TAYO SOWUNMI, National Vice Chairman (South West) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), explains to Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, the problems and prospects of the party, the Okorocha challenge and his fears for 2015 general election, among other issues…
Your party has just received another verdict from the Appeal Court in Abuja affirming Victor Umeh’s leadership. What is the current situation in the party and the way forward for it in the midst of its consistent crises?
Tayo Sowunmi
We are no more in court. We just had judgment penultimate Wednesday, from the Appeal Court and all our 16 prayers were granted. So, Sir Victor Umeh is now the authentic and substantive chairman. The interloper, I mean Maxi Okwu, that was claiming to be the national chairman was nowhere to be found in court on the day of judgment. I was there with other party leaders and we had a sweet victory. This is a man that simply got up one morning and said he was the national chairman of APGA when he had been expelled a long time ago. Happily enough, he lost shamefully on all counts, and so APGA is now being repositioned the best way it should be all over the country. We will come out smoking now because all is set to take the party to the next level.
You described Maxi Okwu as an interloper. How do you mean?
Well, it is not unusual to get people like that who are moles planted in a party to ensure that there is consistent crisis, to destroy it. I am sure he is one because if you critically examine his antecedents in the party, there is no doubt that he is serving an interest which is always against that of our party.
Governor Rochas Okorocha, who won his election on the ticket of APGA, has abandoned it but no sanction is known to have been meted to him.
You know there is an ongoing court case on that. We wanted him to return our ticket to us because it was our platform that gave him victory. He had been contesting elections before now. Why did his name not do the magic for him to win? We have filed the case like three months now and I can assure you that by the time the court will give its judgment, Okorocha will desist from parading himself as a governor. We have done the right thing by taking up legal action against him. By the time he runs on another party platform, he will be shocked on how the people will reject him. Imo people are politically sophisticated. Just wait and see how the people will dump him if he dares to contest. For us as a party, we have taken legal action against him. We are looking at the merits of the case and we are sure of victory.
Are you saying that if Okorocha contests election on another platform, say APC, he will fail despite his popularity?
APC has no place in the South East. All that you are hearing is mere noise. Go to the South East and you will see that APC is not on ground. They are just using the media to hype their publicity. You have seen what happened in Ekiti State, where the people spoke and are happy, going by their mood. You cannot fool the people all the time. If I may ask you, where was the acclaimed popularity of Rochas Okorocha in the other attempts he made? He is just boasting. He will soon retire into political oblivion. The party to beat in Imo is APGA. That is why Okorocha does not want to leave the party. He is operating one leg in APGA, the other leg in APC. Has he even officially declared for the APC? He appears to be confused and is sinking. He was romancing Okwu, thinking that the judiciary will not be equal to the task. But now that Okwu has lost on all counts, he will lick his wounds. I understand he is already making overtures to APGA. He will soon realise he cannot be bigger than a party that threw him up and won the election for him.
Even at the stage it has gone, critics insist that nothing good will come out of the national conference. Do you share in such view?
The truth is that the confab is a desirable platform at this period of our history to iron out some knotty and fundamental issues bordering on our unity if we still want to remain as one Nigeria. Every right-thinking person in Nigeria today wants this confab. I had said that the conglomeration of old expired politicians in that confab will be its greatest undoing, as it will not allow members to achieve much. There are too many old men there, the youths whose future is being shaped and whose duty it is to drive the confab are not given the chance. There are just few youths out there and that, to me, is wrong. I get worried that each passing day you hear of resolutions, committee recommendations on issues that do not matter to Nigerians. The crux of the things threatening our corporate existence are being ignored and left untouched. The issue of our federalism has not been sufficiently or properly handled, it is not only about resource control. Those who say nothing much will come out of the confab may not be far from being correct.
Of course, there are some issues they are handling that will benefit us, like the issue of security, state creation etc. If you critically examine what is happening at the confab, the timeframe, the politics there etc, those who say they don’t expect much to be achieved at the end may not after all be wrong. They have my endorsement because I share in their sentiment. The confab as composed may not achieve our desired expectation.
They have not made up their mind to pass it for a referendum. I will support a referendum. The National Assembly (members) will mutilate it if it is passed on to them because a lot of things are going to affect them. A lot of recommendations are already going against the National Assembly; so it is obvious they will water it down. And in any case, there would have been no need for the confab if the National Assembly has the legitimacy to do what the confab delegates are doing. Most of the people at the National Assembly are selfish individuals. Anything that does not favour them will be thrown out. It does not matter to them whether the issue is for the good of the country or not. I don’t support the result of the confab to be sent to the National Assembly.
How do you feel that the Boko Haram terrorists are still on rampage and still holding the Chibok girls hostage over two months despite the presence of foreign powers?
I have a feeling that the hype in this issue is highly politicised. Everybody wants to make cheap point with it. The APC leadership is crying to the rooftops that the presidency is not competent enough to handle the situation. The presidency, in turn, is accusing the APC of being behind all the protests carried out by the women who felt aggrieved on the Chibok situation. The APC members are not helping the matter because a lot of things are wrong in this country. The type of opposition we seem to be playing in this country is inimical to the interest of Nigeria. In a situation like we have today, all hands should be on deck to tackle the Boko Haram issue frontally. But you discover that each day the issue is mentioned, people read different political meanings into it, starting from the presidency, PDP and the APC to other interests. Only few activists are sincerely touched. If we cut out politics in this matter, we will begin to see a clear way to
overcome the challenge. But we should not forget that Boko Haram is just a name for terrorism and it has permeated the entire world. Terrorism is not confined to Nigeria alone; it’s a global security challenge. That is why United States, Israel, Britain etc have done well in coming to Nigeria for assistance. The efforts they are putting in do not seem to be yielding any fruits now because of the politicisation of the issue by Nigerians. We must give them a chance by facing the issue frontally, cutting out politics from it. Everybody is a target; forget that they are now in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Of course, they have equally attacked Abuja and you remember that few days ago, we heard they were in Owerri to ignite their bomb near Winners’ Chapel. In Umuahia, over 400 insurgents, going by reports, were arrested. So, no one is safe. That is the reason we must all be united against the Boko Haram deadly attack.
Politics is our greatest undoing in tackling Boko Haram and terrorism generally.
Do you see 2015 as a delicate election year?
Well, every lover of this country will feel concerned on what will be Nigeria’s fate in 2015, given the type of heat the country is going through. As far as I am concerned, the issue is now a do-or-die affair. Win or lose, there will be problem. If the PDP or APC wins, there is this pointer that there may be problem. I am sure about that. This is because some of them don’t have enough courage to face election challenge squarely and be ready to accept the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). So the noise emanating from all quarters fills everybody with anxiety.
What will APGA bring on board in 2015?
We will bring peace, progress and massive development. You know we have been battered enough by everybody; but thanks to the leadership sagacity of our National Chairman, Victor Umeh, who has remained focused and dogged in the entire battle. You know we have been in court for quite some time now, and since we believe in due process and rule of law, we could not talk much. But now that we have won the battle, we will swing into action and ensure we give Nigerians our best. We may not contest the presidency, but this will depend on latest development. We will field candidates for all other positions in all geo-political zones in Nigeria. There will be a turn-around in the fortunes of this country if we take over power.
How will you assess President Jonathan’s performance? Do you share same view with the opposition that he has done nothing, hence not fit to rule?
It will not be fair to say President Jonathan has done nothing. Of course, he has done something; but more could also have been done. Leading a country like Nigeria is not an easy task. So, as we criticise Mr. President, let us also give kudos to the ones he has done.
