Ten years ago, Sadiq Yar’Adua, 49, sought to be the Speaker of the Fourth Republic’s first House of Representatives but lost out - in what ultimately became a two-man race - to Ibrahim Salisu Buhari. After his tenure, he would later serve as Chief of Staff to former Speaker Aminu Bello Masari. Today he is one of the leading lights of The Restoration Group – a pressure group within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pushing for electoral reforms. The former executive director at the Nigerian Maritime Authority (NMA) and chairman of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) says he used to be an Umaru Yar’Adua boy. Now he is one of the President’s most vocal critics. In this interview with Managing Editor, FESTUS ERIYE, he paints an intimate and revealing profile of the man he has known and associated with for over 30 years.
You share a common surname with the President but obviously you’re not related…
No, we are not. We are from the same locality. We are all from Yar’Adua quarters in Katsina.
How long have you been associated with Umaru Yar’Adua?
I have been close to him for more than 33 years; I have been one of his ‘boys’ even before he went into politics. We saw him as a kind of inspiration. He was a leader of the Katsina Province students association at that time. Every holiday we used to meet; they would call us and the way he spoke was quite inspiring. There was this revolutionary fervour in his speeches. So that is what made us to come close to him. We said ‘this man has some good ideas let’s follow him’. He contributed in a lot of ways in making us enlightened about society, about human relationships and even the meaning of existence. Ever since I have been quite close to him, like I said, as one of his ‘boys.’ During the SDP (Social Democratic Party) time I was with him – even though I was in government. In fact at that time I was the highest political office holder in Katsina State that was supportive of the SDP - because I was Chief Press Secretary to Col. John Madaki. At that time the entire government machinery was for the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). So you can understand how committed I was or how close I was to him. But I made it very clear to my governor, that I had very long relations with this man. Apart from that, ideologically we saw eye to eye. There was no way I could go to NRC because I was not an NRC man. So I would hate to disappoint him. I would not come out and campaign for him, or be seen at rallies and so on, but I would give him all the necessary support – which I did. I coordinated the press for him and there are witnesses. Abdullahi Tasiu who reports for the BBC currently is aware of that. He was part of us. We were a two-man team, but I was the one who coordinated because I had links with the press. I also handled all the background things you needed to do because at that time it was real politics, not all these arrangee things. I was also a kind of back office support for him. During the UNCP and DPN time (under Abacha) some of us were a bit interested; he said no we shouldn’t play politics, that the transition was a sham. We followed his advice and didn’t participate mainly because he said we shouldn’t. In 1998 I was in Lagos when he sent somebody who is late now to me; somebody who was quite close to me and very close to him came to me up to five times and said that Umaru needed to see me. So I went to Kaduna and saw him and he told me ‘look you know what is happening.’ I said I don’t know. I pretended as if I didn’t know. He said you know. I said I understand that you are going to contest for the governorship of Katsina State. He said for now he had not made any decisions but was trying to create a political group, and we would need to participate. We chatted for a long time and he said he needed me to do one or two things to support him – which I started doing. Then I told him ‘sir there is need for me to resign my appointment with the National Maritime Authority and come and do active politics’. He said no – why should you do that? I told him ‘sir there were many problems which I observed during the SDP days.’ You lack people who could assist you and would not wait for you to bring anything to campaign for you; people who are educated. I told him I possess some of those qualities, and this time around we really need to come and give you all the support because we had the wherewithal to come and assist. Money-wise we do not need to wait for you; in terms of political thinking we do not need to wait for you. We equally have some ideas which you imparted into us. We argued and he said he would think about it and that I should come back after two weeks. After two weeks we met, he said what have you decided and I said I still want to come. He asked me a few questions which I answered and he said it was all right. So that’s how we started the campaign. As we were doing the campaigns my mind was telling there could be problems, so try and be independent. That was when I decided to contest for membership of the House of Representatives. Something told me you need to be on your own. Don’t try to wait until government is formed and then somebody will provide you some work to do. That is basically what happened.
ABANDONED IN RACE FOR SPEAKER
In 1999 you were elected into the House and decided to contest for the position of Speaker. How much support did you receive from your mentor?
He didn’t give me any support. I went to him and told him ‘sir from the look of things the PDP is going to zone the position of Speaker to the North West. I believe that out of the PDP members from that zone – if we are all going to be put on a scale – I don’t think anybody would have more weight than myself in terms of exposure, skills, education and so on.’ I did my own homework; I got a list from INEC of all the members-elect. I said I want you to look at this list, and I even want you to start from Katsina State – from the six that were members-elect from Katsina State I feel that probably I am the best. So I need your support. He said there was no problem. He said he was about to call me to tell me to go and contest, and that once the PDP had decided he would talk to Turaki (meaning Atiku), he would also go to Ota and see Baba. But he said I should go round Nigeria so that by the time they take a decision it would not appear to people as if I was being imposed on them. So I said I don’t know how to thank you sir, but may God bless you. I will go all out and start campaigning but I believe that nobody will beat me. He wished me well. I started going from state to state; and every time I came and briefed him – saying ‘this is what happened but we need this and that’. He never gave us anything. In fact there was a time when he wanted to go and collect his certificate of return as governor-elect of Katsina State, we arranged with media men to ask him questions about whether he was supporting me or not. The press men asked him specifically who he was supporting. He kept quiet and said the one that God chooses. He never came out categorically to say he was supporting my candidature. It was later when we left the place that he said ‘look we can’t come out to the market place and say this and that. This is why I answered the press like that.’ He wanted to assuage whatever matter, but I was not a small boy at that time. I knew that something was amiss. Anyway I knew its God who gives and takes power. So in answering your question - no, he didn’t give me any support despite the fact that he made a commitment and a promise to me that he was going to support my candidature.
