Dame Pauline Tallen is a former Minister of State for Science and
Technology and former deputy governor of Plateau State. She bares her
mind on governance in Plateau under former Governor Jonah Jang and what
to expect from President Muhammadu Buhari, among other issues. She spoke
with select journalists and Ruth Choji was there.
How has life been after being the deputy governor of Plateau?
Beautiful. I had time to rest and reflect. I also had time to take stock of all I have been through. I have had time to thank God and praise him for surviving the storm because what I went through was not palatable.
Towards the end of your first tenure, there were crises between you and Governor Jang that led you to contest for his position. What actually happened?
I used to think before we got to office that Jang was a fair and just man. He claimed to be a reverend. I thought with his age, he would be fair and just and will do well so that he would leave a good legacy. Little did I know that he had his personal agenda which was not for the good of the state, but for himself, his family and cronies. But as I talk to you, I have close friends from Du (Jang’s village) who don’t want to hear his name and are not close to him.
I believed in him to the extent that I went out of my way such that as a serving minister under the PDP government, I met then president Obasanjo and told him that I was working to support Jang under ANPP instead of my party, the PDP’s candidate. It got to the point where the president said, “all the elders in Plateau are not supporting Jang except you, what about you, don’t you want to be governor”? I said ‘‘No. I believe in fairness and justice. In my zone, Solomon Lar was the first civilian governor after which Tapgun came, so my zone and the central zone which Dariye came from have had their chance, but the northern zone has not ruled. Let’s give them a chance so that they can have a sense of fairness’’.
Obasanjo said, ‘‘Is Sango not from the northern part’’? I insisted that Jang be given the chance. You know that Plateau is a multi-cultural state. How can Jang from one tribe want to lord it over others? If one is to unveil the appointments in the state, you will know that Jang was not fair. It is not even the whole Berom that enjoyed his tenure; some were not included except his cronies and families. Look at the road networks, they are concentrated in the northern zone. He started the injustice a year after we got into office. He is cunning just like a chameleon.
Do you have any regret serving in Jang administration?
The regret is that he did not listen to me for us to fulfil the promises we made to the people. At the same time, I thank God that I stood for justice and what I believed in. I did my best but when he didn’t listen, I had to do what I did. Some asked me why I did not resign. I told them that it wasn’t an appointment; it was a joint mandate. I have the same rights with him and I knew my rights. I believe in fighting and when it was time to contest, he didn’t want to carry me along, so I contested. Besides, it was impossible to work with him. He wouldn’t let me into his office and his aides would stop me whenever I wanted to see him. So, I went to pick the form at the PDP secretariat for the governorship. I was convinced if there was a free and fair primary, I would defeat him. But the governor cornered the president. I was a member of NEC and BoT in the PDP. If Jang is coming for a meeting, as the only deputy governor that was in NEC, I also attend. Jang forgot how I put my job on the line as a minister under PDP to support him while he was in ANPP.
You contested for the governorship and you claim you won. What happened to your mandate?
I did not lose that election. If everything was free and fair, I would have been sworn in. The results were upturned. My facts are clear. We went to the tribunal, and Jang’s witnesses testified in my favour. The day they were to announce the results, a directive came from above that they should announce that the results were not ready until the following day. They came to the court with armoured tank. The chairman of the tribunal announced the result and was flown out of Jos immediately.
How did the APC win the governorship election in Plateau, in the last election, knowing how strong the PDP is in the state?
It was God. I believe in retributive justice. Jang and PDP played God and they are not God. It was because we wanted justice which was why we gave Jang the ticket in the first place. I went on my knees to beg Obasanjo to give him that ticket because the northern zone had not been given a chance. So, it was because of zoning that Jang became governor. So, why was it that after eight years, he didn’t want someone from the southern zone to be governor? They said I was bad, ambitious and called me all manner of names. I left after four years. He picked somebody from my zone whom everyone knows is quiet and humble unlike me that is outspoken. I went to the Labour Party because seven of us left the PDP with an agreement to support Mr President on the understanding that he will not interfere in the Plateau election, unfortunately, he too is not a man of his words. President Jonathan betrayed us because he interfered with the elections. But we prayed and God vindicated all the people that cried for justice. Jang fought me and said that I went to Labour Party and will remain there and will never give birth, but thank God, after four years, God has made my nephew the governor of the state. I have given birth to a governor; Lalong is my nephew and he is the governor. If he said I was bad, what is wrong with his new deputy governor who wanted to be governor? He refused to give him the seat. So, Jang is not a democrat. He is a Pharaoh. He didn’t just go and bring any Berom, he went and brought his nephew to be governor but God frustrated his plans.
