Reply To A Rejoinder on Dr Aminu Salihu Yakudima’s Article: Political sabotage and the rendering of PDP comatose during the 2023 presidential election in Borno
Attention: Mr Usman Mohammed,
I appreciate your ability to take the time to write a rejoinder against Dr. Aminu Salihu Yakudima’s article. However, your rejoinder was empty and based on character assassination. For proper guidance, It is important to engage in constructive dialogue and address different perspectives in a respectful manner especially while dealing with national issues, involving elder statesmen like Dr. Aminu Yakudima and other party leaders and on financial matters pertaining to government or PDP as a political party.
In your rejoinder, you accused Dr. Yakudima of raising baseless accusations, blackmail, and lack of objectivity. Also, you accused him of bad intentions to smear and extort, rather than to seek accountability and good governance. You also criticise him for allegedly being absent from his hometown and for his supposed lack of political value and knowledge of the party executives in his ward.
While you express your disagreement with Dr. Yakudima’s views, which are all unfounded and bullshit. It is important to address the specific points he raised with counter-arguments supported by evidence. Simply dismissing his claims as baseless without providing any evidence to the contrary is not an effective way to address the concerns raised. When someone raises concerns, it is important to understand what they have to say, understand their point of view, and then provide evidence to support your own position. If you dismiss the concerns without providing any evidence, this is only proving that the concerns raised are true. In this case, there is nothing untrue in all what Dr. Yakudima said in the article.
You mention the achievements and contributions of Senator Sanusi Daggash, Mr. Nicholas Mischeliza, Hon Kolo Bukar, and the State Party Chairman, Alhaji Zanna Gaddama Mustapha. It is helpful to highlight their positive contributions to the party and the community. However, it is also important to address the specific allegations made by Dr. Aminu Salihu Yakudima, such as the misappropriation of campaign funds, diversion of money into private bank accounts, and the neglect of party agents and canvassers during the elections, etc. Providing facts to refute these allegations would help strengthen your argument than advertising their CV and contributions.
Due to time and no space, I will provide a short overview of Dr. Aminu Salihu Yakudima’s political profile and contributions to Nigerian democracy, political development at the national level, Borno State, and the PDP as a political party.
Dr. Aminu Yakudima is no doubt a seasoned political administrator, leader, and skilled politician. He held significant positions within the PDP and another political party before the PDP era in Nigeria, serving five different National Chairmen of the PDP, which is a unique achievement.
He played a fundamental role as a founding member and pioneer National Director of Intelligence and Security of the PDP at its National Secretariat, Abuja from 1998 to 1999. He became the second National Administrative Secretary of the Party, after Alhaji Aliyu Habu Fari, former Minister of Transport. Subsequently, from February 2000 to December 2002, Dr. Aminu Yakudima served as the first National Director of Administration of the PDP. In 2001, he was appointed Secretary of the committee responsible for relocating the PDP National Secretariat to its present location at Wadata Plaza in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. This move facilitated the proper furnishing and equipping of the Secretariat, with Dr. Aminu personally overseeing the office partitioning and allocation to both principal officers and management staff.
From 2002 to 2008, Dr. Aminu Yakudima served as the Special Assistant (Political) in the Office of the Special Adviser on political matters to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON, the former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the PDP.
In 2010, Dr. Aminu Yakudima was appointed Chief of Staff to the former National Chairman of the PDP, His Excellency Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo. Again, in 2014, he assumed the role of Director General (DG) of House To House Campaign For Democracy, a prominent political support organization for the presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR. He also served as an advisor and member of the media and publicity committee of the Campaign Organization at Legacy House in Abuja.
During the 2019 PDP Presidential Campaign, Dr. Aminu Salihu Yakudima was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Strategic Communication Committee of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organization. He also served as the Secretary of a Special Media Committee.
In the 2023 PDP Presidential Campaign, Dr. Aminu Yakudima was assigned the special responsibility of appearing on TV and participating in radio discussions in Abuja and Kano. He also continued to be a member of the PCC in Borno State.
Given Dr. Aminu Salihu Yakudima’s notable political contributions, it would be challenging to recount the history of the PDP without mentioning his name.
Furthermore, you presented election result data from previous years to argue that the party’s performance has improved in the recent presidential elections. While this may be true, your data analysis was very wrong and it does not directly address the concerns raised by Dr. Yakudima regarding the conduct of the February 25, 2023, presidential elections in Borno State. I want to draw your attention to the fact that PDP didn’t win any election in Borno including the presidential and does not have any elected representative, not even a councellor. The only House of Representatives won was the collective effort of a few stakeholders from Southern Borno whom we respect personally and know how it was won.
In conclusion, it is crucial to engage in a respectful discussion based on facts, evidence, and proper dialogue when addressing different opinions and submissions. By addressing the specific points raised and providing evidence to support your arguments, you can contribute to a more productive and constructive conversation.
These are my advice and guide to a young man and unprofessional like you.
By Umar Ali Umar, Member PCC Borno State.