HOW RESTORATION GROUP’S PLANS LEAKED
How did you come to be involved with The Restoration Group?
What happened was that some people who I consider elders called me and said they wanted to see me. I saw three of them together and they told me ‘look we have a very bad situation in the country. The president is from the North and there is need for all of us to try and see how we can give support to the President so that he will not fail. But that they had tried using various means to get to the President to let him understand what was happening in the country, that things were going bad in the country and they needed to alert him.’ When that failed they felt it was necessary for them to organise. One of the issues that they wanted him to address was the report of the electoral reform committee because they had a copy of the report even before it became a public document. They said one of the reasons they wanted to see him was for him to implement the recommendations of the report, but it appeared from the way he was going that he may not implement it because it would become an albatross to him; that there is no way he could win an election. They know him - he is going to try and deceive Nigerians; he would not implement it. That was the beginning of the thing. It was important for us as a nation, and even as Northerners to respect the wishes of Nigerians. What are the wishes of Nigerians? It is for us to have free, fair and credible elections – that is the starting point. All the other social ills that confront Nigeria begin and end with a non-transparent electoral system. So that’s what happened. It was one of the things that actually worried me because I was also – at least on one occasion - a victim of that flawed electoral system, and I believe that there is need for us as Nigerians to rise and insist that our votes must count.
There have been one or two comments regarding your group from PDP officials, but as an insider what has been the attitude of the party leadership to your initiative?
What happened was that as we were trying to organise, expanding and trying to contact people - important political players especially within the North, suddenly Dr. Bello Haliru, the deputy national chairman, came out and said some people were interested in destabilising the government, and that we were already meeting. He mentioned some of the venues where we had meetings. Obviously somebody – a kind of fifth columnist – was giving them this information. He came out with that and said what we were doing was tantamount to sedition. We felt that our objectives are quite clear. We were not trying to destabilise any government, we were not trying to do anything that is not democratic. All we are saying is let’s have a fair and credible electoral system. When he came out with that sort of thing, we felt that the best thing was to make it public. So we rushed to the press and said this is who we are: we are the Restoration Group and these are our objectives. We want to want to restore the faith and confidence of Nigerians in the political and electoral system. That is our sole objective. If today the government says we are going to respect the votes of people, we will say thank you very much and clap for them. We will support whatever initiative they would come out with because there’s no way Nigeria can continue like this; when elections are fought and won in Government Houses or at local government secretariats. Somebody will just sit down and write fake results and say this is the winner and this is the loser. We can’t continue like that as Nigerians; this country belongs to all of us. It doesn’t belong to a particular clique. So there must be respect for the wishes of Nigerians – not for a cabal of people to just take decisions. That is why we are where we are.
Let me understand, the Restoration Group is not just a Northern initiative…
No, it is not. What we were trying to do was to organise first along regional lines – to have Northern and Southern groups and then merge. But circumstances change things. When Dr. Bello Haliru came out with that kind of statement, we said the best thing is let us react and let us all come together. Already he had mentioned the venues where we held meetings in Kaduna and Abuja, so we decided there is no need for us to go the way we wanted to go – coming from the regional groups. It is better for us to start nationwide. We were still at the planning stage; it was not our intention to come out at the time we came out. But we were forced to do just that because of the allegations levelled by Dr. Bello Haliru.
PLATFORM FOR DISGRUNTLED ELEMENTS?
Now someone like you is there. Aminu Masari is there, Lawal Batagarawa is there …
Go ahead.
Ken Nnamani is there. Surely there will be the temptation to say these are people who have an axe to grind with Umaru Yar’Adua. So it is just a platform of people who are disgruntled against him. How do you respond to that kind of charge?
If that is true is it wrong if I have an axe to grind against anybody? Is it wrong for me to come out against him? It is not. This is politics. In any case, that is not the issue. I want you to go and check my background right from my university days till today. Ask anybody: I am a very principled person, once I believe in something I am ready to go for it. So even if I have anything personal against the President that shouldn’t make me not to come out and fight for something. Just because someone would say I have an axe to grind against the President, it does not mean that I should abandon my people. We may have our own personal problems with the President, may be, but what is important is that the system is wrong and all Nigerians are witnesses to what is happening. You don’t need a soothsayer; you don’t need a prophetic vision to know whether the government is doing well or not. Assuming the government is doing well and we came out and said it was not doing well, you can say these people have something against the President. But the truth is that the President is not running this country the way it should be run. It’s a fact. So why shouldn’t I come out to fight that? He taught me to fight injustice, and right now what he is doing to Nigerians is injustice. I should fight him – even though he is my teacher.
THE UMARU YAR’ADUA I KNOW
For many Nigerians Umaru Yar’Adua is a mystery. You have associated with him for over 30 years. Can you tell us what you know about his personality and style of leadership?
He’s still a mystery to me because I can’t understand some of his actions. He’s someone who is unforgiving; he’s someone who is selfish, who deceives people. He’s someone who says what he is not; he’s someone who is unreliable. In fact I can go on and on. When you meet him you’ll get the impression that the man knows what he’s doing, but no matter how long it takes he will disappoint you. He talks less – as result you can’t understand where he’s coming from or where he’s going to. He’s a mystery. I have always told people that I think there is something that is mentally wrong with him. I was a founding member of K34…
What is K34?
