‘He Gave Tinubu an Agenda’ – Naja’atu Speaks on Buhari, Atiku, El-Rufai

Hajiya Najatu Muhammad, former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has revealed five secrets about the incumbent administration and APC’s bid to remain in power with an Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency.

Recall that the Kano-based politician dumped APC and resigned from her position as the Director of the Civil Society directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council last weekend.

Naja’atu has since been revealing some plots and agenda of the APC administration, making comments capable of watering down the candidacy of Tinubu ahead of the February 25th presidential election, Naija News reports.

Below are Naja’atu’s assertions about APC, Buhari, Tinubu And Governor El-Rufai ahead of the 2023 elections:

Buhari Freed The Biggest Thieves

Featuring on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Naja’atu asserted that President Buhari has failed to fulfil his promises to the people of Nigeria. According to her, Buhari, while seeking election years ago, promised to deal with corruption, and insecurity, improve the country’s agriculture sector and give Nigerians an enabling environment to conduct their businesses.

Naja’atu said it was unfortunate that the Katsina State man has backed out from his promises as he has freed the biggest thieves in the country under his watch.

When asked to elaborate on her point, Naja’atu said Buhari’s administration is the most corrupt today, even when compared to military and civilian rule.

She was asked if she had some facts about her claims considering that the President has assured Nigerians that he is fighting corruption more than any other government.

“Who did he fight? Even recently, he pardoned some of the biggest thieves we had in Nigeria,” Naja’atu asked.

When asked if she was referring to former governors, she resounded yes. She said: “Yes, of course. Why should he do that? You hear as billions stolen by a particular individual, and the story goes under the carpet. Right now, we are hearing of trillions missing.”

Speaking on the 2023 presidency and her decision to dump the APC, Naja’atu said though the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, had spoken to her first for support, Tinubu, however, convinced her.

The former APC chieftain said Tinubu has been saying he will build on Buhari’s legacy. She questioned the interviewer about what it was with Buhari’s government that the former Governor of Lagos State wanted to build on.

Responding to the question on who convinced her to be part of Tinubu’s campaign team earlier, Naja’atu said: “He – Asiwaju convinced me.”

She added: “Well, you see, as a Muslim, I rejected the appointment ab-initio. When they called me for it, I said I didn’t want it.”

Speaking on the fact that some people are bribing their way to get such appointments, the politician said: “I don’t need it, why should I? What is it, I am 66 years old, and at 66, what do I want? What do I need? All I need is the legacy I am leaving behind that will serve me in my grave.

“When I rejected the appointment, he called me to say that they had given me the directorate of civil services, and I told them I didn’t want it, so he said, please accept it:I said no. He said why are you not accepting it? I said because Asiwaju knows me, he knows where I am; he didn’t call me to tell me. You are telling me to say that my name will be out tomorrow; I don’t want it.

“So we agreed that I would see Asiwaju but let me allow them for the list that was coming up the next day because it can’t wait. But if, after sitting with Asiwaju, I feel unsatisfied, I can opt-out. For that reason, if you’d noticed, in my name, there were two names; a director and a co-director, and they were right to have done that.

“So I went to London to see Asiwaju the very next day, and I sat with him, and he first apologised that he didn’t call me based on that, and I said, sir, I refused to accept your appointment because you haven’t told me nor have you told Nigerians what you have for us up North.”

When asked to speak further on their discussion, she said: “Yes, and he told me point blank. I said sir, what do you have in your blueprint for us up North? He said he doesn’t have a blueprint.”

Naja’atu was asked if Tinubu meant he had a Nigerian blueprint or what, and she said, “No, he said he doesn’t. I said what do you have for us up North? He said nothing. This is what Asiwaju told me.”

When asked if there were some people while they were having such a discussion, she responded with yes, saying: “Yes, there was Baba Bisi Akande, and then I felt very bad, and I said, how can you go and rule without a blueprint, I am quoting him verbatim, he said, “I will not have a blueprint until I win the election because I will be stepping on too many toes and they will try to destroy me.” But then he said, “If you have anything for the north that you want me to put in my manifesto, then I will take it and put it on my manifesto.

“I felt bad, but I had to be patient. So I went back, and I sat with one of my leaders, and we came up with a couple of things that include the almajiri problem, the question of agriculture, the question of out-of-school kids, the question of how to tackle our sea of youths, able-bodied men and women doing nothing in northern Nigeria; how to engage them. I wrote these things, and it took me just about a week while I was still in London.”