Categories
Nigeria Opinion Politics

ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOW NIGERIA’S PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE – APC

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL: January 5th, 2023

PRESS STATEMENT

ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOW NIGERIA’S PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE

The current sabotage of the Naira notes swap and fuel scarcity that have caused untold hardship to millions of Nigerians across the country revealed the true character of Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as public enemy number one.

Nigerians will recall that since the Central Bank introduced its current cash-limit and new Naira notes swap policies, Atiku Abubakar and PDP maintained opportunistic silence with the hope they will benefit from the discomfort the policies will create for Nigerians and the resentment they will generate for the ruling APC.

While Atiku and PDP were in bed with the saboteurs and fifth columnists among the operators of Money Deposit Banks and oil marketers who created the current logjam to force the outcome of the February 25 Presidential election in favour of the former Vice President, our candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu courageously pitched his tent with the poor masses who have been most negatively impacted by the antics of these evil doers.

Having realised they have lost the initiative and their antics exposed to Nigerians by Asiwaju Tinubu at the APC Presidential Campaign rally in Abeokuta, Atiku made a half-hearted appeal to CBN to ‘slightly’ extend the deadline for the currency swap.

We are currently at a loss to understand what informed the current call of Atiku on CBN not to extend the February 10 deadline despite the unmitigated hardship still being faced by many Nigerians who could not meet their basic daily needs as a result of lack of cash from banks and the empty ATM machines.

Any one who lives in Nigeria and not Dubai and visits banks and ATM locations will feel sad that the CBN is making our people suffer for its badly timed Naira swap policy.

The bank’s latest fire brigade approach in approving payment of N20,000 at the counter is far from offering relief as queues are still long, agony and frustrations widening, an invitation to riots.

This poorly implemented policy has turned Nigerians to destitutes because they cannot access their own money in their bank accounts. People cannot get money to give their kids to school or pay for daily needs at corner shops, fruit shops, including buying newspapers. Transactions in market places have plummeted.

The CBN governor gave insight into the nature of the problem when he revealed in Daura last Sunday that out of the N3.3 trillion in circulation, only N500 billion is in the bank vaults. So far only N1.9trillion had been received by the banks for swap.

But people are not getting the new notes to spend, thus triggering the huge anger in the land against Emefiele.

We thus find it ludicrous that a man who joined the call for an extension of the deadline last week is championing a new campaign against further extension because he feels the suffering of Nigerians will serve his own political end to become president at all cost.

Atiku said callously: “There should be no further postponement of the new naira regime after the expiration of the February 10 deadline.”

Anchoring his objection on the wrong reason, he said further: “The CBN and the Presidency should be steadfast. The merits of the new naira policy far outweigh the little inconvenience we are experiencing.”

In passing off the suffering of our people as “Little inconvenience”, Atiku only comes across as a political leader disconnected from the Nigerian people that he is campaigning to govern. Certainly, living comfortably in Dubai for many years has drained Atiku of all empathy.

This is a man who wants to be President and does not mind even if he presides over the graves of Nigerians as long as his inordinate ambition materialises in line with the prophecy of his marabouts.

It is crystal clear to every Nigerian of conscience now that Atiku Abubakar and PDP do not mean well for our country. PDP and Atiku have become desperadoes who will wish calamity on the country as long as it makes them win an election they are destined to lose, spectacularly.

Atiku is now public enemy number one in Nigeria. He is evil personified and must be rejected at the polls on 25 February.

If Atiku Abubakar has the poor people of our country at heart like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the PDP candidate will not be advocating for adherence to a policy that has become a burden too heavy to bear for our people.

Bayo Onanuga
Director, Media and Publicity
APC Presidential Campaign Council
February 3, 2023

Categories
Nigeria Politics

TINUBU AT OGUN STATE , PROMISES TO END FUEL SCARCITY

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : January 24th, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Tinubu at Ogun campaign rally, promises to end fuel scarcity

The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to end the perennial fuel scarcity in the country if elected president.

Tinubu made the promise while addressing party faithful who thronged the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta for the Ogun State APC presidential rally.

The APC candidate was led into the waiting arms of the joyous party supporters who had waited several hours, dressed in various party attires and carrying support banners by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Tinubu in his speech, praised the party supporters for coming in their large numbers to receive him despite the current fuel scarcity across the country.

