Igbo will field presidential candidate in 2015 -APGA national chairman
Saturday, September 15, 2012
National chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, in a recent chat with reporters in Enugu warned Igbo elite against endorsing any candidate ahead of the 2015 presidential election. He said that APGA and Igbo are interested in the plum job and are getting ready to present a credible candidate for the election.
It has been said that APGA and the Igbo entered into a pact with President Goodluck Jonathan before supporting him in 2011 election. What happened?
These things have been written in the papers. Last week, the Ohanaeze Secretary, Nduka Eya, said the Igbo did not enter into any agreement with Jonathan, as basis for supporting him in 2011. In our party also, there was no agreement too, even though I wished there were such an agreement. Circumstances at that time could not allow us push for that agreement at all costs.
We supported him and that is why I am saying that things of this nature should not be left to discretion, because if you do and you do not get what you are entitled to, you do not complain. In 2011, there were negotiations between the South West and Mr. President before the election and when you say let me leave my fate to a discretion, if it is not exercised to your favour, you lose right of complaint.
Those who are key players in Igboland today must know that they constitute less than one percent of Igbo population and so are carrying the fate of about 60 million people in Nigeria. If they allow their fate to be determined by discretion, it is a failure of leadership.
That is why I am not in support of any ad-hoc statement on issues concerning presidential election in Nigeria in 2015, because it is very critical. I have done that arithmetic. In 2011, President Jonathan got 22 million votes to win and Buhari got 12 million votes to come second. In that election, the South East gave five million votes to President Jonathan and if, through negotiation, they had given that five million votes to Buhari, Buhari would have got over 17 million votes and Jonathan would have got about the same 17 million votes.
Who would have won? It would have been uncertain, so you see how the Igbo used their votes to swing an emphatic victory for the President. So, those who are talking today must realise that the support we have given, our people are expecting so much from it. And let them not jump the gun now before they cause confusion in Igbo land now.
As the chairman of APGA, you know I am being hunted and hounded by a statement I made early in the year that we shall produce a presidential candidate. Despite what those who are attacking me have said, it is now open what they are doing.
That is what I am suffering today. Whatever I am saying is out of conviction and we cannot change it. Let them come and fix our infrastructure; it's very disheartening that at this stage where we are, all the problems we have carried on with in Igboland have not been addressed. I don't know who will construct Enugu-Port Harcourt road that is now impassable. When I see people saying that Igbo have been given good appointments, I get irritated with such arguments. People being appointed ministers in government do not influence government policies. Unless you are in a position to influence government policies, you cannot help your people.
Look at the Enugu-Abakaliki highway. That road is very deplorable. They said they have awarded it to contractors and we expect the contractors to be on site and do the road. All our roads have collapsed. If you want to go to Umuahia now from Okigwe, at Okigwe, you make a detour to Owerri before going to Umuahia because if you want to use that road, you will remain on the road till evening. These are the concrete things our people who are taking are expected to know.
By their statements, they are demoralising our people, no matter their convictions. We must work towards reality and not just on projection. Some people have come out to say that the greatest challenge Igbo will get in 2015 is if the president is running for the second term. Some of these statements must have to be properly weighed before our people make them. Our leaderships must have respect. Such statements can affect us negatively because some of the people who make them have held positions in the past and when they talk, those who want us to remain perpetually backward would begin to make reference to them.
They only succeed in causing confusion. I don't see how the interest of any Nigerian will be in conflict with the interest of an Igbo man to aspire for the presidency in 2015. That point must be properly taken. We can go to an election and be defeated, but we must keep trying. After all, Abraham Lincoln tried several times and still got it at a time. Igbo is not saying we must win in 2015, but we want to contest if we have a candidate that can meet the needs of Nigerians in 2015; anybody who wins is ok. If we don't have a candidate that can do that and it becomes a matter that the Igbo don't have a candidate to go the whole hog, it will be an entirely different thing and it is at that time that the dexterity of thoughts of the Igbo people can be brought to bear on the position the Igbo will take. That's the way we are looking at it.
So, those of us who are young believe we still have so much stake in the future of this country and the future of the Igbo nation and we need to be properly mobilised, in thoughts, to know what to do. Anybody can be the president's friend; it is a good thing, but let that friendship not be used to undermine the collective interest of the people. If we begin to do that, then we don't have any hope.
