Engr Buba Galadima is a former ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stating that the APC was drifting away from the original concept. In this interview with ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU, he insists that Buhari personally subverted covenants they had with the ordinary people.
You were a close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, what really went wrong?
The truth of the matter is that he is still my boss and my friend but where we disagree is because we made promises to the people of the country, promises he went back on. What we brought him into politics to do is to assist the ordinary man to have access to good healthcare, have access to good public education, have access to wealth creation, have access to justice and rule of law, have security to go to his farm and look for his honest daily bread.
He has personally subverted all the covenants we had with the ordinary people of Nigeria and subjected them to unprecedented hardship. And as a man of principles and patriotism, I cannot sit back and for my selfish purposes see him ruin Nigeria.
We thought he could use his age to unify this country, to be the father of all. Today, Nigeria is more divided, in fact more divided than in 1966 when there was a military coup and I felt this is not good enough. I, as a patriotic Nigeria, will not sit down because I want to enjoy life and allow anybody to destroy the unity, security, the properties and good healthcare for Nigerians. This was where we parted ways.
But the President and ruling party APC claim they have achieved a lot, especially in the area of security. Are you saying these claims are false?
I don’t think the ordinary Yobe man, the ordinary Borno man, and the ordinary Adamawa man, will believe APC and President Buhari’s claim.
Recently, the Book Haram terrorist ambushed people including officials of the Yobe state government, I learnt even the son of the state governor, who was coming from overseas was caught up, and several people were killed including police officers. If that is what they call achievement, then I have no argument.
There is no day they don’t kill in Zamfara and abduct at least 200 people for ransom, so, any serious minded person will be disturbed because the reason for existence of any government in this world is the security of lives and property. These bandits in Zamfara give notice, write letters inform of their demands and when they are coming. Yet, they come and go freely without any hindrance, unfortunately, President Buhari’s government does not give a damn, doesn’t care about the lives of ordinary Nigerians. If anyone disputes me on the fact that Buhari has not improved on the security situation, the person can carry his or her mother to either Tsafe or Hanka and keep her there.
The most unfortunate thing is that President Buhari is not a good student, he doesn’t learn, he doesn’t accept advice, he has no access to information except through official channels, because he does not relate, he does not engage.
So, you are saying that you had advised him on how to handle some of these national issues?
If he reads, do I have to go to him physically? So, they will say Buba Galadima has come to collect money. This is not the Buhari I worked for, and I am extremely disappointed.
Do you think three years is enough for him to have turned the country around?
Well, I am not satisfied with his performance, because I hold the view is that six months is more than enough to make an impression. Do you know why? We were voted in by the whole Nigeria, hoping that we got the magic wand to solve Nigerians problem. But today, everybody is disappointed. Three years ago, I said I will not speak until President Buhari spends at least two years, before I can speak on the performance of this government. I reminded President Buhari, maybe himself and his handlers are arrogant people, who do not even understand anything. Buhari should know that those of us that had worked with him for over 15 years know him beyond any newcomer. He should know that if we want to finish him politically we will finish him. I have been sending that message to him that he cannot afford to fight us.
Are you saying that the President is not in charge of his government?
How can he be in charge? He has told you himself, he confessed to the world that he has been caged by some people that don’t allow him know what is happening outside. This was why the wife said he had a cabal he said she should bring evidence. Buhari doesn’t need anyone to provide him with evidence, because he told the entire world when he appointed his service chiefs that he does not know them. Are they from heaven? It means somebody approved their appointment and not Buhari.
He also said some of the ministers he appointed he never new them, they had never worked for him, he doesn’t even know them. So, this is evidence that somebody appointed them and not him. So it means the cabal are the ones that are teleguiding him.
President Buhari also promised to diversify the economy; about three years down, how will you rate his performance regarding the economy?
He has failed woefully. All of us in Nigeria are now yearning that Buhari should take us back to May, 29 2015, when dollar was between N157 and N160; when petrol was sold for N87; when a bag of rice was sold for N7,000.
