Interview

2027: Atiku must sacrifice ambition for PDP to come back to power – Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf

Published

2 years ago

May 27, 2024

Naijablitz

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Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf, lawmaker, who represented Kabba/Bunu Ijumu Federal Constituency, in the Ninth Assembly, in this interview with Sunday Sun warns Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023, on pursuing his 2027 presidential agenda with Atiku Abubakar’s support, saying that it would be at his (Obi’s) own peril.

Yusuf also said that the only way for the PDP to return to power is by correcting the “injustice” done in 2015 by returning power to the South.

The former lawmaker also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, saying that he performed below average, citing the administration’s policy on fuel subsidy removal as the sole reason, among others. Excerpt:

We have read about all sorts of crises and decampment in the PDP both at the national and state levels. What is really happening in the PDP?

It is the normal trajectory of a political party that is not in power, experiencing conscious effort by its factions to focus on gaining power. An example of this is the All People’s Party (APP) in 1999, which was a significant opposition to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but eventually disintegrated. In our current political landscape, there is a tendency for individuals not to remain loyal to their party when it is not in power. This loyalty was evident when the Alliance for Democracy (AD), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) merged to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) and successfully challenged the dominance of the PDP. As history shows, individual parties may struggle to compete with a dominant party like the PDP, but through strategic alliances and mergers, a stronger opposition can emerge. Currently, the PDP, despite being out of power for nearly a decade, remains a formidable force with significant support, including 13 governors. The party is experiencing internal dynamics as members plan for the 2027 elections, with ambitions to create a new political landscape. While uncertainties exist within the APC regarding potential defections, the PDP is seen as the primary challenger to the ruling party due to its established structure and support base. In essence, the PDP’s current position reflects a common phase for political parties outside of power, where internal reorganization, strategic planning, and alliances are crucial for regaining political relevance and challenging the ruling party.

But most Nigerians are disappointed that PDP is not offering strong opposition like it should because of the crisis, the latest being Edo State, your members are decamping en masse from PDP to APC. What is that issue that cannot be resolved?

In the realm of politics, the adage “every politics is local” holds true. The dynamics within the Edo institution are notably distinct. A recent example involves the former Deputy Governor of Edo State who sought the PDP ticket, but was unsuccessful. Feeling marginalised within the PDP, he returned to the APC, his former party. This scenario exemplifies the prevalent trend of defections in Edo. In situations where electoral outcomes and personal ambitions collide, individuals may perceive a lack of fair treatment, prompting them to switch allegiances. While in many regions, individuals typically address grievances within their party, in this particular context, political defections are commonplace. Those of us who resist this norm are sometimes viewed as rigid. However, fostering a robust ideological discourse within political structures is essential for the advancement and consolidation of democracy. Although progress in this regard is still lacking, it is crucial for the growth of democratic principles. While acknowledging the presence of factionalism within the PDP, it is imperative to recognize the need for ideological clarity in political movements. As we mark 25 years of democracy, it is vital to draw inspiration from nations with centuries of democratic tradition and strive to uphold the rule of law as the cornerstone of our political landscape, ensuring fairness and equality for all.

You mentioned that earlier a merger made APC to become a stronger opposition and eventually wrest power from the PDP in 2015. Will you prescribe the same for your party, the PDP?

It is not out of place. It was contemplated in 2019 strongly and I was even a member of that committee that looked at it, but there was now a request for tinkering with the name. And some people were too emotional with the name PDP they didn’t want to tinker with it. In 2023 some people came up with this same idea too, so it will always come up. I believe that if we strike the right chord some will join and what have you. Until ambitions are defined or subjected to basic equity, the unity of purpose of a nation and what have you. If anybody’s ambition becomes larger than the nation’s interest, we will remain where we are. Remember in 1999 PDP came and Obasanjo became the president, he did eight years. Odili ordinarily would have won the primary of PDP in 2007. He was to most I mean, I’m not God, but it seems as if he had canvasses and what have you, he was more acceptable to everybody. But in the wisdom of those men, knowing that after Obasanjo’s eight years power should return to the North, Yar’Adua emerged. Yar’Adua did three years plus and died. Jonathan, his vice president stepped in. He ran for the 2011 election and won by 2013, 2014, there was agitation in the North that it must be there turn. The agitation was led by about five or six governors arrowheaded by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. I mean, I remember the Eagle Square PDP convention, where they staged a walkout, that they felt it’s the turn of the North. That Obasanjo having done eight years, and Yar’Adua having done only three years, it was their turn. That is why we need to put these things into perspective that our politics as are today, you cannot divorce religion, ethnicity and those things away from it. And understanding this decide to zone not to geopolitical zone … when people make those assertions, manipulating the facts, I laugh. PDP zone presidential ticket to North and South. We have six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. It is the responsibility of the South to decide whoever emerges from there. PDP national chairman was zoned to the Northern zone not North-central. And Ayu emerged. Senator Ningi was contesting from Bauchi. Shema was contesting from Katsina. North-central was able to streamline to Ayu alone, while other zones had more people and that was how Ayu emerged. So, that’s how the consensus was built. But nobody zoned to the North-central, it was zoned to the North. So, presidential candidacy is always zoned to either North or South. And the North in 2014 felt it must be their turn and some people left PDP and went to APC. That’s why PDP became an opposition party. Even when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did not get his ambition fulfilled by becoming APC candidate, he stuck with APC for Buhari to emerge because he was convinced it was the turn of the North. In 2019, PDP realising that, hey, is now in the North, no Southerner contested Port Harcourt primaries because it was zoned to the North and Atiku emerged. I believe he won that election. But the legality is that Buhari was declared. I might be wrong, but I believe Atiku won the election in 2023. The North has had eight years with Buhari and so PDP in his wisdom, zoned chairmanship to the North so that the presidential candidate will come from the South. People who wanted to contest vehemently opposed that zoning of chairmanship position. I remember the NEC meeting. I’ve never seen Alhaji Atiku Abubakar so angry that he opposed it because of his ambition. The NEC meeting is done in two phases. The first meeting is open, where addresses are made and what have you. The next is behind closed doors after the press had gone. But Unfortunately, he was so angry that he forgot we were still on the first phase of the meeting and went into the main issue of zoning. But people pushed that it was zoned to the North. And then it came to the presidency…because when I hear him say, if it’s zoned to the Southeast… I heard him say several times that if the presidency is zoned to the Southeast he would not have contested. No. It’s a misrepresentation of truth and fact. The presidency was supposed to be zoned to the South, but Atiku mobilised his structure to make sure it was not zoned to the South. For the first time, PDP could not zone the presidency. I was also a member of that committee, former Benue governor, Samuel Ortom chaired that committee. I followed every activity, each state produced somebody on that platform and Alhaji Atiku Abubkar mobilised every of his supporter, who were on that platform to make sure it was not zoned to the South. So, when it became obvious that it could not be zoned, the party left it open, that’s why he could contest. So, for him to now say if it was zoned to the Southeast…. Zoning is not cast in stone. There are processes of zoning and there are meetings. So, when he truncated that process, he made sure it never happened. Now, he is coming out today and saying if it’s zoned to the Southeast, he would not have contested. So that those who do not have information, who are not privy to the workings of the party will assume and follow gullibly such assertion. It’s not right. The PDP should have zoned the presidency to the South in 2023. Some people argue that Buhari was of the APC and ruled for eight years and PDP is a different party and must not toe the same line on the zoning, but the question is, which country did he govern? Is it not Nigeria? So, the argument is that after APC through a northern candidate has ruled for eight years, should the PDP zone the presidency to the North again? But we are not yet there and we should get to where you come from, your religion should not be determinant of who emerges as president of Nigeria. But we will build trust, confidence where those things become the order of the day, the colour of your skin, the choice of your world, the choice of your association does not determine who or what you will become. But your competence, your capacity should determine that, but we are not there yet of a truth, let’s not deceive ourselves. Even APC after the tenure of Buhari zoned to the South. So, the truth of the matter is that, PDP goofed in not zoning to the South. Because certain cleavages were very strong and entrenched made sure it never happened. I don’t like when such cleavages and interest are now coming out to say, I would not have contested if it is zoned to the Southeast. We didn’t zone to the Southeast. We zone to Southwest, or Southeast, we zone to South.

