The Emir of Kano, Lamido Muhammad Sanusi II, has stated that President Goodluck Jonathan lost the presidential election because of the mood of voters which was determined by the economic conditions and level of poverty across the country.
Sanusi expressed his opinion during an interview with a correspondent of The Punch on April 5, 2015.
According to the monarch, the voting showed that areas which had a high rate of poverty felt neglected by the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government over the years. He added that the poll results showed that the figures of the PDP in presidential elections from 1999 had continued to dwindle significantly.
“I think in 2011, it was very clear that Jonathan had lost many states in the North that had previously been won by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. And it was clear that there was a general sense by people of the Federal Government not investing in the areas where there is a high level of poverty.
“I believe more and more of those states began to feel that sense of not feeling the federal presence and not feeling the impact of democracy in their pockets and I think it is extremely important for people to connect with the government and when you have such conditions after 16 years of democracy, it was natural that people would want to have a change and I think this is basically what has happened.
“I don’t think it is something about an individual, I think it is something that has been going on for a number of years and you could see the states won by the PDP in 1999 and what they won in 2003, what they won in 2007, 2011 and you would begin to see the changes in the way Nigerians were responding so it was a matter of time,” he said.
The Emir, however, commended Goodluck Jonathan, the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Independent National Electoral Commission for conducting a credible election. He noted that change of leadership was good for democracy as it encouraged healthy competition.
“I think it is good for the country that you have different parties winning and if the APC performs, they get another term and if they don’t, they get voted out after four years and it is extremely important that this happens so let us not see it in terms of somebody losing,” he said.
The monarch also urged Buhari not to focus only on corruption but on other areas that required urgent government attention such as education, decaying infrastructure, diversifying the economy and fixing power.
Meanwhile, the president-elect has promised to handle state resources responsibly and honestly. While receiving a delegation from Katsina state that came to congratulate him, Buhari said that savings made by his anti-corruption policy would be directed to the education sector so as to empower Nigerians.
Sanusi expressed his opinion during an interview with a correspondent of The Punch on April 5, 2015.
According to the monarch, the voting showed that areas which had a high rate of poverty felt neglected by the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government over the years. He added that the poll results showed that the figures of the PDP in presidential elections from 1999 had continued to dwindle significantly.
“I think in 2011, it was very clear that Jonathan had lost many states in the North that had previously been won by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. And it was clear that there was a general sense by people of the Federal Government not investing in the areas where there is a high level of poverty.
“I believe more and more of those states began to feel that sense of not feeling the federal presence and not feeling the impact of democracy in their pockets and I think it is extremely important for people to connect with the government and when you have such conditions after 16 years of democracy, it was natural that people would want to have a change and I think this is basically what has happened.
“I don’t think it is something about an individual, I think it is something that has been going on for a number of years and you could see the states won by the PDP in 1999 and what they won in 2003, what they won in 2007, 2011 and you would begin to see the changes in the way Nigerians were responding so it was a matter of time,” he said.
The Emir, however, commended Goodluck Jonathan, the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Independent National Electoral Commission for conducting a credible election. He noted that change of leadership was good for democracy as it encouraged healthy competition.
“I think it is good for the country that you have different parties winning and if the APC performs, they get another term and if they don’t, they get voted out after four years and it is extremely important that this happens so let us not see it in terms of somebody losing,” he said.
The monarch also urged Buhari not to focus only on corruption but on other areas that required urgent government attention such as education, decaying infrastructure, diversifying the economy and fixing power.
Meanwhile, the president-elect has promised to handle state resources responsibly and honestly. While receiving a delegation from Katsina state that came to congratulate him, Buhari said that savings made by his anti-corruption policy would be directed to the education sector so as to empower Nigerians.
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