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By Dickson Okafor
National Coordinator, Forever One Nigeria Initiative (FONI) and CEO, MaxiRock Int’l Ltd, Peter Agu, has expressed fear that the ongoing fuel and new naira notes scarcity a few days to the election might lead to the defeat of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the presidential election.
He noted that the greatest legacy the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would bequeath to Nigerians is to allow their choice to prevail during the elections.
In this interview, he speaks on burning national issues including Nigerians’ decision to elect a competent candidate to succeed President Muhammadu Buhariburning.
In a matter of days from now, Nigerians will go to the poll to elect a new president; what are your expectations?
Let me use this medium to congratulate the recipients of “The Sun Newspaper Award 2022 that was recently held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.” I also commend the management and staff of The Sun Publishing Company for using the award to unite Nigerians with the superlative reward for hard work and contributions to national development. Back to your question, I’m expecting a peaceful, free and fair election that will produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor on February 25. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has assured us that the election would be conducted as scheduled. So, like every true Nigerian, I expect a peaceful conduct of the general elections. I call on Nigerians, especially the youths to comport and conduct themselves peacefully during and after the elections, even after the results have been announced. It’s worthy to note that whatever happens, one candidate must win as president. He may or may not be the candidate you voted for. Therefore, I urge everyone to put Nigeria above personal interest.
INEC has expressed worry over attacks on its facilities in some parts of the country few weeks to the general election and warned that if the attacks persist, the election might be hindered. Are you not perturbed by the rising wave of insecurity across the country?
No doubt, nations all over the world, including Nigeria, are facing security challenges. In the case of Nigeria, insecurity has brought a lot of hardship to the citizens as we are facing a difficult time this period. But in spite of that, I condemn the attacks on INEC facilities and I call on the security agents to bring the situation under control before Election Day. INEC has assured Nigerians and members of the international community that the 2023 general elections would be held as scheduled in all parts of the country. According to Mahatma Gandhi, peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it. So, I’m confident that the security agents are doing everything to arrest the situation in order for us to have free, fair and credible elections.
With the ongoing fuel scarcity, INEC has also raised the alarm that it could hamper movement of logistics on Election Day; don’t you see that as a dangerous development?
It’s unfortunate that we are facing fuel scarcity in election month. Yes, the development could hamper movement of logistics on Election Day if not resolved in a few days’ time. The INEC chairman alerted the nation recently that election logistics are in danger with the ongoing fuel scarcity. This is a clear warning from the electoral umpire to the government and relevant authorities. Again, fuel scarcity has added more hardship on Nigerians, coupled with the scarcity of the newly redesigned naira notes all at the same time. The price of fuel has risen beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians, and the new naira notes are not available even in the banks across the country. This trend may affect the chances of the ruling APC at the presidency because the people will not like their suffering to continue beyond a few months from now. In 2015, APC’s mantra was change, and Nigerians voted for President Buhari with the hope that things would change for better or best, but today, we can see that it is not the case. So, I call on the government to end fuel scarcity in the country before the end of next week so that INEC will be able to conduct free and fair elections.
In spite of the hardship being experienced by many Nigerians President Buhari has repeatedly said he had governed Nigeria well. Do you agree that the APC led government has delivered on his campaign promises?
This question should be directed to Nigerians not me. Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas cannot say President Buhari has delivered on the campaign promises he made in 2015 and 2019. This informed the reason the youths are bent on electing a competent Nigerian to succeed him on May 29. As I speak with you, people are suffering because prices of foodstuff have gone up. The dollar was N120 before the inception of the APC government in 2015, but today, it’s N750 to a dollar. House rents have increased tremendously as most husbands can no longer take care of their families. Those whom it behooves to tell the President of the situation of things in the country have compromised. Meanwhile, there are areas the Buhari government did well and that is in the area of infrastructure. President Buhari has good intentions for Nigerians, but those around him are not telling him the true situation of things. For example, how can the government allow fuel to be scarce now that the general election is about to take place? Why should the CBN governor allow the newly redesigned Naira notes to be scarce a few weeks to the general election? What it means is that they want the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu not to win. This becomes vital because APC wants to retain power on February 25. Even if the government wants to detect those who hoard local and foreign currencies in their houses, there are security agencies that can fish them out instead of punishing the entire citizens who know nothing about that. Like I said earlier, the citizens are languishing in acute hunger because of the poor handling of the economy. So, those of us who want the plight of the common Nigerians to stop have decided to come together and enlighten the electorates to vote for a competent person as President.
