…Explains why PDP critical against Muslim-Muslim ticket.
…Says, “Nowhere in Qur’an that only Muslims can be promoted to leadership.”
…“Literally, they’re saying Christians’ votes don’t matter.”
…“Over 50,000 civil servants sacked without gratuity, pension.”
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Director of Media and Mouthpiece of PDP Campaign in Kaduna State (Presidential and down to the State House of Assembly), Hon. Saidu Adamu, has made startling revelations over his recent arrest and detention by DSS, alleging that the clampdown on him and other PDP topnotch was masterminded by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.
The four times former commissioner of information in Kaduna State made the revelations in an interview with our Kaduna correspondent after he was granted bail with a stringent condition by the security.
He said Governor El-Rufai ordered that he should be arrested for campaigning against Muslim-Muslim ticket (MMT) of his administration, his anticipated successor, Senator Uba Sani and running mate, Mrs. Hadiza Balarabe, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Hon. Adamu, who confirmed the allegations, also explained that PDP is critical against MMT because Kaduna needs peace, also adding, “There is nowhere in Holy Qur’an that said that only Muslims should be promoted to be leaders. All that God wants in leadership is equity, fairness and justice, regardless of whatever religion you belonged.
“Well, I was just sitting in my parlor, here in the morning, around 9:30 am; the security drove in with four Hillux vehicles and arrested me. When we went to DSS office, they said Governor Nasir El-Rufal ordered that I should be arrested.
“I said for what? That I’m preaching for violence because I’ve been talking about Muslim-Muslim ticket. I said, well, of course I’ve been talking about Muslim-Muslim ticket, and I’ll never stop talking about it.
“I am a very good Muslim. I don’t womanize, drink; I don’t do backstabbing, backsliding, I make sure I observe my five daily prayers. I do whatever is possible,” he said.
He also noted that, “Islam has enjoined us to be our neighbours’ brothers’ keepers. It’s not talking about brother in Islam alone. And nowhere in the Qur’an or in Hadish that God said He is going to promote only Muslims to be leaders. Capital No.
“What God wants in leadership is equity, fairness and justice, regardless of whichever religion you must certainly belong.
“El-Rufai may be lucky that in the last 8 years, has not had any religious crisis in Kaduna. I’m happy for him – and most importantly happy for the citizens and residents of Kaduna State – for not experiencing these issues.
“I was four times former commissioner of information in Kaduna State at a stretch. I’m aware of what has happened in the past, most especially the one that happened after the election of President Goodluck Jonathan, in 2011, in the state.
“There was serious crisis, which turnout to be between Muslims and Christians. A lot of people lost their lives and properties, and we started living like Sudan – with Muslims and Christians in the North and South of the state,” he said.
According to him, “Kaduna belongs to all of us. As long as you are a Nigerian, you’ve the right to live anywhere you want to stay. Whenever you stay more than certain years, you’ve the right to stand for election.
“That was why, in Kaduna South LGA in Kaduna State, in 1990, we had Onuobo Okechukwu Madu as a member, who represented Makera Constituency in the State House of Assembly, an Igbo man and a Christian.
“I was a Member of the House in 2004, and I met him. So, for what reason has El-Rufai or any other person got to start thinking of polarising us?
“So, if anybody has the interest of Nigeria at heart, you will be silly to even think of floating MMT or Christian-Christian ticket (CCT), in any state of the federation.
“But look at what is happing in Nigeria, APC became so bigot. Their eyes have already closed, and they want power by all means, and think that using MMT will take them there.
“Literally, they are saying the Christian votes didn’t matter to them anymore. Islam recognized every individual, including the pagans.
“It’s only one’s behavior can make someone thinking of becoming Muslim or Christian. There are Christians in Saudi Arabia. In Jerusalem or Israel where Christians go to Zion, there are more Muslim Jews than Christian Jews. So, if you go there, you realize that the Israelites are even more closer to the Muslims because an Israeli would even prefer to be a Muslim than a Christian. Google it and see,” he said.
Hon. Adamu said, “I was told the security that arrested me came from Abuja, according to what they told me. I don’t know, if they lied to me. I was about taking my bath to attend radio program in Freedom Radio to enlighten our people on the dangers of electing APC in Kaduna State, because they’ve been neglected – everyone – except their immediate families and friends.
There is nothing wrong in using MMT ticket as campaign against those fielding it; it’s constitutional. I have the right to solicit support of anybody living in Kaduna State for votes, irrespective of tribe and religion.
“But a situation of taking advantage as more majority against other minority because they are whoever they are, is un-Islamic, unfair, unjust Nigerian and unconstitutional.
“Your personal administrations achievement for the 8 years should be able to speak for you. If what you’ve done to Kaduna State people at the end of 8 years could not stand tall and work for you to be re-elected, it means you’ve been cheating, lying, disagreeing and disenfranchising them.”
On whether the arrest and detention will scare him from continuing with the anti-MMT, Saidu said “Tomorrow, I have another program. I’ll not stop. I’m not afraid of anybody. It’s about humanity and for the people of Kaduna State. For the past 8 years, El-Rufai has been dealing with the people negatively.
“For the past 8 years, over 60,000 innocent civil servants were sacked from their legitimate offices; and do you know the funny aspect of it: no gratuity, no pension, nothing. These are people that relied on God for the work they’ve been doing.
“He denied them. Some naturally could turn out to be criminal. That’s why we have a lot of criminals in Kaduna State; because people were rendered jobless, hopeless, useless, school fees of their children increased.
“He destroyed so many markets, shops; demolished so many houses in Malali, and built a supermarket that is now ghost house because nobody is there to use it after completion.
“El-Rufai, as a MMT man, he destroyed so many mosques, about 30 in Kaduna. Demolished mosque around KASU and replaced it with Billboard of APC Political Party and built none.
“We established KASU, and the highest fees was N18,000-N30,000, and he increased it to now N150,000 minimum.
“The ABU, established by Sardauna, in 60s is less than N50,000. Funny enough, he has not built any mosque himself.
“He was afraid to demolish church, and no single church was demolished by him. And now is using the same Mallams he demolished their mosques to come and preach MMT so that his boy, Uba Sani, will come and continue from where he stopped.
“He said that, if Uba Sani comes, he’ll demolish more that he has done. This is why we are afraid and have to rise up and make sure APC didn’t come back to Nigeria and Kaduna State, because APC is a curse, disaster.
“Mallam said Uba will do worse in terms of demolition. Must we continue to demolish our people’s properties? Why we PDP are critical about MMT is because we need peace. Peace has no face, tribes, origin; peace needs everyone for peace, progress and development.
“PDP needs peace and the Christian indigenes and some other tribes like Igbos, who were born in Kaduna and don’t know any other place as their home. And everybody has equal rights of exercising their civic right and franchise. So, why, as a Governor, will he bring or create division?” he worried.