While stating that he would put an end to the fuel crisis, he described the upcoming election as a revolution, urging the party supporters and indigenes of Ogun State to come out in their large numbers, the same way they did for the rally, on February 25 to vote APC.

Speaking to the youth, the APC candidate all promised to ensure that they enjoy quality education not truncated by strikes, while also making jobs available for them once out of school.

He said, “I guarantee you one thing, there will be student loans, nobody will drop out of university because of school fees; nobody will have to repeat one class for eight years and not graduate, we will make a four-year course four years course.

“A Tinubu administration will create over 1 million jobs in ICT in the next 24 months. The fine and skilled graduates of the Ogun Tech Hub will be able to find work as they continue to contribute towards our overall economic well-being.”

“My industrial policy will carry you to the finish line. My plan is to deploy all available measures, from tax credits and youth employment incentives to tariffs to affordable loans and investment so that your industrial base is strengthened, broadened and widened.

“This will produce more wealth and valuable goods, improving the living standards of all Nigerians. It will also spur such job creation in Ogun that everyone looking for work will be able to find it. We will seek to cut youth unemployment nationwide by a third.

“Here, in industrially active Ogun, the decline in the jobless rate will be even more than that. We shall invest in infrastructure in such a manner that all aspects of your daily lives will be touched. Roads and public transportation will be augmented, reducing traffic congestion and allowing you to go from home to work or to the market faster, cheaper and safer.”

He also promised to bring back to life hitherto dead factories in the state through investments in power generation to make the factories more efficient and reduce down times.

With its proximity to Lagos, the APC candidate promised to create in Ogun State agricultural and industrial hubs, while working with local farmers to increase production and exportation of agricultural produce.

“Rice, corn, plantain cocoa and palm kernels from Ogun will be more actively traded. Moreover, we shall spur investment in agro-allied business to create additional jobs while also generating more income for our local, state and national economies.

“We will support other drivers of value within the start-up ecosystem, including technology hubs and parks. Ogun is truly a place of innovation and growth for it is the home of many great local and international factories including Dangote Cement, Nestle, Lafarge Cement, and Procter & Gamble.

“As we become a nation of producers and not just consumers, Ogun State will play a critical role. We will support the development of the best that the modern digital and IT-driven sectors have to offer. We will provide the complementary infrastructure required for growth, including wider internet connectivity.

“With innovation, courage and creativity, we will harness modern technology to create jobs and provide goods and services that will unlock greater prosperity. By harmonising the National Infrastructure Policy with the National Industrial Policy, we will develop key sectors and spur economic growth. Our goal is to grow our industrial base, encourage industries vital to national development and become a global contender,” added.

Tinubu again didn’t fail to recognize the importance of security in economic and social development, promising to make the nation safe and habitable for all.

He added, “As we work towards achieving overall peace and stability, we will continue to strengthen the economy and renew the confidence in our citizens of a home where they can live and thrive.

“With regard to security, we will ensure that Ogun continues to be a safe and peaceful state. Our security policy is bold yet wise and pragmatic. We shall keep trouble from coming to you. We shall pursue terrorists, kidnappers and criminals where they are.”

Earlier, Governor Abiodun had urged the people of the state to look at the track record of Tinubu, placing him above all other candidates and give him their votes come February 25.

He said, “Asiwaju was a senator, so he is knowledgeable in the area of the country’s laws, he became the governor of Lagos State and transformed it to the biggest economy in Africa. He then brought up successors who have worked on the template he put in place to continue to bring progress in Lagos.

“This is the man that now wants to replicate the same in Nigeria and bring joy on our faces. None of the other candidates can be compared to him in any way.”

This was also reiterated by former Ogun State Governor Aremo Segun Osoba who urged the people of the state to make Tinubu replicate all he has achieved in Lagos State.

The rally had in attendance the Vice Presidential Candidate of the APC, Kashim Shettima, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his wife, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahmaan AbdulRazaq and Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

Also at the rally were Lagos State Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat and his wife, Ondo State Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who represented Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, former interim National Chairman of the APC Chief Bisi Akande, former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola and former APC National Chairman who is also the Deputy Director-General of the presidential campaign council, Adams Oshiomhole.

