We’re about to defeat Gov Bello — Mona Audu

It appears you want to continue from where your late father stopped. How far have you gone in the area of consultation ahead of the APC governorship primary?

I will like to say that it has been great so far. We have spent most of our time out on the field. We haven’t covered the entire Kogi State yet, but we are in the process. Right now, we are in Kogi West, a few days ago we were at Ijumo, Yagba East and Yagba West, Kabba, Bonu, as well as Mokpamuro. Friday and Saturday, we would be in Kogi Central, so we have been moving around and we would continue to focus on the entire Kogi because we believe this is Kogi agenda and it has to do with the entire Kogi State.

So, it is imperative that we are on the field meeting our people, understanding their problems and their needs and finding a collective way to resolve those issues.

Mustapha Mona Audu is the son of a late Governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu. He organised his father’s “Grassroots and Door-to-Door Campaign” in 2011 and 2015. In this interview, the University of Glasgowtrained computer scientist and entrepreneur says he loves indirect primary and will defeat the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello.

How has been the response?

The response has been wonderful; there has never been a period when people experienced such neglect in our history; our people are happy that a champion has arisen, our people are happy that someone can finally stand up and challenge the proverbial Pharaoh to liberate Kogi State; so we are happy.

Unfortunately, what we are seeing is unbelievable: the level of poverty, suffering and insecurity, especially on our delegates right now. Our delegates are in trouble: delegates from Kogi West. One of the delegates from the West had his wife kidnapped earlier. The wife was returned, but they then kidnapped his second son, his wife and their son. All these is for the delegates to vote a certain way.

So, we believe we need to bring this to the attention of security agencies; it is disturbing. A lot of them have been told not to interact at all with aspirants, this is not the APC we built; these are not the tenets of democracy that we expect.

What is your message to the governor in view of the current situation?

My message is simple; we are about to defeat him shortly…We would not be like previous governments that would witch-hunt. He should take it easy with the people, pay as many people as possible to reduce the burden that would be on us once we assume office. And he should be humane to the people; that is what leadership is all about. Even if he has a few months left, he should do his best because we all live through our progenies. Kogites are going to relieve themselves off him. Just a few weeks down the line, August 29, we are going to defeat him, like we defeated him the last time; so it is simple.

Based on what you have said now, what type of primaries would you suggest for your party, the APC?

Indirect (primary); I love it. We are about to defeat him. People don’t understand the difference between direct and indirect primaries. They think direct is some fantasy, everybody goes to the field; no. They will sit down somewhere, write the results with direct and go to court, they will still pay the court. But with indirect, you have the cameras there, you have all the security agencies there, you have the eyes of the whole world right there. Whatever happens is up to us the aspirants. So, however you can reach the delegates and make them believe in you; that is your goal.

If you don’t know the rules of the game, anyone still wasting their time saying they are looking for direct primary is a complete joker; they are not ready for the battle at hand. You must face the demon and defeat the demon; this is how it works. This is not fantasy, this is how it works. For you to succeed, you must face the enemy and defeat the enemy. Kogi is at the bottom of every index: highest mortality rate, highest crime rate, we had the last election, murders everywhere in Kogi, we have everything in the negative. Roads are horrendous, education is non-existent, healthcare is non-existent; no one in office right now has their children in school in Kogi State. No minister, no senator, no House of Representatives member, no elective official have their children going to school in the state. What does that mean?

Many people would be shocked that you want indirect primary, because in some states, especially those who feel they are in the opposition, are clamouring for direct primary.

What gives you the courage to call for indirect primary?

Kogi is a different state. Kogi State is Nigeria, Kogi State is right now what the problem with Nigeria is. Every time there is something bad in Kogi State, Nigeria doesn’t do too well too, Nigeria doesn’t flourish. If you look at it, because of its interconnectivity to other states, Kogi State is critical to the success of Nigeria, and if you look at the situation, it was at the verge of reestablishing its success story in 2015, but God in His infinite wisdom took late Prince Abubakar Audu away from us at the doorstep of victory. We the people of Kogi State knew that such a leader would usher in a new age of development. We did the primary election. The current government are interlopers, they weren’t there, they know how they lost. I went to meet this current governor, I shook his hands and said, “Well done, you did a great job, you tried, let’s go meet my dad.”

So what I assure this current government is that the same way we won the last time will be the same way we will win again Insha Allah.

What people don’t understand is that these delegates are Kogites, they are not strangers, they are not aliens; they have experienced four years; the worst times they have ever, and most people think that a governor or someone in power or someone supported by the incumbent will gather the delegates, give them an amount that you cannot compete with and those delegates will vote that way. This has been the way in Nigeria.

But like I said, Kogi State is different now…Our people have reached a certain point where we have realised that enough is enough. So, we are speaking with the delegates and that is why I am speaking up for them. I know the amount of intimidation. They have asked all the delegates not to speak to us until we write letters indicating who we are and why we want to speak to them. These are ridiculous terms. But guess what, we’ve fulfilled all conditions that you’ve set because with the rules, we are going to defeat them, it is very simple, we will defeat them and we know this, this is destiny, this is pre-ordained, so we are not worried.

They just released 30.8bn last week to the government, as we speak today, people are not being paid or if you are being paid, maybe one or two months or three months; is that what is going to make them think that all is well; all is not well.

We were in Kpantakolo in Lokoja few days giving delivery kits; we had a lady coming from the UK to provide delivery kits for women because Kogi State has one of the highest mortality rates in Nigeria. Women and babies are at the risk of death upon delivery due to basic diseases.

Last night they buried four people, and this morning they buried three people, the graveyard looks like a farm, like ridges all over the place. Men, especially, they think and they fall sick and die because they have seven kids, 10 kids, three wives without income for years.

So, when we cure these, we have cured Nigeria. We can usher in the best leadership that Nigeria has never witnessed.

We also have a problem with Kogi State; it is the shame of the youths. Any time a young person wants to aspire to be something in Nigeria, they will point to Kogi State and say that is the reason a young person should not be in leadership position. But let’s be honest. No Kogite ever voted for him; no young person ever said this is our representative. In life if you don’t work for something you will not know the value of it. I dare say this gentleman through political machination found his way there, not through votes by the people, and because of that, we have to fix the image of young people.