By David Lawani, Abuja
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, says the position of deputy governors, as provided for in Nigeria’s constitution, is controversial.
According to him, there is nowhere a deputy will not be needed, except God who doesn’t need a deputy because everybody is his servant.
Ganduje stated this yesterday when he received his former deputy governor colleagues in Nigeria led by their chairman and a former deputy governor of Abia State, Chris Akomas, who paid him a congratulatory visit, at the party’s national secretariat.
According to him, there is no doubt the position of the deputy governor is the most controversial in governance, not only in Nigeria but all over the world, except in some nations whereby some governors contest on the strength of their party, while the deputy contest in another party; and if they win the election, they can work together.
The APC national chair said, “In Nigeria, it has to be the same ticket. The position of deputy governor, as I always say, is the most controversial. That is why God has no deputy. Everybody is a servant. It is a no-go area.
“But, for us as humans, the constitution has to provide for it as a spare tyre. And we all know the importance of a spare tyre. If you don’t need it when you are normal, then you will need it when you are in trouble.
“Deputy Governors will have to contend with one issue; the issue of sycophancy. As I always say, it is very easy to get it right as far as his boss is concerned. What I was trying to say was that our position was faced with difficulties.
“When you are walking with a governor, if you are walking so that you are going side-by-side so that if he talks to you that you can hear him, and you talk to him, he can hear you. Sycophants will say you are rubbish and all that.
“If you are in the front and there is any accident, or dangerous elements, even snakes, and let it bite you first before biting, your principal sycophants will say you have overtaken him. If you respect your principal and you stay behind, let him go ahead, sycophants will say you are developing a lukewarm attitude.
“Therefore, you are retreating. Now, tell me which position will you take? It is difficult. That is why I decided to write a book. Even up till now, that problem is still on. If it persists, we are trying to organise a national conference on the relationship between the governors and their deputies.
“My book is not dwelling on governors and deputies, and even including the President and Vice President, considering what happened between Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar. I focused on deputising because in everything you have deputising. So, I said deputising and governance in Nigeria.”
Ganduje added, “If you are a chancellor, you have a vice-chancellor or deputy vice-chancellor. If you have a managing director, you will have a deputy managing director. If you are a principal, you have a vice principal. You can see that it is the concept that is important, not the key people that are there,” he said.
