Nigerians Should Decide Whether Nigeria Should Disintegrate Or Not -- Bashir Tofa

Nigeria Sunday Tribune Interview

Alhaji Bashir Tofa was the presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). In this interview with Kola Oyelere, the Kano-born politician, who contested the aborted 1993 presidential election against the late Chief MKO Abiola, speaks on issues ranging from the lingering insecurity in the country to why the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, would continue to be a thorn in the flesh of the nation as well as the domination of the nation’s political landscape by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Excerpts:

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the August 26 suicide bombing of the UN building in Abuja where over 20 people died. How do you see the sect’s action? Could Boko Haram have been responsible for the bombing or any other international terrorist group?

I have heard that Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack on UN House. Somebody who was said to be a member of the sect has made such claim, but deep in my mind, I don’t believe that the attack was perpetrated by Boko Haram. If you look at their sophistication, operation and the structure of the terrorist group, it can be indicated that it was beyond their capacity.

Second, I can’t see any reason why Boko Haram should bomb the UN’s House, because the UN is nothing whatsoever to Boko Haram. So, it is up to the Federal Government if they are really serious about finding the culprits to work very hard with the UN or anybody that can assist this country to find the true culprits behind this dastardly act. However, I don’t believe that Boko Haram has the capacity to carry out the act, besides they don’t even have any reasons, because one has to identify the specific motives behind the bombing. Why would anybody do that? I can’t find any answer why Boko Haram should do it.

The thinking of many people is that the UN House’s bombing would strain the relationship between Nigeria and the United Nations. What is your view of this?

I don’t think it would strain any relationship between Nigeria and the UN, because they are aware that the Nigeria’s government was not responsible for the attack. If the relationship would go sour, then the UN would have left Iraq but it is still there, the UN is still in Palestine and many other countries like that. So, the UN always differentiates between what government does and what individuals or terrorist groups do.

It was predicted that Nigeria may disintegrate. Don’t you see that all these scary events, bomb blasts, kidnappings, and general insecurity in the country are symptomatic of this prediction?

Well, if there are people who want the country to disintegrate, they will not succeed by the grace of God. Nigerians have to decide whether they want to continue together or not, however such should not disintegrate the country, and I don’t think there are foreign powers that want Nigeria disintegrated. Nevertheless, Nigerians need to sit down and determine that by themselves.

The views of some people are that the emergence of Boko Haram is a response from some Northerners against President Goodluck Jonathan who believe that the presidency was taken away from them?

These statements emanated from people who don’t know anything but want to portray themselves as political analysts. Some of them even said that some politicians were giving weapons to Boko Haram to perpetrate their evil act against the Federal Government. However, what people should be doing is to condemn this act and not to blame it on some people.

Number two, if the Federal Government truly believes that there are people trying to sabotage the efforts of Mr. President because they do not like Dr. Jonathan or because of zoning, then the Federal Government should try to find out who are the people and bring them to book.

The South East geo-political zone has indicated an interest to produce the nation’s president come 2015. How would the North feel on this, in view of the North’s insistence that the president should come from the zone in 2015?

I am totally against the fact that power must go to a certain section of the country, whether North, South, West or East. I want power to go a Nigerian who really cares for everybody. A Nigerian who will deal with everybody equally, creates opportunities for every Nigerian and leaves the country a better place.

The moment we continue talking about the South or North or West, we would never make political progress in this country, that was what brought us into tribal and regional problems and we should have outgrown such divisive tendencies by now. Right now, we should be looking for a Nigerian whom everybody trusts, a Nigerian who would be fair to everybody, irrespective of one’s ethnic or religious affiliation. We all have equal responsibility and right to aspire to any elective post, though people are saying it is our time while others are also saying they must produce the president come 2015, all these are rubbish, we should put those things behind us and go for people who really mean well for this country. There is no Nigerian who does not have the right to rule this country, all Nigerians should be seen as politically equal, and all political parties should always seek for the best candidate and should not field any candidate on the basis of his/her tribe or religion, but on the trust that people have in him, knowing that this man or this woman can serve this country well and can treat everybody well.

Late Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, late Nigeria’s Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, and other notable northern leaders fought for one North, do you think North is still an indivisible entity, in view of the issue of Boko Haram and several killings in the region?

So also late Chief Obafemi Awolowo fought for one South-West and late Chief Nnamdi Azikwe fought for one South-East, but that does not mean that all these regions were one or are still one. We have our differences, no doubt. What is required are for those differences to be accepted while we become united at the same time. The North is just like any other parts of the country; we have different tribes as well as people who are either Muslims or Christians. This is part of our existence, but whether we can unite and be one to project our interest and interest of the country is another thing entirely, but we should try to do it.

The role of opposition parties in any democracy is to checkmate the activities of a ruling party, either at the state or national level, do you think the opposition parties in the country are doing this?

The opposition parties are trying to survive while some of their leaders are just projecting their self-interest.s.They hobnob with the PDP, trying to either make money or acquire positions. It’s not been good as far as the opposition parties are concerned in the country. We don’t find among them leaders who stick to their principle, but people who always look for what they can benefit. Personally, I don’t think any of these opposition parties, whether ANPP, ACN, Labour Party or APGA and so on can be effective and checkmate the PDP-controlled Federal Government. If they can come together and fuse into a single political party, that would be the beginning of the end of the PDP, in my opinion, but if they don’t, I assure you that within the next two years, you would find out that some of these governors would decamp to the PDP, while some of the Senators, and members of the House of Representatives would equally follow suit and that would be the end of opposition in the country.