Do you see the choice of the people prevailing in this oncoming presidential election?
Things have changed this time around. Nigerians, especially the youth, have resolved to elect a competent and credible person as the next president of the country. As it stands, many electorates are not ready to sell their PVC for peanuts as was the case in the past. That is why we could see how the people trooped out to register and collect their PVC. Yes, there is hardship in the land, no doubt about that, and it may be difficult for a hungry man to resist monetary inducement by politicians, but I can assure you that Nigerians are wiser this time. They have come to realize that poverty is a strong weapon used by our leaders and politicians to deliberately bring the masses on their knees, and also trick them to vote for their parties or candidates. This is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves, and we cannot allow this to continue, hence the reason for the sensitization of the electorate against mortgaging their conscience for a token. Right now, there is a stiff punishment for vote buying and those who try to sale their PVC during the general election. So far, the people are responding overwhelmingly, having realized the importance of participatory democracy. Equally of note is that the eight years of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has opened our eyes and we must ensure that our votes count. It is now clear to the youths that politics is important for their wellbeing and cannot be left in the hands of a few individuals. Therefore, there is a need for the people to participate in this year’s political process. We have to end hunger in the land by voting for a competent person to succeed President Buhari in a few days’ time. However, it is certain that scarcity of fuel and the newly redesigned naira notes may cause the APC to lose the Presidency because we have resolved to join hands to right the wrong done to our commonwealth by voting for credible individuals irrespective of political affiliation.
You said your organization has been sensitizing the electorate to come out and vote their conscience and ensure their votes count, what has been the response so far?
So far, the response has been impressive. Forever One Nigeria Initiative (FONI) is a pressure group geared towards mobilization and sensitization of Nigerians on how they should key into the electoral processes. Also, FONI promotes national unity and national interest above personal or group interests. It’s obvious that over the years, some elites and politicians since the inception of the present political dispensation have chosen to promote the things that divide us more than the things that unite Nigerians. Fortunately, the more they play the tunes of discord, the more the people are not distracted from their decision to remain as Nigerians. My brother; more Nigerians have seen reasons to be part of a united and one indivisible country. Though we may come from different religious backgrounds, tribes and tongues, but we have decided to come together and join hands with other patriotic citizens to elect a competent and credible person as the next President of Nigeria. FONI serves as a centre for unification of Nigerians; that is why we embark on an awareness drive in the six geo political zones to sensitize Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas, to be patriotic citizens irrespective of what we are passing through. This time, voters will shun selling their votes to some politicians who have impoverished the masses. They will reject a cup of rice or garri in exchange for their PVCs. This won’t happen this time around, I assure you.
Which of the presidential candidates do you think can find solutions to the challenges facing the country presently?
FONI is not a campaign organ of any political party or candidate. Like I said earlier, our aim is to sensitize the citizens on the corporate existence of Nigeria and election of competent and credible leaders in the three tiers of government. The four main presidential candidates, Bola Tinubu of APC, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Kwankwanso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) are qualified to rule Nigeria, but not all of them are competent to govern the country as things stand right now. Nigeria needs a national spirited individual to revive it, and anything short of that will be disastrous. Nigerians are tired of bad governance; hence, they now need new leaders that will bring a new Nigeria. It is left for the people to elect any of the candidates that they know is detribalized, and will make the welfare of the citizens his priority. I believe they will make the best choice while casting their votes.
The scarcity of the new naira notes in banks at the expiration date of the old notes leading to extension of the date to February 10 has worsened the hardship faced by Nigerians; what is your take?
The scarcity of the newly redesigned naira notes has added to the sufferings of Nigerians. Even at the banks, people could not withdraw cash and from the look of things, it is obvious that the financial operators have compromised. This shows the true intentions of people leading us in all spheres of governance. Because of public outcry over the scarcity, that was the reason members of the House of Representatives had to invite the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, recently to come and explain why the newly redesigned naira notes are scarce. Today, we are faced with two major challenges which are scarcity of fuel and the newly redesigned naira notes at the same time.