Are you saying he’s dishonest in his assertion this time and are you saying Peter Obi should not take him seriously?

If he takes him seriously, it is at his own peril. I might be wrong, but Obi knows why he left PDP, forget about all what people are saying. I’m aware of what happened after 2019. And don’t forget that in the same breath, Atiku said PDP will determine. So PDP will determine on Obi who is no longer in PDP? No, let’s be sincere with ourselves. See, it is a mind game. 2027 is coming and so this is marketing strategy. So, gullible people listening to him will say, aha! This man would have buried his ambition if this had happened. I don’t believe it is coming from him, but I believe his strategists are the ones coming up with those things for him to say. See, the last NEC meeting of the PDP, people thought it was about the national chairman, it’s a lie from the pit of hell. It is about 2027. There are going to be congresses in about 20 states and all of a sudden people are just saying the chairman must go, the chairman must stay. Ayu had been there for this long and the house did not sit down and say this is a replacement of Ayu and it was stopped. Because a NEC meeting was called and certain interests felt that if this NEC meeting was held and congresses are conducted without my man as chairman, it might affect my ambition. And then all of a sudden, there was agitation that the national chairman must go. Hey, the chairmanship position was not even on the agenda. But every media house and everywhere, it was about the removal of the national chairman, as if the meeting was about the national chairman. So, what they wanted to do was to coerce the party into taking such a decision. So, as to install somebody that will allow him to make reasonable roads for their 2027 ambition.

President Tinubu will be one year in office on May 29. Nigerians have reacted to all sorts of policies he has churned out. And already the talk about 2027 has begun, can PDP with all its internal crisis give APC a run for its money?

What PDP should do is simple. Go back to the foundation of the principle and policy of the party and zone presidency to the South now. There must be a sense of equity, members must feel that you are a part of a system that recognizes that you deserve to be respected. Tinubu is just privileged, he is fortunate to have won. I have conviction that if we had done it right, Tinubu wouldn’t have emerged, PDP would have won the last election. But we bungled it. So, the only thing we must do is to go back to where you missed it, you can’t be pretending that something is not wrong and you assume things will be right. See, people can bottle up and keep quiet, but that does not mean they are happy with what is going on. You can’t satisfy everybody, but let it be seen that equity is displayed. Buhari has done eight years, the presidency should have gone to the South, if they had done that, it would have reduced all these skirmishes in the party. Whoever is contesting the 2027 election should come from the South and let’s see what will happen. But if we do not do that, we are still hiding behind one finger, pretending if they zone to the Southeast, I will not contest, we are only deceiving ourselves. The mark of a good leader, the mark of a respected patriot is that even when it does not fit or suit your desire, but because the right thing is to be done, you allow it to be. So men and women should rise to the responsibilities of showing character in the PDP. Everyone must realise that this party, some people are gone, some still will go, but it will outlive all of us. The only thing that Nigerians will value us and respect us for, is when we bequeath to them a viral party that can challenge the APC. Because the moment a ruling party does not have a strong party that can challenge them, we have left the people with no choice and it will be so disastrous. That’s what happened in the last election and if we don’t take time it will happen again. Obi will come from here, others will come from there and they will take a chunk, it will be too easy and APC will walk away with victory. It is not rocket science. I tell people to go and study the 2011 Jonathan election. Jonathan was of PDP, to tell you how ethnicity and religion determines our result in the election. But Jonathan’s vote to win 2011, 81 per cent came from South-south, Southeast and Middle Belt. Let me give you Northeast states that produce PDP governors, but voted against PDP in presidential elections. In fact, PDP did not have 10 per cent in Kano and Bauchi and we had PDP governors. We had PDP governor in Sokoto, we had PDP Senators and House of Representatives and yet, PDP did not have upto 25 per cent of the votes cast. Also go and study the 2015 election, 79 per cent came from that block for Jonathan. So, our election is still being determined by those things. People should divorce emotion and go get this data, look at it you will know the pattern of our election.

