Mustapha Sule Lamido, a Jigawa Central senatorial candidate under the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is one of those who would have known his fate by now if the election slated for last Saturday had gone as planned. In this interview with BAYO MUHAMMAD ALABIRA, he said the wrong impression created by the postponement can still be corrected.
What is your impression about the postponed poll considering the fact we are yet to learn from the mistakes of the past?
Indications have shown that the nation’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has not learnt any lesson from the previous exercises carried out with a view to improving upon past avoidable mistakes. It is a regrettable and disappointing moment in Nigeria especially how the international communities will regard the country’s nascent democracy. They may now see the country as not serious and ready because from 2015 to this time is enough for INEC to have been prepared for any election.
Political pundits are of the view that the action of INEC is capable of throwing the entire nation into chaotic situation. Is this true?
INEC should have understood that it is putting the entire country’s democracy in jeopardy. Logistics should not be a reason for postponing the election. Although INEC as an independent institution knew that it had problems of conducting this election in a week or two weeks before now, therefore should have informed Nigerians and the international communities ahead of time that the election would not hold as stipulated. That would have saved a lot of faces from this embarrassment. But for them to come out at this time to announce the postponement is disappointing. Even the president has come out to express his disappointment about the development. And with this, the leadership of INEC ought to resign. Even in the previous elections conducted by the commission, they were inconclusive one way or the other.
What advice do you have for INEC?
I am using this opportunity to urge INEC to, by all means, do whatever it can to protect this democracy which the nation’s surviving fathers fought for and nurtured to maturity. This democracy should be protected against and above any group or individual interests because the internal communities will not have confidence on the nation’s system of democracy if we don’t get it right.
I want to advise the federal government to take necessary action against anything that can tarnish the future of the nation’s democracy. Was it that INEC was not given the money to prepare for the conduct of the election? So, logistic should never be the reason to take this painful decision.
Do you think the action of INEC has put the country in bad light?
Certainly, it has. That this action came at the eleventh hour is quite comical, laughable and shameful considering the status of Nigeria in the face of the African continent as well as the world generally. Nigeria is respected in the West African sub-region because of the leading role she is supposed to play as the biggest and most populous black nation in the world. Early preparation by the electoral umpire and entire election processes in the future is very important and significant by that, early warning signal and information is always better than late announcement or any postponement.
To what extent do you think many Nigerians made sacrifices for this election?
The action of INEC has brought untold hardship to so many people especially those that travelled from one state to the other or from the state capital to the local government areas as well as rural areas. The most devastating aspect is in terms of the economic resources lost by Nigerians who returned from other parts of the world into the country just to cast their votes for the leaders of their choice.
Are you still prepared for the election?
I am prepared but if the elections were to hold last Saturday, it could have been easier for some of us in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to clear and win the race because we had already prepared in every ways possible. We are in contact with our electorate; we were with them all this time and they know we can deliver. That notwithstanding, the coast is still clear. Since the commission has given assurances that it will not allow the mistakes of the past to repeat, let’s give them another chance. Know that the electorates are no longer interested on what politicians can give them. It is not about money, but it is about having a good representation; it is about a genuine change, not about the failed change brought about by the APC. This is because if the APC government had performed well, it would have been supported by the majority people in the state. People are disappointed with the government of the day because they were prepared and ready to come out and cast their votes for their respective PDP candidates before the announcement came. In 2015, despite the fact that the election was postponed, people still voted for the opposition and that was what brought about the APC government. So, the same thing will happen this Saturday. You will see how people will come out en masse to cast their votes for the PDP.
What message do you have for your supporters?
I want all my supporters to bear it and wait patiently for the re-scheduled date. I urged my supporters to be calm and take everything as the will of God because it is only the Almighty God that gives power to whoever He wants and takes power from whoever He wants. Therefore, everything is going to be in our favour by God’s grace.
What are you bringing on board when eventually you win this election?
As a young man, if given the chance to be at the National Assembly to be a senator, I will be representing the entire youths from the north. It is my people that are sending me to the National Assembly; it is not about me that want to go to the Senate. But because we have a very weak representation there presently, if I get there, I will tackle poverty, unemployment and education, among other issues. I will be working with my other colleagues at the in the Senate to bring about good representation. If elected into the National Assembly, I will be different from others. I will be visiting my constituency every week that I am less busy in Abuja in order to be communicating with my constituents and know their problems, receive advice and encouragement on how to carry out my constituency assignments.
