In this interview with ADELEKE ADESANYA, the National Chairman of the United Progressives Party, Chief Okorie, said the current political game embarked upon by the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party will ruin many things in the country. The Igbo leader also said he prefers the second coming of President Muhammadu Buhari to another slavery years in the hands of PDP. Excerpts.
Nigeria’s political space appears boiling currently with a series of activities at the National Assembly and parties’ level. Where do you think this is heading the nation?
Well, it is worrisome. The situation is very worrisome. They started with the flexing of muscle between the National Assembly and executive arm of government and now it has degenerated into open confrontation, and members of the National Assembly are equally devided among themselves, and it has also led to massive defection from one party to another. Even the defection has extended to some states and that has heated up the the entire political space. The desperation that I see between the APC and PDP, if not nipped in the bud, will affect a lot of things in the country. It will compromise the stability and security of the Nigerian state. That is how bad the case is and, unfortunately, the security agencies in the country have turned themselves into instruments in the hands of politicians.
I will rather have another four years with Buhari than go into slavery with PDP again, because Buhari’s four years are better than eight years of PDP in office
Defection has become a tradition in Nigerian politics, especially when stalwarts are aggrieved in their parties. How do you think this can be curtailed?
I think the National Assembly has already moved to curtail this. A new law has been put in place to checkmate that and the lawmakers are awaiting presidential assent to the bill, which will now make it unattractive to defect because of the situation of things with our politicians. They have abused the freedom to defect severally, and the situation is not good for our democracy.
Several political parties have formed an alliance named Coalition for United Political Parties. Is your party among them?
No, we can never be among such people. They are mushroom parties with no clear agenda for the country. Their purpose of coming together is to remove the party that is in power, APC. And, let me tell you, there is more to their agenda. They have an ulterior motive with their coming together. But in UPP, we have an ideology that has to do with our party manifestoes, where we are insisting on restructuring and good governance across the nationality in Nigeria, including referendum and so many other revolutionary agenda. So, since we registered with INEC, it’s like a social contract. It is a social practice we have with INEC.
We will try to factor our agenda into that of any party we might go into a relationship with. We have our two options: either to be in alliance with a party, though we have not concluded that because we have not had a meeting to take a decision on that. The second option is to be on our own. Let me recall, in 2015, I ran for the Presidency; I ran for election and I didn’t step down for anybody.
Looking at the already formed coalition, CUPP, do you think they have a solution to Nigeria’s problems?
The composition of the coalition does not have what it takes to solve Nigeria’s problems and, if they do, you would have seen it in their memorandum of understanding. You would have seen what the people are expected to benefit from that type of coalition. All they have said and published is that they want to come together to remove the incumbent president’s party. That cannot be a notable idea for which parties would come together. MOU is supposed to have issues that concern ideology, people’s agenda and governance. That is where you see that the people’s interest will be accommodated. They are only talking about power. No power for any purpose but power to remove who is there and occupy. That is why I don’t see them as a group of serious-minded people that will help this country.
Before the Senate president defected from APC, the party’s senators reportedly left him with two options…for him to either step down as Senate president or face impeachment. What is your view on this?
This is a very sad aspect of the politics being played nowadays. I am not disputing impeachment of whatsoever, but the only thing I have against any form of impeachment is where the process is not being followed. The laws have clearly defined what must be done to impeach anybody, but in this kind of situation in Nigeria where security agencies are now used to chase some people out of the chambers of their assembly, and allow some favoured chiefs to do what the house was established to do does not augur well for our democracy. In the case of the Senate president, I think they need to be careful with whatever they want to do with him. They must not go into conflict with the law. They must not use an approach that looks like what is going on in Benue State, so that it doesn’t lead to national embarrassment. If they are towing a good process to impeach him, there is nothing bad in that.
In a related development, the deputy governor of Imo State, Eze Madumere, was impeached after a supremacy battle with Governor Rochas Okorocha. How do you see this?
Well, looking at it from the surface, it is not proper but there has been a time when Mr Peter Obi of Anambra State was impeached. He didn’t go crying like a baby; he went to court to pursue his rights. The court ultimately reinstated him. The judgment of the court was in place. I would advise the affected person in Imo to go to court and obtain an injunction. The person should continue with the court process, but it will be a sad commentary that a party that is at the centre in Nigeria is characterised by the fraudulent disobedience of orders of court at all levels. It will not be a good way to remember APC in power.
Some Igbo political leaders such as Orji Kalu have promised President Buhari to win their region for him in 2019 and this has led to a speculation that Igbo leaders have been bought over by the President ahead of 2019. What is your view on this?
Well, I don’t think it is a question of buying or another thing. The Igbo people, I can tell you generally, are not caught out for the opposition. I personally have been in the opposition and operating as a human rights activist for over two years now, and I can tell you that it is a very lonely road, and Igbo people are not cut out for it. I am not surprised that majority of those who occupied the elective offices, even in PDP government, all are interested in being in the ruling party for one personal reason or the other. Anybody in any political party will boast of what he will bring to the table. If they say they will win their region for Buhari, it is within their legitimate right to say that. What is important is being able to actualise it. So, I don’t think Buhari bought anybody. It will not be good enough to generalise it and say, ‘Igbo leaders’. Whosoever that promises Buhari is on his own, not necessarily Igbo leaders. Most of those people you call Igbo leaders, when you check their Igbo profile, there will be something lacking, they are not real Igbo leaders. And In terms of being political leaders, you can’t deny someone who has been a governor for two times, a senator or even a Senate president the claim to political leadership. But as for Igbo leadership, it is different, and they can only speak for themselves.
How will you evaluate President Muhammadu Buhari’s time in office so far and his proposed second coming?
Honestly, my party will look at this in its entirety very soon and it will form our decision of where to go soonest. And away from this, I can tell you that Nigeria is saddled with the option to choose between APC and PDP in the presidential election. As it is, Buhari is already there as the presidential candidate for APC in the coming election and somebody will later emerge for PDP. The question is this; are Nigerians ready to tolerate another four years of Buhari or go back to experience another 16 years of PDP? The fact is that PDP has messed up everybody in the past and I don’t see a reason why we should go back to them. For me, there is nothing in PDP that I am missing. I don’t want to see PDP again, looking at what we suffered for 16 good years.
Instead of this to occur, I will rather have another four years with Buhari than going into slavery with PDP again, because Buhari’s four years are better than eight years of PDP in office to lead
this nation.
