Razaq Bamidele
Alhaji (Dr) Mohammed Abubakar Bambado is the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos State and Chairman, Association of Fulani Chiefs in the South Western axis of Nigeria. In this short interview with The Nigerian Xpress in his Surulere, Lagos palace, the concerned traditional ruler described the raging controversy over the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as unnecessary and misplaced priority because politics is about exerting energy on ethnic sentiment or religious fanaticism.
Would you want to lend your voice to the trending debate on the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the APC?
For me, the issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket should not be a problem at all. I say that because politics is neither about religion nor about ethnicity. Rather, it is about good governance. And good governance is all we need in this country that should be our concern and priority.
Anything besides that is unnecessary. My own take on the issue is this: If we have Muslim/Muslim ticket that will deliver, that is well and good. If we have Christian/Christian that will deliver, it is all well and good. If we have Muslim/Christian that would deliver, it is fine and good. Finally, if you have Christian/Muslim ticket that would equally deliver, that is also fine and good. In that wise, we should work towards that. We should not exert energy on ethnic sentiment or religious fanaticism. Rather, let us weigh things to see who can deliver and support the pair.
What then is your advice for the agitators on both sides?
My advice is, everybody should go and get his/her Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), and go out there to discharge our civic rights. With your card, choose whoever you feel can take us to a greater height. That is my own advice. We have every right to choose whoever we want to choose. So, all these talks on social media will not take us anywhere. Take your PVC, go out there and choose whoever you feel can take us to a greater height. It is as simple as that.
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Do you have any word for President Muhammadu Buhari on the two governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States?
Well, I will commend Mr. President for allowing free and fair elections in the two states. And that is what we need in this country. And again, that shows that in 2023, the election is going to be free and fair. It shows that people’s voice would be heard and their votes would count. These two elections that we had recently have shown where we are heading to.
Are trying to express hope for this country on electoral processes?
Of course; there is hope for Nigeria. A serious hope for that matter! However, all hands should be on deck. We all have to work towards that. We all have to put sentiment aside and make Nigeria great again.
Still on the last two recent elections; what do you think reduced reports of violence before, during and after the exercise?
Well, I always advise that, people that promote and encourage violence should be asked to let their children lead from the front. We have to ask them, where are your own children? When they promote violence and ask people out, you will find out that their own children are not in the forefront. They are not even anywhere near the deadly zone.
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So, if you cannot find their children anywhere, then you have to ask questions like, where are your own children before you ask me to go out and fight; what for? You cannot fight on the street and say you want to get things better. You can only go out to vote for the right person and that right person would come and do the right thing for the generality of the people. But if you don’t vote and you allow bad people to vote, that is how the system would regrettably remain bad. So, for me, if people ask you to go out and fight, tell them to call out their children to lead the fight. It is simple.
How is the Fulani community in the South-west?
Thank you very much. It is so far, so good. We thank the Almighty God. I think things are calm now. We don’t hear so many Fulani issues now (laughter). We thank God for that and we pray it continues like that. I, therefore, call on our people to remain calm and be vigilant to disallow people that would come and use them to cause havoc.
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We have every right to choose whoever we want to choose. So, all these talks on social media will not take us anywhere. Take your PVC, go out there and choose whoever you feel can take us to a greater height. It is as simple as that.