The party leaders who witnessed the rally were APC National Secretary Iyiola Omisore, National Women Leader Betta Edu and National Youth Leader Dayo Israel.

Tinubu Media Office
Tunde Rahman
January 25, 2023

Categories
Nigeria Politics

ADAMAWA : APC WINS AS APPEAL COURT RETURNS BINANI AS GUBER CANDIDATE

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL – November 24th, 2022

,The justices ordered that the name of Ms Binani be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the flag bearer for the election.

Aishatu Binani has emerged as the winner of the APC governorship primary election, becoming the first woman to win the governorship ticket of a major political party.

The Yola Division of the Court of Appeal has declared Senator Aishatu Binani as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state.Presided over by Justices Tani Hassan, Mistura Bolaji-Yusuf and James Abundaga respectively, the court set aside the judgement of a Federal High Court which nullified the governorship primary and declared that APC has no candidate for the 2023 governorship election.

The justices ordered that the name of Ms Binani be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the flag bearer for the election.The Federal High Court 1 sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, presided over by Justice A.M. Anka, has voided the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election, which produced the Senator representing Adamawa Central, Aishatu Dahiru Binani, as the governorship candidate of the party for the 2023 elections.Justice Anka said the party has no governorship candidate for 2023 elections in the State, as he did not order for a fresh primary election.Recall that Binani during the primary election conducted on May 27, 2022, polled 430 votes to defeat her closest rival, Nuhu Ribadu, who got 288 votes; former governor Umaru Bindow scored 103 votes; Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas got 94 votes, while Safari Theman scored 21 votes and Umar Mustapha got 39.

The court also said the party would not participate in the 2023 gubernatorial election and consequently cautioned Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani from parading herself as the APC gubernatorial candidate in Adamawa State.

Categories
Nigeria Politics

2023 : APGA CANDIDATE CAN’T STEP DOWN FOR PETER OBI – SOLUDO TO BULLIES

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : November 17th, 2022

As 2023 general elections beckons politicians have been caught in several frenzy hitting one another in a bid to project their candidates.

Latest is the recent banters between erstwhile CBN Governor and now Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi over what has been described as a reality check between two brothers of different political ideologies.

Push News 24 International while monitoring the various comments and interviews from both players observed that the ideological differences are premised of enticing the support base of both actors towards the 2023 Presidential elections.

Charles Soludo who have not failed to show his displeasures in the administration of former Governor Peter Obi administration in Anambra State, made a recent release where he declared that it’s absurd for anyone to ask APGA Presidential candidate in 2023 elections to step down for Labour Party Candidate, Peter Obi.

Below release available to Push News 24 International detailed the press statements by Prof. Charles Soludo.

History Beckons and I will not be Silent (Part 1)

Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR

My attention has been drawn to some of the tirades on social media following my frank response during an interview on Channels TV regarding the “investments” Mr. Peter Obi claimed to have made with Anambra state revenues. Sadly, several of the comments left the issue of the interview to probe or suggest motives, inferred from my response on “investment” that I am opposed to Peter Obi’s ambition and therefore committed a “crime” for which the punishment is internecine abuse and harassment even to my family. Some people even suggest that the gunmen who went to attack a checkpoint at my hometown on Saturday 12th November but were gunned down was part of the mob reaction. I used to think that for decent people, certain conducts are off-limits, and that in Anambra, politics is not warfare.

Of course, as a Christian, I know that telling the truth can be very costly, even suicidal. Our Lord and saviour was crucified simply for telling the truth the people did not want to hear. I promised that I won’t be the usual politician, and will not knowingly lie to the people. I am not an Angel but rather than knowingly repeat the same deceitful character that politicians are known for, I would leave public office. It is a vow I made to my God and to my family. Only God knows how many days I will be on this seat but whether I am on it or not I will always say it as it is— knowing fully the suicidal consequences of telling the truth in a political arena, especially in a country where lying and deceit by politicians have become culture and celebrated as being “smart”.