You said Obi should trust Atiku at his own peril, what do you mean by that?

Well, Obi is a politician and he has ambition. He is meeting a seasoned politician who is saying that if it is going to Southeast he will not contest and you’ll go to the bank with that? Like I said, PDP doesn’t zone to the Southeast, but to the South. And in the same breath Atiku said, PDP will determine… will PDP determine for someone who’s not in PDP? No. So, that’s why I’m saying he can choose to take to the bank all that Atiku has said, it’s his prerogative.

You are sounding as if Atiku is out to destabilise the party if things don’t go his way and he has said he is not retiring from politics any time soon?

I don’t subscribe to those who say he should retire. He has a lot of experience that we can still tap from, but must he be the candidate? What we are lacking majorly in PDP presently is that we do not have that person whose interest is to build harmony and unity and he can fit into that. If Atiku drops his ambition today, he becomes a rallying point. Unfortunately, Obasanjo that was doing that has left active politics, Jonathan did not step in. PDP is not a party that can be owned by one individual. No, but let’s have somebody that people can defer to. When there is an issue we need somebody who understands it’s not about his interest, but about the interest of everyone. That’s what we’re lacking. So, I don’t subscribe to him retiring, I subscribe to him playing that role to make sure that PDP gets it right. When people expressed surprise with my position, I said I cannot deny the fact that I benefited from the PDP. I’ve run the election four times in the PDP, I won three. If I didn’t have that platform, maybe I would not be here. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar cannot deny the fact that the PDP has been too good to him. He won the governorship election before swearing in, he became vice president for eight years. We cannot write the history of Nigeria without remembering him. But it is not in my place to tell a man not to pursue his ambition. I remember in 2012 I granted an interview to the late Andrew Jaiyeola of Thisday. My response to his question was, Jonathan should sacrifice his 2015 ambition for the unity and peace of Nigeria. And people came for me, saying how could you? I saw it at that time. I supported Jonathan, but I felt that with him emerging in 2011, there was a lot of agitation in the North and the insurgency that was coming up, I believe that it was motivated by that assumption that power has been captured from us. I said he was eminently qualified to run for a second term, but for the peace and unity of Nigeria he should sacrifice it. I remember June 12th or 13th when that publication came out, people were reporting me everywhere. What’s your business? What do you want to prove with this? But if you look back now, don’t you think it would have been noble if that was done. If power was zoned to the North by PDP in 2015, we would have been in power by now. So, I’m saying the same thing that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should sacrifice his ambition for the PDP to come back to power. It might not look popular, but I remember very well when I granted that interview in 2012 it was not popular and it’s still not popular today.

Again Tinubu’s one year in office, how would you rate his administration against the backdrop of his policies so far?

I will rate him below average for one major reason. I think there’s this virtue that every leader deserves to have, courage. But in showing courage you must have empathy and you must be strategic. In an attempt to show courage on subsidy, I think it was wrongly timed and was not well processed. I think that he would have given six months to one year before announcing when the subsidy will stop and then roll out certain policies deliberately. Like I said in 2012 when I moved the motion against the removal of subsidy under Jonathan, in the House of Representatives, and in that motion, I said I’m not opposed to subsidy removal. I’m an economist, but that the manner it was done. I said there’s no nation that does not have one subsidy or the other. But subsidizing fuel is a wrong strategy for us. Let’s transfer the subsidy to education, agriculture. Let it be that a child that is born today, his or her parents does not have any fear of how he’s going to go to school. That way, the government is taking the burden off the family when subsidy is taken off. When food is produced in excess, the government buys and let it go at subsidized rate so that the lowest cadre level of the society can eat. That was my position in 2012 and is still my position now. So, I feel the government was tactless or not too strategic in that approach of removing subsidy. If you observed that is why lot of things came crumbling down, because the system was not ready for it. That’s my major reason for rating them below average. Because it has a ripple effect. There’s what is called the bandwagon effect in economics. One determines what happened to the next. My mother is a market woman. She does not know anything about interest rate, but she knows that when the price of transportation increases the price of her goods must increase. The thing just went boom and we just realised that somebody who feeds his family with N30,000 for a month now feeds his family with that amount in one week. So, this government after the effect of that pronouncement now started thinking of how to help the person. They should have thought of how the consequences of this action will affect the people and plan ahead. It is now we’re launching buses, it is now we are doing food palliative. It should have been with available for the people. The same should have happened in the transportation sector, with the buses already in place and routes mapped out to take the pressure off the people. I still insist fuel subsidy does not benefit the poor, but the rich. Remove subsidy and put it in things that will benefit the people.

Credit: Sun Newspaper

Interview

Coup was planned before Tinubu’s inauguration – Defence minister

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2026

Admin

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In this interview on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), speaks on his transition from Chief of Defence Staff, the alleged coup plot, military reforms among other issues.

You moved straight from being Chief of Defence Staff to Minister of Defence, with barely any break. How does that feel?

In my 39 years of military service, I never really had two weeks away from work. If you sit down doing nothing, you feel something is wrong. I am grateful to God and to Mr President for considering me worthy. It is a big task, but with the love and support of Nigerians, I am encouraged to do more.

