The APC youth leader, Mallam Aminu Lawal Na’anti, speaks on the chances of APC in next month’s governorship election.
The governorship election is around the corner, how prepared are you and your party?
The youth in Kaduna State are fully prepared to return Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to office in 2019 governorship election. We are going to re-elect El-Rufai for the following reasons. First, no governor in Nigeria like El-Rufai who has given the youth the opportunity to serve in different capacities in his administration, we have youths as political appointees like commissioners, advisers and other youths heading various agencies. These appointees are below the age of 32. So the youths in the state are very much happy with the governor for the opportunity he has given to them to serve. So for this reasons, the youths are mobilising themselves to return him to power.
Secondly, the governor has given the youths an enabling environment for them to be self-reliant by approving soft loans for them to do their own businesses. Governor El-Rufai also encouraged and pushed for new companies that have now been established in Kaduna where many youths were employed. For example, Olam hatchery located on Kaduna/Abuja high way has employed many youths in the state.
So, the youths are prepared ever than before to return El-Rufai, President Buhari and as well as all the APC candidates for the Senate, state House of Assembly and House of Representatives.
Not long ago, Governor El-Rufai said his re-election was already a done deal. What is your reaction to this?
Well, as the governor said, it is a done deal, it is a done deal because, in Kaduna State, we have 255 wards, there is no any ward and community that El-Rufai has not touched their lives positively by taking the dividends of democracy to their door steps in terms of hospitals, Primary Health Care centres, school renovation, road construction, and so many other things. No section of the state that does not feel the dividends of democracy.
So we are challenging the opponents of Mallam El-Rufai to come and show us what they have done during their 16 years in office. But people are seeing what the governor has done so far in three years. We are not bothered about the PDP; we are only waiting for March for the people to simply cast their votes for Mallam El-Rufai. We do not see the PDP as a threat to us at all.
Why do you think that PDP is not a threat to APC in the state?
This is because PDP did not do anything. They have nothing to show. But APC has a lot to show to the people. In the 16 years of PDP’s government, they had all the resources, but failed to bring development to the people. But look at what APC is doing with the little resources at their disposal, they are touching lives everywhere and the people are yearning for the return of APC. So our politics is not based on sentiments, it is based on issue; what we need to do for the people. And that is the yardstick and confidence we have to deliver our party in 2019 both at the national and state levels.
For the first time, Kaduna State is having Muslim/Muslim ticket for the governorship election, but many political observers have noted that it may affect El-Rufai’s re-election. What do you think?
No, no, no. It cannot affect the chance of APC because politics is not about religion or tribal sentiments. If somebody is competent, let him or her take the job irrespective of his or her religious and tribal backgrounds. So the whole of the people in the state are one united family despite their differences. We may limit our opportunities if we decide to base everything on religion or tribal differences when an opportunity beckons. So the politics in the state is not about religion, but about who has the capacity and who has the qualification to do the job for the state.
But for the PDP in the state, it is Muslim/Christian ticket. How do you see that?
Well I am not in the PDP. I don’t know how they operate, I am in the APC, and ours is not about religion or tribal sentiments. We are for the people and the people are for us. And that is why many people, prominent people have defected to the APC in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the state. They are ready to vote for Mallam (El-Rufai).