It is the group he formed in Katsina to grab political power: K meaning Katsina and 34 meaning the 34 local governments in Katsina State. I was in the apex of decision-making of that group. He formed the group and tried to make us believe that he was not doing anything for his own personal advancement, but there was need for us as young, energetic, principled people to intervene and stop the conservative elements in Katsina from capturing power. That was in 1998; we believed that and gave him all the support as our leader. But among all those who supported him I can tell there are may be only two or three that are still with him till today. Only 10 years! It means something is wrong with that person. All those who were the drivers of that particular movement, in one way or the other Umaru has nothing to do with us today, after helping him to become governor of Katsina State. But like I said there’s nothing personal, if he had done well the way the media was claiming he had done, I wouldn’t come out and say I don’t want to identify myself with him. But some of us know he never did anything for Katsina. The thing is that he performed poorly in Katsina – poorly. Certainly he intervened in the educational sector, but what he did was to renovate schools and build their classrooms and so on. We didn’t have qualified teachers and never had teaching materials. So it’s like building castles in the air. Coming back to the issue - I cannot understand why you’ll start something with people as a movement with ideological vision and then, suddenly, you abandon that particular vision. Also, all those who came to support you to ensure that vision is realised you abandoned and put yourself as the main beneficiary of their struggle. I think something is amiss. So it is very difficult for me to tell you that this is the real Umaru. He is still a mystery to me. I cannot understand. This is somebody who will not visit you if you are sick or hospitalised, and you are his associate. He will not come and condole with you when you have lost someone. When your wife delivers a baby he won’t come and congratulate you. He’s somebody who does not want any other person to be anything – except him. He’s somebody also with an inferiority complex – and I cannot understand! This is somebody who comes from a family background that is very good, that is wealthy or well to do, and somebody who is also very intelligent and brilliant, and then suddenly he’s not comfortable amongst people. Once he sees that you have potentials to rise to be anything, he will do everything within his means to ensure that you don’t become anything. He will sabotage you; he will create hurdles for you. So I believe there’s some kind of mental imbalance otherwise I can’t explain… I should be happy when my other associates, those people who share my vision and worldview… I should assist them to rise to become something, but he’s not that kind of person. So it is very difficult for me to tell you that this is the Umaru that I know.
I WARNED EL-RUFAI AND RIBADU
Two of the most successful young office holders under Obasanjo were former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu and former FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai. They were thought to be largely supportive of the emergence of Yar’Adua but their stock has plummeted rapidly: one is on the EFCC wanted list and another is out of job. From what you know of the personalities involved what is responsible for the predicament of these fellows?
El-Rufai is my friend and has been my friend for a very long time. We do discuss and whenever we met we talked and exchanged ideas – especially when he was in BPE and even as Minister for FCT. I do remember when this idea of bringing Umaru to come and contest for the presidency was being mooted. We discussed for over three hours from London to Abuja; we sat together with Nasir. There was nothing I did not tell him about having Umaru as president of Nigeria. I told him not to support it. I told him ‘I know this man more than you do. I know him very well. Don’t support him because Nigeria would suffer for it.’ He dismissed all the reasons that I gave to him and said (at that time he was calling him Mallam) ‘We believe Mallam Umaru is able because he has achieved in Katsina.’ I said what has he achieved in Katsina? Tell me! He said that’s true, it’s in the records. I said which record? He doesn’t have any record. This is somebody who will sit in Katsina when the National Council of State is meeting in Abuja. This is somebody who does not have the telephone number of more than one governor out of the 36 governors of Nigeria. This is somebody who apart from the ministers that come from Katsina didn’t know any minister. This is somebody who apart from the names of the national chairman and may be secretary of the PDP didn’t know any other executive of the People’s Democratic Party. There is no way somebody who has kept himself as a provincial person, someone who only knows his environment… and then you go and bring him as president of Nigeria. I said if you are not careful what would happen to Nigeria would be like what was happening at that time to America with George Bush. George Bush never went any where and became president, and his presidency was a disaster for America. That’s what I told Nasir but he did not listen. So that’s what I know about that. But like I have told you Umaru is not comfortable at all with people who know what they are doing. Nasir was one of the principal pillars of the Obasanjo administration, and he made a lot of noise. Umaru doesn’t like people like that; he doesn’t like achievers. Similarly I told Nuhu… because there was a time when Nuhu had a case against Umaru and I was telling him don’t leave this thing not for the sake of any other thing, but for the sake of Nigeria. He never took me seriously. I later understood that it was General Aliyu who intervened and said he shouldn’t pursue Governor Umaru. But I know he had a case; I don’t have any information as to the extent of the case, but he told me that Governor Umaru Yar’adua had a case to answer. So I encouraged him but for whatever reason they dropped those issues.
For several weeks now the Internet has been agog with a piece by El-Rufai tracing the process that led to Yar’Adua’s emergence. How much of what he said regarding the Katsina period of the president’s political rise is correct?
