Malam Adamu Ciroma one of the Northern Nigerian elite who in 2012 strongly challenged the jettisoning of zoning in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which enabled Goodluck Jonathan to run, has offered a spiritual answer to the Nigerian conundrum.
Malam Adamu Ciroma one of the Northern Nigerian elite who in 2012 strongly challenged the jettisoning of zoning in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which enabled Goodluck Jonathan to run, has offered a spiritual answer to the Nigerian conundrum.
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According to him, just as it happened in Hausa kingdom over 200 years ago, when God sent Usmanu Danfodiyo to save the subjects from oppression by their rulers, He will again send another Danfodiyo to clean the mess of Nigeria today under brigandage of President Goodluck Jonathan and his god-father, former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ciroma was speaking in Hausa in an interview given to a foreign radio station. The interview was translated exclusively for SaharaReporters in a university which offers Hausa language as an academic course.
Explaining the situation in Nigeria today, he said, “Where we are standing in Nigerian politics is let the politics be played according to rules and decorum guiding it. With justice and fairness, PDP came up with a strategy of zoning and rotation between the North and the South. And now the setting has been left to be scuttled. And since it was destabilized the polity lost direction and we are heading into the wilderness.”
Alhaji Ciroma told his interviewer that Jonathan has imbibed the political culture of buying and routes (selling?) under the tutelage of Obasanjo, much like the ‘Third Term’ experience. He asserted, however, that he was confident that Nigeria’s ‘Danfodiyo,’ who was not desperate for power, will come and indeed cleanse the dirty terrain.
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He accused Obasanjo of being responsible for the destruction of Nigerian politics. “In my relationship with Obasanjo he knows me, that wherever I am I will say the truth and my disposition,” Ciroma said. “Like he could not change me, so I couldn’t repair him from his negative deeds. And he knows and all of us should know we have a responsibility of standing by the truth for prosperity.”
He also accused some Northerners whom he said are working with the former president to ensure that Jonathan emerged in 2015.
“It is not easy for the Northerners Obasanjo has been using to destroy the North to overcome the temptation, because they are also using him to satisfy their individual interests,” he said. “There are people he has helped to become governors, there are people he helped to acquire wealth and those he helped to get positions in different places. Some of them are still appreciating him, and some are still doing it because they want him to help them achieve some other things, because of this everybody is using everybody.”
Below is the full transcript:
“The only thing is we should continue to pray for Nigeria. It is very simple before God to bring one person and put him and he will right the situation. Like you know the Hausa land was in crises for over 200 years and God brought Usman Dafodiyo, who did not even seek for power. For me I have no doubt and I have not lost my faith that God can bring the person that will clean the mess we are in now. The wealth God has blessed this country supposed to be of use to the people of the country.
“Where we are standing in Nigerian politics is let the politics be played according to rules and decorum guiding it. With justice and fairness, PDP came up with a strategy of zoning and rotation between the North and the South. And now the setting has been left to be scuttled. And since it was destabilized the polity lost direction and we are heading into the wilderness. The governing of people must have foundation in truth and justice, not lies and buying people who will go to annual convention and be used in what an individual wants. Destroying the politics is now our problem and the signs are showing that aside dismantling the zoning, there are plots to extend this government and now those that have seen before have seen, and those that have not seen have seen. Because of this we should know what we can do to salvage Nigeria.
“Buying of people started when President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted Third Term, he knows the attitudes of Nigerians and how desperate they are to get wealth and material gains particularly politicians. He was the one that taught present President Goodluck Jonathan after the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to contest, and he knew how people can easily be bought for Jonathan to hold on power and it has come and passed, because it happened.
“Now because of this Obasanjo had continued destabilizing this country and you should know that he is now with President Goodluck Jonathan, example the present PDP convention it was between him and the president that shared the positions. This one got secretary and this other one grab party chairman and rest also shared the party offices. Because of this the North is yet to rescue itself from this brigandage and slavery, if a mouth is filled with talks it is certain it may be saying what is not correct and morally wrong.In my relationship with Obasanjo he knows me, that wherever I am I will say the truth and my disposition. Like he could not change me, so I couldn’t repair him from his negative deeds. And he knows and all of us should know we have a responsibility of standing by the truth for prosperity.
“It is not easy for the Northerners Obasanjo has been using to destroy the North to overcome the temptation, because they are also using him to satisfy their individual interests. There are people he has helped to become governors, there are people he helped to acquire wealth and those he helped to get positions in different places. Some of them are still appreciating him, and some are still doing it because they want him to help them achieve some other things, because of this everybody is using everybody.”
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