How easy was the transition from CDS to Minister of Defence?

The military prepares you for both sides — being in uniform and being a civilian. You know that after 35 years, you will return to civilian life, so it’s a mindset. As CDS, you are more military than civilian. As a minister, you combine both. That gives me an advantage because I understand how the military works and how to interface with civilians.

Are you now a politician?

I’ve not transitioned yet. I’m in transition.

Are you now a member of the APC?

Not yet. But I think I will be, definitely. The APC has given me the platform to present myself right from when I was CDS till date, so why not? Mr President needs all the support. I will give him all my support. Whatever I can do to make sure that he succeeds in his duties, including moving forward to the second term, I think I will give him my very best.

There are those who think that you were compensated for some reason by the President. Did you help in saving his life during the coup plot?

I was not compensated. I know the President; he has an eye for picking the best for whatever task is at hand. I believe he saw that I had something to add, something of value. I am grateful that he considered me worthy. I will continue to do my best for my country and for the President, to show that he did not make a mistake—that his decision was justified.

You were also instrumental in helping save his life and the lives of others who might have been killed in the planned coup.

I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was to be shot. But that is the job. Anyone who goes into a coup zeros his mind. You either succeed or you fail, and whatever consequences come, you accept them. But honestly, these individuals were very unserious. They did not understand what they were getting into. If you look at their calibre, you wonder what got into their heads to think they could take on the Armed Forces.

Nigerians themselves would have resisted them. Even without the Armed Forces, Nigerians would have stood against them. Nigerians have fought against military rule for a long time. That is why Mr President has always stood with the people. For anyone to think they could wake up one morning and do that in Nigeria, something clearly went wrong in their thinking. They need to reset their minds.

Did they understand the consequences?

Definitely. Most definitely.

Have all those involved been apprehended?

So far, most of them have been caught. If anyone remains, perhaps one or two, but the majority have been arrested. It started with the colonel, who felt disgruntled because he was not promoted. He did not meet the required standards. The Armed Forces’ promotion system is very strict. So, he went around recruiting others who felt aggrieved—those not promoted or dissatisfied with postings. My pain is for the young officers who did not understand what they were getting into. He dragged them into a mess, and now they must face the consequences.

A lot of money was reportedly committed to the coup plot.

Yes, but it was centred on him as an individual. Everything revolved around him as a colonel. Frankly, I cannot imagine a colonel attempting such a thing. That era is past. This is not the Nigeria of the past. It is almost impossible today.

Why was the plot not detected earlier?

You do not act on speculation; you act on facts. You must be able to present evidence in court. Otherwise, the case collapses. The situation was monitored until facts were clear, then action was taken.

We also wanted to avoid implicating innocent people. That was why the process was painstaking. I inaugurated the board and ensured investigations were carried out thoroughly by the DIA, alongside the NIA, DSS, and other agencies. It was a holistic investigation.

From what we gathered, the planning dated back to around May 29, 2023—before the President took office. This was not because they thought the government was underperforming. They planned it knowing he had won the election. That makes it even more unfortunate.

Would it have been a bloody coup?

Based on the plan, yes; but execution is another matter. They probably thought Nigeria was another country. That kind of thing cannot succeed here today.

Were there loopholes within the military?

There are good, bad, and ugly people everywhere. No system is perfect. That is why we keep monitoring, reinforcing discipline, and ensuring every officer understands his responsibility. For anyone to attempt to truncate democracy at this stage is deeply troubling. We have strengthened the system. It is almost impossible to carry out a coup in Nigeria now—especially within the military. The Armed Forces are united.

What about civilian collaborators?

Historically, civilians have often instigated coups. It has never worked and will not work again. Nigeria has moved beyond that. Democracy is what we stand for. Interpol has been contacted. Those involved will be tracked. It is only a matter of time. Some of those named are alleged to be politically connected. Greed and self-interest drive such actions. But consequences always follow.

What about the families of those arrested?

This is part of the tragedy. Families bear the consequences of actions they did not commit. We have informed them clearly, and the Armed Forces are ensuring their welfare is protected, so they are not punished for the actions of their spouses.

One suspect escaped briefly. Why?

He was re-arrested almost immediately. As humans, nothing is 100 per cent. There was no denial. We followed due process. Coup allegations are serious; you must be certain before making them public. The president has been fully briefed at every stage.

There are concerns about security at Aso Rock

No place is completely immune. Even the White House and Buckingham Palace have had breaches. Aso Rock is heavily fortified. However, the incident revealed areas for improvement, and measures have been taken.

What lessons should Nigeria learn?

Nigerians must remain vigilant. Perception can be dangerous. We must move beyond ethnic blame and historical grievances. Sixty years after independence, we should not still be blaming colonialism. We must draw a line between the past and the future. Nations progress when they let go of destructive narratives. Nigeria has what it takes to succeed. Very few people damage our image, but we must do better at celebrating the many Nigerians excelling globally.

The ethnic composition of the arrested officers has raised concerns

I believe it was coincidental. The military operates like a family; people recruit those around them. There was no deliberate ethnic agenda—just foolishness, and they will face the consequences. We cannot still be debating civil war narratives in 2026. We must learn from history and move forward.

Are coups likely in the region?

Many of the countries experiencing coups are not Anglophone. Nigeria remains one of the most stable democracies in the region, alongside Ghana. Recently, we intervened to prevent a coup in Benin Republic. Within 12 hours, we secured the situation. That shows our capacity. We must continue to build our strength to secure Nigeria, the region, and Africa. When Benin needed help, its president called ours directly. The directive was given, and we acted swiftly.

Nigeria recently signed a defence cooperation agreement with Türkiye. What exactly does it cover?