I was going to talk to Nasir about it unfortunately I can’t get across to him because I don’t have his numbers in Europe. There are factual distortions as they relate to our group K34 – even though most of them are minor. He mentioned some people who he said were part of K34 who were not. For example Aminu Masari was never a member of K34; he joined us later. So also Lawal Batagarawa was never a member of K34. But Nasir claimed that they were members and that they were dismissed from that membership. He also said that the name of the Deputy Governor to Umaru was Tukur Bakori, but actually the name is Tukur Jikamshi, and he was one of us in K34 – even though he joined later. There are also other misrepresentations like, for example, saying that Umaru comes from the royal family of Katsina. As far as I know his grandmother – his father’s mother - is from the Dikko dynasty. But Katsina is not a matrilineal society; we are a patrilineal society. You don’t claim royalty just because your mother is from the royal family – because as much as you aspire to be emir, you cannot be. Also about the formation of K34 he mentioned that some people who made money from PTF (Petroleum Trust Fund created by the Abacha regime) were part of us, but he never said why they were with us and what role they played in Umaru’s government because it is very important for us to know all that. He needs to talk to people who were part of that movement for him to understand the intricacies and even the man Umaru – because there are things that happened within K34 which we know, and which we have refused to talk about. I believe his article will one day become a historical document and it is important for us to get the facts rather than muddle up things. I have no quarrel with the way Umaru emerged and what they gave to him and so on, but like I said we told them long before and they didn’t understand. I also think that is the kind of situation Nigeria would be in. Today some of us are saying this man is not right for this country but Nigerians may not understand what we are saying. They may think it is something personal, but the truth is this man is not fit for this country; he is not the right person. He doesn’t have the right understanding. This is somebody who does not have three friends in Anambra, Ogun, Delta or Ekiti State. As small as I am I can tell you go to Awka – I know so and so, or go to Ogwashi-Ukwu. This man has never been exposed; he’s always kept himself to his local environment. Above all he’s somebody who is not even worried by public opinion. So if the entire 150 million Nigerians do not think he’s doing well, he believes that he’s doing the right thing and nobody can tell him anything. He is somebody who doesn’t like challenges, who doesn’t like to be criticised. He can take serious actions against those he perceives as his enemies even if what they are saying is the truth. He looks at the messenger, not the message.
ON LOPSIDED APPOINTMENTS
One major criticism of the President is that most of his key appointments have favoured people from one or two localities – either Katsina or Katsina. The Central Bank Governor, Minister of Finance…
Exactly! Exactly!
This a major issue and people have…
It is a major issue and these are the kinds of issues that Nigerians should understand. We are all Nigerians and we have a stake in Nigeria. There were certain actions during Obasanjo’s administration that I was against, not because they affected my own side of the country.
For example, the movement of the Nigerian Railways headquarters, or the NPA or NMA… I felt it was done out of sheer ethnic jingoism. Right now I cannot understand why the nation should keep quiet when all the economic ministries and departments of government are being handled by people from one particular zone – that is the North West zone which is my own zone.
Zone, not region?
No! It’s the North West – not even the North. There are three zones in the North and we are talking about only the North West, and even in the North West we are only talking about Kano, Katsina and Kaduna. The Minister of Energy, Rilwan Lukman is from Kaduna, Minister of Finance is from Kano, Minister of National Planning is from Kano, Minister of Agriculture is from Katsina, the Chief Adviser to the President on Economic Matters is from Katsina, the CBN Governor is likely to go to Kano, the Managing Director of PHCN is from Katsina, the MD of PTDF is from Katsina, so many of them… Why should it be that way? These are positions that should be shared. Even the Minister of Power is a nominee of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President. So he who pays the piper dictates the tune. There is now way that the Minister of Power would do anything that is not sanctioned by the Chief Economic Adviser because he was his PA before he became minister. And Nigerians, especially the media, are keeping quiet over all these. Nigeria belongs to all of us; it doesn’t belong to only a section of the country.
A TRANSFORMED TURAI
Nigerians are now used to wives of public office holders being overtly political. The likes of Maryam Babangida, Maryam Abacha, late Stella Obasanjo and others come to mind. Initially people perceived Turai Yar’Adua as retiring but over the last two years that image has given way to that of someone who is given to wielding influence. Is this a correct impression given what you know?
This is part of the contradictions of Umaru. I do remember vividly during the Babangida and Abacha periods, whenever we were speaking about the role the First Ladies were playing, Umaru was always condemning them. And he was always saying that the husbands lacked morality that’s why they were allowing their wives to be in the public eye. But today look at what is happening. Turai is doing more than what Maryam Babangida or Maryam Abacha put together did. So it is part of the contradiction. The Turai I knew is not the same Turai of today. The only time she started campaigning for Umaru was in 2003. 1n 1998 she was never anywhere, she was always at home. In fact she was in Kaduna, we were in Katsina. I was the one that was always picking Umaru to travel to Kaduna. She was never a political person or figure. It was only in 2003 that she started attending some women’s rallies in the evenings and going from one local government to another – because at that time as First Lady she had something to do with the local government chairmen’s wives. I have always known her to be a retiring person – someone who was not exposed to politics or the public. So I am surprised really and cannot understand the sudden change and transformation.
OBASANJO DIDN’T KNOW THE REAL YAR’ADUA
Obasanjo was severely criticised for handpicking a successor whom many said would be his puppet. Even today many insist that the former president still manipulates things in the background. But from what you know about Yar’Adua after over 30 years of associating with him, is he the kind of man an Obasanjo can manipulate?
I think Obasanjo did not actually know Umaru very well. He was only seeing him from afar. Umaru is not the kind of person he can manipulate. If that was the intention he was dead wrong and I am sure he knows it now. The events of the last two years can really go a long way to back this point. He has this stubbornness of not listening to people; it is not only Obasanjo – even the whole Nigeria. I don’t think there’s anybody who can dictate to him except those around him who by whatever means manipulate him. But it is not that he realises that he’s been used or manipulated. Once he realises that you are trying to play games with him, that’s the end of the relationship.
PERISH THE ONE-PARTY THOUGHT!
