President Tinubu said that the worst is over, that Nigeria is better now, and that things are beginning to look up. What are your thoughts on that? Is the worst over?
You can see that in places states Zamfara and Katsina, people have taken their destiny in their hands. They are negotiating with bandits. We are having a lot of ungoverned spaces. Look at what is happening in Kwara State. Look at what is happening in Plateau State. Look at what is happening in Benue State. Look at what is happening in Kogi State. Are you saying the worst is over? The worst is far from over.
One is really ashamed of the governance style of the APC because it’s not really about alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians. It is just about themselves and state capture
They are just fond of using social media gimmicks and what have you to promote their ineptitude and turn it upside down. It is a different picture to the international community; a government that completely lacks transparency. There is no transparency at all. The subsidy was removed. We are expecting that when the subsidy is removed, we will see a lot of changes.
With just three per cent subsidy removal under late Sani Abacha, we saw the impact. Under former President Jonathan, we saw SURE-P. Under Ibrahim Babangida, we saw what they did with the Directorate of Roads and Rural Infrastructure. What are we really seeing with this one? What we are seeing with this one is that there is no tomorrow. Everything is in the negative.
What can you say about this newly-appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)?
Some people have issues with the choice; they said he is a Yoruba man from Kogi State. Some have also set an agenda for him. What is your advice to him? He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Already, people are raising a lot of issues about his CV. I don’t know why this government gives people that have integrity issues responsibilities.
You find that most people are certificate forgers; they have done one act of forgery or one act of perjury. Now, we are looking at that of Olubumi Ojo again; the issue of youth service.
We have heard what happened with the Minister of Art, Culture and Tourism, Hannatu Musawa. The minister skipped NYSC. You can get away with any crime as long as you are in APC and your sins are forgiven. Things are just done that way. It is all about serves their personal interest and mot what is in the interest of the nation. It is really sad.
Some people have expressed concerns because they are looking at Tinubu’s trajectory. They say new INEC chairman may not be allowed to be non-partisan by the APC led government. Do you share that view?
The main thing is that we should have electoral reform such that we are able to make sure that we digitalize the process of electioneering right from accreditation to the actual polling and transmission of results to the final level. What we are hearing is that there is a plan to engage an Indian company and that the server will be based outside the country.
Nigerians are watching every bit of the move they are making and they will not take any of that. We must demand free, fair and transparent elections. Let the votes count. Let the voice of the people count. It is very important. My greatest worry in all that is happening now is that I am even beginning to feel concerned that we are moving towards the issue of removing tenure limit for executives.
The desperation to have everybody in APC is beyond the issue of a second term agenda. Now, they have more than two-third majority in the Senate. With the kind of characters we have in the National Assembly as it is today, and the governors that we have, one may not be hopeful.
Everybody is likely to shout “on their dollars we shall stand.” So with what I am seeing, I am beginning to look at this man trying to work out for the removal of tenure limit. He is already looking beyond 2031 and even after 2031, he can contest. That is the issue. Nigerians must be on guard.
But people are saying that Nigerians are too complacent for anything positive to happen. They are saying that Nigerians can take anything and they will just go to sleep…
Hunger will make people to sit up. I am afraid over what I am seeing. We might have a revolution because the youth are angry. The level of unemployment is something else. The level of underemployment is something else.
The level of out of school children is something else. Everything is going on the downside, not on the positive side. This is not good for a nation. So I don’t really know. It is unfortunate that this happening to the giant of Africa.
There is also speculation in some quarters that those who complain are either compelled to join the APC or they will get into trouble…
The big question should be: “Are we going to continue like this? Should we give up on the democracy that our forefathers fought to get? Are we going to give up? The way we are going, a lot people have concluded that our democracy is dead already. The way we are going is a trend. Do you think there is any reason to hope that someday thongs will look up again for Nigeria?
I have faith in Nigeria because God is in Nigeria. God will intervene. Either he will clean the system in his own way. We have seen it before. I don’t have to mention names. You know what I mean? Somebody with five leprous fingers will succeed himself. I believe God has his way of intervening in the affairs of Nigeria. So I have that faith.
Corrigendum
On Thursday, October 16, we erroneously used the picture of Dr. Abdlrahman Usman, an infectious disease expert, for this interview with Dr. Abdlrahman Usman, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a member of the Governing Council of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI), published on this page with the headline: “Desperation to’ve everybody in APC beyond second term agenda.” We regret any inconvenience that may have caused Dr. Abdlrahman Usman. –Editor
