I would be too old to be governor by 2019 — Ndume

The immediate past Majority Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) was in Maiduguri where he met with his constituents after the recent realignments in the Senate. In this interview, the senator said he has forgotten the past and that his poli

There are insinuations that you are eyeing the governorship seat of Borno State come 2019. How true is that?

There are some issues that have recently started generating concern and anxiety in our state. Mark my words; I don’t envy the governor or anybody that wants to be the governor of Borno. And on my own, I don’t struggle to be anything in life. Besides that, I have three key reasons why I cannot bother myself lobbying or struggling to become a governor. One, personally, I feel that anybody that is approaching his 60s shouldn’t be thinking of contesting the governorship of any state. As complex as the Nigerian states are, governing a state needs a younger and vibrant person that can stand the rigors. I am about 58 now, by the time my tenure ends in the Senate come 2019, Insha Allah, I will be 59. I personally feel that by that age, it will be late to aspire to be a state governor.

Secondly, at 58, I look forward to the hereafter because at such age, one needs to be closer to God. Public offices come with a lot of burden and responsibilities, of which one must account before God. Right now, I am a representative; nothing is given to me in terms of material resources or money on behalf of my people which I must account for.

All I am given now are my entitled salaries and allowances. Even the constituency allowances are meant for the running of our offices at the constituency level and not money given to be shared to people. But a governor has to go for FAAC meetings every month to receive money on behalf of his people. And it is expected that with such money received by a governor, he or she must fulfill the constitutional and religious role expected of him. And Section 14, 2b of our constitution says that the purpose of government is provision of security and welfare to citizens; while God says He will hold any leader to account if anybody or even a child dies in hospital because the state failed to provide the medicine to cater for him. Or if anybody goes to bed hungry because the governor failed to provide food, or the enabling environment for such a person to get his food, God will hold the leader responsible.

Governing a state is so difficult and I am not ready to face such burden. Besides, what do I want at 58 that I have not enjoyed in the past? I am a contented man; I live by God’s wish. And if He says I will be governor tomorrow, I have no such powers to stop it. But for me to lose sleep or struggle to become a governor in Borno State is something I will never do.

The third reason is the political reality in Borno State. I am from southern Borno and technically, we have only seven local government areas out of the supposed nine, because Damboa and Chibok, which are also part of Southern Borno, are incidentally under Borno Emirate, which is located in Central Borno. And we all know that southern Borno is one of the most diverse senatorial districts in this country.

When I contested for the Senate in 2011, I lost four local governments in southern Borno because there was no unity. That is why I have been struggling as the senator to get us united. Except on rotational bases, which will never be possible in Borno, there is no way someone from southern Borno will emerge as elected governor. So, as you can see, anybody saying I have interest in this job called governor of Borno State is just being mischievous.

How are you coping with your recent removal as Senate Leader?

I have said it over and over, just like I informed my supporters here in Borno, that I have put that issue behind me; I would not want to be speaking on it any longer. Nigerians must have by now got used to the fact that I am an extrovert and I have suffered the consequence of my nature. But, I cannot change that; I try to always say my mind and stand by it even if I am alone; it does not matter as long as I am convinced