Reassert Relevance In Nigerian Politics’

( IPOB) today were members of APGA in the diaspora. But when the APGA problem couldn’t be solved, they lost confidence in the political process. Unfortunately, they thought that a different process will yield quicker result and here we are.

Given your account, how true is the claim that the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo played a major role in the formation of APGA even though he was a member of another party?

It is very true. Many top PDP people were involved, because I went to them personally to convince them that even as they were in PDP, they needed a fall back platform such that if they should be treated as orphans in PDP, they would tell them that they were not orphans but had their own political party. They were convinced and started to assist. He was not the only one that assisted. Gen. Ike Nwachukwu assisted; Chief Jim Nwobodo assisted; all the governors in the Southeast then assisted as well as many private individuals. Emeka Nwajiuba, who is the Minister of State for Education today, donated the national headquarters of APGA to the party. Their assistance heightened after Okadigbo was kicked out as Senate President and they said, ‘ Oh, Chekwas must be right.’ That was when the support increased and eventually, APGA was made.

So, it’s true story. What Zik did with Igbo State Union, I did with Igbo delegates Assembly covering the 19 northern states of Nigeria. I am an ardent student of Zik’s political philosophy. Of course, I recounted what I am telling you in the book. I devoted an entire chapter to give credit to all those who contributed to the making of APGA including journalists. You have already given a hint of when APGA lost focus and how. What agitates the mind of many people is why the weak links in the party failed to see what you saw and consequently caved in to the plot to destroy the party?

Ah! Many people today are seeing what Zik saw many years ago. Unfortunately, we are all guided by certain instincts. Those who are guided by principles are few. People with vision form party, but people with ambition join party. I have vision; I founded APGA.

By founding APGA and UPP, I became one of four Nigerians in the history of this country that founded two parties in their lifetime. Chief Awolowo founded Action Group ( AG) and later founded Unity Party of Nigeria ( UPN); Mallam Aminu Kano founded the Northern Elements Progressive Union ( NEPU) and later People’s Redemption Party ( PRP); Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim founded NPP and later founded Great Nigeria

People’s Party ( GNPP); Chekwas Okorie founded APGA and later founded UPP. I am the only one alive of the four. That is my place in history. So, these are people with vision. But those who have ambition join party and jump from one party to another in pursuit of ambition.

APGA, which you founded, was at one point very strong in the Southeast where it controlled two states. Now, it controls only Anambra State and doesn’t look like a party that has the ambition of making inroads into other parts of the country. Even though you have parted ways with it, why has it refused to grow in your view?

The answer is as clear as daylight. The visionary, progressive platform was turned into a cash cow. The people controlling it after the coup in the party did not share in the original vision. And as we see today, it can’t even be said that APGA controls Anambra State.

There are 11 House of Representatives seats in the state; eight of them belong to PDP. There are three senatorial seats in the state as in other states; none belongs to APGA. So, where you have the executive governor and majority in the House of Assembly, you can’t say you are comfortable.

The 2023 election is by the corner and it can spring a situation where these other parties will dominate the State Assembly. If that happens, a hostile State Assembly may not allow all the good intentions of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is now the governor, to scale through, because he has to pass through them for appropriation and all manner of approvals.

I have a chapter in the book, which I titled, ‘ A New Vista Beckons’. Now, Igbo people are going cap in hand begging APC and PDP to give them their presidential tickets. And I have said more than two years ago that it’s not going to happen. Luckily, Prof. Soludo, whom I recognise as a well- bred, patriotic Igbo son, is now in the saddle. Now, instead of all these begging and platitudes, knowing full well that power is not given by milk of human kindness, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and well meaning Igbo leaders could go and sit down with Soludo, the de facto leader of APGA today and brainstorm and bring out a candidate that has integrity, who can be marketed to the rest of

Nigeria, and make sure that he has the party’s presidential ticket. With that, you are sure you are on the ballot. If you are not on the ballot, your lamentation continues. But if you are on the ballot, you will be able to use the number and spread God has given you to push your cause. We have such number in Lagos State.

