Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman is the Director General, APC Campaign Committee for 2019 general elections in Sokoto State. The former Minister for Transport, Sports and Youth Development spoke extensively on what transpired during the governorship election and efforts by APC to reclaim the mandate. Tunde Omolehin conducted the interview.
You are the APC Campaign Director General in Sokoto State; can you share your experience about the just concluded elections in the state?
Well, I have discussed this many times in the media that this year’s election was very credible to some extent, except in Sokoto State where the electoral umpire compromised the exercise, to the point that it was so glaring. In fact, it made some of us believe that they are not as independent as we thought. But I have always said this that Sokoto is a key APC state. This was demonstrated in the last presidential and National assembly elections where our party did well and won overwhelmingly against the incumbent government. We won all the three senatorial seats, nine out of eleven House of Representatives seats and 16 out of 30 House of Assembly seats in the state. We also got majority votes for Mr. President. All these are by no means, small for us. We did our work and God crowned us with victory. Sokoto people love President Muhammadu Buhari and they also love and have respect for Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko because they know he means well for them. You get more followership when people believe in what you are doing. Now, when you come to the issue of governorship election, in my previous interviews, I had challenged the INEC National Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakub to please take the case of Sokoto state serious. If you want to address issue of electoral frauds and malpractices; you must take a critical look at the first round election in Sokoto State. We really want to know what happened to the votes. When you look at our votes for our presidential candidate, the average was 490,000 against average of about 340,000 garnered by the PDP in Sokoto State. But two weeks later, at the governorship elections, our votes for the gubernatorial candidate were 486,000 which is plus or minus of five percent reduction. This is normal loss of votes in an election. Maybe, about 4,000 of our supporters didn’t vote because of one reason or the other. On the other hand, PDP got 340,000 votes for their presidential candidate and mysteriously garnered 490,000 votes for their gubernatorial candidate. This is the magic. There was no way about 150,000 people can come up and change their minds for the PDP overnight. INEC must come out and solve this mystery. They must get all the ballot papers used in the election and conduct forensic analysis on them because we believe some of these ballot papers were manipulated into INEC boxes. There was no way Governor Tambuwal could get 490,000 votes without a corresponding decline in our votes. We demand an answer from INEC. They must come out and tell Sokoto people where they got their 150,000 votes. This is an issue without prejudice to the activity of election tribunal holding in the state. This should be a matter of profound concern for INEC to ask itself, if it is possible for over 150,000 people to come out and vote for the governor?
Have you officially laid your complaints before INEC, either at National or State level?
You know this is a post election observation. But without prejudice, INEC must take Sokoto State case serious. They must order a forensic analysis on ballot papers used for the governorship election. It may even unveil other issues that will strengthen the commission for further elections. It will also serve as deterrent for any person that may want to compromise elections in further time.
What is the position of your party on these complaints?
My party has studied the matter and compiled all evidences needed for a court case. With all the evidences at our disposal, we are sure that we will retrieve our mandate that was temporarily stolen by the PDP.
Did you take into cognizance that voters may have their preferred candidates while voting in both Presidential and governorship elections?
That is right but Sokoto State is a different case. You need to study and analyse my point very well. We got over 490,000 votes for our presidential candidate and secured 486,000 votes for our governorship candidate. It is very clear that our supporters voted for the President as well as our gubernatorial candidate. Maybe about 4,000 voters can fall within that category you are saying. From 490,000, we came down to 486,000 votes, fine. But what is not clear is how PDP votes raised up from 340,000 to 490,000 without a corresponding decline in our votes. This is not normal. It means something, somewhere was wrong. It means, somebody, somewhere stuffed the ballots and that is what we want INEC to unravel.
Are you aware that PDP in the state also made similar allegations against your party, especially accusing your party of using federal might during the poll?
If we used Federal apparatus as they put it and claimed, the result could have been totally different. I can categorically say that all the federal might like the Army, Police, SSS and INEC all work for PDP in the state. I am saying this with clear sense of responsibility.