Are you satisfied with the number of women that won elections in the 2015 general elections?
My heart bleeds with the performance of women, but I am not blaming any woman that lost election; it was a gross gang-up against womanhood. PDP was a big party and everybody was there; it was injustice that caused the downfall of the party and it was the same injustice that denied women their rights. It was money politics. The few women that managed to emerge and made it was just by the grace of God. Senator Aisha Alhassan did very well but they ganged up against her and used all kinds of false allegations against her. They brought in religion like they did to me in 2011. I was blackmailed that I loved the Muslims too much and that if I am made a governor, I will sell the state to the Muslims. I am a Christian and I am proud to be a Catholic, but again, I don’t treat people based on religion. The religion I know is love. If you have love in your heart, then you are a true Christian. For anybody to use religion to blackmail or work against others is wrong. I pray that we will stop using religion in politics. So, the last election was money-based politics and God wanted to humble those who played Him.
With the way women are treated during elections, do you think Nigeria can ever produce a female president?
Is anything impossible with God? Did anybody believe that Jonathan would not come back? When the time comes just like it came now and Buhari won the presidency, nothing will stop it. Even the Plateau Senatorial seat, we won it but Jang upturned it. We are now in tribunal. By the grace of God, Eunice Ayisa Sambo will get her seat back. Jang did not win that election, he stole our mandate. What used to happen in the past will not happen in this administration. Jang refused to use the card readers in the three senatorial zones of Plateau State : Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi. They also did not use the PVC; they used the temporary voters’ cards and local voting. We have all our facts and I am sure that very soon, we will get our mandate. We need good representation at the National Assembly and Ayisa will get that seat.
Were you surprised when it was announced that Buhari was leading in the presidential elections
I wasn’t surprised; I was sure that Buhari would win and that was why I moved to the APC. I received Buhari in January in Jos and I was happy with the response of our people. When I moved to the APC, my slogan in 2011 was ‘‘change’’, so it was like a prophecy and God saw that, from the bottom of my heart, I was crying for a change and so, He answered by giving my nephew the seat.
What does the victory of Buhari and the APC tell you about Nigerian politics?
It shows that power is from God, not your money. There was so much impunity in this country by those in power and a good leader must be humble. This is the first time in Nigeria that a serving president was unseated. God saw that Buhari was sincere and has the fear of God and I believe that Buhari will shock Nigeria for good. Good governance is the only thing that can unite Nigeria. Love disarms anything and if we can learn to love each other, we will be united again. Nigeria is blessed.
Beautiful. I had time to rest and reflect. I also had time to take stock of all I have been through. I have had time to thank God and praise him for surviving the storm because what I went through was not palatable.
Towards the end of your first tenure, there were crises between you and Governor Jang that led you to contest for his position. What actually happened?
I used to think before we got to office that Jang was a fair and just man. He claimed to be a reverend. I thought with his age, he would be fair and just and will do well so that he would leave a good legacy. Little did I know that he had his personal agenda which was not for the good of the state, but for himself, his family and cronies. But as I talk to you, I have close friends from Du (Jang’s village) who don’t want to hear his name and are not close to him.
I believed in him to the extent that I went out of my way such that as a serving minister under the PDP government, I met then president Obasanjo and told him that I was working to support Jang under ANPP instead of my party, the PDP’s candidate. It got to the point where the president said, “all the elders in Plateau are not supporting Jang except you, what about you, don’t you want to be governor”? I said ‘‘No. I believe in fairness and justice. In my zone, Solomon Lar was the first civilian governor after which Tapgun came, so my zone and the central zone which Dariye came from have had their chance, but the northern zone has not ruled. Let’s give them a chance so that they can have a sense of fairness’’.
Obasanjo said, ‘‘Is Sango not from the northern part’’? I insisted that Jang be given the chance. You know that Plateau is a multi-cultural state. How can Jang from one tribe want to lord it over others? If one is to unveil the appointments in the state, you will know that Jang was not fair. It is not even the whole Berom that enjoyed his tenure; some were not included except his cronies and families. Look at the road networks, they are concentrated in the northern zone. He started the injustice a year after we got into office. He is cunning just like a chameleon.
Do you have any regret serving in Jang administration?
The regret is that he did not listen to me for us to fulfil the promises we made to the people. At the same time, I thank God that I stood for justice and what I believed in. I did my best but when he didn’t listen, I had to do what I did. Some asked me why I did not resign. I told them that it wasn’t an appointment; it was a joint mandate. I have the same rights with him and I knew my rights. I believe in fighting and when it was time to contest, he didn’t want to carry me along, so I contested. Besides, it was impossible to work with him. He wouldn’t let me into his office and his aides would stop me whenever I wanted to see him. So, I went to pick the form at the PDP secretariat for the governorship. I was convinced if there was a free and fair primary, I would defeat him. But the governor cornered the president. I was a member of NEC and BoT in the PDP. If Jang is coming for a meeting, as the only deputy governor that was in NEC, I also attend. Jang forgot how I put my job on the line as a minister under PDP to support him while he was in ANPP.
