No going back on our defection to APC – Ex-Borno lawmaker Abdulrahman Abdulkarim was the majority leader of the Borno State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. He defected to the PDP in 2007 and became part of its exco in the state. Last week, he along with 14 other PDP exco members announced their defection to the APC. In this interview, he explains why they defected and says there is no going back on their decision. Excerpts You’re one of the 15 former PDP officials who announced their defection to the APC last week; what were the issues on ground that led to this development? The reason why we left the PDP to APC is what Governor Kashim Shettima is doing in Borno State. We felt this is the right time, not time for politics. It is not right for us to sit down and form opposition to fight him at this time. It is time for us to come together and salvage our state from this catastrophe. We’re suffering, and our people are going through hard times, but with the little resources he gets, the governor has been doing a lot on employment, youth empowerment, health facilities and many other things. These are the things that impressed and motivated us, especially myself, to come to APC to join and assist him to move our state forward. We need Borno to come back to its past glory. We have no reason to sit down and form opposition to somebody like Kashim Shettima who is working for the state transparently in spite of all the challenges, and everybody can see that. If you’re a patriotic citizen of Borno, you need to support him. There is a lot of crisis in the PDP currently going on with two factions in the party; could this be one of your reasons for defecting to the APC? No, no! This crisis between Kawu Baraje and Bamanga Tukur factions in the party is normal. They can overcome their crisis. The fundamental reason why I’m going to the APC is single- handedly because of the efforts of the governor. Before now, our people were suffering. I come from the border area. We had no hospital and school before now. Our people were going chemist. We now have schools and hospitals. He started paying scholarship when he came. Many boys are now sponsored to study abroad. So, there is a lot. I’m seeing something that somebody is doing which is exactly what I want to do; that is why I decided to join him. If God gives me the opportunity, this is what I will do as well. He gave somebody the opportunity, and the person is doing it well. But Kashim Shettima has been governor of Borno State for over two years now, if really he has been doing all these things, why did you wait until this time to join him? You have to sit down and assess him very well. He faced the Boko Haram issue right from the first year he came in. He has proved to us that he really came to work. His efforts made peace to start returning to the state. The politics of ideology is now very rare in Nigeria. Some people are just looking for money, but that is not the case with us. Since 1999, I cross-carpeted only once, and now I’m going to APC because of Kashim Shettima. I felt I have the same ideology with him. This is the right time for us to come and join him. The state PDP chairman is not part of you, but I understand some key members are with you. Why is he not with you, and why only 15 members? We currently have communication problem in Borno. The actual number of the EXCO members who agreed to defect is 22. But when this thing started, I was contacted that if I meant it, they would publish the names; I said I was ready and that they should go on. But others that agreed initially could not be reached because of communication failure. What we’re doing is for the sake of our state. We will sacrifice everything because of our state to do what Kashim Shettima is doing. As we could not communicate with the other people, we couldn’t put their names. We know that they’re coming. Won’t you go back to the PDP in future? No, no, we’re not going back. We just want to find an alternative to rescue our state. I’m a progressive; it’s only circumstance that took me to PDP. We have different ideology and character with the PDP. PDP is purely conservative; I’m a progressive. How would you assess the security situation in Borno? Are you satisfied with the way things are being handled, especially with the state of emergency declared months ago? I’m satisfied to some certain level. The efforts of the governor are good. With the coming of these youths called the ‘Civilian JTF’ is good. These boys are motivated by the governor, and the government is taking care of them. Things have become normal. That is why the Boko Haram people left Maiduguri and now they’re attacking some areas in the local governments. It is because everybody is impressed with what he is doing that people said ‘let us sacrifice our lives to bring this peace.’ Our state is now progressing. We appreciate the way the Federal Government handled the situation, because this state of emergency was a step in the right direction. Without the state of emergency, we couldn’t get this achievement. What is your suggestion to the relevant authorities on how the insecurity situation will be finally resolved? We must sit down and negotiate; that is how peace will come. You can’t bring peace with the gun. You can start the war with gun, but you will end up sitting down and talking to each other. Now we’re heading towards that. From the publications on the committee of Turaki, they said that they have agreed to sit down and negotiate. We advise the Federal Government to negotiate, but if somebody breaks the law you should take him according to the law.
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 06:01:55 +0000
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