Christian Agadibe 

Israel Nweke contested for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent Obingwa/Ugwunanagbo/Osisioma constituency, Abia State in the House of Representatives in the last general election but he lost out in the primary election. He has expressed his displeasure in his party, saying it failed to conduct credible primaries in many states across the country. 

 

You contested for the ticket of your party to go to the House of Representatives but you lost.  What were the issues that caused your loss? 

The primaries were marred by irregularities across all states and Abia was not an exception. However, I am waiting for another opportunity to throw my hat into the ring. Contesting in the primary gave me a better understanding of the system so that next time, we will not trust people the way we trusted them. When I say people, I am talking about the process.

Normally in an election, there is supposed to be a result sheet where everybody will sign but imagine when somebody says he was not given the result sheet from the state secretariat and that the results should be written on a sheet of paper. But between where you wrote the result and the state secretariat, the original one shows up, whereas you had trusted the party to conduct credible elections without inviting the DSS. But next time, one will make sure security operatives are available so that when the results are given, there will be someone to verify it and make sure it gets to the required destination, so there won’t be excuses later.

What is your general view about the present government under President Muhamadu Buhari?

I believe we can do more than what we have done; we have the capacity to do more. We have not done 50 percent of our ability. When Buhari came into power, people used to call him Baba-go-slow and he made a joke that ‘you can call me Baba-go-slow’ but we will get to the destination.’  Time defines a lot of things; it defines a wise man and separates a wise man from the foolish man.

You admitted there were irregularities during the primaries. Are you disappointed in the party or in INEC?

I am disappointed in the party. When I looked at what happened to the party during the general election and how the party  was shouting foul, it makes me laugh. It was like when we were in school in those days; there was what we called mock exam. The mock exam is not the real exam; it is just to prepare you for the real exam. If you intend to pass with integrity, you will read for the mock exam as hard as you would for the main exam. If a party cannot conduct free and fair primaries, it is morally wrong for that same party to expect INEC to put together a free and fair election.  A party that cannot put together a primary that is free of cheating are jokers. I told my party that since their primaries was more about who knows how to cut corners, they should  make sure when they go  for the main election, they  should have candidates who can cut corners more than their opponents. From what I know, the PDP guys have been in this game for long but our people are still learners. So, if you are coming on the platform of integrity, why don’t you preach it from home? Why do you do rubbish in the primaries, then come to the general election and expect INEC to do better.  I am disappointed the party couldn’t put together a free and fair election.

Could that be the reason the party lost to PDP at the general election in the state?

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The people of Abia want change; they are tired but APC disappointed us. Abians knew their process wasn’t free and fair. What happened in the general election was the normal writing of results rather than counting of votes which they did in the primaries. The PDP primaries were fairer in Abia State than the APC primaries. The PDP primaries were an open election but in APC, materials didn’t get to my village until 8pm and they expected people to vote. A village that has no electricity, yet they announced results; even I that was contesting an election didn’t vote. I was at my ward till late in the night but the materials were not there, yet the result came out. So, by the time they got to the big field, they were now playing with those who knew how to cut corners because right now in Abia State, the people in governance are not the choice of the people. Until we get the system right, Abia State might never be able to have the kind of leadership it deserves.

Do you see change coming in 2023?

Till this present administration takes electioneering seriously and puts process in place where the votes of people can count, there would be no change.  I campaigned in 31 wards as an aspirant but my opponent did not campaign in any ward. He told me ‘you are not the one the party wants’ and I said ‘why don’t you let the people decide.’

With everything you have experienced, will you ‘cut corners’ in the next election?

When you serve food in a party, you don’t give a hungry man food to serve. He will first eat and get himself satisfied before he can give to the next person. When I was campaigning, I told my people I was not going to be entitled to any allowance. The people who will go there and change are people who are not yet satisfied in their lives as individuals. Someone might have N10million and he’s satisfied because he can take care of his family. But if the person wants to buy an aircraft just to be flying around for no reason, when he gets to the office, he will be looking for money to buy the aircraft.

So, we look for people who are more interested in having good roads, good hospitals etc. I can’t even see myself change because right now, I don’t have a personal need I cannot solve. The only needs I have that I cannot solve are community related such as bad roads, power and dilapidated schools. I can’t solve them and the more I tried to do it, the bigger the deficit. The difference between me and others is that I am contented with what I have. There is no country in the world I had not gone to. There is no car I want to drive that I had not driven.

Many politicians, once they lose election decamp to another party. Do you plan on defecting?

PDP isn’t a better alternative. I am only asking APC to practice what they preach; I am not decamping. Where am going to? Abia has been under PDP for a long time and joining them will be a big mistake. At least APC is preaching something; it’s just that they are not practicing what they preach.

What has been some of your contributions to your community?

I don’t need to blow my own trumpet. Before now, I have been grading roads in my community but the funny thing is that I don’t have pictures of any of them either before or after the grading. During my campaign, the media houses that came were asking me if I have pictures of what I have done so they could show the world and I told them I have none because when I was doing them,  I didn’t have intention of using them as campaign materials or political tools. What will I keep the pictures for? It is the people that always broadcast what I have done for the community. The problem is that we have a lot of hypocritical people. Some people go out with cameras showing them giving alms to people. That is wrong; they are doing a lot of showmanship and get nothing done.