You contested for the governorship and you claim you won. What happened to your mandate?
I did not lose that election. If everything was free and fair, I would have been sworn in. The results were upturned. My facts are clear. We went to the tribunal, and Jang’s witnesses testified in my favour. The day they were to announce the results, a directive came from above that they should announce that the results were not ready until the following day. They came to the court with armoured tank. The chairman of the tribunal announced the result and was flown out of Jos immediately.
How did the APC win the governorship election in Plateau, in the last election, knowing how strong the PDP is in the state?
It was God. I believe in retributive justice. Jang and PDP played God and they are not God. It was because we wanted justice which was why we gave Jang the ticket in the first place. I went on my knees to beg Obasanjo to give him that ticket because the northern zone had not been given a chance. So, it was because of zoning that Jang became governor. So, why was it that after eight years, he didn’t want someone from the southern zone to be governor? They said I was bad, ambitious and called me all manner of names. I left after four years. He picked somebody from my zone whom everyone knows is quiet and humble unlike me that is outspoken. I went to the Labour Party because seven of us left the PDP with an agreement to support Mr President on the understanding that he will not interfere in the Plateau election, unfortunately, he too is not a man of his words. President Jonathan betrayed us because he interfered with the elections. But we prayed and God vindicated all the people that cried for justice. Jang fought me and said that I went to Labour Party and will remain there and will never give birth, but thank God, after four years, God has made my nephew the governor of the state. I have given birth to a governor; Lalong is my nephew and he is the governor. If he said I was bad, what is wrong with his new deputy governor who wanted to be governor? He refused to give him the seat. So, Jang is not a democrat. He is a Pharaoh. He didn’t just go and bring any Berom, he went and brought his nephew to be governor but God frustrated his plans.
Are you satisfied with the number of women that won elections in the 2015 general elections?
My heart bleeds with the performance of women, but I am not blaming any woman that lost election; it was a gross gang-up against womanhood. PDP was a big party and everybody was there; it was injustice that caused the downfall of the party and it was the same injustice that denied women their rights. It was money politics. The few women that managed to emerge and made it was just by the grace of God. Senator Aisha Alhassan did very well but they ganged up against her and used all kinds of false allegations against her. They brought in religion like they did to me in 2011. I was blackmailed that I loved the Muslims too much and that if I am made a governor, I will sell the state to the Muslims. I am a Christian and I am proud to be a Catholic, but again, I don’t treat people based on religion. The religion I know is love. If you have love in your heart, then you are a true Christian. For anybody to use religion to blackmail or work against others is wrong. I pray that we will stop using religion in politics. So, the last election was money-based politics and God wanted to humble those who played Him.
With the way women are treated during elections, do you think Nigeria can ever produce a female president?
Is anything impossible with God? Did anybody believe that Jonathan would not come back? When the time comes just like it came now and Buhari won the presidency, nothing will stop it. Even the Plateau Senatorial seat, we won it but Jang upturned it. We are now in tribunal. By the grace of God, Eunice Ayisa Sambo will get her seat back. Jang did not win that election, he stole our mandate. What used to happen in the past will not happen in this administration. Jang refused to use the card readers in the three senatorial zones of Plateau State : Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi. They also did not use the PVC; they used the temporary voters’ cards and local voting. We have all our facts and I am sure that very soon, we will get our mandate. We need good representation at the National Assembly and Ayisa will get that seat.
Were you surprised when it was announced that Buhari was leading in the presidential elections
I wasn’t surprised; I was sure that Buhari would win and that was why I moved to the APC. I received Buhari in January in Jos and I was happy with the response of our people. When I moved to the APC, my slogan in 2011 was ‘‘change’’, so it was like a prophecy and God saw that, from the bottom of my heart, I was crying for a change and so, He answered by giving my nephew the seat.
What does the victory of Buhari and the APC tell you about Nigerian politics?
It shows that power is from God, not your money. There was so much impunity in this country by those in power and a good leader must be humble. This is the first time in Nigeria that a serving president was unseated. God saw that Buhari was sincere and has the fear of God and I believe that Buhari will shock Nigeria for good. Good governance is the only thing that can unite Nigeria. Love disarms anything and if we can learn to love each other, we will be united again. Nigeria is blessed.
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