The last Kogi West Senatorial candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the February 25 National Assembly election, Hon Muhammed Ibukun Abubakar, in this interview with Newsmen spoke on why he is stepping aside his Senate Political aspiration in 2027 for his immediate elder brother, Ustaz Zakari Abubakar Ola. He also spoke on other wide range of issues as regards the misinformation and efforts to smear his image and that of his brother who is seeking to represent the people of Kogi West Senatorial District in the 2027 election.
Excepts.
Q: You seem to have abandoned your political ambition especially for the Senate?
Yes, I have abandoned my political aspirations to the Senate. Recall, that I did contested in 2023. But this time around, my immediate elder brother, Ustaz Zakari Abubakar Ola, has indicated interest in contesting for similar position, reason why I have taken a back seat regarding my ambition to contest. Courtesy demands that I allow him take the baton at this stage. From that point of view I think it was not wise to run same contest. So for now, he is the one that has indicated interest.
Q: Your immediate Elder brother is contesting this time despite knowing fully well where his boss, benefactor and leader belongs.
We seem to forget the fact that mentorship should not be misconstrued. Yes, His Excellency, Alhaji Babaali mentored a lot of us, myself inclusive, but that has not deterred us from also going ahead with our own lives and personal ambition. Anybody can be a mentor that doesn’t mean we cannot signify interest. I will not rule out the fact that Alhaji Babaali has always been there as a mentor to my brother, Ustaz Zakari Abubakar Ola. It is however unfortunate at the way people are beginning to get at this relationship. It is beginning to get us worried, myself and himself. Because if you want to look at it from the point of Boss, Master or Benefactor, there are certain levels of how you can come into ones life to take such credit. Zak, was already an established man, who has worked very hard to a point and level where anyone will also call to say he is successful. But again, in life, no matter the heights you get to, there are certain people you look up to that are seen to be your Mentor. The Zak that I know has already made a mark as a successful business man in and out of the country, even before his closeness to Alhaji Babaali. The level to which people are seeing it to be like a Boss or Master relationship who wants to rebel against his master is what we find out as unfortunate. But what I, can put very clearly is the fact that, a lot of people don’t know the relationship that exists between Zakari and Alhaji Babaali. But I can tell you for free, that I know alot, between the two of them. Nobody is as close to the two of them like myself. I am very close to them. I know what is between them and unfortunately, many people are ignorant to this fact, making them speak from the point of ignorance and hearsay. I can say it with humility, not disrespect or malice, that Alhaji Babaali can also not say that he made Zak. I am saying it out of the fact and to correct the impression that our people are erroneously having. Zak, worked very hard as a person to get to where he is today and that he took himself to Alhaji Babaali in the light of somebody who wants mentorship by somebody in his caliber, should not further allow some people to see it as if he was somebody who went in there, got to Alhaji Babaali to be made and now is turning his back to want to fight the finger that fed him and wants to contest an election against his mentors wish. No that is not the case here, it is far from it. Zak has been a successful business man, philanthropists, touching lives positively long time ago before he sought mentorship and got close to His Excellency, Alhaji Babaali. There closeness was borne out of the fact that Zak, needed an elderly person in the mould of Alhaji Babaali’s magnitude, uprightness, who can give certain advice so as for him not to go astray in certain circumstances. But in a case where you have a Political ambition and people now want to use it to gain cheap popularity and to harness certain benefits, by claiming that Zak is going against his Boss and Master is utterly misleading. So to put this matter to rest, Zak, has been a successful business man, he did not make his money through associating with Alhaji Babaali. He had been a successful person. His relationship with His Excellency, was not about going to make money, no but rather, he wanted a mentor figure. Zak has been successful in several areas, before his tutelage under Alhaji Babaali. So it is wrong to think that Zak went to Alhaji Babaali to get something, milk him, only to later turn his back against him. That is very wrong. Whoever is saying and thinking such is not fair to Zak and is wrong. So in all honesty, he didn’t make Zak, that is the point I want to make.
Q: Lokoja/Koto are saying Yagba federal constituency be allowed to do a second term?
