Chief Ebenezer Babatope is a former Minister of Transport and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party. In this interview with senior journalists, he maintains that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP will defeat incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress. He also speaks on other burning national issues. AYO ESAN was there. Excerpts:
How would you rate the chances of your party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the presidential election on Saturday?
It is very clear to discerning minds where the pendulum of victory would swing. The battle is already won and lost. President Buhari will suffer a heavy defeat in the hands of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Buhari and All Progressives Congress’ defeat is very imminent. All over the country, Nigerians are fed up. Nigerians are groaning under the yoke of Buhari’s bad leadership. Things have never been this bad. Many Nigerians are dying of hunger.The suffering in the land is just too much and mIllions of Nigerians are just waiting for the D-day – February 23 – to show their displeasure with this APC government.
Nigerians are going to punish Buhari and APC on that day by paying them back in their own bad coins, and that is by voting Buhari and APC out of power. What many Nigerians are saying now is that enough is enough and that the time has come to change the so-called changer. Nigerians have realised that APC has short-changed them, and that’s why they want to take their revenge by exacting their own pound of flesh on APC leaders for deceiving them.
For Buhari and APC, the situation is beyond redemption. Buhari should be packing his luggage for a return journey to his village in Daura. After the February 23 presidential election, Buhari will become a former President of Nigeria. He should banish the idea of a second term from his mind. The time is up for him and his party, APC. Buhari should be preparing for a welcome-home party in Daura. He should not waste his time again on campaign. He should be preparing for life in retirement. He has done his bit, he has nothing to offer again.
Why are you so sure Atiku Abubakar will win?
You don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that. The handwriting is on the wall for Buhari and APC leaders to see. My only advice to Buhari is that he and his party, APC, should not try to rig the elections. They should allow the will of Nigerians to prevail. When PDP lost to APC in 2015, we accepted defeat in good faith. Former President Goodluck Jonathan accepted his defeat in good faith. He also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, who then was his main challenger. Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party didn’t take the election as a do-or-die affair. But from the look of things, it seems APC and President Buhari want to manipulate this election. But I advise them not to tread this infamous path because if they try to rig or refuse to accept the will of the electorate, it will have unpalatable consequences. If Buhari loses, heavens will not fall. He should just accept his defeat in good faith and leave when the ovation is still loud. He should not listen to bad advisers. He should emulate Jonathan.
But do you have any proof or see any sign to indicate that APC wants to manipulate the elections?
For any discerning mind or any experienced politician, you will notice that the body language, action and comments of APC leaders seem to suggest that they are desperate to cling to power. Even, look at the collection of PVCs by voters, which was coordinated by INEC. INEC officials and APC leaders seem to be conniving by refusing to give people their PVCs. Our investigations have revealed that APC leaders are alarmed by the large turn-out of Nigerians who are angry with APC and are eager to punish the party with their votes. So, what APC is doing is to collude with INEC officials to deny people their PVCs. But by doing this, APC and INEC are playing a dangerous game. They should learn from history what usually happens to those who rig or subvert the will of the people. The end of election riggers is usually not good. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, should not allow the devil to use him. He should emulate what former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, did in 2015 by organising a free and fair election. I wrote a book, titled, “Election Riggers In History’’. I would like both the INEC Chairman and APC leaders to read the book. A word, as the saying goes, is enough for the wise.
What is your reaction to the recent endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term by 72 retired Generals, led by a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Jubril Ayinla and Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa?
Let 1,000 Generals endorse Buhari, it will not stop his defeat by Atiku Abubakar. We in PDP are not intimidated. Buhari’s case is irredeemable. Endorsement by 1,000 Generals can’t help him. It is Nigerians that will determine his fate. PDP is not moved by the action of the retired Generals. They are just exercising their fundamental rights to support a candidate of their choice. There are also retired Generals who are also supporting Atiku. Nigerians have learnt bitter lessons in the hands of APC and Buhari. Once bitten, twice shy. Nigerians are not going to make that mistake again. Nigerians are hungry and angry. They can’t be deceived again. They’ve seen through APC’s deception. If Buhari and his supporters believe or think that his name will work for him like in 2015, they are deceiving themselves. Buhari has now become a big burden on Nigerians.These last three years plus, Nigeria has been under Buhari and APC’s bondage. Nigeria will be doomed if Buhari wins. He can’t even win except APC manipulates the elections. My advice again to Buhari is that he should be a man of honour if he loses to Atiku Abubakar by accepting defeat. Everybody is talking about the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Papa Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello in glowing terms today because they played positive roles in Nigeria’s history. Buhari should think along that line, he should strive to leave a good legacy as a Nigerian leader. He should think of what history will remember him for.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s support and endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has become controversial with diverse views being expressed…
I don’t see the reason for any controversy. Obasanjo is free to support any candidate of his choice. For those APC leaders criticising Obasanjo, they are hypocrites. Were they not singing praises of Obasanjo when he was supporting Buhari all these past years? Is it not Obasanjo that campaigned for Buhari in 2015? When Obasanjo who happened to be a PDP leader openly endorsed Buhari against Jonathan, his own party man, in 2015, were these APC people not praising Obasanjo, describing him as a patriot and a true democrat? So for backing Atiku now, Obasanjo has suddenly become a bad man to APC leaders. What Nigerians should know is that Obasanjo, on discovering that APC and Buhari had nothing to offer Nigerians, decided to endorse Atiku who he discovered would be in the best position to take Nigeria to the next level.
