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 2007: Power shift belongs to electorate - Dangiwa Umar
Where power will shift to in 2007 would be determined by the country’s electorate.
This assertion was made by Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd) in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust.
According to him, no section of the country should claim monopoly of good or viable presidential materials “because no one can claim to have the monopoly of good or bad people. Power belongs to the electorate and they only will determine where the power shifts.”
He lambasted agitators for power shift, reminding them that the electorate should be allowed to direct the movement of the presidency. “There are good people everywhere. So I cannot see why anyone will lay claim and say they must produce the president. There are good and bad people everywhere.”
On the issue of power shift to the North as canvassed by the region’s power brokers at various fora, he said, “my position on the matter is that the North has good people as well as bad ones. So it is about the individual and not where the person comes from. If the conditions are right, I personally, am ready to support a Southern candidate. No one has the monopoly of good leadership,” he said, adding that it was time Nigerians begin to think in terms of a qualified, competent presidential material irrespective of geographical identity, observing that people should search all over the country for qualified leaders.
“Power shift is basically a matter for the electorate working in conjunction with their political parties. This is genuine because we can then have credible movement of power.”
Highlighting the agenda of the Movement for Unity and Peace (MUP), which will be inaugurated tomorrow in Abuja, Col. Umar said that the main theme of the meeting will be to oppose the third term posturing of the president.
“We are meeting to defend democracy and to tell the president that Nigerians are not prepared for any third term.
“The Obasanjo government has only ensured that Nigerians lived in pains. The so-called economic reforms have only entrenched poverty and hardship. The anti-corruption programme is basically vindictive and selective. It is equally inefficient. Nigeria is today the fifth most corrupt country in the world. The security apparati is not well positioned to address the nation’s challenges and everywhere, people are living in fear. Nigerians are also pauperized.”
Col. Umar also chided the presidency for siding with Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu in the festering crisis engulfing Oyo state. “What the president is doing in Oyo state is encouraging thuggery. It is also obvious that he has sided with Adedibu who is also like Chris Uba in the Anambra crisis. We also leant that the PDP national chairman, Ahmadu Ali, even admonished the governor to obey Adedibu. This is an official endorsement of political thuggery.”
Warning that the presidency should not stop the inaugural meeting, Col. Umar said that the group plans to go ahead with its Thursday meeting in Abuja.
He was reacting to rumours that the presidency is planning to scuttle the conference. He said if the meeting does not hold, it won’t change the situation. “It does not matter if this particular meeting holds or not. The truth is that the motion is already on and Nigerians want a change and will bring it to pass in the course of time.”
He said that the gathering will bring together a constellation of individuals who were part of the force that opposed the late General Sani Abacha.
“I’ll be surprised if the president tries to stop us because this is a meeting of distinguished and honourable Nigerians who fought dictatorship in the past and will do it again.
“This is a gathering of nationalists who want to effect peaceful changes. There is nothing we can do if the president tries to stop us, but he will be causing a problem. People will just go underground and continue the agitations. We should be allowed as peaceful people to meet and bring about changes as enshrined in our constitution.
“So if he stops us, the whole world will be watching and he will be sending the wrong signals. We shall comply as peace loving people but the whole world will know that a group of decent and honourable nationalists were stopped from assemblying.”
Meanwhile, the police has said it has no notification of the MUP’s meeting and may thus not allow it to hold. Speaking to Daily Trust, FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawrence Alobi, said “I am not aware of any application for permit by any such group. I’m not aware,” adding that “if people will gather or where people will have to go to the streets, you know they may disturb public peace or traffic. That affects security.”
When told that the meeting will be an indoor affair, the commissioner replied “whether public rally or in a hall, it is the same. Hall at where? To discuss what? All these are things the police would like to know. If the meeting has anything to do with security, we need to look into it. If it has to do with security, we have to monitor it. What we are concerned with is anything that will be a threat to peace and security. That is what we are after. If it is within the ambit of the law and will not touch on security, we can’t stop them. So far, we have not received any application from anybody,” he said.
But Col. Umar insist, that the meeting must hold as scheduled. “Let them try to stop us. Are we not law abiding citizens exercising our constitutional rights? Besides, we are meeting in the Shehu Yar’Adua hall. We have booked for the place and we are meeting as scheduled.” |