The agreement covers military education, exchange of officers, training, intelligence sharing and defence industry cooperation. Importantly, it allows the co-production of military hardware in Nigeria. We don’t want to keep buying equipment; we want to build capacity, save foreign exchange and create jobs. So, it is a holistic issue for us. Türkiye, globally speaking, ranks very high—perhaps among the top six countries—with the capacity to produce military hardware.

What is new that we have gotten from Türkiye?

As I said, we have now made it very official. They can come here, and we can produce together. What we told them is that we do not want a situation where we constantly go to buy equipment and bring it home.

This time around, we want to use our own defence industry, produce here, and build our own capacity. We are confident that if we are able to do that, we can also reach out to our neighbours within the region and across Africa.

What makes Türkiye a strategic partner?

Türkiye has transformed its defence industry remarkably. They produce highly sophisticated air, land and sea platforms and are willing to transfer technology. That is crucial for us.

In terms of hardware, are we getting intelligence support?

Yes, we are sharing intelligence. They have a very strong intelligence system, being positioned between Europe and Asia. Some of these terrorist groups are receiving external support. Türkiye can help us identify funding sources, logistics, command structures, and other critical details. That will greatly enhance our intelligence capacity.

Our baseline intelligence surveillance relies on satellites. We have a bit of a handicap there. We have one satellite, but it does not give us what we need. It takes about four days for a round trip. What we need is real-time intelligence—being able to see what is happening and respond immediately. Modern warfare is very complex because the enemy is within.

Is there any low-hanging fruit in terms of surveillance?

Many security experts will tell you that response time is sometimes more important than the attack itself. Yes, attacks may happen. I remember visiting the White House as a tourist and being told that if there is an attack on the White House or Congress, response time is less than five minutes, with a whole battalion deployed.

Those are the things we are working towards. Quick response requires helicopters, drones, MRAPs, and light infantry vehicles that can move quickly. One of the major challenges we face is infrastructure. In many operational areas, covering 10 kilometres can take six hours. You often need someone ahead with a handheld probe checking for IEDs. If a vehicle hits an IED, everyone inside is gone. That is what makes operations extremely difficult. Once troops move into an area, informants alert the terrorists, and they retreat to isolated locations.

How soon will Turkish technology be deployed on the ground?

Very soon. Some of them are already ready. We are on the paperwork now, and the designs have been completed. There will be discussions, training, and implementation. Some of the equipment will arrive quickly and be deployed as soon as possible.

What about integration challenges?

We use U.S., Russian, Chinese, and other technologies. They all operate on common platforms. We conduct specific training for each system. We already have six Turkish helicopters performing very well, and our pilots are trained.

We are training more pilots, so when additional helicopters arrive, they can be deployed immediately. We also operate drones. For every system, we prepare in advance—training, spare parts, and maintenance systems—because these are not off-the-shelf items. They are produced specifically for our terrain and needs.

Night-vision infrastructure is also included. It is comprehensive. All the technologies are integrated and communicate with each other. This eases our burden because Türkiye is now our partner. I hope this does not upset the United States. We have also seen benefits from the NSA’s trip to the U.S. There have been deliveries of American military equipment.

Nigeria is a non-aligned nation. That allows us to partner with everyone. We can work with China, Türkiye, and the United States. Isolating yourself to one bloc is not in your best interest. Egypt, for example, receives support from multiple partners. Maintaining that leverage allows you to move forward.

Let me come to the reality on the ground. You said some commanders of terrorist groups and bandits have been neutralised—killed, as we would rather say. Who are these people? Where were they killed? Mostly in the North-West, North-East and North-Central. There is an ongoing war. We are expanding operations in Niger and Kwara states to prevent infiltration towards the South, which would be very dangerous.

They understand this, so what they do is hit soft targets—set fire to one or two buildings—and move on. That is what makes the news. But we are winning. I am glad we are winning. For the first time in December, people returned to the South-East from abroad and stayed through Christmas and into January. That has not happened before. We are working, but it is not yet Uhuru. These groups will continue to try to cause pain. No country is 100 per cent safe. We are working, we are winning, and we will continue to work harder.

However, people see reports of attacks—churches burned, police stations attacked, kidnappings in Kaduna—and they ask: if we are winning, how are these attacks still happening?

As I said, no country is completely safe. Even in the U.S., despite all the technology, attacks still happen. Asymmetric warfare is very difficult, especially when the enemy is ideologically driven and has nothing to lose. In the past, attacks were widespread. Now, they are limited to fewer areas. Because of pressure, they are fleeing. When they find an exposed community, they strike and run. That creates the impression that nothing has been done. But a lot has been done.

Are we using mercenaries?

No. We do not have mercenaries on the ground. What we do is partner with friendly nations to enhance capacity—training in special warfare, helicopters, drones, and so on. That is part of military tradition.

One of the president’s promises is to put more boots on the ground. There is a directive for increased recruitment in both the military and the police. That process has begun. For the army, beyond the depot in Zaria, we have opened two new training depots, including one in the South-East. The police and other security agencies are also expanding capacity.

Recruitment is painstaking. You must assess who you are bringing in. That again brings us back to data and databases. Security has both kinetic and non-kinetic aspects. The military handles the kinetic. The non-kinetic—good governance, border control, infrastructure—can speed things up.

Is Nigeria talking to Israel?

Yes. Israel is our partner. We have an embassy there, and they have one here. We talk to everyone who can add value.

Banditry and the conflicts we are fighting—are we seeing a new tone in ideological warfare? Are we seeing infiltration from outside? Are these foreign elements, or are they local initiatives by insurgents?

Terrorism started in the North-East, although there were earlier manifestations that were quashed. What affects us most is that when these things start, reports are made and no action is taken. It did not start today. It has been ongoing for a long time, and we needed to be proactive. Just like the coup attempt was quickly followed up with arrests, we should have done the same with this.

