Ibrahim Coomasie, former Inspector-General of Police and present chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) discloses why the North moved massively for President Muhammadu Buhari and against Goodluck Jonathan. A former classmate of PMB, he reveals why it would not be business as usual with Buhari. He spoke with Leadership's Kunle Somorin, Catherine Agbo and Muazu Elazeh:
With the emergence of Buhari, do you think the North has achieved one of its major agenda?
Buhari became so famous during the electioneering and on the political scene generally. If you recall, the arrangement when it was decided that power should go to the South was that after eight years, it would come back to the North but that was disrupted somehow by nature when the late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died and Jonathan continued, isn’t it? Some people believed that with the completion of his first tenure, Jonathan should have stepped aside and allowed another Northerner to come and complete the term. This was not to be.
To make matters worse...
the last six years of Jonathan’s administration ignored two important issues which were provided for in the constitution. The purpose of government is to provide security and welfare of the people. Jonathan ignored this and for six years, our people were being killed in the North-East of the country, property were being destroyed, children were killed, schools destroyed and even some were kidnapped. So, one of the things we said was that enough is enough. The ACF under our leadership told the Northern governors that the carnage and devastation in the North was enough and that something must be done about it. Later on, we wrote the president an open letter which was published in the media, highlighting all the atrocities that had been happening in the North. We talked about the attacks on the North and the attacks on personalities, including the incumbent president and some clergymen like Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, who was attacked in Kaduna. There was no reply from the Presidency. This thing spread to even the North-Central and North-West and because of that, the ACF spearheaded the leadership of other NGOs in the North to say enough is enough.
What we needed then was to bring back the arrangement of power shift and it meant we would support a Northern candidate. So, when the APC brought up a Northern candidate, we came all out to support him. We decided to try a Northern candidate and when APC brought out Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate, I went on air to rally support for him even though there were few resentments here and there.
So you mean with the emergence of a Northerner as president, there'll be an end to insurgency?
It will be checked effectively. It’s only one month now and you have seen what he has done so far. He has visited the scene of the incident; he has seen the president of Chad Republic; he has seen the president of Niger Republic and he has visited the G-7 Summit. He is doing something to prepare the ground for final onslaught against Boko Haram. In fact, he said he will fight Boko Haram to the last man. Did we hear this type of thing from Jonathan while he was in office? He wasn’t even visiting the place.
During the electioneering and eventual emergence of President Buhari, the South-South said it was a conspiracy by the North against the South-South and South-East. Few days back, the former interim chairman of APC, Bisi Akande said the emergence of Saraki and Dogara is conspiracy by the North against the South-West. The North keeps re-occurring as a decimal in all of these. What is your stand on that?
During the electioneering and eventual emergence of President Buhari, the South-South said it was a conspiracy by the North against the South-South and South-East. Few days back, the former interim chairman of APC, Bisi Akande said the emergence of Saraki and Dogara is conspiracy by the North against the South-West. The North keeps re-occurring as a decimal in all of these. What is your stand on that?
Well, I have responded to Bisi Akande’s statement. First of all, he is a politician of high repute, he belongs to the Awo Group before Afenifere. But you know the Afenifere is now divided. Akande’s statement is unfortunate. This type of statement should not come from a person of his calibre. It is inciting. But we have replied him. Buhari was elected by Nigerians because they wanted a change and they got it. What the National Assembly does is left to them. It’s the role of the party to see how it can resolve all the problems arising from there. It is an indictment on the leadership of the party. We abhor such statements as made by Akande. It’s very unfortunate. He is somebody I respected before but for him to be making these utterances at a time when Nigeria is chanced to unite is quite unfortunate.
Is the North the problem of Nigeria?
Is the North the problem of Nigeria?
