Why the North will vote Jonathan- Shagari

Source
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/01/why-the-north-will-vote-jonathan-shagari/

@ Poster

Next time paste the entire news and then the link, f you are short of MB do not brother your self creating new topic

13volts:

@ Poster

Next time paste the entire news and then the link, f you are short of MB do not brother your self creating new topic

Since it is too difficult for you to simply click the link, let me oblige you.

Why the North will vote Jonathan- Shagari
Politics Jan 25, 2011 By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
Alhaji Mukthar Shagari the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State and erstwhile Minister of Water Resources is one of the leading chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the Northwest geopolitical zone.

One of the first advocates of the Goodluck Jonathan presidential project, Shagari in a telephone interview frontally challenges perceptions that President Jonathan is unpopular in the Northwest saying that the good works of the administration in the zone, past indifference by the people of the zone to religious bigotry and the PDP’s popularity in the zone will ensure victory for President Jonathan. Excerpts:

There is a perception that
the PDP will suffer protest votes in the forthcoming presidential election in the North following the outcome of the presidential primaries.

I am actually glad you said that it is a perception because sometimes perception can mean something else and as far as we are concerned PDP is a political party and there are also other political parties who are going to field their candidates. We believe that the people of the North (are not the) few tiny minority who have been sending around text messages and sponsoring sermons and so on to say that, “he is a Christian you cant vote for him,” that is a very tiny and small minority.

What I can tell you is that President Goodluck Jonathan will win the election in Sokoto State, PDP will win elections in Sokoto State and President Goodluck Jonathan will be voted for by Northerners. It has happened in this country before. When the PDP fielded President Obasanjo some people said he is a Christian don’t vote for him but Northerners didn’t listen to them. When he also came for second term some people also came out and said no, no, don’t vote for him, but they didn’t listen to that, but they still voted for him.

What we are looking for in the North is speedy development and true Northerners believe in the unity of this country and the only way we can unite this country and make it to be stronger in our march to greatness is to believe that we are all Nigerians and that all Nigerians have the right and I believe Moslems in this part of the country and everywhere believe that power is from God and He can give it to whoever He wants at the time He wants and He can take it from whoever He wants at the time He wants.

So we are not quarrelling with that. But as I have said, we are in a political era. Opposition knows that they do not stand a chance will bring out almost everything to throw at PDP, but PDP is a strong party made up of the best people you can find in this country and it has the capability to come out clean and ensure that we achieve victory in the 2011 election.

But Sokoto State failed to support President Jonathan at the presidential primaries. Do you think that the trend can be reversed?

Well, primary election is actually a different matter when it comes to a general election. Delegates do not represent the views and the position of the entire state and nobody can be so sure of a delegate once he gets to the place where the voting is going to take place.

In fact even today (Saturday), I went out to monitor voters registration and to also register myself and I had discussion with so many people who told me that their concern is for a leader who can be fair and just to Nigerians and who can bring about development.

That is what they are looking for and they also know that in this country you cannot be a President just by getting the votes of Moslems if you are a Moslem. And that you cannot be a President by getting the votes of Christians just because you are a Christian.

The only way that either a Christian or Moslem can be President in this country is to have the votes of both Moslems and Christians and even those who do not believe in anything. That is the reality of our country today and we must understand that that is the reality and until that changes in the future, there is no way… and we should not forget that there was a time in this country a political party fielded a Moslem presidential candidate and a Moslem Vice-Presidential candidate and they went to the election and both Christians and Moslems voted for them.

And we should not also forget that President Obasanjo is not a Moslem but he was voted for in the North and during his second term, he was also voted for in the North. And again don’t also forget that late President Yar‘Adua (may his soul rest in peace) was voted for by Christians in the South, was voted for by Christians in the North, was voted for by Moslems in the North and was also voted for by Moslems in the South.

So, this idea of don’t vote for this man because of his religious leaning I think it cannot really work in this country. Nobody can be a President of this country simply by the votes of the faith he believes in. It has to be the two.

How do you intend to address the perception in the North that President Jonathan is taking the turn of the Moslem north?

The result of the presidential primary election has put that aside because President Goodluck Jonathan was voted for by both Northerners and Southerners, by both Christians and Moslems, so I think we have gone beyound that. Let us talk about the unity of this nation, let us talk about the development of this nation, let us talk about security in this nation, let us simply talk about power supply in this country, let us talk about agriculture, let us talk about water supply, let us talk about those issues that can move this country forward and unite this country for the better.

In that regard, has this administration addressed the peculiar needs of the north?

Yes, sure. The backbone of the Northern economy is agriculture and we have a number of textile industries in Kano, Kaduna and in Gusau. Those textile industries completely collapsed and that affected the production of cotton in the North which in turn brought about economic depression on those who depend on cotton farming for livelihood. This President has decided to address that issue and today, the largest textile industry in West Africa is working courtesy of the programme brought about by this President.

Only last week we all gathered in Abuja where we attended the presidential summit on water where the issue of water was discussed and the road map which Mr. President had put together to develop the water sector in this country was discussed and endorsed. And most of these, if not 70% of this will be in the North.

Now, on the issue of agriculture and because he believes in the development of agriculture in this country, he brought one of the dons from the Ahmadu Bello University (Prof. Abdullahi Sheik) to handle the Agriculture Ministry for him and I believe that he is doing the best he can. Now, one of the most important issues that is bothering the north is the dredging of the River Niger and the first phase of that has been completed by Mr. President.

One of the biggest problems we have in the North is the issue of Alimajiris, young little boys who should be in schools but are not in schools. Now, Mr. President has come out with a programme of constructing Alimajiri schools where these little boys will be taken and they will be trained and given similar education just like any other child in this country so that we will clear all of them from the streets.

This is a problem that has bedeviled the north and I believe every northerner will be happy that at least somebody has now found a solution to the problem. I think he is constructing over 100 schools of that nature. I was a witness to the one that is being constructed in Jigawa State. These are some of the real issues.

One of the problems we have is poverty, now by attending to issues that relate to agriculture, by attending to issues that relate to the textile industry, by attending to issues that relate to development of irrigation schemes and so on, I think this one way of tackling poverty in the north and indeed, in the country.

So, I believe that with President Goodluck Jonathan, it will be better for this country, particularly the northern part of this country. But you have to understand that it is party politics and in party politics, the other parties will put doubt on you and say we will do this and that.

But that is normal in politics and we welcome that, it makes us to work harder, it makes us to prepare better and it also makes us to feel the thorns in the field, the feelings of Nigerians so that whatever we do in the future will be in the interest of this nation.

April and May 2011 will provide shockers for the Nation.

@Houvest: Thanks for this interesting post.

You are welcome Andre.