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Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Michael Odoh is the national co-ordinator of the Progressive Youths Initiative of Nigeria; a support group for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation for the 2019 poll. He speaks on the polls and explains why Atiku lost the presidential election.
As part of the support group for Atiku’s Campaign Organisation, what was your experience like and what were your observations?
I supported Atiku based on the fact that he would have use the position to enhance greater youths involvement in national politics. My experience at the campaign organisation opened my eyes to see the political reality of deceit, dishonesty and lies in the game of politics especially in the Nigerian environment. If the political and socio-economic fortunes of the nation would turn around then we have to be honest with ourselves, rise and take our destinies in our hands.
In order for the youths to contribute positively in the development of this nation, they should be ready to speak the “truth” no matter the circumstance or who is involved. As long as we continue to shy away from the truth, Nigeria remains the victim.
A larger number of youths and women supported Atiku during rallies because he is more patriotic. Every body believed he would trash Buhari but none of them considered the arsenal or techniques to be deployed by the ruling party, which was a big flaw. The Buhari camp did a lot to dwarf the chances of the PDP presidential candidate. Some co-ordinators alleged lack of campaign materials which lingered for a while. Even grants to fund the campaigns were denied. Some group co-ordinators used their money to facilitate members to all the rallies without getting grants from the headquarters.
After the election, I called a few people in the Atiku support group, and shared my thoughts. I asked them to join me and make some enquiries so we could find out why Atiku lost his polling unit and two of his campaign Director Generals equally lost their states.
Personally, I believe a candidate who loses at his polling unit means rejection by his own people. They ignored my suggestion; someone even stated that for me not to have believed that the election was rigged in Adamawa, I was betraying Atiku. I did not give up. I followed up to know why and my findings revealed that the same issues I was complaining about at how the campaign organisation was managed, led to the defeat of Atiku in his polling unit.
This is a key lesson for the youths. People should read my book to see a blunt and honest appraisal of the campaign organisation strategy that led to the defeat of the PDP presidential candidate. I have not countered the claim that the elections were not rigged but to talk about the lapses.
The struggle for power at APCO destroyed the organisation right from the onset. People at APCO never cared about Nigeria; it was all about their selfish desires.
Is it true that part of the challenges faced by group coordinators was using their personal funds to facilitate the rallies and campaigns? Were the efforts of coordinators compensated?
The role of support groups is to support a candidate to the best of their ability because they share the same ideology with the candidate and not to ask money from the candidate. All what support groups need is for their efforts to be appreciated.
At APCO, the efforts of support group leaders were not appreciated. They saw support group leaders as people who were after Atiku’s money. One of the campaign spokesperson’s said on National TV that support groups are “mere volunteers”. He made it clear to me in his office that Atiku does not need support groups to win, only for him to stumble on a meeting of support group leaders after the elections and said that and I quote, “If we had known, we would have given the support groups more attention and appreciation, we would not have lost this election”.
The national media director of Turaki Vanguard women and youth wing, Miss Ofe, Atiku’s own group broke her leg during a road show, we went to Paul Ibe to tell him, he told us that the matter has been brought to the attention of the principal. Do you know that nothing has been done ever since? She has spent almost two million naira for surgery; next month she is going for another surgery. Nobody within the top hierarchy has visited her and it is the same with many other support group members. A lot of support group members died in this struggle, a lot were involved in different types of accidents but not even a word of comfort have been said to them. Let me state that, it is not about the money we have but the relationship we build with people that matters at the end.
What lessons can the Nigerian youths learn from the 2019 general elections?
Reflections and analyses from the 2019 elections shows infrastructural deficits, geographical constraints and the numerous political parties with candidates contesting political offices at various levels, which underscore the political significance of the polls. Marginalised groups such as women, youths and internally displaced persons were held under intimidation and violence. There were exaggerated fears of catastrophe, tensions, rising poverty, inequality and high level of youths unemployment.
As youths, we didn’t contribute positively in nation building; rather youths were use as thugs for politicians.