Were you at Kuchi town where it was reported that some people attempted to lynch you?
Yes. That was what actually happened. PDP stalwarts were there watching and even laughing during the incident.
Was there not any security on ground?
There were more than 50 military personnel, armed mobile policemen with SSS present during my attack. But none of them intervened. How do you explain that? And they all knew me. The PDP thugs attacked my car with stones and other dangerous weapons and people were there laughing it off. This was a clear attestation that they all worked with PDP especially in our strongholds.
Some say your party lost the election because the gubernatorial candidate it presented was neither popular nor familiar with Sokoto politics. What is your take?
That is public opinion. They can say whatever they want to say. But the bottom line is this. How many people came out to vote? That is a reference point because I don’t use speculation. It was sure that 486,000 voted for my candidate, 490,000 voted for President Muhammadu Buhari. So, I don’t think APC members have problem with their candidates. They voted for him as much as they voted for the President and members of the National Assembly. Elections in Sokoto are not about candidate. It was clear that the PDP rigged their way in the election. Our candidate was dully nominated to fly the party’s flag and he won the election with majority votes but the PDP rigged it.
Will your party take legal action against PDP?
Yes. We are in court for that. We have enough evidence to nail PDP in the state. With all what we have gathered as evidences, it just a matter of time to retrieve our mandate.
Some opined that rerun election shouldn’t have been pronounced by INEC because PDP won at the first ballot. Is that correct?
It was not about your opinion or mine. It is about what the law says. That law says that where the difference between the two leading parties is less than the total sum of votes cancelled or number of votes in the area where election did not take place, such must be declared inconclusive. And that was what happened. Where I may say INEC got it wrong was the declaration of PDP candidate winner with just 342 votes when there were over 1,500 votes that were cancelled during the rerun election. I don’t understand how the Returning officer/Collation officer came to the conclusion of declaring Tambuwal as winner of the poll. The 1,500 votes in the cancelled polling units should have been the decider of the rerun exercise rather than jumping into conclusion and declaring Tambuwal winner of the poll. Also, during the rerun election, we realised that elections were conducted in a polling unit twice and both results were added to favour the other party. This case happened in Rafin Gora in Kebbe local government area of the state. During the main election, PDP led with about six votes, it was dully recorded and that polling unit was not for rerun but because people in INEC wanted to favour the governor, they sat down and wrote another result with the polling unit. We complained but it seems they have concluded and perfected their way to rig the election in PDP’s favour. But the law must take its course.
President Buhari won with majority votes in your state and was eventually declared the winner of the presidential election. Were you surprised about his victory in both the state and federal levels?
I am sure even the PDP supporters were not surprised. Those who ran against President Buhari only did that because someone has to run against him not because they were sure of winning in the contest. In fact, it was very clear to everybody that the President will be re-elected because Nigerians are happy with what he is doing. Only few people might not like what he is doing but the whole of the downtrodden were happy with him. So, it is not surprising and I am also sure many are not surprised.
What did you think should be his focus in the next four years?
He has made it clear in his first tenure that he will ensure that there is security in the country by safeguarding lives and properties of all Nigerians; he made a statement that he remained an unhappy man on earth because of the security concerns in the country. He has directed security heads to do their best in ensuring that lives and properties of every Nigerian is secured. The President is a man of his word. The operation in Zamfara State has started and I am sure you are aware of that. The military men are doing their best and it is just a matter of time. Some of these bandits were remnants of the Libya army dislodged during the fall of Gadaffi.
The issue of who will succeed President Buhari is already dominating the public domain. What advice did you want to offer your party in order to avoid rancour?
Well, APC is a very structured party with laws and guidelines. We have a lot of arrangements that can pave way for such succession arrangement when the time comes. Presently, we have good leadership and loyal followership. Don’t forget that the electorate are also very wise; they know the best candidate for them. I believe that my party will ensure that a credible candidate is presented to Nigerians in 2023.