We have always said that Yagba people ought to have taken their turn way back since 2019. Sen. Smart Adeyemi came in 2007 to 2011 and 2011-2015. So it is expected that Yagba Federal Constituency ought to have enjoyed their slot from 2015-2023. Now they allowed Ijumu Federal Constituency to continue to take there slot. Watching them doing that. I can tell you for free, that if an Ijumu Federal Constituency person is giving the opportunity, he will want to contest and continue in the Senate, because they will not consider the Yagba person. So why are we in Lokoja Koto Federal Constituency trying to take Panadol for somebody’s headache that does not concern us. Our time supposed to start in 2023 a reason why I came out to contest in 2023. As we speak now, Yagba has even eaten into our time again. In 2023, it was supposed to be for Lokoja Koto. So it is not our fault now that we should begin to bear the brunt of what Ijumu Federal Constituency did to their Yagba brothers. So if we can allow them to take part of our slot in 2023, we should not fold our hands in 2027, because it will mean that if we are not careful, Ijumu Federal Constituency will come and say that you have allowed Yagba Federal Constituency to eat into your time. So Ijumu Federal Constituency will say we want it because we are not the one that said Yagba people should eat into your time. In power game, you dont wait for people to come and hand it over to you. It is not given, it is taken. If you wait and say you are discussing zoning, who are the people who sat down to discuss zoning in this current dispensation. I heard that they say, Lokoja Koto should wait for 2031, who are the stakeholders from Yagba, Ijumu and Lokoja Federal Constituency that sat down to discuss on zoning. Presently, we are not aware of such leaders in Okun land and m where there was a meeting to discuss zoning because of the disunity existing amongst them. So for us and for Zakari Ola, there are certain things and a lot of things some boys in the social Media are making noise over so many things that are not aware of. We know a lot of things but we are not ready to talk yet. This interview is quickly to clear the air that Zak is fighting the finger of his Boss or Master. It is far from it and there is nothing like that. For us in Lokoja Koto it is time we get it to enable us get our time and hand it over to the next deserving Constituency.
Q: it was reported sometimes ago that you and Senator Karimi have settled your difference
Which led you withdrawing your case from the court?
We had an understanding in Alhaji Babaali’s house. The understanding was that withdraw this case from court. I will do some certain things to cushion the effect or what ever expenditures you incurred. For me I said I was not asking for any settlement because giving me what I spent on the election would be difficult. But since the offer is coming from you, good and fine, I will wait and see what extent you can do in keeping to your promise. But I can assure you that nothing was done. Instead, that promise put me into collision and argument with my supporters who felt we have gotten something. But I told them nothing. All efforts to get him fulfill his promise failed and I tried to get him dispute the fact that nothing exchanged hands and nothing has been done between us, he ignored me. I can say for free that he promised that I was still a young man, with promise to support my future aspirations, with witnesses in that meeting. To my greatest surprise, His Excellency, Alhaji Babaali, never called him on the need for him to keep to the promise he made to me. That day we met in Alhaji Babaali’s house was the last day I saw Sen. Karimi. So it is unfortunate that some of these our young men and boys on social media are quoting what they know nothing about, saying things they know nothing about. I urge that they should have a rethink. Because for us, myself and my brother, we have never said we are going into political contest for what we will get. Our aspiration is not borne out of the need to get personal benefits. In this contest, Zak is coming to spend his money. In the last contest, I spent my personal money. Nobody gave me a kobo. I’m beginning to have the fear that, if we in Lokoja, continue to treat each other as we are presently doing in Lokoja, that our people will come with their money to seek political emancipation and promote Lokoja for a political course and office, as much as we keep denying them, that is how people will keep distancing themselves away, nobody will want to aspire because they will tell you, if you take your money to aspire in Lokoja, the boys will work against you. Should we live with that kind of mark. A mark where people will say don’t go to Lokoja and contest because your people will useless the aspiration. It is unfortunate that they boys we have impacted greatly are they ones castigating and antagonizing us for seeking to emancipate the area from political slavery. I challenge all those castigating us. It is most disheartening to know that they are the ones who have enjoyed our benevolence. I make bold to say that in the polling units where I won in the last election. It was the measure of impact I made in touching lives positively that gave me the victory. In all those places I won, I was giving them scholarships, water, health care and supporting them in my little way. So if anyone of them think it is there interest that made me deliver in their polling units, let them go and do it for any other person. It was what I gave for them to meet the needs of people around the unit that enabled them to deliver for me. I can assure you that if they mistakingly lose the opportunity of Zakari Ola, and they work against him as they are planning or thinking, it will be difficult for anybody in Lokoja to come and contest election again.
Q: What are the chances of Ustaz Zakari Abubakar Ola in this Senatorial contest?
We are looking at two things here. The contest of the Senatorial election, having gone in to it, requires the experience which I have gotten. I have been able to capture what the challenges are and what is required to win. I have been able to capture what it is to get it and relying on that experience. I have a lot of facts and figures that will enable him come out victorious. I know the political mentality of both the Okun and people of Lokoja, Koto. Putting all of these together, I can assure you that it will not be as difficult as they are making it to look. We have the experience and we know that by God’s grace, that is what we are relying upon and not any human being or individual. God willing and God on our side with the people who know our pedigree and antecedents, we will achieve the yearning and aspirations of our teeming support base across the district and come out victorious.
