- Safiu Kehinde
Zainab Galadima, daughter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) Chieftain, Buba Galadima, has talked down chances of President Bola Tinubu earning northerners votes at the 2027 General election.
She stressing that the election will be Tinubu’s toughest battle.
Galadima stated this while speaking during MicOn Podcast session hosted by Channels TV’s presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, on Saturday.
NPO Reported that prior to the release of the full interview, the former Presidential aide had warned Tinubu of an impending storm coming from the North ahead of the election.
She had raised concern over the new African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition party which, according to her, will require Tinubu’s whole army to overcome the new party.
“They have to bring all their army. I am afraid of the storm coming. There is a storm coming.” Galadima had said.
Speak further on the chances of Tinubu gaining the northerners votes, Zainab Galadima held that the President’s chances are slim and likely below 30 percent.
“Honestly, I don’t have good reviews. It’s really bad. Maybe 30 percent or less. It’s going to be the toughest battle he has ever seen.
“Because this coalition, as much as I don’t really understand what they are doing, when I saw them I was like oh. Anybody that see them must be like oh we need to sit up.” She said.
As earlier reported, the daughter of Buba Galadima, the renown APC critic, had also stepped in her father’s shoes to slam the ruling party, stressing that they were never ready for governance.
She disclosed that the APC is full of cabals while alleging that Tinubu’s cabinet is filled with mostly incompetent appointees.
Prior to that, Galadima expressed her disappointment with Tinubu’s policies which she described as insensitive.
“A little bit I am. Truly I am. Because I feel like if policy is going to be introduced that will affect the people, there should be something at place before that policy is being taken up.
“You can’t just give birth to a child and the child will start running. There are processes. They start sitting, crawling, before they start the one step two steps and running.
“You can’t just remove something from people. That is a bit difficult. I think it is insensitive.
“Everybody has a cabal. I thought APC was really ready for victory. They do not know how to manage victory. And I don’t think we are ready for governance.” Galadima said.
She however maintained that the shortfalls of the policies can be fixed providing that competent hands are brought on board.
This raised the question of the competency of the Tinubu’s cabinet.
Galadima alleged that most of the cabinet members are incompetent.
“They can if they want to. They should get experts, people that knows the job. During Buhari, sometimes I know who is who. If they said somebody is a Minister, I’ll be like oh he’s a Minister? Because you don’t even know them and what did they do.
“And if you ask them, they will complain that there’s no funding, there’s no money. So, they can’t do anything.
“Most of them don’t know their jobs. Maybe out of the Ministers, maybe only four. I think it’s just a waste.” She said.
Comparing Tinubu’s cabinet with that of former President, Muhammadu Buhari, Galadima held that the latter’s cabinet member are more independent and well funded.
“Buhari’s cabinet and Tinubu’s cabinet are more or less the same. But Buhari’s people has more money and independence.
“The moment you go to their midst (Tinubu’s cabinet) and be like this will be good, they will be like we can’t really do anything. And really they are not doing anything.” She said.
While decrying economic hardship in the country, Galadima revealed the challenges attached to governance which according to her can only be understood by those in power.
“Things are really hard, especially now. Every morning you open your phone and see people asking for help just to feed for the next meal.
“If you are not in the position of power, you will never understand. But when you go in, you will understand the real damage. And there are some forces, for example if you really want to make a change, there are some forces that are going to pull you down-even within us.
“For example now you bring policies that will ease expensive living conditions of Nigerians, but somebody somewhere will decide or no, what’s my cut? What do I need to get in it? What do I have to benefit?
“We fail to understand that anything that happens to person A in the north or in Bama will still affect the person in Anambra. So any the decision that we make that is against the people will always come back to haunt us.” She said.
Galadima vowed not to make promises to the people if she runs for post as she disclosed the dynamism of governance when people gets to power.
“You see people screaming I’m for the people, once they get there, you will be asking, is this the same person that I used to know? Nigeria is a very funny country. So that’s why it’s hard to believe someone coming with any project, that I am this, I will take you out of the trenches. Na lie.
“If I’m going to run for office, I will never make promises. You have to make campaign but there’s a way you can make promises because when you get there, it’s completely different.” She said.
The ex-Presidential aide described government as a terrible place as she recounted her ordeal while being a councillor.
She warned of an impending storm from the North on account of the economic hardship.
“Government is a terrible place. Just councillor that I was, they messed me up.
“During Buhari’s time they broke my windscreen. They said you promised us but now you are enjoying inside car.
“Before when you stop at traffic light, you will see them begging, now they will knock on your window and snatch whatever it is that you have.
“Even if you think it doesn’t affect me, it’s coming. I am afraid of the storm that is coming. People will think that it is the North, they don’t go to school. If it blows up in the north, Nigeria is gone. So, we have to fix it.” She said.
She added that the APC has over time a difficult name to bear in public with gradual loss of influence in the North.
“Let me tell you there was reconciliation meeting we did with the APC members. I swear to God, I only saw one APC cap.
“People went there as APC people but they did not go there for the government. They went there for the reconciliation so that they can see how relevant they can be.” She said.
“People are even scared.”