Chukwudi Nweje
Former Rivers State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Mr Tonye Princewill, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately intervene in the crises currently rocking the ruling party. He made this remark and more in this interview.
The APC NEC meeting has been fixed for tomorrow, leaving the NWC polarised. Do you foresee the meeting holding?
Yes, of course. Even before the courts reaffirmed it, I was sure that the opposition to it was pointless. I mean only those who are afraid of a discussion will be afraid of the convening of the NEC. As a victim of court rulings, it surprises me how quickly politicians run to the courts, but I guess if you don’t go, others will, so it’s best to go first. All those who want a discussion to take place are saying, let the NEC meet, discuss the way forward and put the party in line for a mini convention, where the proper things are done the proper way.
You are from the South South, is your zone going to this meeting as one united family to defend Adams Oshiomhole? There has been insinuation that the zone is already shopping for a replacement?
I am quite disappointed with the performance of our South South zone and to be honest, the inability of our leadership to bring the benefits of democracy to our people. If it is not one fight, it’s another. A struggle for supremacy, a competition for villa access or key leaders getting in each other’s way. As a result of this, we have suffered a mixture of intra and inter state disharmony which has left us in one case, without candidates in a whole state, in another – losing a governor elect while in Edo State, a National Chairman and a Governor are in open warfare. This alone calls for drastic change at the highest level and for those of us that know who did what and when, the buck stops at the table of the suspended National Chairman. For us to make progress, he has to step aside. Even then, the leaders have to sit down and get their acts together. Enough is enough. We have a President who can move mountains for us if we sing from the same hymn sheet, but instead we are self isolating like coronavirus suspects. The rank and file are not happy with the leadership and if it continues like this, they will make life very uncomfortable.
Oshiomhole at a session with State House correspondents last week accused a certain Minister from his zone as the arrow head of the agitation for his removal. Some alleged that it is Rotimi Amaechi. He is the leader of the APC in Rivers. Is Rivers really angry with Oshiomhole and why?
I wish he knew how much Amaechi has defended him. From the days of Magnus Abe to now, Amaechi has been telling us that he trusts Oshiomhole and that if he has any flaw, being a puppet to another man’s negative agenda is not one of them. When people told him Magnus was working with Oshiomhole, he said they were wrong, when they told him Oshiomhole was working with Governor Nyesom Wike, he told them to relax. The list goes on. In fact I had to do this interview without his knowledge because he would not want me to. That’s how much he tries to stay away now from the politics. Especially in the South South. His influence became a threat to his fellow South South leaders, so he decided to focus on his ministry and mind his business. Look at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Amnesty Programme and even the issue of National Chairman, no interest. Until recently when Oshiomhole tried to replace Giadom. Amaechi has learnt that you can struggle to place people somewhere today and those same people will deny you tomorrow, so why make unnecessary enemies? Just live and let live. It’s the rank and file that are not happy. Call a mini convention and you will see.
Ahead, 2023, some perceive the APC NEC meeting to be a make or break meeting. They believe the resolution of Oshiomhole’s fate will lead to a chain of other reactions which could divide the party. What is your take?
We have to try and avoid dividing the party, but the freedom to associate means people will only remain where they are most comfortable. The issue before us is I agree, a potential catalyst for a third force, but if it is not addressed, a third force will most definitely emerge and it will be stronger and bigger. I still feel, we can get beyond this if all sides accept that the status quo won’t work and agree to make changes that reasonable minds can live with. Our decline must stop.
Buhari has said he won’t meddle in party affairs. To some, it is a sign of weakness and selfishness. They claim he doesn’t need the platform again and doesn’t care what happened to it or what the contending forces do with it?
He has never been the meddling kind. All of us know that. Many would like him to meddle some more, but he’s a product of a time when power was absolute, so he knows the implications of using it too freely. I believe the term extreme democrat has been used. Unfortunately he can’t afford to sit this one out and I don’t believe he will. Politics affects governance especially in the last few months of the end of a term. In the case of APC, 2023 affected even 2019. That’s way too soon and shows a dangerous level of indiscipline among the troops. Only one person can restore order. If he doesn’t, it will overflow into governance and affect it even more. That we cannot afford.