Ideally, I should just have laughed off the infantile exuberances as many friends advised (I am used to this, having been in the ‘Arena’ for a while). I always re-read the quote “The Man in the Arena…” by President Theodore Roosevelt (1910) to remind myself of the burden of public office. Several well meaning Nigerians and Ndigbo called to advise that I should just ignore them. A respected Igbo elder-statesman who called, advised that I should just ignore what he described as “Peter Obi and his social media mob”. According to him, “everyone knows that he is going nowhere, but they are looking for who to blame”. After some 20 minutes of discussion, he advised that I should personally author a response— just for the records.

Everyone knows that I don’t follow the winds nor one to succumb to bullies, nor shy away from a good fight especially when weighty matters of principles and future of the people are involved. One lesson I learnt from my former boss and mentor, President Obasanjo, is never to be on the fence. I learnt that one must always take a stand: for better or for worse. I do so with every sense of humility, and leave history to judge. Most people have commended me for “tactfully avoiding being drawn into the Peter Obi issue” until now. Since I am now being forced into the Arena on this matter, I have a duty and a right of reply, if only for the records, and to also give the social media mob something substantive to rant upon and rain their abuses for weeks. In this preliminary response, there are some things I will refrain from saying here because, in the end, February/March 2023 will come and go, and life will continue.

At the outset, let me state that this exhibition of desperation, intolerance and attempt to bully everyone who expresses the slightest of dissent is reprehensible. This is Hitler in the making. When the revered Arch Bishop Chukwuma stated that in Enugu State, they were not obedient, he was ferociously bullied on social media. Any dissent is tagged a saboteur or, in my case, it could be that I want to contest for president after office or that I am envious of Peter Obi. Soludo envious of Peter Obi? Totally laughable! But this is the same person I was asking to return to APGA in March 2022 and contest for president and yet envious or doesn’t want him to be president. This is madness! Seriously speaking, the obdurate attempt to muscle the republican Igbos to maintain the silence of the graveyard is antithetical to everything Igbo. It is not who we are. Insulting other ethnic groups and religions or denigrating others is certainly not the path to Aso Rock. If this is not checked, it may indeed endanger the future political and economic interests of the Igbos.

In his time, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the undisputed all time leader of the Igbos but he had his arch rivals and even independent candidates won landslide elections against his party, NCNC, in Igboland. Obafemi Awolowo had stiff opposition among the Yorubas while Ahmadu Bello had his share of opponents in the Northern region. Today, no one has accused Afenifere or other strong presidential candidates from the South West of being “anti Yoruba” because Tinubu is a frontrunner, nor has anyone accused Kwankwaso and several other Northern candidates of being “anti-North” for not supporting Atiku. As a full blooded republican Igboman and democrat, I reject this despotic intolerance.

Yes, I fully understand the anger of some urban and Diaspora youths and some Nigerians who are dissatisfied with the trajectory of the country or with the candidates of the major parties and wished other options. Not knowing much about others, some see Peter Obi as the contrast they wished for. I get the point. But this is a democracy: the minority will have their say, but the majority their way. Translating anger and social media agitation into political outcomes requires humongous work.

For full disclosure, let me state that Peter Obi and I are not just friends, we call ourselves “brothers”. But we have political differences: he left APGA for PDP after his tenure as Governor while I have remained in APGA since 2013. During the last two governorship elections in Anambra in 2017 and 2021, he led the PDP campaigns but APGA won landslide in both elections. By the way, in 2016, he visited and proposed that I defect to PDP and contest the 2017 election against the incumbent Willie Obiano, but I declined. After my victory in November 2021, he called to congratulate me as I did to him in 2010. That is the Anambra way: we fight fiercely during campaigns but share drinks at the next social events. After all, it was the great Zik of Africa who taught us that in politics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies but only permanent interests.

We sat next to each other during the Emeka Anyaoku lecture at Nnamdi Azikiwe University on 8th March, 2022 and I made an offer for him to return to APGA and contest as its presidential candidate. Yes, I did. In my mind, it was time for Igbos to organize their region politically before stepping out to bargain power with other organized coalitions. On his part, he tried to convince me that he expected APC to unravel while PDP would be the “only one” standing. We debated and he proposed that we could meet later to discuss further. He attended my inauguration on March 17. A few weeks later, he requested and I obliged him to use the Anambra State government house facility to launch his presidential bid under PDP. I was surprised to read in the news later that he had defected to LP (a party with literally zero structure), thereby attempting to weaken the same PDP he saw as the saviour a few weeks earlier. He paid me a courtesy call as the presidential candidate of LP, and we had frank discussions.