It would appear that Nigeria is slowly veering towards a one-party system. The main opposition ANPP has lost the bulk of its governors to the ruling party and by 2011 may have dissolved into the ruling party. Some people say the mega party is the solution. But most of the promoters are not on the ground, and there’s the question of whether Buhari and Atiku’s presidential ambitions can be accommodated under one canopy. Is there really a credible alternative to the PDP or are we doomed to the one-party scenario?
First, let me say that I really believe in the mega party, I believe it would give a credible challenge to the PDP. So let’s wait and see. On Buhari and Atiku’s ambition I cannot comment, but given a choice I know who I would support between the two. But in terms of making Nigeria a one-party state, it cannot happen – not in my father’s Nigeria. Nigerians are a very resilient lot. If that is the dream of the PDP, let them know that it cannot happen. In fact we will start our struggle from Katsina; we want Nigerians to wait for 2011 and see what will happen in Katsina. The President is from there but we will not allow it to happen. I am sure they will use all sorts of intimidation; they will use the military, police, the security agencies and INEC, all the same we will go out and defend our votes. I am sure that Nigerians from all cities and towns will come out to defend their votes. Nobody can change this country to a one-party state; it cannot happen! Nigeria is not a banana republic.
But we saw under Abacha five Nigerian parties coming together to nominate one man for president?
But what happened? Did he become president?
But that was not because Nigerians were able to resist him. It was just God that took him out of the equation.
It was Nigerians who prayed to God and He answered their prayers! We are a nation of faith, of believers. I don’t think you can find any better Christians or Muslims in anywhere else in the world than in Nigeria. What are we talking about? It cannot happen. Let them know that it cannot happen. We will struggle; it’s in our blood to struggle and we will start it from Katsina.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Ley
said:
 |
... I like the commentator on this issue you were not carried away by sweet story. Things have fallen apart he is now talking, when all was going well in his favour he never talk. You are not talking to Mu*2 like yourself. |
n usman
said:
 |
... junior yaradua is a clown and a disappointment has he forgotten how he kneeld and cried to be made chief of staff to masari when he couldnt get reelected.shame on you mr opportunity.pls know d type of pple ur interview,sadiq is irrelevant and a liability |
Dan hadejia
said:
 |
... Kai kai my friend u better change style,Yar'adua is no go area.And is too late for u to start afresh.Go chob what u keep at home. Small boy. |
Olajide IjanEkiti
said:
 |
... The dumbness of the highest possible order is the claim of holiness that most Nigerian election riggers, rapists, thieves, and traitors called president/senator/governor etc. choose to profess. I trust in God, that his children are not the filthy bastards that roam the corridors of illegitimate power centers (called Nigeria government) across Nigeria. the halls of illegal powers For this guy to say the following is an insult to the Nigerians of good faith who respect, love their God, and practice honesty..."We are a nation of faith, of believers. I don’t think you can find any better Christians or Muslims in anywhere else in the world than in Nigeria." Obasanjo called himself a born again while blatantly stealing votes and raping Nigerians to the tune of even being accused of having sex with his son's wife. |
oluade omoola
said:
 |
... pls. mr president is sick and so we all wait till he get well by may 2011 or 2015 if. |
oluade omoola
said:
 |
... pls. mr president is sick and so we all wait till he get well by 2011 or 2015 |
AMINU YARADUA
said:
 |
... MALAM UMMARU PLS TAKE HEART WE ALL KNOW WHO WADA SAIDU IS BEFORE TRANSFORMING TO SADIQ YARADUA HE IS AN OPPORTUNIST ALWAYS HUNGRY FOR POWER AND AN UNGRATEFULL BEING,SO ITS NOT SUPRISING WHAT EVER HE SAYS ABOUT YOU,WE WHO KNOWS BOTH TWO OF YOU REALLY KNOWS WHO OWES WHO,ALL THE NOISE IS A RATTLING OF A COMFUSED MAN WHO LACKS DIRECTION,FORGE AHEAD MR PRESIDENT ALLAH NA TARE DA MAI GASKIYA. |
Sola Lade
said:
 |
... Honestly, something has to be done urgently before the so called President Umaru Yar Adua run this country aground. The man is grossly incompetent, highly insensitive to plight of Nigerians, selfish, highly incapable, seriously overwhelmed about Nigeria issues and does not know what good governance is all about except his deceptive sing song - 7 point agenda where if he wants to be sincere with himself, half of a point is unachievable as the leadership is presently constituted in Nigeria along primordial sentiments - corruption, ethnicity, favouritism, insincerity, greediness etc. Why should it be that you cannot live a decent live in Nigeria of today if you are not a politician. All these facts are there for the people to see. Imagine the case of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited in Kogi State, where workers have not been paid their salaries for the past 10 months and Yar Adua and his cohorts are milking the country dry apart from regularly collecting their own bogus salaries. What manner of president is this, he is stubborn and not sensitive to plight of his citizens. All manner of representations have been made to him but the man and his incompetent Minister of Steel do not see anything wrong in their inhuman treatment of these innocent workers. They should be warned that GOD judgement which could be fatal awaits them soonest and their families if they don't change their ways. |
rocket
said:
 |
... There is this Yoruba adage( Ija lode, orin dowe) which means it is when fight comes then turn proverbs to song. They've been together dinning and winning so cares! |
clement otogo
said:
 |
... Alh Sadiq. Your piece was quite interesting to read but most of the personalities you mentioned i.e El-rufai and Nuhu Ribadu and believe they were achievers and asuch Umaru never liked them I think you are death wrong, we all saw the damage El rufai caused to live and property and how he carried himself as if he was above the law because he enjoys Baba 's support.Whichever one day we will get it right,it can only take time but surely it will come to pass. |