What’s your take on those clamouring that Buhari should be given a second term to enable him consolidate on reforms being undertaken by his administration like the war against corruption?
Which reforms? I say which reforms? Reform that is making Nigerians to die of hunger and poverty? The essence of governance is to make life comfortable for Nigerians but since Buhari took over in 2015, good governance has taken a flight. People are now dying of hunger. Millions of Nigerians have been turned into beggars in order to get money to feed. Then talking of corruption, Buhari has failed. Buhari is fighting a one-sided anti-corruption battle. He is only pursuing members of the opposition and those he perceived as his political enemies. When you are in PDP, they label you as being corrupt but the moment you are in APC, they label you as a saint. This was even confirmed recently by APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who publicly declared that the moment you join APC, even if you have skeleton in your cupboard, that your sins are automatically forgiven. Buhari’s war against corruption is a fluke. APC, Buhari’s party, is brimming with looters and other corrupt elements and they are being shielded there. Looters and other corrupt elements have become untouchables in APC.
What’s your take on the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari?
Onnoghen’s suspension by Buhari on the eve of general elections is suspicious. It was done in bad faith. It was done by Buhari and APC to rig the elections. Buhari wants to muzzle the Judiciary so as to put the Judiciary under his control to help him and his party, APC rig the elections. But like I warned earlier, Buhari and APC will be playing with fire if they try to rig these general elections. Buhari and APC should not resort to self-help in an attempt to cling on to power. If they do so, everything will blow up in their face. Onnoghen is being unjustly punished. Even if Onnoghen has committed any crime, has Buhari taken the right step? Has Buhari followed the due process in this matter? No. Buhari is persecuting Onnoghen, if not, he would have followed the due process. Buhari is showing that he is a dictator, of course, which he has always been. Buhari can’t change. A leopard can’t change its dark spots. Buhari should not think that he can deceive anybody. Onnoghen was removed because of the elections. Onnoghen should continue to fight on. He should not compromise.
Many APC chieftains have been describing the 16 years of PDP in power as years of locust and years of waste. How would you describe the last three and half years of APC in power?
Nigerians now know the difference. The 16 years of PDP in power can be described as glorious years for Nigeria, compared to these last three and half years of APC in power. Although PDP made its mistakes and Nigerians punished us with their votes for our mistakes in 2015. As human beings, nobody is infallible; we made some errors and we have apologised to Nigerians. But APC leaders are callous. In their last three years in office, Buhari and APC have turned Nigeria into hell. Life has become hellish for Nigerians under Buhari and APC.
Many Nigerians have expressed concern over recent exchange of words between Afenifere leaders over whom the Yoruba people should support between Buhari and Atiku. As a Yoruba leader, what’s your take on this issue?
Like any other Yoruba leader, I’m also worried. But I believe those who the Yoruba should listen to on the issue have spoken and they should listen to them.
Who are those Yoruba leaders the Yoruba should listen to or obey on the issue?
Yoruba should listen to and obey Pa Reuben Fasoranti and Chief Ayo Adebanjo. These are eminent Yoruba leaders. They are ardent followers of our late revered leader, Pa Obafemi Awolowo. These are men that are highly principled. They are men of honour. They don’t have skeletons in their cupboards. When Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Pa Fasoranti talk, Yoruba should listen and obey them. These our leaders have endorsed Atiku Abubakar, Yoruba should listen to them. Moreover, other groups across the country like the Ohaneze, PANDEF, Middle-Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum have all endorsed Atiku Abubakar. Nigerians that matter have spoken and Atiku Abubakar is their choice. We should not be seen to be left behind. Yoruba should obey Pa Fasoranti and Chief Ayo Adebanjo on this issue. Nigerians should vote wisely on February 23 and on March 9, by voting for PDP. Nigeria is in big trouble if Buhari and APC win the election. Buhari has nothing to offer Nigeria again.