Instead, we downplayed it until they became monsters. This has happened repeatedly. If you allow a monster to grow because you think it is fighting your enemy, it will eventually turn against you. That is why we must unite and fight anyone who does not mean us well.

On the question of terror financiers and why it has been difficult to name them: some names have been mentioned, arrests have been made, and prosecutions are ongoing. These things take time. You do not want to present a case that will be thrown out by the courts due to a lack of evidence. Gathering facts is difficult and requires careful follow-up.

The reported execution of General Uba was very sad. The audacity of those involved is disturbing. Is the military angry enough to go after those responsible?

As we speak, we are operating in and around the area. However, we are not yet certain he is dead because we have not recovered any remains. If you observe the video, when such acts occur, the perpetrators usually leave the body behind. In this case, that did not happen. He is currently classified as missing in action, not killed in action. We have information suggesting he may still be alive, and we remain hopeful. I visited the family to reassure his wife and children that efforts are ongoing.

This underscores why we must not allow crime and criminality to fester—whether under the guise of religion, tribe, or ethnicity. We must unite and stop the blame game.

Have operations returned to the area?

Yes, they have.

Sambisa Forest?

Yes. We are operating there daily. The terrain is vast. When pressure mounts, they flee to neighbouring countries.

There have been reports about you possibly being considered as a vice-presidential candidate. How would you feel about that?

For me, that is distracting. The president appointed me to ensure peace and security in Nigeria, and that is my focus. Political considerations are for the president. I have a task, and I want to face it squarely without distraction.

Interview

WEEKEND CHAT: Nigerians should be expectant of good things as the PDP is fully back-Hon Teejay Yusuf

Published

9 months ago

July 26, 2025

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…says the era of ‘jumpology’ is over in PDP

…insists no matter what you provide for a nomad, he likes being on the move(defections)

By Emmanuel Agaji

Hon Teejay Yusuf left no one in doubt in this interview after the Peoples Democratic Party PDP 101st NEC meeting that Nigeria’s main opposition party is back to right all the wrongs of the past as the estate developer and economist turned politician x-rayed outcome of the meeting and the way forward with the big umbrella party, excerpts.

Let’s kickstart with your 101st NEC confab, It was a long-awaited one, and very many people expected that certain things will happen. What exactly does this portend for the party? The ability to now come together and have a meeting and articulate issues, especially for a party that has seen a lot of movement in the very recent past.

Positive. It shows that in spite of whatever has been going on we can still sit down, jaw-jaw, and channel our energy towards making the party more robust. Leadership is not just giving instruction. It’s the ability to resolve issues. So, yes, it took a long time, but finally it was resolved.

And I remember somewhere then …and I told people that I don’t see PDP being diisabled because of this crisis. We will come out of it. Our challenge has always been people who do not believe in the ideals of the party, but see the party only as a vehicle to achieve political ambition. It is not out of place.

Isn’t that the problem of all Nigerian politicians?

Not all, but a lot who are more vocal, a lot who kind of become the face of politics in Nigeria. And a lot of our fathers who should be a good example are in this nomadic movement, nomadism.

You know, a nomad, no matter how, if you give a pasture, I mean, get him, store him in the place for a nomad, he still want to go out, no matter how, whatever you provide for a nomad.

So, there are politicians who just assume that the moment the situation does not favour them. And I keep telling people, when you leave a house because of issues, who told you there are no issues in the other house you are going to?

Is there any human organisation without challenges? Families. So, you cease to be a member of your family because there are issues. So, I believe – I’m not saying PDP in that way like a cult or whatever. I mean, free exit and free entry.

However, there should be some degree of commitment. So, that’s why I kept saying that we are not, as a people, Nigerians, politically develop democratic ideas and values and party ideology.

Why are you in party A? It’s because I believe so-so policies of the party. That’s my interest. So, it won’t be that easy for you to jump. That’s what we call in the university, we call something jumpology. If you call me jumpology, if it’s not here, we are back here.

And if you observe, even the scriptures say it, there is need for consistency. The Bible talk about having done all that you need to do. Stand in due season. It is not in your hand to know due season. It’s the hand of God. You do your part, but you move. I don’t want to go into individuals because, I mean, you are out, you are out. Let’s focus on our party.

Let me ask you this because you talked about something that caught my attention, that leadership is not just about dishing out instructions, but also about resolving issues. On Tuesday, four senators elected on the platform of the PDP decamped to the ruling APC on the floor of the Senate and their letters were read out by the Senate President.

Now, if that happened just three days ago, or two days before the NEC meeting of the PDP, how well would you say that the NEC has been able to resolve the issues causing the political nomadism, or is it political jumpology now, that we’ll call it?

There is no issue. Before now, everybody was trying to hinge on the fact that we have issue of the secretary-ship. Do we have any issue on secretary-ship again? No. So, but people will always find justification for whatever they are doing.

Don’t forget, in 2013-14, we had about 40 to 50 members of House of Representatives left PDP for APC. We had senators. So, it is now a culture in Nigeria that people cannot stay in opposition, they jump into the ruling party.

And they come with this idea, we want to get more democratic dividends for our people. We have to be so, so, so. I don’t begrudge them, but they should not tell Nigerians that because of a crisis. Is there no crisis in APC?

They refer to irreconcilable differences.

With who?

We will have to talk to them. Because as of today, PDP has no crisis anywhere as pal who is the secretary of the party. That is why the NEC was convened, signed by Senator Anyanwun; communication to INEC, signed by Anyanwun as the chairman. That was the issue before.

The Abuja local government primaries and results and what have you, the transition of candidate to INEC was signed by them. So, we had this before. It has been resolved.

What I’m trying to make you understand is that more people will say and don’t forget, before election too, some people who have moved that way, can still come back because a lot of them have their eyes on certain things they want to get there.

