How we buried Godfatherism in Nasarawa politics -Senator Wadada

Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, Chairman Senete Committee on Public Accounts, started his political sojourn in the House of Representatives in 2003. He contested the senatorlal seat of Nasarawa West in 2015 on the PDP platform against Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the gubernatorial seat of Nasarawa State on the APC platform and emerged second runner-up in the election. In 2023, he was elected as the Senator representing Nasarawa West on the platform of the SDP. In this interview, he spoke on how his emergenxe has successfully buried Godfatherism politics in Nasarawa state. Excerpts:

 

Q: During your electioneering  campaign, you must have make some promises to the people of Nasarawa West and having been in the  Senate in the  last 9 months. How far have you gone in fulfilling some of these promises to your people?

 

A: In my own case, I didn’t promise my people much because I don’t need to promise them anything  before they can vote for me.They know my antecedents and records ,that am a brand as far as adding value to the electorates is concerned

They know where I’m coming from ,what I can do and where am going. It would have been ridiculous for me to stand before my electorates and promise them on constituency  projects or promise that if you vote for me I will support education, provide water, electricity or other basic amenities because they all know me with that. Even when I left the National Assembly in 2011, I still remained with them and their challenges so am not one of those politicians they are ever doubtful of  my commitments to delivere the deliverables.

But on some few instances, like the issue of seeking for reparation for keffi and regulation of excesses of some religious preachers from both Muslim and Christian faithful whose actions continued to poise serious threats to the peaceful co-existance, unity and development of our country among other issues, I have to make promises because they are unique issues which have not been thought about in the  past or raised by those that were there before me and considering its importance to the wellbeing of our people.

But despite not making much promises to my people and in my charecteristic manner of always identifying myself  with the plight of my constituents which I have been doing even out of government or public office with my own personal resources, I’m able to provide so many dividends of democracy to my people in the last 9 months of my steadwardship and leaving up to their expectations.I already have 5 bills that have passed first reading and there are more to come.

 

I succeeded to put in 2024 budget so many projects and one of the most important of them that have been in the front burner of our socio-economic development in Nasarawa  West senetorlal district and by extension Nasarawa state and Nigeria as a whole, is the road from Abuja that is Apo-Pianko-Takalafiya-Dansa-Ara and Nasarawa. These roads have been in the front banner of our socio-economic activities in Nasarawa West and I have succeeded to get them into budget to add value to my people.

Of course, I have carried out empowerment, distributed palliative across the senetorlal  district, secured employment  for some people in my senetorlal district; I have expended 21million to pay WAEC fees for 726 children of the poor in my constituency among many other intervations I have done so far to make life easy and  better for my people.

 

Q: Moving forward, what other plans do you have for your people and what should they expect from you  subsequently in the remaining time you have in the National Assembly to round up your first tenure as a Senetor?

A:  I want them to know that, this is just the beginning of our journey to rescue the people of Nasarawa west because our best for them is yet to come, so they should expect qualitative laws, bills and motions  that will add value to their socio-economic lives and that of Nigerians. They should also expect more people oriented projects and result- oriented representation  that is second to none in the history of Nasarawa  West senetorlal district .Those areas  I have done well in the  past I will revisit them and do better.Those areas I didn’t know about or do not do as much as expected because of the  dynamics of life I will do the best I can .Infact, my people and Nigerians should not expect anything other than the Wadada they know, that Wadada that has always been with them , voice out for them, and stand for them and their wellbeing at all times.

 

Q: Why do you think your people still voted for you  against your former party (APC) and the prefared candidates of some political  God fathers in the state and your senetorlal district despite contesting on the platform of SDP an unknown party in the state

A: The fact that I can move into what you called an unknown party within a short time and still win my election against the ruling party, despite the conspiracy speaks volumes of my political relevance and standing in Nasarawa politics, because I’m always for the people. But the answer to your question is simple and straight forward because I have always been with them and my election signalled the end of political God fatherism In Nasarawa politics. My people believe in me, and I believe in them, they trust me,I trust them. They gave me mandate, I performed  the mandate was taken away but I still remained with them.

I wend for election ,I was muzzled out  by the powers that be, I still remained in the party, then i was called upon to chair the campaign council I accepted, delivered and moved away. Nothing was given to me as compensation. I never complaint but moved on. My people are my people I’m them, they are me ,and they own me as far as my political activities is concerned.They will stand by me anytime,any day  that is why APC voted for me,PDP voted me,SDP voted for me, labour party voted for me.All strata of people voted for me, that is why my opponents, detractors and their political God fathers find me a hard nut to crack during the election leading to my victory in the election despite my political platform.

 

A: Is there any lesson you think Nigerian politicians especially those who believe and depend on political God fathers to see them through in their elections can learnt from your 2023 election victory?

