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Former Imo State governor, Chief Achike Udenwa has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to use the Second Niger Bridge campaign issue, noting that the project isn’t a federal government one.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the BoT member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also said he didn’t see the presidency eluding the South-East in 2023.
People are wondering why PDP has not come out with its zoning arrangement. What’s going on?
Zoning is a very volatile issue and must be approached tactfully and also with a lot of care. We have started selling our forms since last week and some aspirants have already collected. For the zoning arrangement, a national committee comprising one representative per state and the Federal Capital Territory has been set up and will be meeting very quickly. They will tell us where we go with the zoning arrangement.
PDP is being very careful. We don’t want to have any crisis on our hands over the issue of zoning. You must agree with me that the issue has to be handled with a lot of care because it s a very sensitive one, and we don’t want any part of PDP to feel cheated. That is why we are bringing each representative to look at the issues and advise the party accordingly.
Many would argue that the founding principle of PDP was on rotation between the North and the South. What has changed?
We have not yet deviated from that principle, but you will also agree that the principle of rotation is not constitutional. It was something arrived at in an utmost good faith. It is neither in the party constitution nor in the Nigeria constitution, but somehow that practice has seen us through all these times. What people are asking within the party is that will that principle fetch us the presidency, which is the issue now? We will come to it and I’m sure we would resolve it amicably. It is not going to be a divisive factor, if it is well handled, and that is what we are trying to do.
Some will be wondering why you are selling forms when the zoning arrangement has not been arrived at.
We have already agreed on the timetable. PDP is made up of people of good character, people who understand. I’m sure that whichever way, we will resolve it. The present sale of forms will not jeopardise whatever decision we’ll take.
Will some aspirants not feel cheated if it is zoned to A, while those in B were allowed to purchase forms?
I’m sure PDP will be able to handle the situation. There is nothing that prevents the party from saying that you obtained the form, but unfortunately, your zone is not favoured, we refund your fees and allow those from the zone that is favoured by the system. PDP can do that and refund their money if it can cause any problem.
If you jettison zoning at this time, don’t you think Nigerians will say you don’t abide by what you preach?
No. Just know that right now, the most important thing to us is to be able to satisfy the Nigerian electorate. We must be sure what they want right now and be able to return PDP to power, which is the most important guiding principle. These are the things we are weighing up and down. We are weighing which principle right now that will get the party to deliver and get the voters to go along with PDP. We know right now that the Nigerian electorate is waiting for PDP. So, we don’t want any crisis to jeopardise our chances. We want to be sure that we come out of it with one voice, which will convince the voters to go along with the party.
It has been said that PDP laid the foundation for the current rot in Nigeria. Do you think voters will want PDP back in power?
I’m sure that Nigerians will listen to us. That is mere propaganda; the rot didn’t start with us, but it started with the APC government. Under us, what was the exchange rate; what was the GDP, what was the rate of unemployment, what was the price of fuel? If you check the growth statistics available, you would see that under PDP, Nigeria was still on course. Nigeria got out of hands when we started borrowing left, right and centre; when we started doing all sorts of things we shouldn’t do. There is no fiscal discipline any longer, which has brought us to where we are now. We are no more worried about our balance of payment, level of our borrowing – local debts and international debts. Under PDP, we were so well guided; we were not spending anyhow. So, nobody can say that the foundation of the rot was laid during PDP era. The last PDP government was by Jonathan. Go and look at the statistics. How much was one dollar to the naira? What was the exchange rate? We were still on just over N100 to one dollar. But today, we are talking of about N570 per dollar. So, any person who is saying that the rot started during PDP’s time is being mischievous; he is not being truthful. How much was a litre of petrol? We are now buying diesel at N750 per litre. Are we not ashamed of what is happening? Nobody can claim that the foundation of this rot was laid during PDP era. What of the level of insecurity, what is laid during PDP’s time? We made sure that Boko Haram didn’t find its feet during PDP’s time. Today, are we still talking of Boko Haram? It is even becoming the least of our problems. We have the bandits everywhere in the North-West. We have the herdsmen ravaging everywhere, and we have all sorts of crises.
The ruling party accused your party of handing over to them a dead country?
When we handed over to them, Nigeria was still strong enough; and we were getting stronger and stronger, as our economy was well managed by people who knew how to manage the economy. Today, all sorts of people are managing the economy. Didn’t you hear that our CBN was even printing currency that was not backed up by anything? Did you hear of it during PDP’s time? Anybody who told you that we handed over a dying economy or a dying country to them is not sincere. In what area? Is it in the area of insecurity? Today, Nigeria is worth nothing. Honestly, how many people today believe in Nigeria? Check it and see how far we have gone down the abyss. There is no part of this country that is not affected. Even foreign bandits are occupying some parts of our lands today and our citizens in those areas pay taxes to them. What a shame; what a ridiculous thing! Go to most of the states up north; that is what is happening.
In the South-East, APC seems to have signature projects in seven years while the PDP cannot point to anything they did for that region in 16 years.
I want to know where these signature projects were sited.
The Enugu- Port Harcourt Road to Abia State, Second Niger Bridge and so on
I laugh. Are you aware that the Federal Government is not paying anything for the Second Niger Bridge? Are you aware that it is on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis? The Federal Government is not paying any money. Go and ask those who should know they will tell you so. The Second Niger Bridge is not a project of the Federal Government. The Federal Government is building a railway line down to Niger Republic, we know that one. But in the South-East, there is no such project. Even the old rail line that used to pass from Port Harcourt to Enugu, Makurdi to Maiduguri is not there any longer. They are saying that revitalizing it is not going to be the modern standard gauge, but the narrow gauge. Even at that, as at now, nothing has been arrived at; nothing has been raised. There was a day I saw a train travelling from Aba to Port Harcourt. It was shameful; you would be ashamed to see that sort of train. So, nothing has happened in the South-East. Of course, nothing can happen under APC in that region.
But we have been told that the Federal Government is committing humongous sums of money on the Second Niger Bridge?
Can you ask the gentlemen in the Federal Ministry of Works or Finance how much money the Federal Government has released for that so-called signature project. It is a toll bridge for that matter. It is a toll bridge so that the contractors or investors can recover their money. APC has no place again in the South-East and all over the country. Everybody has forgotten the party all over; before they were enjoying some form of public confidence maybe some places up north, but today it is not more. There is no place that is in peace; there is no place that you go in the North that people are not being killed every day by bandits and terrorists. I don’t see anybody who wants APC any longer. This one is beyond rigging; Nigerians don’t want them any longer. That is why we are taking our time to make sure that we come out as one and present to the Nigerian public what will be their redemption; how Nigeria will be redeemed from the present catastrophe we found ourselves.
The South-East has supported PDP in good and in bad times. If the ticket eludes them, how can the people be appeased?
First and foremost, I haven’t seen the presidency eluding the South-East. Like you said, the PDP is well aware of the sacrifices the region has made all these years. That we are suffering and being tormented by the APC government today was because of the massive support we have given to PDP all these years. Your assertion was right, and I’m not sure PDP will disappoint the Southeast. The issue is that we must find a winning formula; the most important point at this time is that PDP must win. We must find a winning formula and by the time have done that, I’m sure that the South-East will not be left out; it would be adequately accommodated. The party recognises the South-East and the South- South as the pillars holding the PDP. We recognise that and they will not be forgotten at the time the final decision is being taken. But, bear in mind that our aim is to make sure that we capture power at the federal level and in most states in 2023. This is the guiding principle and South-East will not lose out. I assure you of that.