Will APGA go into alliance discussions with other political parties, as being talked about now by some opposition parties?
Contrary to what some members of my party accused me of early in the year, APGA has not been involved in any discussion with any political party, with the view to galvanising alliance or merger ahead of 2015 election. What will concern APGA primarily now is to build strength ahead of 2015.
Let us do everything to build the strength of our party across the country. It is only after that that we will know how to go it in 2015. Presently, we are not involved in any discussion. If an alliance discussion is necessary in 2015, APGA will pursue it through the relevant organs of the party. Our constitution allows that such discussion be undertaken by the national caucus. Come to think of it; in 2011, APGA supported President Jonathan of the PDP; if we had entered into agreement, it would have been an alliance instead of a donation of support. In 2015, I know that alliance discussion will take place because presidential election in Nigeria is a very serious election.
Any party that wants to be part of it is free to discuss with others. The only thing is that in scheming, APGA will scheme to produce the presidential candidate in such an alliance discussion. So, we will be willing to participate, but for now the dust is yet to settle in our party, based on some of the issues that have been raised by some people. We want to build our strength first, before we get involved in any alliance discussion.
Do you think the Imo State High Court was right in rejecting the appeal for extension of tenure by the PDP council chairmen in the state?
There is nothing anybody can do in a democracy that would be justified if it falls outside the ambit of the law. Initially, we had asked the PDP to submit itself to the rule of law since they were the first to go to court. There was nothing they could have done to usurp the powers of the court, in trying to ventilate whatever grievances they had. I want to really commend the Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and indeed, the state government for remaining calm, despite the provocation.
We knew very much that the PDP wanted to drag the state government into responding to their antics and that would have escalated the matter. Imo State is calm now and we are very optimistic that development will continue. Okorocha is performing marvellously well. Without atmosphere of friendship and cordiality, you would slowpoke development. Because of that simple matter, there have been unnecessary problems in the state but now that the court has delivered its judgment, we are hopeful that there would be brighter days ahead for the state and indeed the APGA.
Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and some Igbo leaders had recently endorsed President Jonathan for 2015 election. What's your view on that and do you think that endorsement has foreclosed the clamour for Igbo presidency in 2015?
I just returned from England. I was not there when it was made. People are entitled to their individual opinion in a democracy. The only thing that is important is that statements being made on behalf of any group of persons must be discussed. We are not against anybody being president but our people must distil the issues before arriving at any decision. There is no need to be hasty.
Parties have their own decisions to make. When people go about discussing issues that concern political parties, they must also know that those parties also have opportunities of taking decisions about the electorate. It is the party that would come up with decisions concerning candidates before the electorate would be allowed to make their choice. I know that the yearning of our people is for them to produce president of the country, but if there is any reason that producing the president by 2015 would be difficult, it is not by jumping the gun or making endorsements. If we have the opportunity in 2015, we shall take it.
As APGA chairman, I've said it repeatedly that any registered political party should always aspire to produce candidates at the highest level. If any party exists just to contest local government election, or governorship election, then the future of such party is very bleak. It is our desire that we shall contest all the elections in Nigeria in 2015, from presidency to councillorship at the councils. Once elections are called for, it is our desire to contest those elections. We are there to contest elections. It is our desire to give Nigeria the desired change and so help us God.
President Jonathan, last week, announced that the construction of second Niger Bridge would commence by March next year. What's your take on that?
It is cheering news that construction work at the second Niger bridge will commence in March 2013, but I was very worried that the second Niger bridge would be concessioned to an international development consulting that will construct it. What this means is that the company will bring the funds and it will be expected to recover its funds. What that means is that the Federal Government is not part of the financing plan for the construction and that is why I am worried.
It means that after the construction, toll gates will be mounted in Onitsha-Asaba, Onitsha-Owerri roads and maybe Ontisha-Enugu road ends and our people will be paying for it. I also see a twin issue where the minister for finance was quoted to have said that about $450 million (N70 billion) loan has been negotiated for fighting erosion in the South East. She said it would have a 10-year moratorium when there will be no retirement; it will be interest-free and then the loan will be repaid within 40 years.