During our meeting, I reminded him of my proposal to him to come and contest under APGA. More importantly, I told him (possibly to his surprise) that I did not make the proposal in the belief that he will win in 2023 but that it would give us the opportunity to get our people organized as a bargaining force, with him leading the effort since I was busy as Governor (my immediate predecessor, Willie Obiano had indicated to me that he was not disposed to contest an election). We noted that we were in opposing political parties and in response to my direct question as to how I might help him, he requested that I should just ensure a “level playing field” and let the people decide. In fidelity, my government has provided the atmosphere for him and his supporters to operate freely in Anambra without any molestation (compare with treatments to LP even in other South East states), and allowed his billboards which are, in many places, wrongly placed almost on the roads. As a person, I have several shortcomings but being petty is not one of them. We have shown him tremendous goodwill—which he did not extend to the same Labour Party when he was Governor (Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, as LP governorship candidate in 2013 was denied the use of Ekwueme Square for his rallies).

Someone reminded me that a mob has no head and hence cannot reason. The same Peter Obi was one of those who told Ndigbo that APGA was the vehicle through which Igbos would organize to engage the rest of Nigeria politically. He was said to have sworn to Ojukwu and publicly that he would quit politics the day he leaves APGA. The rest is history. When he was the Vice-Presidential candidate under PDP in 2019, the emotive train then dubbed the ticket “the Igbo project”. As then chairman of planning and strategy committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, I cautioned for a more pragmatic approach but the emotive blaze of the time held sway. We were vindicated afterwards.

By the way, APGA is Nigeria’s third largest political party today (after APC and PDP, it is the only other party with a state governor and third largest presence at the National Assembly). And some people have the temerity to suggest that APGA’s candidate should “step down” for Peter Obi as the “Igbo candidate”. I wonder when Igbos met to choose a candidate. They even argue that afterall APGA supported President Jonathan and did not field a candidate then. Well, the fact as I was told was that no candidate showed interest under APGA then. Besides, APGA’s unwritten rule then was to support the party at the centre — which, if we apply this time, should actually be APC. But we have our own candidate. Recall that all the political parties had their primaries during the same period. Once Peter Obi realized that he won’t get the presidential or vice-presidential ticket of PDP he ran to Labour Party (a political party known as a transit camp for aspirants who lost primaries in APC, PDP and APGA), and the chorus by a vociferous minority now is that LP has become the “Igbo project”, and the APGA candidate who emerged the same time as Peter Obi should “step down”. Ridiculous! Now I truly understand that a mob cannot reason.

When will Ndigbo understand and learn politics, especially of Nigeria? When Bola Ahmed Tinubu defied the political wind of the time and stood out as the “only man standing” in AD and later AC (before ACN) against a sitting president of Yoruba descent, no one accused him of being “anti-Yoruba”. Indeed, everyone recalls that both Tinubu and President Obasanjo disagreed politically, and probably still disagree—but none is being accused of being “anti- Yoruba”. Under Tinubu, the South West strategically organized under a different political party, the ACN and went into a formidable alliance that kicked out a sitting president (in Africa?), and that alliance is not broken yet. Igbos, in their frenzied Nzogbu nzogbu politics, have sadly found themselves in a political cul de sac. Tragic indeed! When will my people smell the morning coffee?

Let me now address the substance of my response during the interview, and I stand by what I said. On record, I doubt that any governor in Nigeria has paid as much tribute to his predecessors as I have done during campaigns and in office. I always said that ALL of them did well and to the best of their abilities. Yes, Peter Obi was governor for 8 years (2006 -2014) during a period of unprecedented oil boom and prosperity in Nigeria (Nigerian economy was growing at average of 6-8% per annum, and oil price was highest during this time). I have seen all kinds of funny comments and interpretations regarding what I said about the value of his “investments”. Some refer to SabMiller and bandy all kinds of figures as to how the investment of $12 million is now worth less than $3 million. Of course, there is room for legitimate debate about the logic or quality of the investments. For example, people might differ as to the propriety of using taxpayers money to promote a company in which one is a shareholder in the name of “investment”, or even whether so called “savings” are warranted when there were dozens of schools without roofs or classrooms, or local governments without access roads or hospitals without doctors/nurses. A Bishop recently publicly advised that I should please try to construct the “Ngige type of quality roads”, stating that the ones done by his successor (that is, Peter Obi) had washed off, while Ngige’s remained. I promised and we are delivering quality roads that Anambra has not seen before.

