By: Sunday Oyewole
The Governor of Niger and Chairman, Northern State Governors’ Forum, Babangida Aliyu has vowed to stay put in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in spite of his disagreement with the President and leadership of the party on policy issues.
Governor Aliyu, who was speaking with State House correspondents on Thursday, insisted he has no personal issues with President Goodluck Jonathan. He spoke after meeting with the President.
He fielded questions from State House correspondents on Thursday evening shortly after meeting with the President. Governor Aliyu alongside his Jigawa, Sokoto, Adamawa and Kano are said to be opposed to President Jonathan’s perceived 2015 ambition.
“Let’s get something very clear in politics, you may disagree with a particular policy, you may disagree with the process but you cannot be said to disagree with the President because you did not put him there. Nigerians put him there and God put him there.
“This is the mistake that people make. They want to put people against each other. Even in your house as a father sometimes your child may disagree with the way and manner you do certain things but that doesn’t mean he is not your son. I think that is the misnomer that many people have been giving out.
“The issues are that we have many issues on ground and unless they are discussed, there is no way you can solve them. I don’t think it is against the President. Some issues came up and they have been discussed. You remember our problems in the Governors’ Forum; we are discussing how to resolve them.
“We want to insulate clearly Mr. President out of it because if anything happens now, they will say the President is involved. Even, the simple election that took place for the Youth council in Niger, many people wanted to bring politics into it. I have heard people saying it should not be held in Niger because the governor is against the President. I think that is a misnomer.”
“I am here today to see Mr. President and to remind him of some of the things we have been discussing. The roads in Niger, my airport, which has been for sometimes dormant and some issues are coming from the ministry of aviation and I know he will help us.”
Governor Aliyu also reacted to reports about some governors being part of a new party, Voice of the People seeking registration with INEC, insisting he wasn’t ready to dump the ruling party.
His words, “I read it too. Sometimes if we deny or say yes we are giving credibility to it. I saw it as you did. I am not a quitter. God took me to PDP. My prayer was to be a head of service and God said I should be governor under PDP and I am not about quitting now unless I am dismissed. But I am not jumping from one party to another.
On why it is taking the party leadership ages to recall Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Governor Aliyu had this to say, “If I understand our constitution right, it says you can be suspended for 30 days after which NEC will have to rectify it. Now, 30 have passed and the issue has not been brought to NEC so on that part that issue has lapsed.
“But another angle is being brought into it that the issue is in court. In order words out colleague has to withdraw the case from court or it takes the natural process. But then you see so many things happening in rivers state. Suddenly we were reading about people being dismissed. I think some people are reading the constitution of the PDP upside down”.
