My Enduring Desire Is to Improve People’s Lives
talk. He was such a humble man. He walked up to me, knelt down, held my hand and said I am a human being like you that I should speak and not be afraid of him. Then I started talking and eventually said what I was told to say. It was a very interesting episode.”
Na’Abba’s family’s political richness is not in doubt. It is same with the family’s material prosperity. His family business, Na’Abba Commercial Trading Company, founded by his father was very popular in Kano back then. The company was into export of reptile skins (used for shoes and bags) and import of goods and services. However, living in affluence did not prevent the family and him from being radical.
He explains: “I grew up in a family that was rich but also radical – that influenced a lot about my life. I used to have a lot of friends and was very liberal with money. When I was growing up in my family, I met a lot of people who were not even members of the family but were bearing the family’s name. Not only were my parents rich but were also community leaders. My grandfather was close to the Emir and big politicians used to see most of the ministers from Kano in my grandfather’s house. All the ministers came from time to time. I used to see the late Maitama Sule, the late Ibrahim Musa Kashashi and so on. Right then, I started entertaining the idea that one that I should be a Minister. In fact, that inspired me a lot to study political science. But destiny later played out as I became more than a minister – I became Nigeria’s number four citizen.”
Commenting on the current crop of leaders in the country and whether they are measuring up, Na’Abba points out: “For me, leaders should act like parents. Leaders must show love to the people. Leaders should show empathy. Leaders shouldn’t have a restricted mind but a broad mind. And leaders must treat people the same no matter their backgrounds because the easiest way to sow seeds of strife within any community is to treat people differently or to discriminate against them. I don’t discriminate against any people because I believe every human being has a common humanity. So differences in religion and ethnicity must not be our guiding principle in governance. I believe what should guide us is our common humanity. And that was why when I was speaker in the House of Representatives, I adopted this approach and that was why my colleagues supported me. We created such a bond that even today we are all together as brothers.”
In the last 15 years though, Na’Abba has been a fringe political player. What did he miss? What went amiss? He answered: “I missed my colleagues. I missed positive policies what would have impact in the citizenry. What happened was that when we were fighting to ensure that democracy took root in the country, there were other people who were busy trying to snatch away politics from people and they succeeded. And that is why until now the people of Nigeria have never successfully elected the kind of people they want into political positions because certain people, particularly the governors have appropriated our political parties to themselves and they (the governors) alone decide who goes anywhere. And some of us who seem to be independent-minded for true governance got on the wrong side of politics. They tell us that we are not team players because we have the courage to tell them that certain things are wrong and shouldn’t be done.”
For many, the political travail that eventually sent him into political oblivion can be traced to his disagreement with Obasanjo. Does he still enjoy a cordial relationship with Obasanjo? Did he regret the stance he took against the ex-president?
“Well, I believe we enjoy a cordial relationship and what happened at that period, I didn’t take it personal but in the interest of the nation. It is my duty to make the Executive accountable which was what I did. I was called names; described as arrogant and someone who never listens. I never regretted anything that I did or said because I was proved right. My effort then was to ensure that everybody could use his or her Godgiven endowment to become whatever he or she wants. And that is the beauty of democracy. Unfortunately, people like Obasanjo and co. seized our political party, damaged it and eventually killed the other political parties. It was Obasanjo who killed Alliance for Democracy (AD) and APP after appropriating PDP to himself. Most of the things he did then brought us to this sorry state,” Na’Abba replied.
For a man who exemplified sterling leadership qualities when he held sway as the House of Representatives speaker, Na’Abba believes that all hope should not be lost on the country. Prescribing the way forward, he says: “I believe in Nigeria and its potentiality. Nigeria should belong to the First World and not the Second or even Third World. One of the reasons we have not moved forward as a nation is that that we have been having series of unprepared leaders – series of accidental leaders – people who shouldn’t be in the position of authority. I think this has to do with the fact that Nigerians are consistently being denied a right of choice. We have excellent materials for leadership – for presidency but the system that is used to recruit people into power is being continuously manipulated to the benefit of those who exercise power for their selfish reasons. Unless we make our democracy work in such a manner that people who merit being in position of leadership become leaders. My prayer is that our recruitment system is rejuvenated so that people who have abilities and capacities will be elected by the people so Nigeria will enjoy good leadership.”
Did he agree that his inability to yield ground in the face of political turbulence eventually sent him to a political Siberia over the last 15 years? “Well, he (Obasanjo) and my governor then put heads together to ensure that the results of my election were manipulated in favour of my opponent. Two things actually helped them: PDP in Kano was divided. A faction was
led by me, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi and Alhaji Musa Gwadabe. And other faction was led by the governor. In 1999, during the first election there was no faction. Every member of PDP in my constituency voted for me and that was how I defeated the opponent from the APP. In 2003, because of the division, members of the faction we led voted for me and members of the faction led by the governor were asked to vote for APP. Naturally, I couldn’t win. But all the mobile police men in the Northern Region were in Kano to ensure that I didn’t win that 2003 re-election.”
“In fact,” he added, “my result was the first to be announced in Nigeria. By the time the election was concluded in 2003, subsequently, our political parties were seized in all the states by the governors. That was why you see a lot of things happening in this country particular the quality of low leadership because there have been no elections as most elections of candidates into the National Assembly are emerging through selections or chosen by the governors. Almost 80 per cent of elected representatives either in the House of Representatives, the Senate or local government councils were chosen by the governors.”
As the country is approaching 2019 elections, Na’Abba yearns to serve his people again. “I am still positive that I will join the fray towards 2019. I am considering contesting to become something but wouldn’t want to disclose it now,” he states.
Na’Abba’s political philosophy sounds strange in today’s Nigeria. But does he mean every word he says? “My philosophy of life is that I should be an instrument with which other people’s lives are improved. My philosophy about life is that I must do things that will improve the quality of Nigerians and that was why while in the House of Representatives I made a lot of sacrifices. I could have died; I could have been killed with what I led my colleagues to do. I was always in the bad book of the powers that be but God saw me through.”
I grew up in a family that was rich but also radical – that influenced a lot about my life. I used to have a lot of friends and was very liberal with money. When I was growing up in my family, I met a lot of people who were not even members of the family but were bearing the family’s name. Not only were my parents rich but were also community leaders. My grandfather was close to the Emir and big politicians used to see most of the ministers from Kano in my grandfather’s house. All the ministers came from time to time. I used to see the late Maitama Sule, the late Ibrahim Musa Kashashi and so on. Right then, I started entertaining the idea that one that I should be a Minister