By Henry Uche

International multimedia journalist and former supporter of the Obidient Movement, Donu Kogbara in this interview monitored on Arise Television, speaks on various issues including the detention of Dele Farotimi, crisis in the Labour Party and the recent defection of some House of Representatives members elected on the platform of the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

What would you say is the significance of five House of Representatives members elected on the Labour Party’s platform defecting to the APC?

Well, rats have always deserted sinking ships, so the Labour Party should say bye-bye to those five lawmakers. They’re entitled to do what they want if it’s within the ambit of the law, which I’m not even sure it is. But for me, the Labour Party is clearly in crisis. We had all that drama around their chairmanship and the traitor, who was on the take from outside elements.

I just can’t bear people who lack honour. So, there was that whole crisis and then there were other things that made it difficult for Labour Party to function as a proper party. But the thing that depresses me most is not so much what the senators and House of Representatives people do; it is Peter Obi himself.

I just don’t understand how somebody who was this sparkling inspirational figure, who created a movement almost overnight, galvanized the youths, the intellectuals, anybody who had any iota of principle in their bloodstream, at least admired him to some extent even if they weren’t necessarily going to vote for him for whatever reason, has gone from top to bottom.

As far as I’m concerned, he’s like a firework that has turned into a damp squib. He’s become so prosperous. All I see is him making anodyne statements here and there on television, donating boreholes or whatever. It’s all good stuff. He’s still a good guy but where is the leader that the opposition needs so desperately? He’s not looking like it.

I blame the entire opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allowing itself to be derailed by my dear friend, Nyesom Wike. By the way, I saw him a couple of months ago and I told him that ‘if I was a PDP Mandarin, I would have tossed you out by now.’ I also blame Atiku Abubakar of spending more time as a Dubai type of big man and not effectively taking on the government.

And I blame Peter Obi most of all because Peter was a shining star and so many people committed themselves to him emotionally, myself included. I’m not Obidient anymore, to be honest with you, because he’s such a disappointment. I mean, there’s no aggression.

The government is lousy. And pretty much the only good thing I can think that President Bola Tinubu has done is to keep herdsmen at bay because I’ve noticed there haven’t been any herdsmen shenanigans since Tinubu came in. So, I congratulate him for that if indeed it is his doing.

But it’s kind of like, there are so many things this government is doing wrong, contracts being awarded without due process, economic collapse, rampaging inflation, widespread hunger and disillusionment and you never hear anything seriously punchy from Peter Obi.

In fairness to Peter Obi, there is a lot of stuff that he comes up with on social media but the question is whether it’s effective enough…

He’s too mild. Yes, he’s got so much but there’s so much he could go for, and he would get so much public support if he did. I’m not just speaking for myself, I’m speaking for hundreds of Obidients, ex-Obidients or current Obidients, who are disappointed. We don’t want a weak opposition leader. He’s the star of the show. Atiku and PDP should also be doing more. But really, Peter is the star opposition player and he’s not doing well enough.

What is your reckoning on the realignment of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election?

I’m all for alignments and realignments that will achieve hopefully a better result than what we’ve seen so far. But I still think that we’re not going to get the kind of result that is going to be effective against a deeply entrenched and deeply corrupt incumbent party. That, I mean, maybe Tinubu won the election. I’m not sure he did. Many people think the mandate was stolen. But whatever the case may be, there were a lot of irregularities.

So, even if Tinubu won, there are so many grounds on which Peter Obi could have been going after him. And I always remember a saying, I am a bit of a firebrand. I mean, like everyone else I can be a coward, I can stand back at times when it is necessary to stand up. But Peter is a leader; I’m not. Do you know what I mean? I just think, to be honest with you that it’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees if you’re a leader.

Some analysts believe that given the way the elections went in 2023 in favour of the APC and the recent governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, there is just no chance for any other party in 2027…

I can understand anybody but as I said, rats have always deserted sinking ships. So, there’ll always be people like that. But there might be people who leave because they’re genuinely fed up. And I think Peter Obi needs to do something to keep and to shore up that support. Some of these people might not have left if they felt there was any hope. And there will not be any hope if we all sit back and give up and say that APC is too powerful, they’re too smart, they’re too clever for us and that 2027 is a done deal.

It is not a done deal. The global trend in Africa and other countries is for oppositions to have surprise victories, to turn over the status quo. President Bashar al-Assad has just jumped into a plane with his family from Syria to Russia after his family has ruled Syria for 53 years. I mean, all kinds of miracles are happening. In Senegal, a young activist won the election.

What do you think should happen next in the Labour Party?

Look, this man (Obi) won every major city in Southern Nigeria. Atiku won Kaduna and one or two others. We can come up with all kinds of fake numbers but we saw the spoilt ballot papers, the mutilated ballot papers, so we know what happened. These people have genuine support on the ground in this country. Atiku and Peter should do something about it.

Someone said to me, Peter doesn’t want to go to prison. He doesn’t want to make too much trouble, so that they won’t arrest him. I said prison was the making of Nelson Mandela. And Tinubu is not an animal. He’s not going to kill him. Like Dele Farotimi; look at the groundswell of support and excitement that his rebelliousness has generated.

What’s your reaction to the Farotimi saga over alleged defamation and cybercrime charges?

It’s quite clear that Dele Farotimi to me is being victimized for being a strong government critic. And frankly, that’s the type of opposition leader I want, someone heroic, courageous, outspoken and fearless. Dele Farotimi to me is the light at the end of the tunnel, not Peter Obi. Doesn’t that tell you something? Many people have told me that in the past few days, his book is selling like hotcakes. He’s a hero.

Activists and politicians can be the same thing because nothing is set in stone. Until Tinubu became a politician, he was a businessman. Politicians are not a one-size-fits-all career. You can be a journalist and a politician, an activist and a politician. So, I don’t buy the idea that because he’s an activist, he’s bound to be more dynamic.

It’s very easy to be an effective opposition person here because the government is always doing the wrong thing. Of course, Dele Farotimi should not be in handcuffs. If anybody should be in handcuffs, it’s the APC members. So, I’m very unhappy about how Farotimi is being treated.

But as you said, he’s built tremendous public momentum in his favour…

He’s a hero. He’s what we want. We want someone who’s going to take on the establishment. We want someone who will make us leave our houses and barricade the Supreme Court or whatever. Maybe, I should be arrested for sedition or for suggesting that kind of aggression against the authorities. But I am tired. Nigerians are tired. And it’s not just a matter of sentiments or emotions, this country is tottering. It will collapse if care is not taken. And I don’t know what’s going to happen next.