Former governor of Niger state, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has on Sunday disclosed that he and the Peoples Democratic Party cannot be intimidated by happenings in the country’s polity adding that “anything that happens to you is from God”.
While speaking to members of the Correspondent Chapel at his Minna mansion at a Sallah parley, Aliyu assured that defectors will re-defect to the PDP before 2019.
He said: “I believe in destiny, and I believe nothing happens without God’s knowledge. Intimidation is not part of my understanding of human character.
“I see intimidation as when one is scared or frightened or that which will make sure you do nothing personally. I am not in anyway intimidated. I also believe that certain things happen to you to bring you back to your senses or to enlighten you on certain things.”
He also disclosed that members of the PDP who defected for other parties because of several reasons will soon return to the one time ruling party.
Aliyu said: “In politics, there are people who enter and stick to principles; there are those who enter for food; there are those who enter so that they may be pushed for other reasons to be elsewhere.
“So, movement may not be for only one reason, sometimes it might be pressure from one’s community.
“Just recently, Andy Uba and Osita Chidoka strong members of the PDP crossed over to the All Progressives Congress and the United Progressives Party respectively. But often times people are following their stomach too. Don’t be surprised, between now and 2019 a lot of people will cross over to the PDP.”
Commending the two key judgements delivered by the Supreme courts of Kenya and Nigeria, Aliyu said, it has further showed that democratic governance in the two countries will thrive saying “they have given hope and room for those who feel aggrieved to seek legal redress”.
He added: “The Supreme Court judgement has given me much more confidence in our democracy. I am happy that we are not ending up with one party system in our country.”
Furthermore, he charged the PDP to put its house in order and not allow inordinate ambition to tear it apart ahead of the 2019 polls.
He, however, dispelled rumours that he has indicated interest in running for any position saying “I have not made up his mind to aspire for any elective office in 2019. Any politicians who make promises should strive to keep them and if they are not too sure they should put a proviso to it”.
Aliyu added: “As for me I don’t Know where I am going from here, I don’t know because even the Governorship, I was ambushed to do it as my dream was to become the Head of service of the Federation.”
On the recent hosting of the two major parties by President Muhammadu Buhari, Aliyu said as one of those who prayed for the safe return of President Buhari, he was impressed by the President’s invitation extended to main opposition party to the villa stressing that, that was the way to go.
