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By Obiora Ifoh, Abuja
Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal has said that his administration will be fair, just and inclusive if he is privileged to be elected into the number one position in the country.
The Governor who met with the forum of former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Ministers in Abuja Wednesday night as well as FCT delegates and party structure, Thursday in his efforts to lobby some of the automatic delegates in the party to buy into his Presidential ambition, also assured that he is a candidate that understands Nigeria and will not waste any time to return the nation to prosperity.
He also accused President Muhammed Buhari of running a very nepotistic administration. He said that it is unfortunate that the Buhari administration failed to manage the diversity in the country and could not appoint a single person from the South East geopolitical zone in his cabinet, a situation that has led to agitation and feeling of neglect from the zone.
He said that he disagreed with former President Goodluck Jonathan and against his re-election on grounds of principle just as he defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) when the Buhari administration, though from his zone and religion were taking unpopular decision that became a threat to the existence of the country
“I had cause to say that President Muhammadu Buhari is the President of Nigeria today, but between him and Nigeria is like a force marriage. He does not understand Nigeria and NIgerians, probably up to now, he still does not understand. Otherwise, how can in a government of the Republic of Nigeria, we can have from number one to almost number nine without a representation from a whole geopolitical zone from the President, Vice President to the speaker, Deputy Senate president, Deputy Speaker, SGF and Chief of Staff and including The National Chairman of their party, they don’t have BoT so I will not count BoT for them. None is from the South East and you expect people to be happy with you and be clapping for you where there’s a clear case of exclusion which is a very important component of any democratic governance or any leadership.
“At whatever level you must include people, you must involve people, you must have people around the table discussing and taking decisions for their communities, for their country before they feel that sense of belonging to that community or to that country, that is the situation of this country under President Muhammadu Buhari. We have never had it so bad and the general economic situation of the country is all so very bad” he said.
He said that zoning has not promoted good governance else Katsina state which is home to two Presidents will not be one of the most unsecured state in the country.
“What is important is for PDP to be able to win elections, not where the person is coming from. Buhari is from Northwest, from Kastina. Kastina was better than what it is today yet Buhari is the president of Nigeria. Mr president has not been able to secure the lives and property of the people of Kastina State.
“So it is not about where you are coming from. What should be important to us is that candidate that can win election for us” Tambuwal stressed.
The aspirant said that that the country needs a leader who is able to relate with divers groups, interests and age.
He told the ministers that the country needs “a hybrid kind of leader that will be a little bit to the left and a little bit to the right, while maintaining his stand in the center. We need a leader that is cosmopolitan, we need a leader that can listen to advice, we need a leader that can will respect other people.
“We need a leader that while sitting on top of the executive arm of government will also have respect for other arms of government. We need a leader above all, that has proved himself as been capable of aggregating diverse people, diverse opinion and then leading them together without compromising the efficacy of democracy and democratic rule but we must all identify such a candidate and I believe that I possess those qualities” .
Responding, the leader of the group, Taminu Turaki (SAN) eulogised the qualities of the aspirant. He said that Tambuwal has displayed uncommon leadership which stands him out from other aspirants.
He said, “I do not want to say that having acted as the speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that you are that cosmopolitan in nature. I not also want to say that having done what you have done in Sokoto state that you are an achiever. I do not also want to say that your disposition over the years has shown that you are good in building bridges across divides”.
Present at the event were former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka, former governor of Adamawa State Boni Haruna and other former Ministers.
While also addressing the FCT delegates, Tambuwal assured that he will hit the ground running and that he is well prepared for the task ahead.