- * Gives Hint About His 2023 Guber Ambition In Sokoto State
By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
The National Organizing Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Umar Muhammed Bature, has urged the Federal Government to be sincere in its approach towards ending the menace of insecurity in the country.
Bature, a security expert, said until, the right approaches are deployed, an end to the insecurity might not be in sight anytime soon.
Speaking with journalists in Sokoto, Hon Bature, a former House of Representatives member (Sokoto North/ Sokoto South) who recently resigned his appointment as the Sokoto State Commissioner for Water Resources, said his party, PDP, if voted again into power in 2023, will approach the intractable security situation in the country quite differently from the unsatisfactory manner the PDP handled it until May/June 2015 when it lost power to the APC.
According to Bature, the APC despite its promises of handling the security situation better than the PDP did, rather showed apparent lack of capacity to fulfill their promises to the people in this regard. He said the APC, instead, engaged in cheap propaganda. Bature stated that the PDP would rather enjoin Nigerians to judge for themselves as the nation moves towards yet another general come 2023.
While claiming that the APC came into power using propaganda without any blueprint on governance, Hon Bature advised that the Federal Government should speedily deploy workable solutions to ending these spate of insecurity. While military solution might, no doubt, help in decimating the terrorists, Bature said considerations should however be given to prompt deployment of economic, political and social approaches too.
"Most Nigerians are wondering why the PDP did not put the APC led government in power on their toes like they did to PDP back then. And our simple response remains that we can’t do same but leave that to Nigerians to judge. PDP spent 16 years in power, and now APC has spent nearly seven years. But all the APC is doing is to sustain its regime with lies and deceit. Our relief however is the glaring fact that Nigerians have sincerely seen the difference for themselves".
Continuing, Hon Bature said, "When APC were in opposition, they politicised all issues of governance without proffering a single solution to any of them,”.
In his suggestions as a security expert, the PDP Organizing Secretary said, several approaches should be deployed simultaneously.
”You know, the truth is, if one is to tackle the security challenges facing the country at the moment, the government must be first and foremost go ahead to consider multiple phases such as political, economic, and social not military approach alone".
Giving instances of how poverty could breed series of ugly situations including astronomical rise in crimes, Hon Bature said, the recent display of anger by Nigerians after failing to qualify for the world cup in Abuja stadium was a transfer of aggression and a testimony to several deprivation by the APC led government. .
"You could see Nigerians at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja pouring out their bottled anger, not just because the Super Eagles lost to Ghana, but because they were angry that there is no fuel, there is widespread insecurity, poverty is at its peak and inflation has risen to double digits".
In his optimism that the chances of PDP returning to power come 2023 is very bright, the party's National Organizing Secretary, Hon Bature, said the PDP is organized, have focus and embraces all as the only truly national political party.
While disclosing that no fewer than 13 eminently qualified Nigerians have purchased Presidential forms under the PDP platform at the time of granting this interview, Umar Bature said their committee on zoning will do justice to the issue in due course.
”The issue of zoning as far as our Presidential ticket waa concerned is being handled by an elaborate committee with representation from all parts of the country. And there is hope for loyalists to accept the outcome for a stronger party,”
Hon Bature also expressed optimism that the PDP will sustain its win in Sokoto State, adding that the governor, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal led administration has laid developmental foundation such that the electorates would want a sustainability after his administration.
Asked if he would be willing to accept the widespread call for him to come and continue with governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwa'ls legacies, Hon Umar Bature said, he has seen his posters sponsored by diverse groups across the length and breadth of Sokoto state.
While admitting that numerous other groups have also appealed to him to come and contest for the State governorship seat, Umar Bature however added that, as a loyal party member, he would always respect the wish of the people and the party’s decision. NNL.