For sure, prudence in public resource management is desirable and we are opening new frontiers in that area. People will however differ as to whether saving money in the bank account is a KPI (key performance indicator) for a government where poverty is escalating except where its institutions for absorption are weak or where the government has no robust/big agenda for transformation. Governments exist to save lives, not to save money. We can debate and differ on this— (by the way, I know when/how it is appropriate to “save” as I built Nigeria’s foreign reserves from $10 billion I inherited to all time $63 billion, and even after paying $12 billion to pay-off Nigeria’s external debt and going through unprecedented global financial crisis, I still left behind about $45 billion— Go and verify!).

Funny, in the rabid frenzy to grab every straw, they cut a clip during our governorship debate where I was stating vital statistics and they claimed that I was “praising” Peter Obi then while committing a crime now by “criticising” him. Hahahaha! Well, it is true that I said during the debate that, according to National Bureau of Statistics, poverty in Anambra actually grew (from less than 25% in 2005) to about 53% under Peter Obi in 2010/2011 but fell under Willie Obiano to 14.78% in 2020. Yes, poverty more than doubled under Peter Obi and more than 50% of Ndi Anambra were in poverty under him. Go and verify! I am Governor, and sitting on privileged information which I will not want to use against a political opponent. But on matters of facts, I will always state same as is. As the saying goes, you can fool some of the people some of the time but never all the people all the time. Enough said for now!

Where do we go from here? I listened to my friend Gov El-Rufai on TV explaining why the northern governors decided that power should shift to the South. According to him, they asked themselves what would their founding fathers—Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa or Aminu Kano have done in the circumstance. Today, I ask my people, Ndigbo: do we ask what Azikiwe or M.I. Okpara or Akanu Ibiam would do in the present circumstance? I worry that Ndigbo as Nigeria’s foremost itinerant tribe and with the greatest stake in the Nigerian project does not yet have a strategy to engage Nigeria—politically! Every four years, we resurface with emotive Nzogbu Nzogbu political dance (“it is our turn dance” but without organization or strategy) and fizzle out afterwards while others work 24/7 strategizing and organizing.

Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the game he is playing, and we know too; and he knows that we know. The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA. The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama! That many Americans may not like the fact that Joe Biden (79 years) and Donald Trump (76 years) are two frontrunners for president in their parties does not remove the fact that if both of them emerge as candidates, definitely one of them will be president in 2024.

As my brother, I wish him well and even pray for him. I told him during his courtesy call that my prayer is that himself or Prof Umeadi of APGA would win, why not? That is from my heart, but I also told him that my head and facts on the ground led me to know that it’s probability is next to zero (what I cannot say before you, I won’t say behind you). So I already told him my opinion. Indeed, there is no credible pathway for him near the first two positions, and if care is not taken, he won’t even near the third position. Analysts tell him you don’t need “structure” to win. Fantasy! Of course, LP won governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun on social media and via phantom polls, while getting barely 2,000 votes on ground. Creating a credible third force for presidential election in Nigeria requires a totally different strategy and extreme hard work.

Of course, Peter Obi will get some votes, and may probably win in Anambra state— as “home boy”. But Anambra is not Nigeria. If he likes, I can even campaign for him but that won’t change much. From internal state by state polling available to me, he was on course to get 25% in 5 states as at August this year. The latest polling shows that it is down to four states, and declining. Not even in Lagos state (supposed headquarters of urban youths) where Labour Party could not find candidates to contest for House of Reps or Senate. The polls also show that he is taking votes away mostly from PDP. Indeed, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even give Peter Obi money as someone heading one of the departments of his campaign because Obi is making Tinubu’s pathway to victory much easier by indirectly pulling down PDP. It is what it is!

