From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Kaduna State governorship candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the 2023 election, Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi has admitted that he made human error by campaigning for and bringing All Progressive Congress (APC) to power in Kaduna state in 2015 election.
He added that apart from working for APC at the state level, he also worked relentlessly for the party at the national level at that time to ensure Buhari’s victory.
However, Hunkuyi said it was not something to regret about, because every human being is bound to make an error in life.
He noted that after he had left APC, the party was voted into power in 2019 by default because of poor turnout of voters, warning that if the electorate fail to turn out in 2023, the State may have a default government again.
Speaking on Monday at an interactive session with representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the State on what he has stock for the State, the governorship hopeful said he would engage relevant stakeholders like NLC on decision making about governance.
He also vowed to revised some policies of this present administration considered to be too harsh and unfriendly to the poor masses segment of the society.
This was even as the NLC State chairman, Comrade Ayuba Suleiman Magaji had earlier in his welcome address described Hunkuyi as friends of civil servants who intervened in restating sacked workers during the then military administration of Colonel Hameed Ali (Rtd).
Comrade Magaji also recalled how Hunkuyi assisted workers to access loans from office of the Secretary to the State government (SSG).
NLC chairman however, did not mention the particular administration that facilitated such loan, saying, “I did not want to mention name here”.
According to Hunkuyi, “The socio-economic situation n kaduna State is not palatable, but we don’t have any other State that belongs to us than Kaduna State.
“I didn’t want to pursue politics beyond 2019 because personally I wanted to do something else. And also dedicate attention and time to my little children and my extended family. I did not want to be part of 2023 politics.
“But for so many reasons, among them, one, nobody get up and become honest without taking antecedent by the current administration of APC in Kaduna State and in Nigeria without possibly bringing in the name of PDP.
“When God created Adam, He told him what not to do, but he failed. In 2013, 2014, I felt that Nasir El-rufai would make a very good governor for Kaduna State. That was my conviction. I felt that Muhammadu Buhari would make a very very good President in 2015. That was my conviction. Nobody foresaw that.
“From my belief and what I believe, I was paraded handcuffed and flown in a helicopter because I stood my ground for the election of Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. That was the way I believed. It was a conviction. But it was an error because of human mind, the behaviour of man is unpredictable.
“So when I came back in 2019 and I went around 22 local government areas, I stood up with a microphone and I told the people that if you elect Nasir El-rufai and Buhari, you do so at your own peril.
“Another reason why I came back and remain in politics is because my big brother said he has retired me from politics and I am out of politics. But I came back also to remove all misfits in government by 2023 by the special grace of God because they were brought in by ill wind of the people. I will flush out all the misfits in government.
“Reason number two why I decided to remain in government is because I want to fix the wreckage inflicted on the financial status of Kaduna State”.
Speaking on what he described as government by default, Hunkuyi said, “I am not a novice in politics, there is danger lurking ahead because this government is by default.
“I can tell you that 90 percent of the people in this hall did not want Nasir El-rufai to come back in 2019 election. Did he not come back? That is government by default.
“Let me give you the arithmetic, simple, 4 million or 4.2 million voters were registered in 2019, but 1.8 million people came out to vote. There were two parties. Out of 4.2 million voters, only 1.8 million came out to vote. Majority did not come out, the minority are for the majority, the least minority decided to go for the majority because out of 1.8 million that came out to vote, 800 of them said no to El-rufai, they said no APC. If you take that 800 and add to 2.7 million that refused to come out, they have not only added to the votes, but helped to form a government for El-rufai. That is government by default.
“We should allow matured democracy to happen. Government by default also happened in USA, and so by default Donald Trump won the election.
“It can happen again in Kaduna. It was two parties, but now there are four candidates. There is a candidate for APC, PDP, NNPP, and LP. Hunkuyi is at your beck and call no matter what happened, NNPP will gather more votes.
“But again we are polarised. Kaduna has never been polarised along religious line as it is today because APC is doing Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“When I go out for election I have upper and lower limits, but I go for lower limit. So don’t say that Hunkuyi did not raise the alarm that a government may emerge by default in Kaduna State in 2023”.