yusuf magaji
said:
 |
... Comrade,you spoke late on Umaru,even though as you claimed,you have been together for upward of 30yrs.But you were wrong on Hadi sirika's "blue print on dev"/your credibility was bruised. Knowing Kt well i wish you success.But be very mindful of your integrity,time has a way of exposing the FAKE. |
gwavment pikin
said:
 |
... TALK, TALK, AND TALK WILL NOT CHANGE NIGER,REVOLUTION AND COUPS WILL NOT SAVE NIGER,RELIGION WILL NOT SAVE NIGER,BECAUSE MAN WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST IS TOTALLY SELFISH.DOG WILL CONTINUE TO EAT DOG AS LONG AS JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH IS NOT LORD OVER THE HEARTS OF NIGERIANS.CORRUPTION IS A SPIRIT.EFCC CANNOT STAMP IT OUT .IT TAKES A SPIRIT TO OVERCOME A SPIRIT, AND ONLY THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD CAN OVER CORRUPTION. |
Teeifa
said:
 |
... Be positive in reading this interview. Even though there is a lot of bitterness and bad-belle spewing from the mouth of this guy, but the substance remains the same and has been evidence in the last 2 years of Yar'dua presidency - he is selfish, a recluse character and unpertubed about public opinion and genuine feelings of Nigeria. That is a fact that is uncontroverted...so far!!! |
Ashapa sambo
said:
 |
... Sadiq is selfish,ingrate and frustrated thats why he is making all these nonsensical insinuation about Ummaru as he was scheme out of being a senator and was ease out of a plum job of ED N.P.A.we in katsina knew Sadiq and his type and why he lost in 2003 and 2007 the man is arrogant,selfish and ablantant lie is the reason in 2002 we organise to recall him back from the assembly,all katsinawas are behind Mr President and indeed indebted to his service to Katsina state.Sadiq stop spreding rubbish. |
Rex Akpocheyovbi
said:
 |
... Sadiq Yar'Adua should keep quiet after 30 years. Silence they say is golden, since he had decided to keep quiet for 30 years he should remain quiet forever, at least he never talk when they were looting Katsina and most probably Nigeria together. |
abubakar gimba
said:
 |
... I think mr sadiq has been reavilling all these out of frustration, having been schemed out of things, or patronage as they call it, otherwise why didnt he say these all this years, especially in 2007. this shows his own integrity is questionable, anyway all nigerian politicians are thesame, they only cry when they are shortchanged and not the masses, who never elected in the first place, na them sabi jo,God dey wait for all of us, abi how una see am my nija people? |
abdullah ibn oyibo
said:
 |
... VERY GOOD INSIGHT. IT FEELS LIKE THERE IS MORE TO BE TOLD. CERTAINLY,IF THINGS CONTINUE IN THIS ORDER,NIGERIA IS RIPE FOR A REVOLUTION,WHETHER IDEOLOGICAL OR OTHERWISE. KNOW THIS,UNTIL THE WRONGDOERS IN HIGH PLACES ARE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE,THINGS WOULD ONLY GET WORSE. ".LET THERE ARISE AMONGST MANKIND THOSE WHO STAND FOR THE TRUTH AND FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE". SOMETIMES IT TAKES WAR TO ACHIEVE PEACE. |
GeorgeO
said:
 |
... This interview offers yet another insight into the nature of our so called leader who deceives everybody around him including himself. Malam el-Rufai in his interview also spoke along these lines. The question to nigerian is this, Are we prepared for this guy to still be our pressident in 2011? Granted it is the "turn of the north" (i am not in support of rotational presidency anyway as it brings up mediocres like the president we curruently have) can we not insist that the north should produce another candidate come 2011? This is were people like Malam el-Rufai and the Sadiq Yar Adua and his group can help us. We as Nigerians on the other hand can start mobilising now to make sure that this guy does not seek a second term rather than leaving it to God. We need to fight for our vote and our country's survival. It happened in Ukraine, Georgia, kenya and now Iran. I see why it cannot happen in Nigeria. |
AKOGWU'OMOO Emmanuel
said:
 |
... How long shall we be taken for a ride in Nigeria, our fatherland? Must we recycle these old politicians from thesame family? Their fathers ruled our father, they are rulling us now, if we dont rise up today, their children will rule our children too. Nobody have the monopoly of leadership as a blood group. We have sound and credible leaders from the South East, North East, South South, North Central too. Lets allow equity and fairness reign in 2011 instead of sentiments. As for the Younger Yar'Adua & the Older Yar'Adua, lets leave them alone, they know what they are doing, the northerners are crafty and smart politicians. Don't be suprised to see this guy in the forefront of Umaru's campaighn for 2011, afterall he said they are from thesame quarters. When their Emir will settle them, Me & You no go dey there. A good case was the case of Femi Fani Kayode and OBJ. But truth is Nigeria go survive, the Nigerians i know are quite a dynamic and resilient people. We shall one day be freeeeeeeeee! |
petrus
said:
 |
... Let us look back to the interview and see the wrongs those in power have cause and are cursing the country.. The last comment said it all as long as the basis for supporting any candidature" is selfish and personal interest, this nation will continue to suffer. That the PRESIDENT CAME TO POWER THROUGH THE RIGGING OF AN ELECTION WHICH HE HIMSELF RIGHTLY AGREED to is a testimony that we need to do a lot of work come 2011 to remove enemies of progress. This is a couintry that is blessed with weatlh, human resources etc and still still groping in the dark. Kudos to Sadiq for been bold to say what he knows about the President. It is better to be late than be the Late. TO BE FORWARNED IS TO BE ARMED. |
Ademola Imam
said:
 |
... As long as the basis of supporting any candidature is selfish and personal interest, this nation will continue to suffer. In 1999, the Aso power(military leader) support OBJ bloody prisoner to protect their interest. We all saw the result. In 2003 Atiku support OBJ second term because of his personal interest, even when the Governors' forum want him to take the front seat of new ngeria project. Yar'adua case is not different. |