The current fleeting frenzy, if not checked, will cost Ndigbo dearly for years. The South East has the lowest number of votes of any region, but it is also the only region where the presidential race might be a 4-way race (it is a two-way race in the other 5 regions) thereby ensuring that our votes won’t count in the making of the next president of Nigeria. Afterwards, we would start complaining that we don’t get “what we deserve” or cry of marginalization. During the 2019 presidential election, the five South East States were united for PDP but contributed merely 1.6 million votes to PDP which was about the votes that Kano state gave to Buhari. The emotions might run to heavens but politics-power is about cold calculations, organization and building alliances for power. In a democracy, it is a game of numbers. So far, I don’t see any of these— and 2023 might again be a wasted opportunity for Ndigbo! What is our Plan B when Peter Obi loses in February 2023? Some people prefer that we should play the Ostrich while Peter Obi toys with the collective destiny of over 60 million Igbos. Yes, you pray that he wins, but what if he fails as he is certain to? The Bible says that my people perish for lack of knowledge. As the saying goes, only those who Plan can control the future. Ndigbo, wake up and smell the coffee!

What would Zik of Africa or M.I. Okpara do in this circumstance? Our founding fathers understood that in politics, you don’t get what you deserve but what you bargain/negotiate, and you negotiate with your organization and VOTES. Not social media militancy or bullying (where over 90% of actual voters are not on social media)! Our fathers built alliances with other major political parties in other regions (not with socio-cultural groups that don’t command any votes), and Ndigbo were in the reckoning in the first and second republics. After the elections, we will see how many votes any of the leaders of the socio-cultural groups will get for Peter Obi from their wards. Sometimes I even sense a conspiracy to nudge us on a path to nowhere thereby further pushing us into irrelevance, and I pray that I am wrong. Just my two cents!

It is not too late for Ohanaeze Ndigbo and progressive Igbo leaders to pre-emptively start charting a pragmatic future for Ndigbo in Nigeria after the elections. Armchair social media analysts can have the luxury of fantasizing with wild speculations. Right or wrong, they earn their pay and with no consequences. For us as leaders, the lives of tens of millions are at stake. We have a historic duty to act and being silent or politically correct is not an option. For starters, Ohanaeze should study the report of my committee (planning and strategy) in 2019. It may still be relevant today. Second, Ndigbo should seriously study the MoU signed at the Yar’Adua Centre in 2010. The leader of Igbo Political Association, Chief Simon Okeke and our members are still there. Thirdly and for me, Ndigbo should strategize and bargain especially with the TWO candidates likely to be president on at least four central issues:

A) Lasting peace and security in the South East, including the release and engagement with Nnamdi Kanu.

B)South East Economic transformation agenda and the FGN’s Marshall Plan for the South East as promised since the end of the Civil War (the post war ‘reconstruction’). We appreciate the Second Niger Bridge and recent contract for MTN to reconstruct the Onitsha-Enugu expressway. But the rail-lines to the five state capitals, speedy access to the sea, highways linking South East to the North and South South, addressing our existential threat as gully erosion capital of Africa, Free Trade and Export Processing Zones, etc.

C) Restructuring Agenda for Nigeria that devolves powers/resources to the subnational entities and in which it would no longer matter where the President comes from.

D) Levelling the playing field for the unleashing of the private sector and the full participation of Ndigbo in the economic and governance space; etc.

To conclude, let me once again wish my brother Peter Obi good luck. He should have fun and enjoy the fleeting frenzy of the moment. But he must moderate the desperation as exhibited by his social media mob. There is a limit to propaganda. A mob action often reflects the character of its leader. No one has a monopoly of social media violence, and no one should play God. Life won’t end by February/March 2023.

I hope that after February 2023, Peter Obi will return to APGA (the party that made him everything he is politically) as I offered him on 8th March, 2022 and begin the hard work, if he truly wants to be president of Nigeria. It won’t happen by desperately jumping from one party to another or by unleashing a social media mob on everyone who slightly disagrees with you. I decided to pen my views personally — again for the records. On this, I don’t mind being a one man minority. As history beckons, my conscience and sense of duty to my people dictate that I should never be silent. I will happily accept the judgment of history for standing by the truth!