Bunmi Aborisade
Citizen Reports
Wonderful! Very exciting!! We are making progress. It is another opportunity to be part of the struggle to rescue our country from the dubious hands of some invidious interlopers who masquerade themselves as our leaders in Nigeria.
You recently launched the Team Ribadu USA and the "Ribadu for Nigeria Coalition," what is the difference between the two organizations and what progress have you made?
Team Ribadu USA is the US chapter of the Team Ribadu in Nigeria. It is a volunteer and youth-driven political movement supporting the presidential bid of Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The coalition is the umbrella body for all Team Ribadu groups around the world. The main job of the coalition is to help identify and unite all the Team Ribadu groups around the world (using its website-www.ribadufornigeria.org) for proper coordination and networking. The launching was the beginning of many activities lined up for the campaign period. We thank God that many Nigerians who believe in the new Nigeria that we are working towards made it to the launching despite the bone-chilly cold in the city of New York. The next step is for our coordinators in all the 50 States of the USA to get down to work and begin to mobilize Nigerians to join us in the struggle for the liberation of our country from the PDP ruling class that has pauperized our people over the years.
In your speech at the launching, you said Team Ribadu may lead to another NADECO, what do you mean?
I was trying to compare the Team Ribadu phenomenon in our country today with Chief MKO Abiola’s “Hope 93” which gave Abiola victory at the June 12 1993 polls and how the movement led to the emergence of NADECO after the annulment of the elections. What I am trying to say is that, if for any reason, ACN fails to field Ribadu as its candidate or Ribadu does not emerge as the next president of Nigeria for whatever reason, we should expect another NADECO. If you look at the rate at which Team Ribadu is spreading around the world, you will know there is no way Ribadu will not win the 2011 presidential election. As the coordinator of Team Ribadu USA and the convener of Ribadu for Nigeria coalition, I get calls from Nigerians around the world asking me how they can set up branches of the Team Ribadu group in their countries of residence. I have just helped set up the Malaysia chapter of the group and I am currently working with some people in South Africa, Germany and France to set up their chapters. If you want to know more about this, go to our website you will see their names and numbers. You can call them.
Let’s assume ACN will pick Ribadu as its candidate in the 2011 elections. What if the general election turned out to be fraudulent?
A. That is where trouble will start. That is when we should be ready for another NADECO. Any country where people volunteer the way people volunteer at Team Ribadu, that country must be very careful. If you tamper with their interest, there will be trouble. Just go and read the history of volunteerism anywhere around the world, you will understand what I am saying better. One interesting thing about the Team Ribadu groups is that, Nuhu Ribadu himself is not in control of them. The man does not even know how many Team Ribadu groups exist. Apart from a few of us coordinators that he is in touch with, he does not know the leadership of most of the Team Ribadu groups. If Nigerians like you, they can do anything to support you and that is exactly what is happening in the case of the Team Ribadu groups all over the place. Imagine when some colleagues and I published the June 12 Magazine, many people thought it was Abiola that gave us money not knowing we never met the man. People just set up their own Team Ribadu and start working for the man. That is wonderful! Apart from Chief Abiola’s “Hope 93” I have not seen any other political movement that has brought Nigerians from all walks of life together like the Team Ribadu. It is amazing!
Who is funding the Team Ribadu groups?
To the best of my knowledge, the groups are funded by their members and no one gets paid for whatever we do. To those of us in the USA, we are sourcing money from credible Nigerians with no strings attached to support Ribadu’s campaign in Nigeria. The Diaspora policy of the Team Ribadu is clear on whom we should accept donations from. I bet you know Ribadu will not allow us to accept donations from anyone who stole government money or individuals with questionable character.
Do you think ACN will give its ticket to Ribadu?A. I don’t have any doubt that it will, but if it does not, the party will lose gallantly and that may be the end of the party. Then, Nigerians should brace up for 60 years of PDP rule predicted by Vincent Ogbulafor and that will be terrible for all of us. As a matter of fact, ACN has a lot to gain by fielding Ribadu. Just watch out, you will see how politicians from other parties will decamp to ACN if Ribadu emerges as ACN candidate. Go and read what Femi Fani-Kayode said about that at Ribadu’s book launch you will understand what i am saying. If a PDP irredentists like Fani-Kayode can say that, people from PDP will join ACN if ACN picks Ribadu as its candidates, that is a sign that PDP is in total disarray and that is good for Ribadu and ACN.
Assuming Ribadu gets the ACN ticket, do you think he can defeat the likes of Goodluck Jonathan, the incumbent president, Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, and Mohammed Buhari or even IBB?
Let’s first remove IBB from our calculation; the man already got the result of the general election before the party primaries. Nigerians are not fools. Nigerians have moved beyond his antics and no one will ever fall for his evil tendencies. One thing about Nigerians is that, once they reject you, you are finished. Imagine those who betrayed the June 12 struggle, where are they today? Let’s look at the other candidates: Nigerians took to the streets to force the National Assembly to make Jonathan vice president and later president, what has he done since he became president? That is a shame! In the case off Atiku, it is only in Nigeria that a man like Atiku will be walking on the streets with the case of money laundering hanging on his neck, not to talk of running for president. As for Buhari, I am not sure Nigerians regard a man like him as their messiah. Even when he was military head of state, it was his deputy that was the defacto president. If not for Idiagbon, Buhari’s regime would have been a total failure. That was why the regime was tagged Buhari/Idiagbon regime to show how powerful Idiagbon was in the administration.
What makes you think Ribadu is the ideal President Nigeria needs?