The state of the economy is worrisome. Oil is now $30 per barrel. Considering our mono-cultural bias, aren’t we going to recede to recession? What measures would you suggest to absorb the shock?
Ok. We are looking at two separate issues which are the cause and affect of each other. The first is the coronavirus which is impacting and will impact the global economy, resulting in negative growth across the board. Nigeria is no exception. Current forecasts put our expected growth rate to hit 2 per cent as opposed to the 2.5 per cent earlier predicted. The second issue is the Saudi – Russia crude cuts debate and the impact of a crude war. That sent the price stumbling. But Russia has since indicated a willingness to talk so the oil price is recovering slowly again. It’s important not to panic. Oil prices will go above our estimated oil price of $57, but it may take a while for that to happen and we are losing time. The government will be under pressure to devalue the Naira, but it shouldn’t subscribe to knee jerk reactions. One month from now, things will be a lot clearer. In the meantime, our handling of the coronavirus issue is our biggest currency.
APC doesn’t have Rivers; Bayelsa has slipped off its hands, Edo is threatened by internal dissension. Is the claim to penetrate the South South, not becoming an empty boast?
No it’s not. We all know why we didn’t win Rivers and we all know that we won Bayelsa. In both cases, the court reigned Supreme. So let’s not debate our acceptance in the zone, let’s instead debate our acceptance in the courts. We need to look inwards. Tuesday’s NEC meeting is a beginning. I remember when I was running around INEC in 2019 to find out why INEC was not ready to put us on the ballot. I bumped into some people in the legal department and we had a heart to heart on our matter. They said you are here, but nobody from the APC secretariat comes here. We only see in court. Reflect on that. Edo is already an APC state, so penetration there is already a concluded affair. What is of concern to us now is returning Obaseki, but we can’t do it if his party is fighting him. Again, Tuesday is a step in the right direction.
How best do you think the party crisis can be resolved considering the two state governorship elections ahead?
I believe I have answered you. But let me try and spell it out for the avoidance of doubt. Obey the preliminary court, set up a caretaker committee, set a date for the convention and put in place fresh leadership. APC needs to become a well oiled machine again.
The Bisi Akande reconciliation committee has been silent since the unfolding drama in the last two weeks. Is it Morning Yet on Creation Day? Can we say it has crashed before taking off?
I won’t go that far. The recent developments would have no doubt impacted on the progress the committee would have made. The need for reconciliation remains, so the need for the committee will remain as well. How the recent dynamics will affect things remain to be seen, but I foresee a delay, not a denial of the reconciliation mandate.
The recent $22.7 billion loan attracted a call for a debate on the floor of the National Assembly with the Senate minority leader claiming marginalization of the South East. What are your thoughts?
Debate what? Each loan, line by line? What was the sub committee set up to do? If I’m not mistaken, it was headed by a PDP man from Edo State. That sub committee after extensive work recommended the loan should pass. It’s now that the issue is in front of the media that some lawmakers are now making a fuss. Why were they not making their case when it was at committee level? Not to stir up tensions and try to play to the gallery.
Granted there may be issues, but where have they been? Is it just now they are waking up? This has been on the table for years. The loans are all linked directly to projects; money is not going into any big people’s pockets, like was the case before. My brothers, we have a very serious infrastructure deficit and we are boosting the economy by this loan action. Paying back is not only possible, it’s happening as we speak. Let us at least see what we are paying for. And after we pay back, we will then know that we don’t have excess money to waste.
When the traditional haters of this President, especially from the South East, query this government in my day to day interactions, I often don’t bother responding. There are more like them who feel the same way and worse, and your analysis can’t sway them. Nothing you say will calm some down. They are extra convinced Buhari hates the South East and so they are convinced the South East will hate him back.
I disagree with them, the evidence is there to the contrary, but there is no place for dialogue these days. It’s a collective ethnic monologue. I pray for our country when educated people can talk and reason with each other.
Solution is to let them shout until Buhari leaves. Then we will know what paradise 2023 – 2027 will bring.