Is it the problem? I’m asking you. No, the North can never be the problem of Nigeria. It is the stabilising factor. If you go back to history, the North is the only unifying factor in this country. In fact, if leadership is in the hands of the North, I assure you there will be good governance. But there is this concern that the North is not as monolithic as it used to be before, yes. But we are coming back to unity because one of our land marks is peace, unity and development. We are coming to be united again. We showed it at the conference and we showed it at the last election.
So what do you make of the concept of Middle Belt?
So what do you make of the concept of Middle Belt?
Well every body has a right to exist in whatever form; but are the Middle Belters saying they are not Northerners?
Talking about the unity of the North, recently an elder of the North, Balarabe Musa said Nigerians should not expect anything from President Buhari because he cannot deliver the goods. Is the North in any way worried by such statements coming from its elder?
Every Nigerian has a right to make his comment. This is a constitutionally guaranteed right. Whether the comment is correct or not is another thing.
Even if it is divisive?
He has a right to say it. Is there any law which says he cannot say what he likes? He has been in opposition all along. He was in NEPU and the PRP and even in the PRP, they divided themselves into two. He is a politician and has been in opposition. He was even impeached. He was the first governor to be impeached. So, you should expect these type of remarks from him and I am sure he didn’t even vote for Buhari. His PRP is still alive so you can expect this from people like him.
Are you not taking this position because of your personal relationship with President Buhari?
No. I am talking objectively as a person who is championing the cause of Northern Nigeria because I am chairman of ACF, otherwise, I am not a politician. Buhari was my classmate and I will support him anywhere because I know his pedigree. He has been tested as head of state and only people who like corruption, greed and stealing will talk bad about him. Balarabe Musa has always been an opposition person so I am not surprised. You can see what we said about Bisi Akande. We said his statement was unfortunate because he is in the same party and in fact, he is a leader of the party.
Ethnicity and religion have continually been used by divisive elements to further polarise this country; regional and ethnic associations keep springing. Do you think this is healthy for our continued existence as a nation?
Well, in spite of everything, we have remained united. At least, we recently celebrated 100 years of our existence as a nation and we are hoping to have another 100 years, better one for that matter, as a nation. All along, the Northern Nigeria has been an example as it remained one inspite of the differences in religion. There are many of our people in Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Nasarawa and Niger state who are Christians and they have all along gone under one umbrella and this continued until Obasanjo came. He is the one who divided the North and also increased the hatred between the North and the South. He used CAN.
Is the North the leader, politically in Nigeria?
No, but the North is always in a position to get the leadership of this country because of its numerical strength. So they use religion to attack the North, to divide that cohesion.
Many people still doubt the validity of the North having more population. I remember what the former NPC boss, Festus Odimegwu said...
Many people replied him. They even said this thing started with the colonial masters whom it was claimed, gave the North advantage with population so that it can continue to rule. Have you ever toured the Northern region? You should know whether the North is the most populous. First of all, an average Northerner like me marries at least four wives, what about in Osogbo?
There is this belief that Northern elite have profited more from government. Do you agree?
I have not undertaken a study to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of such a claim but it’s possible. If you talk of cornering contracts, may be yes. This is one of the reasons why people are looking for change.
Do you think Buhari can really fight corruption the way he did years back, given the fact that he also got financial support from some of these people who are perceived as corrupt?
Why not? The question is are they prepared for a change? Should we continue to live like this? Can’t we think of what we can leave for future generations? Should we corner everything to our pockets? If people cannot think like this, there will be difficulty as they won’t cooperate with Buhari. But if they want a change so that Nigeria can develop and compete with other nations globally, then they have to cooperate with him.
But some of them may be concerned by the fact that they assisted him?
If they assisted him, in what way and were they compelled to assist him? Why did they assist him? Why did they bring him to the party when they know the type of person he is? What we are saying is if we need a change for the better, for our people, then we must cooperate with the president. You see I’m confident in the ability of the president to change this country because he said he will fight corruption, reposition the economy and address insecurity.