President Buhari destroyed the economy. We presented him to the people, as the man that will salvage the country, the man that will protect the masses, tell me one policy of his that masses are proud of. Is it in terms of infrastructure, poverty alleviation? None! Forget about the rhetoric’s of N-Power and anchor-borrower scheme; forget about the falsehood of school feeding. Forget about all these lies. If Buhari knows what I know, he won’t run for President again because by 2019 he will be rubbished and he will go down in history as the worse President in the history of Nigeria.
What is the way out?
Throw him out with his cabal, they have no business of being in government because they are provincial people, they are myopic people with small mind, they don’t have a large heart. A plural society like Nigeria needs some with a large heart. A plural society like Nigeria needs someone who is proactive. A plural society like Nigeria needs someone who is accommodating. They don’t have any of all these and they don’t know anything about governance.
Now, people are just teleguiding him, come and sing Christmas carol, come and do this and that, he will just be following. I don’t know if this is the Buhari that I used to know in the past.
But some Nigerians still think there is no alternative to Buhari in the 2019 presidential race?
Nigerians are capable of choosing an alternative. For me, my alternative to President Muhammadu Buhari is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for two reasons. One, Atiku has the capacity, experience and knowledge needed to get Nigeria working again, not this level they are talking about.
He is my preference, they say many things about Atiku, let them continue. Our stand is, even if we find Atiku breaking in to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), we will make him President, rather than retain President Muhammadu Buhari. We must first get a country we call our own, before you checkmate who is doing what. I dare say that Atiku has a larger heart, he is accommodating and all Nigerians will have a sense of belonging. And Atiku will not close his eyes to see Zamfara state being decimated, and Borno state being reduced to only one town, Maiduguri.
What is your take on the perception of some Nigerians that Atiku Abubakar choice of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may affect his chances?
The issue is not about platform, PDP is just a platform. The issue is about personality. The Buhari that we trusted from ‘a better platform’ has he performed well? Are Nigerians better than they were during the administration for former President, Good Ebele Jonathan? So, it is about Atiku Abubakar, someone who is used to creating jobs; has got profitable factories and businesses; he can get Nigeria working again.
I want to remind you that Buhari said he has 150 cattle, they don’t die and they don’t give birth, how can such a person take you to a better level?
Many pundits argue that the 16 years of PDP led us to where we are today, how would you react to this?
I hope you know that I have never been a member of the PDP and now I have made an alliance with the PDP. Do you believe I am corrupt? They say show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. Who are Buhari’s cohabiters in APC? Every rogue in the Nigerian society, every thief, every murderer is now seeking refuge within the APC and they protected by Mr Integrity. So, if all the people surrounding Buhari are corrupt people, what will you call Buhari? So, the people left in PDP are clean people.
Some of us have now joined them so that we can throw away the rogues and send them to jail. When this government falls, and we bring you record of what they had done am sure Buhari will have heart attack because now whatever you tell him, he will not believe. As far as his concerned anyone that associates with him is a good man, even if the man is Ganduje or Akpabio or Adams Oshiomohle who was drilled by DSS for allegedly taking money from candidates.
So, if Atiku will alleviate people from poverty, let Buhari go back to Daura with is Integrity that is not of benefit to the downtrodden.
Aside poverty alleviation what will Atiku do differently if elected?
Atiku has a large heart, he will unite this country. He has sympathy and compassion. He will stop the killings. Any military man that he gives orders to, who does not stop the killings shall be removed and stands dismissed.
As an opposition party seeking to unseat a ruling party and government, are you prepared for the challenges ahead?
Of course, they know we are ready. If anybody does not know, President Buhari knows that Buba Galadima can stand by what he believes in and he will fight through without minding the consequences.
I know that what I am doing is such that they can eliminate me, they can try to frame me and they can also neutralise me, and they can do all that. Am not unaware, but what I know is that they are not God and when they do harm to me, let them come and meet me in heaven.
What is your advice to Nigerians as we approach the 2019 general elections?
Nigerians should stand up, be resolute and make sure that we throw away this provincial government of General Buhari or they will destroy our country. These people are unpatriotic, these people are corrupt, and they should not be trusted.
All they know how to do is propaganda. Falsehood is their trait; Nigerians should not believe anything that comes from them.
Let us use 2019 to send message to the world that Nigerians can hire and fire Presidents who do not perform according to our want.