Before you can say someone is fit for the job of the president of a country, you must first of all identify the challenges ahead and the capability of the person to face the challenges. In the case of Nigeria, we all know that corruption is our biggest problem and anyone that must lead Nigerian to the Promised Land must be ready to fight corruption. And there is no one who has demonstrated that courage in public service in Nigeria today than Ribadu. That is why many Nigerians want Ribadu to help rid the country of those looting our collective treasury so that we can reclaim our lost glories as a nation.
I don’t know of any leadership quality or experience that we need that Ribadu does not have except you are talking of experience in stealing money. Here is a man who trained as a lawyer and was in the police for 18 years and rose to the position of AIG and we are still talking of lack of experience. I am beginning to think that people who say Ribadu does not have experience thought the man was at the road block collecting bribe like other policemen during his 18 years in service. Here is a man who was offered $15 million dollars in bribes and he rejected it. How many Nigerians can do that? What is the difference between a man who worked for 18 years in the Federal or State Ministry and a man who served for 18 years in the Police Force? As far as I am concern, there is no difference. You see, those who don’t want Ribadu to be president are those looting our collective treasury. They are afraid of him and that is good. They should all know that the Nigerian masses are watching and are waiting for them at the polls in 2011.
Are you aware of the move by the leadership of ACN to adopt Buhari as its candidate and Bola Tinubu will be the running mate? Have you spoken to your candidate about this?
I read about it all the time and I laugh. One thing that I know is that, Bola Tinubu is not a fool and he will not do anything that will hurt his political career and the people of Nigeria. Some of our members have asked me about the so-called alliance, I equally raised it with Ribadu, and he dismissed it. Our position for now is that, we will not be distracted by such moves. I know ACN will not want a repeat of what happened to the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 1999 when the party formed an unholy alliance with the All People’s Party (APP) and lost the election. They must have learned some lessons from the unholy accord between the leadership of Action Congress (AC) and former president Obasanjo, which led to the defeat of the party in the Southwest, not to talk of the adoption of the former Vice President Atiku (from PDP) by AC as its presidential candidate which led to the defeat of the party the 2007 elections.
Why do you trust Tinubu and the leadership of ACN so much that you think they will not betray Ribadu?
A. It goes beyond mere trust; it is a matter of the caliber of people that form the leadership of the party. I have known Tinubu since the June 12 struggle and he is one person who does not joke with his supporters and he recognizes his source of popularity. Let’s take a look at the role he played in reclaiming the party’s stolen mandates in the Southwest, look at the defeat suffered by Chief Segun Osoba in Ogun State and the humiliation meted on him and his people by Governor Daniel, needless to talk of how Niyi Adebayo lost to an inconsequential person like Ayo Fayose in Ekiti State. With all that, I think they have learned a bitter lesson in the past and they will get it right this time around.
Many Nigerians believe Ribadu has not been taking on his opponent as expected, particularly when it comes to the issue of corruption. What do you think about that?
I know some people wanted Ribadu to take on Jonathan when he was accused of bribing the Save Nigeria Group and Atiku on the issue of $40M money laundering. That is a waste of time and Ribadu does not have the time for that. Why they were busy throwing tantrums on the pages of newspapers, Ribadu and his policy team were brainstorming on how to rescue Nigeria from abyss. He was preparing for a robust campaign. Nigerians know the type of aspirants in the race. I bet Nigerians know who will serve their interest among the aspirants and they will surely vote for that person in the 2011 presidential election. Just wait and see, Nigerians have learned their lessons. Ribadu will speak when it's necessary. He is not a noisemaker like the others.
What is going to happen to Team Ribadu if Ribadu does not emerge as ACN candidate?
A. I don't want to speculate. We don't speculate in Team Ribadu. We work with facts. And the fact on the ground is that Ribadu is ACN's best bet to dislodge the autocratic PDP. The ACN comprise of experienced political strategists. They are aware of this. I can't imagine Ribadu not emerging candidate. He is just too beautiful a political bride.
Will you be willing to work for another candidate in case Ribadu does not emerge candidate?
I have just told you how confident I am that our man will emerge candidate of his party. But let me make this clear. I have Ribadu’s mandate to form the Team Ribadu USA and not Team Jonathan USA or Team Buhari USA or Team IBB USA. After all, We saw all these people before we opted for Ribadu. My colleagues and I are responsible and accomplished democrats. We don’t jump around like that. We talk all the time in Team Ribadu USA and I know where our members stand. It is either Ribadu or no other candidate.
What will Nuhu Ribadu do differently if elected President?
There is no doubt that the present regime has failed the nation woefully in all aspects. So, if anyone is coming on board to repair the damage of both the past and present regimes, the person must to do a thorough appraisal of the system and come up with a package on how to fix the problems and not just making empty promises on the pages of newspapers, on the Internet, radio and television as our politicians always do. What Ribadu has done is to appraise our problems and the extent of the damage done to all aspects of our life as a nation. He has come up with a “Blueprint for Change.” It is a fifteen page document and it is available free for all Nigerians. There are hard copies that you can pick up from all Team Ribadu coordinators in the 36 states of Nigeria and you can download it free from Ribadu’s official website (www.ribadu2011.com) and our website (www.ribadufornigeria.org) for Nigerians in the Diaspora and Nigerians back home that have access to the Internet. The fifteen page document is very explicit on what he will do differently as the president of Nigeria. It is a document of hope that touches on all aspects of our life as a nation. It is not a document that someone sat somewhere to craft without input from Nigerian as our politicians do. The document truly reflects the yearnings and aspiration of the masses of Nigerians. In the days and months ahead, Ribadu will hit the road to discuss the “Blueprint for Change” with Nigerians.
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