And there are other blocs in those particular parties they are going to, who feel that, no, we’ve here, we’ve tabernacle over this place for a long time, and we feel that we should be the ones who benefit from largesse. Some of that will be, we’ll run back.

You had at a point, was it 2019? I had one particular, I don’t want to mention his name, under like six months, moved out, moved in, moved out, moved back. So, it’s not about those things you read and they say. It’s about personal interest.

It’s not just those four senators.

A number of governors have moved. And isn’t that a cause of concern, that elected members of the party who were elected on the platform of the party into office, or different offices, are moving?

R: You see, it still boils down to what I’m talking about in Nigeria.

Yeah, but I want to know, what are the concerns of the NEC concerning this?

You see, the NEC definitely raised this issue, and the NEC mandated the leadership to challenge those things. It’s a court process, you cannot just pull anybody out because you have left my party, come and vacate this.

But the challenge in Nigerian nation, need to deal with and need to resolve, is that politics without some sense of honour, integrity and value, should be discarded with.

The idea of jumping from party to party, especially when you are elected on that platform; don’t forget, Nigeria does not have an independent candidature.

You cannot run election on your own. It’s a party that sponsors you.

In fact, if you remember the Imo scenario in 2007, when the party was not comfortable with the Supreme Court judgement about Ararume, and the PDP withdrew from election, Ararume couldn’t run, because he can’t run election without a vehicle, which is a party.

So by implication, whoever, even the Kogi scenario, as much as I disagree with, Abubakar Audu died, and Yahaya Bello inherited Abubakar Audu’s vote, because the court ruled that it was the party that earned the vote.

So if you look at these two scenarios, you now begin to question the legality and legitimacy of people crossing with the mandate given to them. But these are things that must be tried in court. There have been trials in court.

Unfortunately, there’s a clause in the constitution, and I, my little time in the National Assembly, I did at every point in time we amend the constitution to raise that.

Whatever the court says about the movement of anybody to another party, if they say, okay, your movement, your decamping is illegal, until the presiding officer read, confirm, and put a vote before you leave the house, or you leave your seat.

By implication, it’s difficult for parliament, for you too, because of the fact that you have left your political party, lose your seat. Until that section, of the constitution is amended.

And for governors, unwritten, but you’re becoming a norm; governors are becoming leaders of the party in their states. Those days, way back.

Are they becoming or they have become?

They are now. But those days, the party used to be supreme, and it started, that’s why…

When you talk about those days, are you talking about the Fourth Republic, or previous times?

Previous, I’m talking about Second Republic. And even at the beginning of this republic, it was so. Party, I mean, leadership was more respected. Governors would come for meeting and submit themselves to the leadership of the party.

But now, even Governors’ Forum is not recognised by any organ of the party. It’s not in the constitution. But Governors’ Forum takes decision.

APC had a Governors’ Forum meeting, and the president and they came out with the chairman and the party had to endorse.

So, it still boils down to the mentality of an average Nigerian. We bring this mentality of, the oligarchy mentality, where the man who has the biggest office, dish out instruction, until we consciously imbibe some democratic values.

And the long rule of military, too contributed. A man who was in his 20s, 30s, 40s, who have been used to giving instruction; you now come to a meeting, and he is now 70 years old, and the man of 40 is saying, no, I disagree on this. He says how dare you?

He might not voice it out, but within him, he’s not happy, because he has been used to dishing instruction, and it’s been obeyed. So, these are the things that accumulated and brought us to this level that we are.

But for me I have hope, I have a conviction that what we have done yesterday is a step in the right direction, and we should not be putting the government on its toes, because that’s what is expected of us.

We need to begin to look at every policy of the government, make sure that we give Nigeria a better alternative. That’s why I said, I’m not interested in talking about those who have gone, my focus is PDP, and my focus is how PDP become the ruling party in Nigeria.

Now let’s talk about members of the PDP, but who are actively engaged in the activities of other political parties?

What is NEC, or what did NEC have to say about that?

It was very clear, you had a meeting on Tuesday, founding fathers and stakeholders of the party, and those things came up, and it was very clear.

I keep telling people, it’s not a coalition. If you say a coalition, it means party A, B, C, D comes together, and decided that on so, so, so, presidency or governorship, we’ll pick a candidate of this particular party, and we all rally around that candidate. No.

What you have is an assemblage of individuals who believe in the candidature of one man, to become a candidate having that political party, and they move into a party, so it’s no more a coalition.

So, you see, it’s not that PDP, NEC, say, go and do this or SDP NEC took this decision, no. Individuals came together.

So to me, it’s a political party they have every right.

Some of them are still members of PDP.

That is where I am coming to. However, now, NEC has said this. You can’t, it’s illegal to be a member of two political parties. Some of them have taken the initiative, the boldness to resign from PDP.

For those who have not resigned, the moment you have, because some of them, it’s so unfortunate that honour is far from a lot of them. Some of them, tactically, did not resign, and did not take the membership card of that party.

So, legally, it will be difficult for you to challenge what they are doing, he has not resigned from PDP. He didn’t take ADC card. So, in law, he’s still a legal member of PDP.

However, the party has said we are going to the convention now, we going to have election, so new things will happen. Unfortunately some of them will still come back. That’s unfortunate thing.

That’s why some people are angry, that if you keep doing this, if everybody does the same thing, will there be a house for you to come and meet?

You have some key members of your party who have said, look, I am a member of the PDP, but I’m going to work for the President to get a second term in 2027. What’s in store for them from the NEC?

That’s what I explained to you. Our challenge majorly as a party came because we deviated drastically from our norms and values.

Prof. Jerry Gana lucidly enumerated these things, justice, fairness. In 1999, there were a lot of very, very qualified Northerners who would have ran for presidency. They said, no, let’s sit down.

