They need to know that the easiest route to actualise Igbo presidency is through Buhari/Osinbajo second term in office…
Dickson Okafor
Abumchukwu Okoye is a lawyer and National Coordinator, Take Back Nigeria Initiative (TBNI). He speaks on 2019 and 2023 Igbo presidency project.
All eyes are on the South-East geopolitical zone, as some see the PDP’s ticket as the easiest route to actualising Igbo presidency in 2023. What do you think?
No doubt, the combination of former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for next year’s general election, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Peter Obi is good, but I doubt if the ticket can guarantee Igbo presidency in 2023. As a proponent of Buhari presidency in 2015, my support for the president and the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration remain unshaken. Atiku’s choice of Obi without due consultation with leaders of PDP in the South-East has made the 2019 presidential contest, a ride for Buhari to victory, considering the performance index of Mr. President. Like I said earlier, even though I endorse Buhari’s re-election bid, the configuration of Atiku/ Obi ticket is good as well as Buhari/Osinbajo ticket. But the bitter truth is that the Yoruba won’t prefer Peter Obi to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
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I doubt if the Yoruba will sacrifice their chance of producing the next President of the country on the altar of sentiment. The South-West is well positioned to clinch the presidency in 2023 because of their unflinching support for President Buhari. So, Ndigbo should do deep thinking because if Atiku wins next year nobody can stop him from doing second term if he wishes in 2023 and Yoruba won’t wait till 2030 for power to return to the zone.
Most Nigerians see President Buhari as being incompetent, as such want to try Atiku. What do you make of this view?
It is unfair for anybody to say President Buhari is incompetent just because Mr. President put his feet down that Nigeria must be self-sufficient in food production through agriculture. The will power of Buhari is what these set of Nigerians are against. We have taken time to explain why it is no longer business as usual through the introduction of TSA and we cannot continue to make the explanation because it is the reality and every Nigerian is expected to key into this policy to restore our lost glory.
On whether Nigerians will not vote for APC, I want to remind you that the last thing Nigerians will do is to return PDP to power. The concern of Igbo is for power shift to the South-East geo political zone; they don’t see any need to change Buhari even though Obi hails from the region.
Atiku and Obi may be doing well in private businesses, but the electorate doesn’t think the best thing to do in 2019 is to replace Buhari. Instead, they would prefer President Buhari to restructure his cabinet and move on with the job he is doing. President Buhari has delivered on his campaign promises which include diversification of the economy, security and fight against corruption. We are all aware that terrorism is international problem right from the time of President George Bush of United States as every nation is trying to counter terrorism.
Do you think the reasons you gave are enough to stop Atiku/Obi presidency?
With the way PDP is going about their campaign, Buhari has gained public sympathy from Nigerians. The opposition is not dwelling on an issue driven campaign, but has concentrated on criticising Buhari and they end up popularising Buhari. So, I warn the APC to desist from criticizing Atiku destructively because they will end up popularising him. It is a pity that the people are migrating from the principle of partisan politics to hate speech. As a youth leader in the era of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), I saw Alhaji Maitama Sule and former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari came to Dr. Alex Ekwueme during their campaign to seek support and they did it without confrontation which don’t happen anymore. There must be handshake across the Niger as well as handshake across the rock and it must be done through negotiation and not about any tribe or region trying to show they are superior. I call on Igbo to vote Buhari/Osinbajo ticket because Atiku/ Obi ticket is not viable. They need to know that the easiest route to actualise Igbo presidency is through Buhari/Osinbajo second term in office and Ndigbo must vote for Buhari to have a stake at the end of Buhari’s administration in 2023.
Recently, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said the presidency will return to the South-West after Buhari and here you are, so sure the South-East will grab it if the people vote for Buhari, what makes you so sure?
If Ndigbo have a stake in Buhari’s re-election bid that can earn South-East the number one position in the country and that can make President of Igbo extraction achievable if they vote for Buhari. In politics there is no permanent enemy but permanent interest. My major concern is that I want to see Igbo President in my lifetime and not when I’m gone and it is possible in 2023 if we vote for Buhari in 2019. The Minister is entitled to his opinion and every zone is free to seek for the number one position in the land.
Many expect you to suggest ways the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) perceived to be Igbo party, should rally Igbo support in 2019. Why are you not thinking in that direction?
Power is not given, but taken. Igbo Presidency is unrealisable under PDP. An Igbo person won’t be President of only Igbo, but the country, so there is a need for corporate community. I’m happy over APGA has a presidential candidate for next year’s election even though it was a political decision. Any political party is free to negotiate with the APGA because this move by APGA will boost the chance of the party in 2019.
I commend Governor Willie Obiano for strengthening APGA through the enthronement of internal democracy within APGA because whatever APGA does to Obi is political and welcomed since he dumped the party for PDP.