Don’t you think these people close to him, who are perceived to be corrupt, will fight back when he starts the corruption war because it is often said, when you fight corruption, it fights back?
You seem to be personalising the whole issue. Him moving against corruption does not mean against individuals. He is moving against corruption, graft and economic sabotage.
Talking about the unity of the North, recently an elder of the North, Balarabe Musa said Nigerians should not expect anything from President Buhari because he cannot deliver the goods. Is the North in any way worried by such statements coming from its elder?
Every Nigerian has a right to make his comment. This is a constitutionally guaranteed right. Whether the comment is correct or not is another thing.
Even if it is divisive?
He has a right to say it. Is there any law which says he cannot say what he likes? He has been in opposition all along. He was in NEPU and the PRP and even in the PRP, they divided themselves into two. He is a politician and has been in opposition. He was even impeached. He was the first governor to be impeached. So, you should expect these type of remarks from him and I am sure he didn’t even vote for Buhari. His PRP is still alive so you can expect this from people like him.
Are you not taking this position because of your personal relationship with President Buhari?
No. I am talking objectively as a person who is championing the cause of Northern Nigeria because I am chairman of ACF, otherwise, I am not a politician. Buhari was my classmate and I will support him anywhere because I know his pedigree. He has been tested as head of state and only people who like corruption, greed and stealing will talk bad about him. Balarabe Musa has always been an opposition person so I am not surprised. You can see what we said about Bisi Akande. We said his statement was unfortunate because he is in the same party and in fact, he is a leader of the party.
Ethnicity and religion have continually been used by divisive elements to further polarise this country; regional and ethnic associations keep springing. Do you think this is healthy for our continued existence as a nation?
Well, in spite of everything, we have remained united. At least, we recently celebrated 100 years of our existence as a nation and we are hoping to have another 100 years, better one for that matter, as a nation. All along, the Northern Nigeria has been an example as it remained one inspite of the differences in religion. There are many of our people in Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Nasarawa and Niger state who are Christians and they have all along gone under one umbrella and this continued until Obasanjo came. He is the one who divided the North and also increased the hatred between the North and the South. He used CAN.
Is the North the leader, politically in Nigeria?
No, but the North is always in a position to get the leadership of this country because of its numerical strength. So they use religion to attack the North, to divide that cohesion.
Many people still doubt the validity of the North having more population. I remember what the former NPC boss, Festus Odimegwu said...
Many people replied him. They even said this thing started with the colonial masters whom it was claimed, gave the North advantage with population so that it can continue to rule. Have you ever toured the Northern region? You should know whether the North is the most populous. First of all, an average Northerner like me marries at least four wives, what about in Osogbo?
There is this belief that Northern elite have profited more from government. Do you agree?
I have not undertaken a study to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of such a claim but it’s possible. If you talk of cornering contracts, may be yes. This is one of the reasons why people are looking for change.
Do you think Buhari can really fight corruption the way he did years back, given the fact that he also got financial support from some of these people who are perceived as corrupt?
Why not? The question is are they prepared for a change? Should we continue to live like this? Can’t we think of what we can leave for future generations? Should we corner everything to our pockets? If people cannot think like this, there will be difficulty as they won’t cooperate with Buhari. But if they want a change so that Nigeria can develop and compete with other nations globally, then they have to cooperate with him.
But some of them may be concerned by the fact that they assisted him?
If they assisted him, in what way and were they compelled to assist him? Why did they assist him? Why did they bring him to the party when they know the type of person he is? What we are saying is if we need a change for the better, for our people, then we must cooperate with the president. You see I’m confident in the ability of the president to change this country because he said he will fight corruption, reposition the economy and address insecurity.
Don’t you think these people close to him, who are perceived to be corrupt, will fight back when he starts the corruption war because it is often said, when you fight corruption, it fights back?
You seem to be personalising the whole issue. Him moving against corruption does not mean against individuals. He is moving against corruption, graft and economic sabotage.
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