Na’abba Accuses Govs of Destroying Parties, Democracy in Nigeria

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Former speaker, House of Representative, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’abba, has said the crisis rocking the Nigerian politics and the hardship among the masses, was as a result of selfish interests of the governors, who think the parties belong to them only, not the citizens.

Na’abba, who spoke at his residence, weekend in Kano, when he received a delegation of the Na’abba Youth Organisation, on a courtesy visit, said the citizens were already running away from politics as a result of what the governors were doing.

He said the governors pocketed the political parties and decided who would or not contest positions in elections, thereby crippling democracy and rotating power among themselves without considering competency.

His words: “Since 1999, governors have been the problem of the country. They contributed to the death of democracy within the political parties. And when there is no elections within the parties, then, incompetent leaders will emerge and that will affect the whole political system and the country’s development too. The governors have caused all these. They will hardly hold primaries rather they will ask you to go for consensus which is wrong.

“If we really want to see changes in the country, we must change our democracy and give equal chances to all. Give chances for elections within parties so that the masses, and the rich will have roles to play, only that can bring changes. Not what they (governors) are doing. That will not lead us anywhere, rather, deteriorate the situation of the country,” he said.

The former speaker explained that, people nowadays, particularly, the youth, no longer trust politicians and have lost confidence in them, adding that only just and truthful leadership could change their perceptions.

On why he returned to the opposition People Democratic Party (PDP), from the All Progressive Congress (APC), the former speaker said the APC was not doing the right thing and that was why he thought of going back to where he belonged.

“When I realised that APC is not doing the right thing, I stepped aside. Later, I was contacted by some of my associates to go back to where I belong to, that is why I returned to PDP. No party has no crisis, but the commitments to solving the crisis is what matters. In PDP, we have a crisis but there are moves by the party to resolve the crisis and we will succeed in doing that,” he stated.