Solomon Japhet Ushafa
said:
 |
... Alhaji, you think sey na who bi mumu? becos chop-chop no reach your side again, you wan com deceive the gullible masses with your hollow scripted thrash. abeg go sidon jo! dey time wey tings good between you and Baba Go-Slow who hear from you? |
victoria caruana
said:
 |
... What is the point of this article? if the writer of this article does not realise that he sounded disgruntled in this article then he is mentally deranged, this write up sounded like a naughty school boy who has been discarded by his teacher and mentor and is now crying foul! |
jack ustaz
said:
 |
... its realy unfurtunate and shemful 4 those always says North North while 4geting the eight years of obasnjo who rule for a particular tribe and a particular relgion and dihumanise other tribe and relgion, is this the balance and justice we want!!!!! , i m drowing attention of every Nigerians , we have heart and feelings, please ,and please dont put selfish desaires and interest uphone development and future of Nigeria ,, or either to face conciquences of what happen in ruwanda , burundi ,liberia or somalifobia.. |
chukay
said:
 |
... sardiq and umaru are the same. why would he wait for ages to spill the milk from his master, ...he was out of favor. if he was in his masters good books today, he would be telling us his master was the best thing that happend to my beloved country. he is a reptile..and afke patroit. God save Nigeria |
Olaseni Sobande
said:
 |
... Let Mr Sadiq Yar'Adua tell us what qualified him to be an executive director at the Nigerian Maritime Authority (NMA) and chairman of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) other than the fact that he is from the "ALMIGHTY NORTH". I have a news for you however, one day will be one day o you NORTHERNERS. |
Dan-Halilu
said:
 |
... Nothing impresses me at all in t he inerview. Saddiq did not give readers any new information to reflrct on. I am disappointed that he toed the same old line of those thrown out of power or who lost favour with their godfathers or mentors. If you remove Saddiq's name any of the now-out-of-power chaps will fit into the shoe as the person being interviewed. They all sing the same tune. I know Saddiq very well. He is a friend and a senior colleague in Journalism. Unfortunately, he has a disconnect with his constituency and was too dependent on the God-father politics. This is why he finds himself in the current situation. If our young politicians can break the jinx of Godfatherism in politics and learn to mobilize voters and carry them along after elections, things will surely change for the better. I't''s unfortunate that Saddiq did not realise the character of the person he was working for. Restoration Group can only make sense if its focus is the people and its membership is well spread nationwide. I wish them well and hope they will expand their membership to absorb those that are not political oportunists but serious people wishing to make changes. |
Mohammed Abdukadir
said:
 |
... In as much as what Saddiq Yar'Adua said about `our president' is correct but I have problem with the messinger for I see the hands of Esau but hear the voice of jacob. Are you sure you are not fightng for your former boss, Ex Speaker Aminu Masari who was shortchanged by Umaru yar'Adua during the 2007 katsina guberanatorial primaries. By the way sadiq why did you not say all this between 2003 and 2007 when Umaru was a governor and masari as Speaker was lobbying to succeed him? Another case of dog eat dog? |
buisilyfe
said:
 |
... Some of you commentators sound really patriotic and passionate about Nigeria and that is highly commendable. but if you really fell enough is enough and can sacrifice whatever it will take to get us at least started, lets organise and do something now!!!! let us unite and deliver Nigeria. indicate through this platform and leave a contact add(e-mail). if you have any political ambition whatsoever, please do not bother, the asssociation we are thinking of won't start as a political movement. we will start by brainstorming and changing our oriantation first, and that of those closely related to us. ours its going to be a purely legal, non-violent, non-political organisation. but we must prepare to die for Nigeria if we have to. declare your Love for Nigeria! |
Coco
said:
 |
... Hmmm... Critically speaking, i see some sense in what this guy is saying... No wonder the president does not like to select solid people to work in his cabinet. When he have the likes of Pat Utomi and others, i now undertand why the president doesnt like people who can deliver... Just look at the appointment profiles... can anybody dispute the president's level of ethnic partiality towards his North west? It is fight to finish in 2011... We cant take this anymore... Its Utomi and Fashola for 2011 or else we would walk to Aso Rock to face them... Just imagine 2 years of retrogression... Infact woe betide Obasanjo for doining this to Nigeria.... |
EBIRERI HENRY
said:
 |
... WHAT A BAD WAY TO DESCRIBE YOUR MASTER. PLEASE GROW UP AND FIND A BETTER WAY OF SEEKING RELEVANCE OR RETURNING TO POWER. AS A FORMER CLASSMATE, YOUR COMMENTS WILL NOT TAKE YOU TOO FAR |
emmanuel majebi
said:
 |
... Cant we be a bit more matured in our utterances? If you are opposed to someone politically must you engage in personal abuse? If you think the man has policies you do not like let us stick to those issues. Calling someone mentally imbalanced when you are not a certified Psyciatrist is to me the height of irresponsibility; especially when you are talking about our President!! I think Sjara rpeorters should be more circumspect in publishing things like this. It demeans the standard of the blog site. |
Smart
said:
 |
... My dear readers, do not look at the messenger instead look critically at the message. If what this man revealed was true, then Nigeria is doomed with the kind of character at the driver's seat. This is the third time we in Nigeria will be having 'insane' person as a leader. It is only prayer that can save this country. I call on everybody to please pray for the progress of this nation. |
