By Dickson Okafor
Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo-Okom, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State and former Chief Whip of the state House of Assembly, has warned those he called enemies of Nigeria to leave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government alone to fix myriad of problems he inherited, saying the administration do not need any distractions now.
He also spoke on other issues of interest.
Excerpts:
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdulahi Ganduje has warned those he called billionaires vying for the ticket of the party for the governorship election in Anambra State not to use their billions to destroy APC in the state, do you foresee a level playing ground for the primary in your party?
Definitely, the problem of election irregularities has been with us in Nigeria at various levels from time immemorial. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used to be like APC at the national level. Some years ago, when the former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam came to conduct party primaries for PDP in Anambra State, he lamented about Anambra billionaires. Today, as you just quoted the National Chairman of APC, Ganduje, he has also lamented about Anambra billionaires. So, it is not a thing of today. And based on that, in 2021 party primaries, the Anambra billionaires were also around. What was the outcome for party in 2021? APC had no primary in 2021. So, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. The National Chairman should not be lamenting, but he should mandate the National Working Committee to work out how to navigate a transparent primary in Anambra State.
There is nothing anybody can do to stop billionaires from contesting elections even in the recent United States of America, President Donald Trump won and many of his supporters were billionaires. So, the party at the centre should go by the rules and by the constitution and by the guidelines, ignore and resist vote buying.
But the problem of APC is not the issue of these billionaires, but the impunity that is imposed on the Anambra chapter of the party by the national leaders of the ruling party. As I speak with you, one faction of the party is in charge of affairs in Anambra State against the valid judgment in favour of a faction. And the party leaders are not making any effort to bring the two factions together, rather, they allow those they prefer their faces to be in charge because they don’t like the other party members.
So, who is valid executive of APC in Anambra State, today? This is contained in the judgment by the Apex Court and APC carried on as if nothing is happening. The National Chairman can do a lot about it by bringing the two parties together and get them harmonized. So, with that, it will be clear that APC in Anambra State knows that there is electoral contest ahead.
Are you saying that if the issue of which executive of the party is in charge, is not resolved, it may affect the chances of APC in the November gubernatorial election in Anambra State?
Definitely, the structure of the party on ground in Anambra State today is a structure of a failed governorship candidate in the past. What magic will he do in the November governorship election? They are gathering of charlatans who are chasing money around who don’t even believe in validity of who they are following. And this information is well known at the centre, it is well known to the NWC and this exactly what Ganduje was pointing at. When 13 out of 14 aspirants were not allowed to contest in the process that produced the governorship candidate of the party in 2021, what did the APC leadership, both in Anambra and at the federal level do?
What is your take on Governor Charles Soludo’s Anambra Homeland Security law?
The measures and actions of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo in setting up the security outfit called ‘Agunechemba’ and the law supporting it, are all right step in the right direction. They are long overdue. Our people have clamoured for it and Governor Soludo I know chose to do something about it. And as he has eventually established a security outfit known as “Udi GA-ACHI” some people have turned around to condemn it.
Maybe because it came up late. What do you think?
First and foremost, let me respond to the position of the traditional religious practitioners or herbalists. You know, I have not responded to the question you earlier asked. The problem of our society is lack of trust, mutual or general motive and suspicion of government policies. Otherwise, you can always see that because of lack trust they suspect the motives. And some of those suspicions are mischievous. How do you reconcile this with the view that why would he set up a security outfit few months to the governorship election? When earlier people said he didn’t want to establish security outfit because he wants to scare potential challengers away. Now, even party primaries have not been held and the campaigns are not on yet, and he is putting up security for anyone who wants to run for the governorship seat to come home and feel free. And they are saying that he should have done that earlier. Do you want it to be done in a way that it will fail or you don’t want the governor to plan before he does something so that it will succeed? These are the issues and all these things are coming from people with mere political motives. And it is neither here or there. The governor is on top of the game.
Nigerians are waiting for the impending coalition or merger of opposition parties that will dislodge the APC in 2027 presidential election. Do you see APC being defeated like PDP in 2015?
As a politician and a partisan one, the tendency is always to insist that your own political party is doing well and should continue to win elections. But as a concern citizen of this country, I believe and I am convinced that if our electoral system does not guarantee loss of election by an unpopular candidate, this country will never be good. So, let the electoral process guarantee a process that ensures that the people the electorate wants are winners of elections. When that is the case, then, you can be sure that when you have a credible government in place, the fear of the electorate is the beginning of development, progress and the beginning of growth of any country. The fear of the electorate will make the government officials to be on their toes in order to convince the electorate to vote for them again. But if the place of the electorate is zero in a democratic system or have no say or voice in who wins election, what is then the motive for the government in power to aspire to be retained? I don’t want be selfish because I’m a member of APC that is in power, therefore, we must keep winning without meeting the needs of the electorate, no!
Let INEC implement electoral reforms, let it evolve and guarantee that no matter how strong and powerful you are, only the electorate will determine your fate in an election. Like in America, we know how desperate former President Joe Biden was to have Kamala Harris to succeed him, even former President Barrack Obama, we knew how desperate he was to have Clinton succeed him, but he didn’t make it. even President Donald Trump, we knew how desperate he was four years ago to continue in his second tenure as President of the United States, but he couldn’t convince Americans and he lost in 2020. When can we have such in Nigeria? If we have it, we can then talk about development. So, this talk about coalition or merger of opposition parties to dethrone APC in 2027 should not be a source of concern to us. The greed in those parties will not allow them to forge a solid merger. I heard Rotimi Amaechi said that Nigerians, especially youths must be ready to die before they can change any government. It is pity to hear someone of his caliber say such a thing. Therefore, the opposition parties and power seekers should allow President Tinubu to fix the poor economy he inherited.
The ruling APC’s internal crisis is now in the open. Don’t you see it as an indictment on APC leadership?
I don’t take Nasir El-Rufai seriously in his utterances, it is political posturing. El-Rufai was on record or captured in an audio video that trend some time ago making some damaging statements on politics and religion. Maybe he has swept them under the carpet now. What is that will make us take El-Rufai seriously now by his utterances? Nothing!
But he has been helping the APC to win the presidential elections since 2015?
El-Rufai involvement in the 2023 Presidential election was an attack on the integrity of INEC. It was an attack on the integrity of that election. Let us find out what does El-Rufai want in Nigeria’s politics. What does El-Rufai want for Nigeria? What kind of country does he want Nigeria to be? They said he is an intelligent man, but we all know that the problem of intelligent people is that they don’t know the end of their intelligence in such a way that they will take others to be fools. El-Rufai should be re-examined because in his life, if he thinks everybody is a fool, hence, he can stand up and talk jargons. He should stay away from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and allow him to fix the poor economy he inherited. El-Rufai and his cohorts are fighting a lost battle and should leave the ruling party and the government alone. The government is trying to attend to myriads of problems facing the country. We don’t need his distractions now because his sincerity of purpose is in doubt. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi is somebody I respect and I can tell you that the details of morality, legality and propriety are on his side in the political crisis in the APC. Government should listen to Rotimi Amaechi and take him seriously. Government that is based on sycophancy alone is not going to be a strong government or rise to the challenges the people are facing and meet the aspirations of the people. Government that is focused on hearsay cannot meet the needs of the people. So, government should listen to people like Rotimi Amaechi. Engage them through government of national unity because if government of national unity is needed, it is now. When moral voices like that talk, you don’t dispel them if Tinubu wants to strengthen this government. Therefore, I strongly recommend Amaechi for better governance.