INSIDEPOLITICS How we will win 2019 – YPP presidential running mate, Umma Gesto
Mrs. Umma Gesto is the running mate of Kingsley Moghalu, presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP). She is the daughter of Abdullahi Getso who was elected a senator in 1983 on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
IDaily Trust on Sunday
f all goes well, you’ll be the first female vice president in Nigeria. How prepared are you for the task ahead?
I’ve always been prepared all my life because it’s a dream that I’ve carried all my life, to be the first female president of this country, and now, I’ll be the first female vice president for this country. So I’ve already seen myself there, and with someone like Moghalu who has a lot of dreams for this country, I will try and stand there, and be his support to see that we touch the lives of Nigerians in a very positive way.
You’re a northern woman and you seem to be out of context and culture to aspire to be what you want to be. So how have you been able to move forward despite these challenges?
I’m very sure everybody can understand that the Nigeria of today is not the Nigeria of yesterday. After my nomination, I saw a lot of positive responses from people that I didn’t expect. The way people receive me and the way people have confidence in our journey, to be candid, is quite amazing. Even the people in the core North believe in what we can do and have given us a lot of support.
How do you think the 2019 elections will shape Nigeria going forward?
It has already started to reshape Nigeria because you can see we have two people of the same caliber in the two main parties. But parties like ours, that have come of age now and the kind of popularity and response we’re getting from people, we know that 2019 election will be a new breakthrough that has never happened in Nigeria.
A lot of people would want to ask, you have a good manifesto and ideas for Nigeria. So why not join one of the bigger parties where you have better chances to achieve your goals?
That’s where Nigerians are always getting it wrong. Because you can’t say you’re with the past and looking into the future. We all know PDP has hurt Nigeria to a non-stop bleeding point and if we take APC today, we know it’s nothing but the product of PDP, just that some in PDP that were hurt are so desperate so came out and joined APC. So you can’t be in APC or PDP and say you want to make change in Nigeria. YPP is my second home. It’s a place where I met like minds and where everyone is there not looking from some chicken change but there to build a country and making sacrifices from our pockets. It’s where I met incredible people and you can never find such people in APC or PDP. A lot of us in YPP have the window to jump and join APC or PDP but that’s where we want to be. Nobody in those parties can tell you that they want to change Nigeria. It’s a lie. 75% of this government is populated by PDP people. So that’s why they’re repeating the same mistakes. Their skin or DNA has not changed, they’re still who they used to be. It’s not a matter of changing party. I never wanted to be in APC or PDP. I want to be with a party with YPP, where my dream will be actualized.
Aren’t you bothered about funds? Because most of the electorate in Nigeria believe in vote buying and the rest.
As I told you earlier, Nigerians are really wise this time around. Our journey wouldn’t have reached where it is today if not for the support of volunteers. We have young men in and outside Nigeria who believe in Moghalu’s journey that they’re being 100% supportive directly and indirectly. We are dealing with people who understand what Nigerians actually want and the sickness that Nigeria is suffering from today. They are the ones supporting our journey. Nigerians will understand that there has never been a journey like ours before. This is a different one. Young people and women are coming out of their homes just to help us. Funds will not be our problem.
When was the defining moment when you decided you wanted to join politics?
I’ve been an activist all my life and doing politics indirectly because I’m a person who has a lot of passion for my country. So I’ve been current all my life and due to my background, I’ve seen people doing it so it’s been in my blood all my life. But after the fight we fought for Buhari in 2015, we believed that the man was the solution. But when he came to power, we discovered after the first year, that we couldn’t allow the past to overshadow our future. I don’t think these people can do it. So that’s when I felt that like people like me, who have a lost of passion for this country, need to come forward and do it ourselves.
What challenges have you faced as a female politician?
We all know women are always challenged in one way or another due to the limits and the kind of barriers that we encounter from the word go. From our homes, to our places of work, everywhere we find ourselves is always challenging. The same thing happens in politics. If you’re a female politician, your people have the right to point fingers at you, call you names because it’s something unusual. We’re not used to seeing women wearing these shoes. So it’s quite challenging but with dedication and God’s grace, we’re here today.
How do you plan to make the necessary impact needed once elected?
By God’s grace, if I’m elected with the experience I’ve been gathering from uncles who have been in the race and my father who has been my icon all my life, we intend to touch the lives of women from the rural areas down to the urban centres and even include youths and provide an avenue that will empower them in their lives.
How do you think women can be pushed to the forefront of politics?
What I always tell women when I’m talking to them is that we need to stand up for ourselves and not be the subordinates. We can stand and do it. We can see the leader of Germany today. She is still pushing for a lady from the strong women that have been pushing her all this while. So if we have such strong women in Nigeria, bringing them together and making them believe in themselves and investing in them, I believe we can do it one day.
I’m very sure everybody can understand that the Nigeria of today is not the Nigeria of yesterday. After my nomination, I saw a lot of positive responses from people that I didn’t expect. The way people receive me and the way people have confidence in our journey, to be candid, is quite amazing.