RIG AND DIE —SENATOR MAMMAN DANMUSA, EX-DEPUTY SENATE PRESIDENT / CPC CHIEFTAIN

As a new party, how far can CPC go in 2011?
It is true that CPC is a new party but we people-oriented party, we are committed to transform Nigeria into a better society. This is our principled stand. However, we don't expect easy walk over because we know the formidable forces before us but we know, as history has shown, that people who are ready to transform their society and they are genuine and sincere, ultimately, will succeed.

I can assure everyone that whatever money they can give people from what they are stealing will not affect the fortunes of the CPC. One can see the hand of God, how confused the PDP has become from the ward level to the national level. What this means is that the days of the PDP in power are numbered.

The PDP is fast losing credibility because of the utterances of some of the stooges who want to remain relevant regarding the zoning system. We will exploit their un-faithfulness because everybody knows that our leader, General Muhammad Buhari (rtd), is a credible man, he is someone whose words can be trusted.

I identify with Buhari because he is somebody whom I have come to know as a true leader. He is somebody who has the capacity and the moral courage to really move this country forward. His impeccable credentials is an advantage to CPC.

With the release of the 2011 election timetable by INEC, how is CPC preparing?

Maurice Iwu had released election timetable, not INEC. Up till now, INEC has not produced any timetable for the 2011 elections. We are preparing quietly.

But we know, take it from me, that Nigerian people will not accept what happened in 2007 to repeat itself in 2011. Nigerian people, especially the so-called downtrodden, are suffering and they are ready to confront anybody who wants to toy with their future and wellbeing again. And if anybody thinks that it is an empty threat, let them prepare to repeat what they had done in 2007, they will see.

What would be your advice to the electorate in 2011?

We are mobilizing. This time we are not going covert. Anybody who rings election, they should just kill him. They should not allow him. The vote of the people must count this time around. If people are not determined to suffer to make progress, they are useless. They are not human beings.

Had the blacks in South Africa behaved the way Nigerians are behaving, the blacks will not be in the position of responsibility today. Had the blacks in America believed that because their forefathers were slaves, they are inferior, they would never rule America. You would not have Barack Obama today as president of the United States of America.

That was as a result of the struggle led by Rev Martin Luther King Jnr on July 28, 1963 at Montemogory where he made the audacious statement that he had a dream that one day all Americans will be regarded as equal irrespective of the colour of their skin. That dream has come to pass because Obama is now the President of America. So, unless Nigerians rise up, we may not get there.

We have the potentials to be truly great. I was in India recently, they are too poor but they have well-established institutions which are working and the people are really hard working. We can make it if we have responsible leadership. Within months, you can recall Nigerians in diaspora, create enabling environment, ask them to come with their capital and know-how plus soft loans to establish companies, I can bet that within one year Nigeria will be a different story. Because wherever you go in the world, you will see Nigerians excelling. It is very unfortunate.