Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State has said Nigeria is drifting towards calamity because the serving president lacks the competence and courage to manage the affairs of the country appropriately.
While Kwankwaso was speaking in Kano, 27 out of the 30 lawmakers in the state House of Assembly, formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC)
According to him, “When we met with the president, as Northern Governors, he told us that the former US Secretary of State, Lady Clinton, told him that as president he has to look at the issue of the North very critically.
She noted that there was an imbalance in terms of patronage, appointments and sharing of resources.
Kwankwaso maintained that a situation wherein a section of the country was given priority over other sections is not in the best interest of all, pointing out that it is high time the federal government became sensitive to what is being felt by the international community.
“We have had enough crises in this country and it is not right to plant seeds for crisis in the future. Look at the North East that was allocated N2 billion in the current budget. N2 billion is what Mr. President allocated to non-APC states for supporting him, while N111 billion was allocated to the South-east and South-south. This is not close to fairness”, the governor argued.
Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), at the Government House in Kano, on Tuesday night, Kwankwaso said despite the advice and observations from respected leaders and leaders from within and outside the country on how to put Nigeria on the right track, the presidency has remained insensitive.
Stressing that his position on current national issues is not premised on religion, ethnicity or sectionalism but stems from the desire to see that every Nigerian, irrespective of where he comes from is treated without discrimination.
Kwankwaso further asserted that it is time for members of the National Assembly to come out and oppose injustice that is perpetrated by the government.
The governor noted that what is happening in the country in terms of poverty, insecurity and joblessness in the North today should not be happening in civilised societies, appealing to the federal government to listen to the voices of reason so as to move the country in the right direction.
“He assured that he was looking at those comments and that was why he was delaying appointments into boards and so on. Since that meeting, we have not seen anything or changes so it is my conclusion that the president lacks the capacity and courage to do the right thing”.
He lamented that the federal budget is heavily tilted in favour of one section of the country, pointing out that a situation where one section of the country is suffering from illiteracy, underdevelopment and misery while the other section has more than enough is not good for national unity.
Turning to the NEF, Kwankwaso said he and its members are like-minds that are not sleeping comfortably because things are not moving well in the country.
He pledged to continue to work with all people of good conscience to bring about good governance in Nigeria.
Earlier, in their separate remarks, the chairman of the forum, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, Danmasanin Kano and his deputy, Wanteregh Paul Unong, explained that they were not satisfied with current political developments in the country, especially as they affect the North.
They said the visit to Kwankwaso was to identify with his achievements and sterling leadership qualities as well as to look at several issues that would bring about responsible governance, unity and even development of the country.
In the same vein, 27 out of the 30 lawmakers in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, yesterday formally defected to the APC.
THISDAY gathered that majority of the defecting lawmakers, including all the principal officers of the House and its Speaker, Alhaji Lawali Zayyana, have moved to APC.
The three undecided lawmakers included: Hon. Mustapha Bala Hurumi, representing Bodinga South constituency, Bala Musa, representing Yabo constituency and Al-Mustapha Gatau, representing Isa constituency.
Addressing journalists in Sokoto yesterday, Chairman House Committee on Information, Hon. Malami Ahmed Basakkwace, said their defection to the APC was borne out of the quest for a change in the country.
He decried that the way the PDP national leadership and the federal government was running the affairs of the country left much to be desired, hence the decision by the lawmakers in the assembly to move to APC.
Basakkwace maintained that their move was meant to safeguard the nation’s democracy and move with the rest of the progressives to bring change in the country.
“We are not happy with what is happening in the country and need change in the leadership. We need to safeguard our democracy and work towards unifying the country because no nation can survive without effective leadership.
“So, that is why we decided to support the efforts of our leader Governor Aliyu Wamakko and G-7 governors in their efforts to salvage the country,”
According to him, their defection to APC was in the interest of their constituencies and in line with their aspirations.
“As you are aware, we consulted with our various constituencies and our people mandated us to defect to APC, having done so few weeks ago.
On the three undecided lawmakers in the PDP, who declined to move to APC, Basakkwace emphasised that they were yet to conclude consultations with their constituencies.
“We are still expecting the three undecided lawmakers to come on board. They are yet to conclude consultations with their constituencies. And we believe we will have their feedback soon,”he added.
Meanwhile Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, yesterday said the PDP had no moral grounds to go to court to challenge the defection of the five governors to the APC, stressing that every Nigerian has the right to freedom of association as enshrined in the constitution.
He also accused the federal government of discriminating against other regions, wondering how N2 billion would be budgeted for a crisis ridden North-east, while Niger Delta got over N114 billion in the 2014 budget.
Speaking while receiving the 27 members of the state assembly, shortly after their defection to the APC at the Government House Sokoto, Wamakko wondered why the PDP had decided to go to court to challenge their defection to the APC.
He noted that some governors had in the past left their parties to the PDP, without being challenged in court while the PDP celebrated such defection and did not see it as an offence and wondered why their defection had become a problem.
“I want to reaffirm that our struggle is to ensure justice, good governance, rule of law and equity. We were in the PDP but are neglected, our views are not respected and I think it is only obvious for us to move out.
“We are operating a selected discrimination. In 2007, when former Kebbi State Governor Adamu Aliero defected from the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the PDP, PDP was jubilating. When former Governor of Zamfara, Mamud Shinkafi, moved from ANPP to PDP with all the members, PDP was celebrating. Similarly when Bauchi Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, Abia Governor Theodore Orji and former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim moved to PDP, it was not an offence to PDP and it did not go to court.
“But today, some people out of their moral conviction, have decided to move to APC and PDP have gone to court. Does PDP take Nigerians as fools or what? I don’t think PDP has the moral grounds to go to court. Every Nigerian has right for freedom of association as enshrined in the constitution.
“What we are asking for is good governance. I have not seen what we have gained in the state for the maximum support to the PDP. We have no seen federal project, no notable appointment, no concrete project to show why we are in this party. We want a change, we want a government that have respect for the needs and aspirations of the electorate,” he said.
He accused the federal government for being discriminatory in the way it has been handling the affairs of the country.
Wamakko wondered why a troubled North-east region could be allocated N2 billion in the 2014 budget for development with Niger Delta receiving over N114 billion.