For instance, in 2003, notwithstanding the massive rigging at that time, APGA won Suleja Federal Constituency when we didn’t have a candidate. We won Amuwo- Odofin and Ojo Federal Constituencies without candidates, because people simply voted the symbol; they didn’t ask who the candidates were. That is the extent Igbo candidacy and emotion can go when it comes to matters like this.

I am not a member of APGA as I speak to you; I am a chieftain of the APC, but I have passion for APGA, because nobody throws away his baby. Even the father of the prodigal son took him back. But in this case, APGA is not even a prodigal son but a victim of kidnap. So, there is a strong reason for me to show passion and sympathy. That is why I’m giving this free advise to them.

Why are the presidential hopefuls in the 2023 election from the Southeast not looking in the direction of APGA with all the potentials it boasts according to your explanations?

As I said earlier, people who have vision are few; those who have ambition are everywhere. Almost every human being created by God has ambition, but vision is the one that is scarce.

Now, I will not recommend to APGA to even consider any person who has gone to another party, failed nomination and wants to come back and seek for substitution. No! They have to have an original candidate and that is where Ohanaeze has a role to play.

Soludo is the governor of Anambra State; he has his own challenges. But if Igbo leaders meet him and request for his cooperation, I am certain he will willingly grant it. I am not in a position to do anything in that party, because I’m not there; I’m only giving a genuine, sincere advise.

I practically conscripted, if I may use that word, Dim Odumegwu- Ojukwu to run on the APGA platform. There are other people I don’t want to mention their names here ( but their names are in that book) that I approached and they declined to run on APGA platform. In the case of Dim Odumegwu- Ojukwu, I had to get Justice Eze Ozobu, then president- general of Ohanaeze to come and put his hand on my own hand and charge me to go and make him APGA’S presidential candidate. This was on December 24, 2002. On December 26, 2002, I addressed a press conference at Zodiac Hotel, Enugu and proposed Odumegwu- Ojukwu as the presidential candidate of the party in line with the mandate of Ohanaeze. Present there were Dr. Joe Nworgu, who later became the secretary general; Chief HBC Ogboko, the publicity secretary and Prince Richard Ozobu.

So, Ohanaeze can do the same now. Get somebody you know can deliver and whom you would be proud to market to Nigerians and tell APGA to give him the choice of first refusal and he would fly the flag. With that, at least, three major parties will lock horns and the political equation of this country will change. Campaign and election will become vibrant again. There will be fresh consciousness among Igbo people; they will now know that they are part of the contest and it will even douse tension in the area of insecurity. Most Igbo people are behaving the way they are behaving because they don’t think there is anything for them in corporate Nigeria. If Ohanaeze approaches you to suggest an individual that can make your zone proud in this regard, who would be your choice?

I can’t be promoting somebody who has not given an indication that he would be ready to fly the flag of the party. I told you that I approached prominent Igbo sons to ask them to take the presidential ticket of APGA in 2003 and they declined. But Dim Odumegwu- Ojukwu took up the gauntlet even when he had no money. So, somebody must have the courage to say, ‘ I am moving forward to represent my people and be the point of engagement with the rest of Nigeria.’ Nobody is talking about moving away from Nigeria, but about engaging the rest of Nigeria in a normal political engagement.

So, I have seen some aspirants from Igbo land; they are qualified people, but they are just talking about what they would do to create jobs and this and that. Who wouldn’t say the same thing? There is nothing that they have said that anybody else won’t say.

For example, none of those aspirants whether from the North or South has ever mentioned one word about restructuring as part of his social contract with Nigerians. Yet, everyday, some socio- cultural groups like Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum and so on and so forth will be shouting restructuring. Here we have people who want to rule Nigeria; not one of them has had a singular courage to say, ‘ If I’m made president, I will restructure Nigeria.’

PDP, for example, is one political party that has so much hatred for Igbo people. From day one, the owners of PDP ( every party is owned, forget about what you see outside) took a decision that an Igbo man will never be president, not in the next 100 years. And president Obasanjo told me this personally in 2003. In fact, he even gave Ndigbo 150 years to think of it. He cited the American situation where it took 150 years before somebody from the southern part of America became president of America after the American civil war. And that person, Jimmy Carter, is still alive.