From G18 to G34 and what have you, we formed this party on the basis of equity and what have you; let the presidency go to the South. If you remember the Jos Conference, Obasanjo and Ekwueme were the leading candidate. Rimi wanted to run, he was qualified imminently but no, we have to do it this way.

So what we did wrong that got us to that, because when you say, hey, somebody is in our party and is supporting another party, you must not treat only symptom, you must treat the root cause.

The root cause was that we failed to zone for the first time. In 2014, some of the leaders of our parties, eminent leaders of the party, said it was a turn of the North that they should not remain in the South.

Five governors walked out of PDP, they formed new PDP and became members of APC.

In 2019, the parties looked at their narrative and 2015 election and say we must continue with our zoning. 2023 will now fail to zone, that is the basis.

So the same way some people felt in 2014, that is the turn of the North. In 2023, some people said, no, it’s the turn of the South.

And unfortunately for us, the same man who led the rebellion of 2014, that it was the turn of the North, is now the one that is now benefiting from 2023 becoming a candidate and at that time the narrative has not changed.

I’m sorry, I hear some people say, the North has only ruled for 10 years. Buhari, eight. Yaradua two. The South, Obasanjo eight, Jonathan six, Tinubu now four, so it should be the North.

I say, did Nigeria begin in 1999? How? This narrative is to suit somebody’s ambition.

And I hope that the PDP gets its act together and stands firmly on its feet.

We are coming back fully. Nigerians should be very, very expectant, something good is going to come.

THE END

Interview

My son who died in Lagos building collapse scored 320 in UTME – Driver

Published

11 months ago

June 1, 2025

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Saheed Akeredolu, relative of the owner of the collapsed building at Ota-Ona Ikorodu, tells GRACE EDEMA how he lost two children and an uncle during the incident

How old are you, and what is your occupation?

I’m 49 years old. I work as a bus driver for a private school.

How did your building collapse?

It was a normal day; all my three children and their mum were home. It was my son and my youngest daughter who were inside the new building. There is a small space inside the compound, and that is where we stayed to get the main building completed.

So, I called my son to help me with some things, and he promised to come soon. I eventually fell asleep inside that small building. Later, he came and saw that I was already asleep, quietly took his phone, and called his younger sister so they could spend some time together in the unfinished building. Their mum, sister, and I were in the small building.

When the building collapsed it was the sound that woke the three of us up; we were in the old building. When we realised what had happened, we started looking for them. That was it.

What were the children doing in the building?

They had gone there to pray. Yes, they were praying at about 1 p.m. on that fateful day. It was while they were praying that the building collapsed. They went to pray in the uncompleted building because of how things are in the community. They usually preferred to go and pray at the mosque, but there is a curfew in our area. My son didn’t want to leave his younger sister behind. So, they all stayed there to pray together.

You talked about curfew; did you mean there was a traditional curfew in your area?

Yes. In our area, we call it Igemo; it is a traditional curfew where women are not allowed to go out. Women are expected to stay indoors.

How old were they?

My youngest daughter, Amira, was 13 and her elder brother was 18.

How many children do you have?

I had three. But now, I’m left with just one; she is 16 years old now.

Why were those two not rescued while all the other workers survived?

From what I’ve learnt, all the workers there survived the accident—about seven of them—because they were mostly on the top floor. The top floor, which is actually the second floor, was where the workers were stationed.

What about your children?

They were on the middle floor, the first floor. That’s where they were trapped, along with my elder brother. My elder brother was there too. My uncle, who also went there to pray, was the one supervising the building.

How old was he?

He was an elderly man; he was 78 years old.

What do you think caused the collapse?

From the beginning, we used solid, high-quality materials. To be clear, every material we used was certified as standard.

Did the government inspect and approve the building?

Yes, both the state and local governments inspected the building at various stages. We have official certificates to prove that. The government gave approvals at every stage before construction moved forward.

If you are asked to provide every document, can the government still access them?

Yes. If the government asks for every single document, we can provide them. Everything is available. They were involved throughout the process.

But what would you say caused your building to suddenly cave in?

I’ll keep saying this: only God knows what happened. Honestly. Even people who used to pass by or live around us often said, ‘Is it the government that owns this house?’ The structure looked very solid. We didn’t use substandard materials.

For example, some people said we used too many iron rods. Others might have reduced the quantity to save cost, but we didn’t. My wife and I were involved in everything right from the start—from when we first secured the land.

At what stage was the work before the building collapsed?

Just before it happened, they were doing the final touches. Two days ago, they finished the external plastering. After that, they started working inside—internal plastering. They began from the last floor to the top and were working their way to the upper floors. They hadn’t even finished before the incident happened.

How would you describe your children?

My son, Abdulmalik, was my firstborn. I worked closely with him. There are many reasons why I’m proud of them. For example, he did very well in his UTME. He scored 320. It was a big achievement. He was an electrician by training and planned to study Electrical Electronics at university, but it’s sad he is dead.

Which university did he get admitted to?

He was accepted into his first choice last year, which is the University of Lagos. The university accepted him because of his performance. Lagos State University was his second choice, and both schools sent congratulatory messages to him.

What about your uncle?

He was about 78 years old; he was my mother’s younger brother. He lived in Egbeda but came here to supervise the building project. He came to support us and helped with the construction.

How about his wife and children?

They are not in Nigeria; they live abroad.

Is there any message you have for the Lagos State Government on your collapsed building?

Well, since the government approved the building, I am really hoping for their support now. Nothing is left with me, nothing at all, except for my wife and my other daughter. That’s all I have now.

How did you fund the building that collapsed?

My mother owned the land. The building was on her land, and her grave is on the land as well. They were six in their family, and it’s the last born who is abroad that has been sending the money we are using to build the house.

Credit: PUNCH