Nigeria: APC Merger, Solution to Nigeria's Problem

INTERVIEW

Senator Sulaiman Mohammed Nazif is a one-time Senator, Bauchi North senatorial district, and current chairman, communications and contact sub-committee of the CPC. In this interview, Nazif bares his mind on the need for the APC merger and other sundry issues.

Your party, CPC, inaugurated a Committee on Contact and Mobilisation which you lead; what is the function of the committee?

The Committee on Contact and Mobilisation was inaugurated and I was made the chairman of communications and contact sub-committee. Part of our responsibility is to go down to all the six geopolitical zones of the country and discuss with party elders and members, tell them the need and the desire of our party to be part of this merger.

Already, our leader, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, is at the forefront of this merger talks. In fact, APC today would stand as a multifunctional party, which on one hand stands as a deterrent to the ruling party, PDP, and on the other hand, as a solution that will address the socio-political and economic problems that bedevil our dear country, Nigeria.

It is no longer news that we are facing security challenges in our present-day Nigeria more than ever; the desire of merger cannot be over-emphasised because the masses of this country are familiar with the antics of the ruling party, and the only solution to rigging and bring development to the people is to have APC on board.

We recently went to Lagos under the leadership of our great party leader, Gen. Buhari, who led the delegation, to witness convention of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and we saw for ourselves how the people of the South West and indeed Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation were strongly enthusiastic that this merger is the only solution and the only avenue for Nigerians to realise their desired expectations.

Is the function of your committee restricted to the CPC members only or does it extend to other merging parties?

The function of our committee is to relate very closely with the CPC teeming members as well as those that are sympathetic towards the cause and the objectives of the CPC. We are to reach out to the general public, community leaders, traditional rulers, as well as various groups and organisations, including students and women, to ensure at the end of the day our teeming supporters get into the merger with strength and character, and to reach out to aggrieved party leaders and supporters so that the full strength of the CPC in the merger will come to bear.
This is the only party that is close to the common man and its strength was shown clearly by the number of votes that our leader, Gen. Buhari, scored during the last general election. So it is imperative for us to reach out to the people and tell them the decision of the leadership and the reasons for joining the merger.
Already we have been receiving supports and letters on the merger. We have a visionary leader, whose desire is to ensure that Nigeria becomes a better place for us to live in. We all know of his antecedents as a great Nigerian, a former head of state, one of the most disciplined Nigerians. And as chairman of the Petroleum Task Fund (PTF), and I can confidently tell you that the Nigerian younger generation and Nigerian professionals have never had it so good in Nigeria than when Gen. Buhari was the chairman of PTF because he engaged them judiciously. Gen. Buhari again created a platform called the CPC where millions of Nigerians actualised their dreams.
This is a leader who at every point in time has always provided opportunities for Nigerians to make their dreams come true. He did that in his career as a professional military officer, and, as head of state, his record speaks volume in PTF and as a leader of a political party. Gen. Buhari is a man that has always identified with the common man.
In the history of political mergers in Nigeria, talks seem to end when it comes to the selection of presidential candidate. What assurances would you give Nigerians that things won't go this same way this time around?
The beauty of this merger is that the leaders of CPC and ACN, in the persons of Gen. Buhari and Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu respectively, and the other political parties' leaders in APC are truly respected progressive elders of this country. I just cited an instance on how Gen. Buhari helped a lot of Nigerians to actualise their dreams.
On the other hand, Sen. Tinubu provided a platform under the ACN which also provided opportunities for thousands of Nigerians to also actualise their potential and dreams by becoming leaders in various capacities in this country. When you bring these two men together, you will know that this merger is a reality. Therefore we are calling on all Nigerians to believe in this merger and join this APC project.
Is it true that you are lobbying some of the PDP governors to join the APC merger?
For sure. You know when something is good, you must be attracted to it and I can assure you that this is a noble intention. This is the only initiative that will salvage this country, unless we don't want that. Nigeria today desires this merger more than ever.
The timing is superb and right; and a lot of governors, National Assembly members and Nigerians from all walks of life are waiting for the finalisation of this merger talk which is ongoing. The CPC will be holding its convention on May 11, 2013, and on that day, the masses of this country, the true 'Talakawas' of Nigeria and the true grassroots members, will know that this merger is a reality.
What is the place of APGA in the merger talk, as a faction is supporting the merger, while another is against it?
We have a committee on merger that is responsible for addressing this question. All political parties involved have the merger committee and these are the leaders that have been charged with the responsibility of talking on issues or the nitty-gritty on the merger itself. But, as far as we are concerned, APGA is not coming as a political party, but as a group because a faction of the party is not in support of the merger.
At this point I will like to commend Governor Rochas Okorocha for being counted among those that want to make Nigeria a better place. I can tell you that as soon as this merger talk succeeds, all the other parties, movements and groups throughout Nigeria will join. Even the South East will join Governor Okorocha in the APC.
What hope will Nigeria have with Gen. Buhari as its leader?
First, Nigeria requires a leader with experience, a leader that has been tested - we cannot accommodate inexperience or afford another experiment; a leader that can command the respect of the nation; a leader that would provide opportunities for the younger generation to strive. Nigeria requires a leader that will make things work, that can identify the best and work with the best to achieve the required result.
He is a leader that can bridge the gap between the masses and the leadership, a leader that feels the pains Nigeria is going through. When times have changed, the prerequisite required of a leader must fit these specifications and Gen. Buhari fits this more than anyone.
Gen. Buhari is an exemplary leader and a role model for Nigerians, and I strongly believe, by his antecedents, he would imbibe the culture of the separation of powers; he would not interfere with the National Assembly, thereby allowing the National Assembly achieve its best with Gen Buhari as president. With Gen. Buhari, every institution will work - he will not interfere with the judiciary, and with him governors will remain in their states and work, not as we now have where they are always in Abuja.
He is not looking for money; I strongly believe that the nation's resources will be saved in the hands of Gen. Buhari. His interest is Nigeria; his desire is a progressive Nigeria that will take its proper place within the comity of nations. He is passionate about anything that will make Nigeria work and, above all, he is a law abiding citizen who respects the rule of law.
So, Gen Buhari suites the leader Nigeria is looking for. This is a man that won elections thrice, but was denied. The lesson learnt here is that the man has learnt patience, which other leaders do not have. Gen. Buhari is the only Nigerian alive whose goodwill has earned him more than 12 million votes influenced by nothing other than his goodwill, uninfluenced and unprotected votes; even after cutting all that they could cut, he was still left with more than 12 million votes.
This is a man who eats the same type of food with the man in the rural areas of this country, he lives in the same type of house like the masses live in; the houses of his neighbours around are much more bigger than his; he drives the same kind of car that the average Nigerian drives and yet he was a former head of state in Nigeria.


source:allAfrica