By Onyedika Agbedo
Chief Charles Udo Udeogaranya is former Lagos State chairman of the defunct African Renaissance Party (ARP) and former chairman of Lagos League of Political Parties (LLPP). In this interview, Udeogaranya, who is currently a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the mood of the nation calls for a young president in 2019 and declares his intention to contest for the plum job. He also faults calls for the restructuring of the nation, insisting that the problems of the country have nothing to do with its current structure or system of government but with those at the helm of its affairs.
What is your take on the rising clamour for the restructuring of the country?
I have listened to the arguments for restructuring and my word to the agitators is this: The problem with Nigeria is not the system; it has to do with the operators of the system. Some are saying we should go back to the parliamentary system. But they simply forget that we have practiced it before and it failed. Some say it is the military that suits us; but they seem to forget that we have had several of them and it wasn’t as welcome as it should be. Some are saying we should go back to regionalism, but we were in regions before and that also failed. So, the problem with Nigeria has nothing to do with restructuring the country but more to do with constitutional amendments. Most of the things people are asking for can be achieved through constitutional amendments. We don’t have to go all out to restructure. However, with the typical mindset of a Nigerian today, which is all about go in there and loot the treasury, give him any system and he will make a mess of it. Unfortunately, we don’t have many people with the mindset to go and serve. But thank God there is one in me. I wish Nigerians would give me the chance to serve them.
So, you intend to run for the Presidency in 2019?
Yes, of course! I’m already in the race.
What is your inspiration?
I am a Nigerian with Anambra as my state of origin. I have had the privilege of being the Lagos State Chairman of the defunct African Renaissance Party (ARP) and Chairman, Lagos League of Political Parties (LLPP). I have also had the privilege of leading several organisations. But something tells me that those we have been having at the helm of affairs in this country are not doing justice to the resource of the nation. An average Nigerian can tell you that he is not satisfied with the way the country is today. Therefore, there is a huge demand for a quality leader. And the mood seems to be clamouring for a young president.
Most importantly to the people of South-eastern Nigeria who are agitating for Biafra, they want a president for the first time in 50 years from that part of the country. That is an action that will speak louder than words talking about the post civil war policy of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction implemented by the Gen. Yakubu Gowon regime. If that should happen, Nigerians of today will begin to believe in themselves that there is no first class or second-class citizen of this country. My belief that I have what it takes to make life better for all Nigerians made me to raise my hand and step forward my foot to be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019. I know that it will be a daunting task, but I am braving it. And by God’s grace I will win and make Nigerians proud of themselves and their country once again.
Which political platform do you intend to use to actualise your aspiration?
At the moment, I am a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). But if the party is not willing to listen to the voices of Nigerians, there will be several platforms to pursue my aspiration and actualise it.
But you are aware that the National Chairman of your party, John Odigie-Oyegun, recently hinted that the party would give the choice of first refusal to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019?
I think that is his personal opinion. If you seek the opinion of majority of Nigerians, President Buhari has given his best, but Nigerians are clamouring for more. President Buhari had said himself that he would have wished the Presidency came to him at a younger age. In other words, the President is saying, ‘it’s over as I am concerned in delivering the kind of quality leadership that Nigerians are yearning for. This is my personal interpretation and I am not trying to impose it on him. But my import from it is that a young Nigerian should take over the leadership of the country. So, one can say that the opinion of the national chairman of our great party is not a popular opinion among Nigerians.
Briefly, what are your plans for the country?
As we speak, the economy is in shambles; the current administration has been doing its best. But like I said, it’s not enough. First and foremost, we need to understand that there is hunger in the land. And it is said that a hungry man is an angry man. Therefore, for us to even start talking about rebuilding our economy, we must first and foremost overcome hunger. Until we do this, we are merely paying lip service to the war against corruption and revamping the economy to achieve the desired growth.
I also believe that Nigeria is highly unproductive despite the fact that we have the numbers. Why? It’s because the enabling infrastructure are not in place. To me, it is a wild goose chase to say that you are going to electrify the entire nation. It is not going to happen over night. You can keep an eye on that; but on the other side, you should be able to come up with a programme that helps productivity to be on its wave. What is my plan? I plan to map out industrial cities that must have uninterrupted power supply through an in-built power plant. With that, nothing stops companies that are located within the industrial cities from producing. I will also ensure that these cities have a watertight security system. The moment we get these done in several cities across the nation, this issue of diversification of our economy becomes a reality. Unemployment rate will also drop because Nigerians will be employed in the cities.
How do you think the secessionist agitation in the South-east geo-political zone will impact on your campaigns?
The agitation for Biafra was not as strong as it is now during the last administration. That goes to underscore that the current administration may be doing something that is not as good as it should be. When you run a national administration and in the six principal offices, you do not have a single appointee from a whole region, I don’t know how else you can tell them that they are not welcome in your administration. And when you reject someone, it will be naïve of you to expect the people to reject themselves. You have the President from the North-west, Vice President from the South-west, Senate President from the North-central, Speaker of the House of Representatives from the North-east, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) from the North-east and Chief Justice of the Federation from the South-south. The South-east got nothing. And Nigerians seem to believe that if your brother is not there, you are not there. In fact, those people could be there to advance their personal interests, but it seems to send a message that you are part of the government. That is why the agitation has been rising.
It probably may not impact very well on my campaigns because most of them seem to have given up on the project called Nigeria. But I have what it takes to convince my brothers. I have what it takes to tell them ‘look, Nigeria belongs to all of us. Even during the struggle for independence, it was the late Nnamdi Azikiwe that almost single-handedly brought independence to Nigeria’. So, we cannot abandon Nigeria. We are brothers and sisters. This may not be clear to some of them but by the time you leave the shores of this country and travel abroad and deal with people with different racial backgrounds around the world, you will come to appreciate where you come from — your black race. When you appreciate your black race, how come you are having issues with your own brothers and sisters that you cannot resolve? It doesn’t make sense. We are all humans; every one of us wants his/her needs to be catered for. That is the problem of our country. So, my brothers in the South-east will support be because I know what they are clamouring for. They want to be given equal opportunities and incentives. They don’t want to be played down as second-class citizens in their own country. So, I am going to take care of all Nigerians if elected as president.
Do you think you will also be able to convince the North to support your ambition given that they are expected to hold the position for eight years before the South takes over?
It is an inferior argument to say that a region that has produced majority of Nigerian presidents in the last 56 years have not had enough shot at the Presidency compared to a region that has had only six months. And in the last 50 years of returning back to Nigeria, they have not even taken a shot. I tell you that for anyone to say they want eight years against a people who said that for 50 years is like putting an elephant and a squirrel on a scale. So, for anyone to come and say we should wait more, how long shall we continue to wait? We need to reason like a people and have good conscience in our reasoning. And by the way, a new president in 2019 means the president will go for eight years. I say so because I will not advise President Buhari to go for a second term. This is not his era; this is not his generation. Even at my age, I know how I’m managing myself not to talk of someone in his 70s. So, I think 2019 is open and that is why this project will succeed.