What this means is that the Federal Government will bring the money for the South East to fight erosion but what is not clear is if it will pay back this money or the states in the South East would. If the states in the South East will pay this loan, I am afraid to say that these two issues are very worrisome.
If our people will pay the cost of these services, it means that we have not got anything from the Federal Government. One would have expected to get a clear commitment from the Federal Government to undertake this second Niger Bridge and finance it by itself. We don't have money in the South East because of the paltry money we get from the federal allocation and now we will be saddled with the responsibility of paying for these services. It means that our people will continue to suffer. Just this year alone, the Federal Government has released N20 billion to the contractors constructing bridges in Benue State and that is the type of thing I want to hear the Federal Government is doing in the South East.
At the Enugu Airport, we are still waiting for the construction of the terminal building and putting in place things that would make the place an international airport. Let the president talk in a very concrete manner. The Enugu-Onishta road has failed. Enugu-Port Harcourt road is no longer a road. We expect concrete actions to be taken towards solving some of these problems. We learnt government has approved N18 billion for the construction of Enugu-Onitsha expressway.
Approval means nothing, in contract administration, until something is released. The road is in a pitiable situation. Contractors have always been there but nothing is on ground. We must have basis for talking about anything. I feel that our people should have proper sense of measurement of issues. Endorsement for presidential election of 2015 is too early for people to talk about. No doubt, we gave him absolute support in 2011 and we are not regretting it because it was a consensus decision by all the stakeholders in South East, including APGA as a political party.
One would have expected that less than two years into the endorsements, we shouldn't be talking about endorsement because it's too early. Let's behave like people who have sense of measurement. Nobody would deny that Igbo made it possible for him to become president in 2011 and if he wants to run in 2015, I don't think Igbo should be talking about endorsement in 2012. When we get there, we'll see how things have fared and we must have to take stock; the interest of the Igbo would not be reduced to personal interest of individuals.
It's important that the Igbo people should begin to understand the collective interest of the people, not interest of individuals. We understand that in a democracy, people are free to express themselves but the caution there is that nobody should be speaking for the Igbo people now on such important sensitive issue. If there is anything, this is period of harvest for the support we have given and when the time comes we will check our harvest. For now, people who have spoken have merely expressed their personal opinions and when the time comes, political parties will make their decisions too.
If in 2015, APGA has a good presidential candidate, we will give it a shot. We are very hopeful that APGA has something to offer Nigeria and if we have a presidential candidate that will win that election; that will be the best thing to do and that candidate will be candidate that would compete effectively with presidential candidate of other political parties. If at the end of the day, if no party wins, we will be better off in a coalition government, where we will be part of the decision making process in governance.
Without condemning anybody, I consider the issue being canvassed in 2012 for an election that will take place in 2015 as being pre-mature. I will plead with my Igbo brethren, who are involved in this to exercise restraint. Let's not allow sentiments and emotion to overtake our sense of judgment on such an important issue. When we get to the river, we'll know how to cross it; whether with a canoe or with a bridge.
Is there any likelihood that Governor Rochas Okorocha might be the presidential candidate of your party by 2015 because he appears to be the only one whose name has been severally mentioned?
Rochas is presently the governor of Imo State. Whatever he will do will be his personal decision. APGA will not conscript anybody into any election. Our members are at liberty to aspire to any position. But, let them know that we must find ways of helping ourselves first before endorsing anybody else. As an Igboman, I think of what will promote interest of the Igbo people first because I was first an Igboman before being a Nigerian but because politics is very dynamic, you cannot foreclose anything.
But, it's important that one is guided by cautionary steps; you don't have to be saying things because of emotions, sentiments or personal relationship. In 2015, all of us will meet in the field to know our individual worth. It's only when you are in the field that you can be reckoned with; if you are not there, nobody is going to hold discussions with you. If you go to the stadium as a spectator, after a football match, you don't get any medal but those who played and won the game will get the medal.
Spectators don't win medals and it would be very unfair if we reduce Igbo people to mere spectators in any match. We should be active players so that in the course of playing the game, we'll know the tackles to throw so that our opponents will realise our weight. So, we cannot submit ourselves to discretion. Things that should be done to the Igbo people should not be left to discretion; there are things that must be properly articulated. Once we are sure, we can't get it at any particular time, whatever position we are going to take must be reduced to writing. The agreements must be concrete.
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