A: Yes of course, there are so many lessons  for them to learnt from my 2023 election experience and subsequent victory, but the key issue is simple always remain with the people and never run away from them in good or bad time.whatever you have shared it with them  and whenever you know  what they need and you are in a position to get it for them  dont hesistate to do it for them.

Whether you have or not  remain with them and give them hope for a better tomorrow and the sky will not be your limit but your starting point. If I had disssappointed or disappearded from them because I lost election to get to the House of Representatives for the third term in 2011, they wont have been there for me in my subsequent political outings especially in the last election when I needed them to take back what originally belongs to me in 2023 election.

 

Q: Can you shed more light on what you mean by  what belongs to you?

A: I believe you are aware of my political trajectory as i said earlier, I lost election into the House of Representatives for the third term in 2011 election but that didnt divorce me from my peoole to the extent that,4 years later despite not holding any political office or appointment I came back to contest for the senetorlal seat of Nasarawa West under PDP against the then incumbent Sen. Abdullahi Adamu  and won the election into the Senate in 2015.

Everybody in Nigeria knew that I won that election, but  some how we backed out because our elders, traditional rulers and critical stakeholders in the state have intervaned  and in the interest of peace, unity and development of our people we had no choice than to succumb to wise counsels.

From 2015-2019 still without any political office I came back in 2019 and aspired for the governorship seat of Nasarawa State under APC  which I would have won  but i eventually lost out  to Gov.Abdullahi Sule at the primaries and I later led the campaign that delivered A A sule as Nasarawa Governor in 2019 and have been supporting him since then.

So in 2023, I dont want to rock the boat and I see no reason why i should aspire for the governorship seat of the state because we all rally round Gov.AA Sule  and he is performing, so i chose to go for the senetorlal seat of Nasarawa West and the APC ticket was just there for me to picked at the primaries.

But unfortunately the powers that be in the party at that time  felt that it should not be Wadada, forgetting that it is God that gives. So I dont want to create any situation. If there is provision for independent candidate  i would have gone solo and since there is no that provision in our electoral system I decided to move to the opposition social Democratic Party (SDP)  and won my election into the senate. That is what I mean by what originally belongs to me

 

Q: Why the choice of SDP as an alternative platform among all the existing political parties in the country more so that, the party is not on ground or known in the state at that time?

A: The choice of SDP which have horse as its symbol  is not a coincidence but deliberate. Dont forget that I’m Sarkin Yakin Keffi  and traditional wars were all conducted on horses  and you know am a horse rider and polo player.I did not only play polo  but have Polo Ranch. I did not bring Polo to Nasarawa State for the fun of it but to impact on the state and bring civilization to my people because that is what contemporary leaders do . It is either they take their people to civilization or they bring civilization to their people that informed my choice of SDP among other reasons.

 

Q; Are you contemplating returning back to APC ahead of 2027 election because most people believe that your heart is still in APC, that it’s only your legs that are in SDP.

 

A: We will cross the bridge when we get to it but for now am more concerned with the mandate given to me by the people of Nasarawa West to make life better for them.

 

Q: But your name continues to feature as one of the strong contenders for the gubernatorial seat of Nasarawa State come 2027, when Gov.Abdullahi sule will be rounding up his tenure and the gubernatorial seat of the state is expected to return to your senatorlal district of Nasarawa West, will you contest for the governorship seat of the state in 2027 or you will recontest your senatorlal seat?

 

A: If I could come from no political position to aspire for the governorship seat of Nasarawa State in 2019, and today am in the senate what do you really expect in 2027?If am not going for the governorship seat of the state in 2027  by the grace of God  then unless  you are telling me to go for the presidency of this country.

But on a more serious note, we will cross the bridge when we get there. What I have at hand at the moment is the mandate given to me by the people of Nasarawa West senetorlal district. my focus, commitments and loyalty  is to deliver on that mandate and when the time comes, we will talk about my political future.and have volumes of issues to discuss

 

Q: in recent times, the politics of Nasarawa State has continued to take ethno- tribal and religious dimensions, thereby retarding development in the state. As a critical stakeholder in the state where do you think we have get it wrong and how can we get it right?

A: Let me say that, it is not the politics of Nasarawa State that is ethnically or religiously inclined  but some politicians from Nasarawa State who are empty upstairs and have nothing to offer the people that have continued to leverage  on ethnic and religious sentiments  to pullute the politics of the state for their selfish political reasons.

Because when you have something to offer the people you will not leverage on ethnic and religious ground  to divide the very people you want to govern and cause mistrust or enemity between them. For those of us that understand that,it is not all about religion or ethnicity we will always resort to politics of issues and development.

Politics is all about the people,what do you have in stock for them,what have you had and what have you done with the opportunity gven to you by the people in the past  that is why we wíll continue to conscientised the electorates  to reject in its entirety politicians that always come to them under the guise of ethnicity or religion  to get their votes.