National President of Eastern Union (EU), one of the organisations rooting for the Atiku Abubakar presidency, Mr. Charles Anike, in this interview with SIMPLE IKEM explains why his group is backing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, among other issues.
TNE : We understand that the Eastern Union is one of the groups canvassing for Atiku Abubakar’s presidency come 2019. Would this not contradict the aims and objective of the group?
Our adoption and support of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for president cannot contradict our aim and objectives. One may ask: Why are we supporting Atiku Abubakar: The Eastern Union is going extra mile to support Atiku with both our means and talents. We were at Port Harcourt PDP presidential primary to convince the delegates, including people living with disabilities, to vote for Atiku. This is because we see Atiku as an Iroko tree and an umbrella that can provide shelter for everyone, irrespective of tribe or religion, unlike what we have today.
Throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria, Atiku has mentored many people, especially in the political arena. He is behind the rise of people like Mallam El-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Osita Chidoka, to mention but a few. His network cuts across all sectors. He always gives food to the hungry. Yet, some people say he is corrupt. If that is how to be corrupt, then that is certainly the type of corruption that Nigeria needs now. A corruption that feeds the hungry, and the corruption that provides employment.
One the other hand, who has President Muhammadu Buhari mentored since his days in the public service and now he is in politics? Maybe people like Kemi Adeosun; a woman who should be deported to face trial.
TNE: What special qualities does your organisation see in Atiku Abubakar?
We are supporting Atiku because we believe he will reposition the country. Atiku is a bridge builder that will ensure adequate security, create enabling environment, and a level playing field for all Nigerians, which is what our people need to excel. The appointment of Mr. Peter Obi as his running mate is an indication that our people will no longer be marginalised. We also believe that with Atiku as a President of Nigeria, he will implement the end-of-civil-war agreement (the 3Rs (Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Ndigbo in Nigeria). We also believe that he will balance our quota in the Armed Forces, the Police, civil service, and top political appointments. His promise of restructuring the country will go a long way to end the activities of political demagogues in the South East.
We also believe that Nigeria under the present administration has witnessed the worse era since Independence. No well-meaning citizen that wishes the country well will for any reason want this government to continue. With Buhari in power, there will be no future for the country. The Fulani, his kinsmen, will unleash worst havocs on other tribes if Buhari is allowed to continue in office after 2019. They are just on break in their attacks due to the coming elections. Recall that President Buhari never showed much concern over the killings by Fulani herdsmen.
The most disheartening and agonising thing to ever be imagined is to have dishonest people, I mean liars, in position of leadership. That is what we have in governance in Nigeria presently.
TNE: How do you see the recent search of Atiku’s private jet at the Abuja Airport by security agents?
We consider that search on Atiku as an act of recklessness and vendetta by the overzealous security agents. That was not the first time Atiku, a former Vice President, was jetting into the country in his private jet. We believe the search was an act of sabotage, resulting from the obvious frustration of the APC government now, especially since the emergence of Atiku as the PDP presidential standard bearer.
Since the inception of the APC government, security agents have abandoned their core mandate to become tools of harassment and intimidation of innocent citizens. They have so involved themselves in the political intrigues to such extent that they now rank as the third major political party in Nigeria after the APC and PDP. They often form alliance with the ruling party to harass the opposition and are also used to rig elections.
Our security agents have been over-politicised, especially under this APC Federal Government. One of the consequences of their involvement in politics is that the security agencies have lost focus and the people’s confidence. The zeal to please their pay masters at all cost has resulted in their recklessness, abuse of power and breach of protocols.
TNE: All Progressive Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, is enmeshed in crisis with some state governors over the party’s primaries. How do you see the development?
You must agree with me that no bad tree can bear good fruits. He, who gathered firewood full of ants in his compound has automatically invited the fowls for a meeting. What had been happening in the APC, even before the emergence of Oshiomhole as the national chairman confirmed that it was not a well constituted political party. It is simply a congregation of strange bed fellows without ideas of the democratic principles and workings of democracy. They are autocrats that have no democratic culture.
The emergence of Oshiomhole clearly exposed the imbalances in the party and confirmed the fears of many Nigerians, especially the Christian community. Otherwise, the party leadership should have appointed another Christian as its national chairman to take over from Chief John Odige-Oyegun. Rather than doing that, they took everything and everyone for granted.
Check out the list of the leadership of the APC and you will be shocked. The APC is a party that undermines the Constitution because they appear to want to run the country as a theocratic state. For example, the Constitution has it that every state of the federation must have a slot in the ministerial cabinet. For that, we expected the president to appoint a replacement of Mrs Kemi Adeosun from Ogun State and a replacement of Mr. Kayode Fayemi from Ekiti State after their resignation. But, what do we have? Replacement of the two with people from the North! These and many other reasons are why the party will not have peace.
READ ALSO: Metele Attack: Sack all service chiefs, probe military budget, CUPP, SERAP tell Buhari
According to the late Chief MKO Abiola, any society that does not do justice will never know peace, except the peace of the graveyard. That is the case of the APC now. From inception, we knew that the emergence of Oshiomhole will mark the beginning of the end of APC. He lacks patience and tactical wisdom to manage a well constituted political party, not to talk of APC with its peculiarities. He has several allegations of corruption around him, even when he was Edo State governor. Everything about Oshiomhole has always been stage-managed. We knew his chairmanship of APC will not stand the test of time.
TNE: INEC recently removed 300,000 names from voter register. What is your take on this?
TNE: Well, it would have been a good thing to do. But how did they know who was dead or who double registered when they do not even have the equipments and commitment to carry out such due diligence?
We can tell you that INEC does not have any information on the death rate, births, emigrants, immigrants, etc. So, the opposition has every reason to cry out or suspect some grand conspiracy, coupled with the lack of trust that is already established in the minds of Nigerians by the present leadership of INEC.
TNE: With the experiences of Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections, would you say the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) would conduct free and fair elections in 2019?
From the experiences in Ekiti, Osun, Edo, elections and many other bye-elections, it is very clear that the present leadership of INEC lacks courage and capacity to conduct free and fair elections come 2019. From the body language of the commission, we have seen that they are set to plunge the country into crises by their inconclusive elections, which have become a trend. There are a lot of bad influences and people with vested interests who ordinarily should not be in INEC. INEC is supposed to be seen as truly independent, and not having within it people that have personal relationship with the president, or his family members at the top echelon. Nigerians have come to know and refer to the present INEC as ‘inconclusive INEC’. They use inconclusiveness of elections to confuse and achieve their goals. The only way out is for Nigeria to adopt a modified Option A4. If not so, with the card reader malfunctioning and unavailable PVCs, we will not see anything near free, fair elections in 2019.