Ade Ipaye
said:
 |
... Its better to be a fool for 30yrs. than to to be a fool for till death. This guy wised up and he should be given kudos for that, some people are still on the bandwagon of the likes of Babangida and our so called village kings that systematically pauperized Nigeria. Nigeria is for everyone of us and we take it back from these hoodlums ( Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. - Matt. 11 vs. 12). At least |
osagie oscar asemota
said:
 |
... This is true clearance of our National Doubt on 'Invalid occupant of Nigeria power seat in Abuja. We strongly commend effort and confidence of our Guest in this interviews response with able moderator. We people of same views will take it upon ourselves henceforth till 2011, that this nigeria barbarian president will never be allow to continue in his miserable leadership direction of Nigeria promised Destiny. Charity begins at home policy of driving-out the nation evil forces from Aso Rock, is best only viable & safest option/means in dethroning all evil & urgly leaders of Nigeria, hencefort. This subject and its impact is so appreciable and welcomed among all reasonable june 12 and other Democratic loossers of ibb and the northern & south power greedy manipulations of nigeria Destiny, that currently have base in disassterous mina-Niger state. God of mankind will guard & guide this honourable speaker and moderator to keep on in this lead of further exposeur of Nigeria evil -power manipulators Revealation. |
baba beebe
said:
 |
... it took u 33yrs to know the truth, it show u are a daft . im sure yaradua and his adviser (turai) did not allow nothern mafia stealing as usual |
donald odili
said:
 |
... As much as i will want to agree with the above comments, i don't see any reason why we should throw the baby away with the bad water. As for me any means that can be used to throw this inefficient and sick president out of Aso rock come 2011 is fair deal indeed. |
Idowu Adejumo
said:
 |
... y cry over spoilt milk? This is just the begining of the nigerian traitors.............. I bet u nemesis will still catch up with all of you that have made this country your personal property and make life unbearable for the average nigerian |
Kay Jay lala
said:
 |
... How can someone who has benefitted from the inequalities prevalent in Nigeria, now claim to be a champion for equality?? If Umaru the rogue did not discard of Sadiq the clown, we would never have heared anything. Where was he (Sadiq) prior to the 2007 Elections? He made claims to having links with the press but we did not hear from him relating to his former master's antics. Nigeria needs to be liberated from not only the strangle hold of the north, but also from the litany of bad leaders spread all across the Country. Long live Nigeria??? |
Bode Oladuja
said:
 |
... There is a saying that goes thus: when you are not wealthy or in power, the kind of behavious you put on might be different from the real conducts of yours. But when money & power come your way those authocratic tendencies of yours tend to manifest. While I would not subscribe to everything the man said, but the veracity of those claims cannot be overlooked. All he said about president Yar'adua are very obvious, if one looks critically at the way & manner the president handles national issues - Ribadu case, Halliborton scandal, the most glearing one is the Ekiti rerun election. Mr president seems not perturbed at all about what the masses think or say. He has been colonised by few myopic people, he could not see more than where they want him to see. He is not the best for this nation. |
Chukwudi Chukwugozie
said:
 |
... I dont believe this bloke. I figure him out as an out-of-favour, disgruntled and outright silly person who think he can capitalize on our collective misery in the hands of his erstwhile accomplices to churn out unsolicited kiss-and-tell, cock-and-bull story... I dont care about him or his zonked story. |
S. Njokede
said:
 |
... That it took 30 good years for this ex-Yar´Dua hangers-on and latter-day confesser to understand Yar´Dua and wash his dirty linen in the public is tall blemish upon him. How could he and his co-confessers have been this naive and dull these years? I´m taken to believe that he, like others, benefited from the systemic political, economical and ethical rots in Nigeria since time immemorial and they knew too well that their grandee, Yar´Dua, was been a hard-sell from the word-go. Their new singsong is made possible because, they´ve lost their comfort zones and political patronages churned out from the wayward wheeling and dealing that´s only possible in Nigeria. Let me see how long the bunch of Nasir El-Rufai, Ribadu, Sidiq Yaradua and co. would maintain their new-found repentance. If they´re genuine and stand-up men to the end, Nigerians would go with them to the hog of it all. They should extend their Restoration Group, Nigeria-wide. President Yar´Dua and Obasanjo are booming disaster; with nuisance value. www.punchbadleaders@yahoo.com |
Kola Komolafe
said:
 |
... The only message in this interview, is that they are all manipulators. I have always know that PDP will experience an implosion and that Umaru will accelerate it. Umaru will surprise even his backers in 2011. He would not contest. His soothsayers will advise him and he would accept. Then Nigerians as usual will go for another mystery. So the issue is not defending votes in 2011 - but bringing forward crdeible people now. |
Anwene
said:
 |
... What a betrayal from an ingrate! How can you, a so-called 'boy' of over 30 years will find it convenient now to 'expose' your master? If you are foolish enough to 'serve' the character you painted in this interview, we are not foolish enough to believe you! |
Omobola
said:
 |
... The only positive thing I can take from here is the injunction to all Nigerians to rise up to defend their votes in 2011. I think we should also start mobilising good people to present themselves for election in 2011. Recall that in 2007, with the main choice between Yaradua and Atiku, we were pushed between 'the devil and the deep blue sea'.... |
Omo Mummy
said:
 |
... tales by moonlight.....so wat lessons do we learn 4rm here? thief castigating another rogue...rubbish! |
