Senator Seidu Dansadau represented Zamfara Central during the fifth Senate. In this interview, Dansadau explains why it will be  a waste if delegates do not cast their votes for the governor of Kano State, Engineer Rabiu Kwankwaso, in the APC primary election to produce the party’s presidential candidate holding at Onikan Stadium, Lagos tomorrow

By Wale Akinola

WHY do you think delegates should vote for Kwankwaso in the primary election?

I think I have been disappointed by Nigerian politicians in the sense that the majority of them are in politics for their selfish interest and to the detriment of the interest and unity of this country.

Politics should be an instrument to service the interest of the majority of the people. But  I am associating myself with the Kwakwanso presidential aspiration because I have seen in him a politician who is in politics for service to the people.

He is a politician who uses  politics as a career, distinct from the majority of our politicians who are in politics simply because they want to contest for elective offices. Kwakwanso sees politics as a job, an instrument used in serving his people, state and the generality of the people of Nigeria.

That is my attraction to him. I am satisfied that he is in politics in order to get power which will enable him to provide services to the people. When you look at the security challenges we are going through as a nation, youwill agree with me that we need a politician with the capacity, attitude and the political willing the mold of Kwakwanso, at this point of this nation, to save Nigeria.

He has also distinguished himself as a politician set out to achieve some goals and objectives going by what he has done since his entrance into politics in 1991. When he sets a goal, he becomes determined to make sure the goal is achieved.

What he did in Kano during his first tenure in office and what he is doing now in the same state, leaves no one in doubt as to his ability to achieve his set goals.

This is the quality any aspiring politician to any political office should have. Also, Nigerian politics is full of struggles, fight, opposition, back biting. For an ordinary politician, you cannot succeed in such an environment. Kwakwanso is a brave, courageous and dogged fighter. Look at when he was defeated in 2003, and later appointed minister of defence. Look at how his successor then was fighting him.

He fought back and was able to survive to assume the office of the governor of Kano State. Again when he was in the PDP, the entire political elite of the party in Kano then ganged up against him, and influenced the national leadership to dissolve the state executive committee of the party.

Courageous politician

But because of his doggedness, when election was conducted,his followers won 90% of the parliament seats. That goes to show that Kwakwanso is a courageous politician, determined to achieve what he set out to achieve.

This is the kind of fighter you need in this county to take us to the next level. Heis a decisive person. When he takes a decision, he stands by it. If he believesin a cause, he fights on especially if the fight is people-oriented. He is thetype we need for this country at this point in time. Another thing lacking in the Nigerian politician is sustaining relationship. That is a scarce commodity on the shelf of our politicians. A lot of our politicians, the moment they get to power,they discard those who were with them prior to coming to office. They pick new friends. You will never find that with Kwakwanso. Even when hewas in Abuja as minister, his office was always filled up with people looking for favors. And virtually all the people were from Kano.

And majority of them, he had never met. That aside, he rewards loyalty. No matter your tribe, ifyou were part of a struggle with Kwakwanso, he will always appreciate you.   What our politicians do these days is that the moment they lose election, that is the end of the road for their followers,they leave the followers to their destiny. You will and can never find suchwith Kwakwanso. He rewards merit. Once you show commitment, he lets you know that you are important. This takes me to another important issue. Nigerian leaders are susceptible to sycophancy.

That iswhy you wonder why some people in the last 20 to 30 years have been ingovernment because they are excellent sycophants. Kwakwanso won’t do thatbecause he does not suffer fools gladly. He does not listen to sycophants. Oncehe notices that you are trying to sweet tongue him, he begins to frown his face.