2027: Igbo won’t repeat their 2023 mistake

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

Christopher Ogbonnaya Enweremadu, the Crown Prince of Ngwaland is the former Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, and equally former Commissioner for Works, that of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and former chairman of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, formerly Abia State Polytechnic, Aba.

In the interview, he spoke about the mistake the Igbo made in voting for Peter Obi in 2023 and said they would not repeat such mistake in 2027 if they want to be politically relevant. He advised the Igbo to vote for President Bola Tinubu who he said is sure to win the presidency next year than wasting their votes on the man that will lose. He equally spoke about the economic hardship in the country and how the president has been pumping more money to LGs and states to cushion the effect of the hardship. He also spoke on other issues.

Excerpts:

What was the idea of the meeting you convened?

First of all, I agreed with the political leaders in my Local Government and we felt given the point at which politics is at currently, that we needed to address the people, want to let them know that we are at the business end of politicking in Nigeria and also to inform and educate them on the need for Isiala Ngwa North to make itself available for not only supporting Mr. President in 2027, but also to request that all the other seats that is due for Isiala Ngwa North, prominent of which is the senate seat where we have six Local Government Areas making up the Abia Central Senatorial District, and every other Local Government has gone to the senate, except Isiala Ngwa North and we feel it is an act of right that the Local Government should be given the slot.

And I made it clear that it is not all about me, that if the people of Isiala Ngwa North decide on any other candidate who is not me who is also from this Local Government, I will lend my weight of support to the person.

Are you interested in the senate seat?

Yes, much interested, but the major import of the meeting was to endorse President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office. Another reason was to remind them that it is our right in this Local Government to produce the next Senator and I presented myself to them and I also have given them the platform to ensure that every other position due for our Local Government, was contested for.

All these are for the betterment of the Local Government and for the emancipation of the area that has been schemed out of the political calculations in the state and the nation. And we feel this is the right time for us to demand for what is due us.

Peter Obi, an Igbo man has said he was going to contest the presidency in 2027. One was thinking you will lend your support to him, instead you are druming support for Tinubu. Why?

Well, first of all, I am a political actor and being a political actor, I look at the pros and cons before I lead my people to anywhere I am going to. I see an Igbo man who is going to lose election in 2027, and I’m not going to lead my people to follow that man. It will be foolhardy for me to tell my people to go and support anyone that will lose an election because at the end of the day, all of us will suffer for that unwise decision.

Currently, we are lucky at the extent of magnanimity we have received from the Federal Government because Abia State has no business producing Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was out of the magnanimity of that party, they ceded that position to Abia State. It has been to the credit of Abia people by and large, by virtue of how we voted in the last election, they are certain things that shouldn’t have come to us. So, as we lead our people on the path to 2027, we must ask them to vote where there is the possibility of winning. And anybody that is not playing games with his people knows that President Tinubu will be re-elected. So, in that case, it is also my duty as a leader people look unto, to lead my people in the right path so that we can be recipients of the dividends of governance and whatever comes out of governance after 2027.

What makes you feel so optimistic that Peter Obi will lose the 2027 election?

First of all, let’s start with the mathematics. As we talk we are sure of President Bola Tinubu being the flag bearer of the APC. Presently, Peter Obi does not have a party that he can say as a matter of certainty, he is going to get the ticket. That is number one, number two, look at the political landscape of Nigeria, you have more than 30 States Governors declaring their support for APC and declaring their support for Mr. President, that is on that side. And then you look at all the indices that are used to play politics, politics is not magic, its one plus one equals to two, its not Sociology where you speak grammar and the next person will speak and may be the panel of judges will decide who spoke better. This is a business of numbers and if the numbers do not add, the possibility of the realisation of an Igbo president will not be there.

You’re talking of politics being a game of numbers and this is the business end, could you reflect on what happened during the last election in Abia where the numbers went against a popular party?

I like to leave the past to the past. But the revelations that has come since then will tell you that PDP didn’t actually lose that election. You have a lot of PDP people telling you how the results were written in all the LGAs. There is documented fact that Umuahia North, Umuahia South and Arochukwu LGAs results were changed.That is the business politics and I don’t believe in crying over spilled milk. Yesterday is gone and we are talking about today and what I’m trying to tell you is that if those people who were still in PDP did not participate in changing those results, it is still a game of numbers.

Even when you talk about what happened in Abia in the last election, you will also take note of the fact that the Peter Obi influence in the election also swayed those numbers especially in the election of House of Reps.

And when people talk about Abians rejecting PDP, before the cross overs, PDP had 12 members of the House of Assembly, Labour Party had 10, YPP had two and APC, one. PDP was holding majority of the numbers in the Abia House of Assembly and since this was so, it conflicts with the numbers we are talking about.

Going by the economic realities in the country, would you say Nigerian citizens have been positively touched by the policies of the Tinubu administration?

Everyday, you hear about states speaking about developments taking place in their states that hitherto was not so in the previous administrations. It is happening because this administration has decided to send money to states and local governments to help them to develop. Wherever you see people suffering, hold those in charge of Local Governments and States responsible. Today, the allocations states and Local Governments get are five times what it used to be in the previous administrations.

Let me tell you something because I have been part of so many governments before. More than 80 percent of allocations that used to come to this state, were used to pay salaries, but today, what comes to this state, less than 20 percent is expended in paying salaries. So, there is still a lot of money that is left in the hands of those governing the state to better the lots of the citizens. Yes, I believe that Tinubu’s administration is delivering dividends of democracy to the masses of this country by that singular act.

You mentioned the enhanced allocation, you are not taking into cognizance the inflationary trend in the country.

I have taken that into cognizance. Let me give you an example, I was Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, on the average, the 17 Local Governments of Abia State would receive N3.2b every month. On a very good month, it could be N4.2b, but now, the Local Governments receive on the average, between N9b to N13b every month. There’s a monumental increment in the allocation that is also coming to the state.

My point is this, the Federal Government has made these funds available to cushion the other economic policies that are biting on the people because most of these monies are coming from the removal of fuel subsidy.

You talked about the Obi wave playing a major role in the outcome of the 2023 elections particularly in the South East, do you think the same scenario won’t play out in 2027?

Let me tell you something, people do not often make the same mistake twice. Peter Obi’s opportunity in 2023, will not be there again, people will always say ‘go and verify,’ at the end of 2027 election you will also go and verify, it’s going to be a one-off thing. I am saying this because the negative impact that election has brought to the South – East is immeasurable.

There’s no gainsaying the fact that the Igbo have lost a lot in so many places whether you want to believe it or not. We have lost a lot by casting our votes to candidates that lost elections. I thank the magnanimity of Mr. President for he has rendered to the Igbo, more especially, in the offices he has given to them and it behoves on those holding these offices to use it to bring a chain of progress to Igbo land.

What I am saying is that the Igbo have learnt their lessons from the last election based on the losses we are currently experiencing, they will not take that one choice again.

What are you bringing on the table if you win the election in 2027?

Well, the most important thing I will bring to the table is one, whatever happens in Abuja, I will be part of the decision because I have the legislative experience having been the speaker of Abia State House of Assembly. I understand the working of the legislature, I understand what roles I need to play with the executive to ensure my people will get the dividends of democracy.

How would you assess the Otti administration in Abia State?

I will like to refrain from discussing the governor. When APC picks a gubernatorial candidate, ask me that question again, but for now I will refrain from discussing the governor.