INTERVIEW: Why Middle Belt Will Vote Peter Obi — Barr. Simon Gunkat

Barrister Simon Gunkat is a politician from Plateau State. He went to the famous Barewa College, Zaria, Kaduna State– the school where many of the political leaders in the north attended.

He was a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Pioneer Chief of Staff to the Deputy President of the Senate in 1999 and Commissioner, National Assembly Service Commission.

In this interview with THE WHISTLER, he explains the political interplays that favour the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and reveals why he will sweep the Middle Belt states in the 2023 general election.

Excerpt…

What’s The Mood Of The North Central, That’s The Middle Belt In This Coming Election? Where Do You Stand?

We stand for fairness, justice, equity. Our stance is based on what we have gone through, especially what we have gone through in the past seven years. Our experience this time shows very clearly every element of nepotism and hatred for our people.

Everything that is done is done for a particular side of this country. That is not the way to be inclusive.

To start with, I am not a religious bigot. All I want is justice.

That’s why we stand against the same faith ticket. I stand against the same faith ticket because it is not inclusive.

Kindly Explain, I Thought This Has Been Explained Enough, Why Do You Still Stand Against It?

Are you saying that the Christians cannot produce even one person you know to be the Vice President? If the selection was not based on religious basis, there was also no consideration for inclusivity, and that includes being fair.

You cannot just say you can only see a northern Muslim in the North. For you to rule in this country, you have to take into account the diversity in the country. That is why I have aligned with people who are against the same faith ticket to ensure it does not succeed.

But He Said It Was Done Based On Political Consideration, To Win Election, After All His Vice Presidential Candidate Is Also Competent.

If he said another Muslim will help him win the election, we will wait and see. It is the people who will decide. I am saying that his belief that he has chosen to win the election is not true. Who among my people, who share my faith will vote for him, after all what we have gone through in the last 7+ years? Not my people.

He’s Looking At The Number Of Votes. He Has Chosen From The Section That Has The Highest Number, Don’t You Agree With That?

He is wrong. No census has proven that the Muslim North has the highest number against the Christian North. I am from the North and I know what I am saying.

If you are saying yes the Muslims are more in the North West and North East, what about the North Central, that’s the Middle Belt? Or is he saying that people across these northern areas don’t have thoughts of theirs and would just vote because he has chosen a Muslim northerner to be his running mate?

Would they vote for only one party? You have two candidates from the North and they are both Muslim Hausa-Fulani, the votes will be divided there. And then the third and fourth factors – the candidate from the south and then the vice presidential candidate. The votes will be shared into four but the North Central will majorly go to one person.

They know they are selling a bad product and they will see.

Explain, Let Me Understand. You Are Angry There’s A Muslim-Muslim Ticket, But There Are Also Muslim-Christian Tickets From The PDP And The NNPP From The North. Are You Aligned With One Of Those? Where Do You Stand?

We don’t stand with any of those. They are being insensitive. Because the northern Christians are saying it is the fulanis that are causing the problem in the North. It is just recently that bandits came in and the bandits did not care who they dealt with.

But as far as the initial Boko Haram and Fulani attacks were concerned, it was a big catch for them if they killed Christians, or if they abduct Christians.

Even three days ago, Bokus, a village that is well known to me, went and killed about nine people and burnt their houses. It is the same thing in southern Kaduna, it is the same thing in Benue.

If you want the vote of these people, then it is only fair to choose somebody who would be there for them to see that he is defending their interest. But I cannot see the president defending my interest or Kashim (Shettima) defending my interest.

Who Then Is Your Choice Since It’s Not One Of Those Three Mentioned?

We have a choice and the choice is Peter Obi of the Labour Party. We are not strictly voting for him as an easterner even though that element is still there but there should be fairness, there should be justice.

If Yorubas have had it through Obasanjo (Olusegun), Buhari and Yara ‘Adua have had it and Jonathan (Goodluck) has had it, It’s only fair that you take it to the southeast.

That is our position in the Middle Belt and I align completely with that choice. We are supporting this to at least make a point.

Is It Just About Equity And Fairness? Have You Considered The Capacity Of Other Candidates In Other Parties? Do you believe Peter Obi Can Do Better Than Them?

I don’t know him and I have never met him but that’s not important. But from what I have heard and from what we saw when he was the governor of Anambra State, which has not been denied, that he did well as governor, he is the best among all the candidates.

He has come out to say, this is what I did, this is what I left behind. It makes sense that you have somebody that will save for a rainy day. Some people were criticising him for saving, but it is somebody who has the sense that will save for a rainy day.

Obasanjo saved for a rainy day. He saved a lot of money but this government completely spent it. Our foreign reserve is no longer up to a billion dollars. The previous governments left something for the Buhari administration, that’s what Peter Obi did, and that counts for something in the scheme of things.

Is Peter Obi Known That Much In The North Even Among The Non-Muslim To Get The Required Votes?

What is happening in the country is that people want to change and they want a positive change. Not the mantra of change that we have had under Buhari that has got us backwards.

People want a change and they can hear what Peter Obi is saying. He has spoken in so many fora, people are hearing what he is saying and they are believing that he can do it. We have heard these other parties as well but do we trust them?

When the APC people talk, even with the plethora of problems that we have in this country, can we believe that they will change? No, because they have been part of the problem. The thing is that the capacity of Obi is there as far as people are concerned because of what he has done as Anambrw State Governor for for eight years.

Even though recently, another governor was trying to rubbish him but the facts are facts. The facts are there. Many people have spoken positively on his behalf. We believe it. You can see how that governor was rubbished into silence.

If we talked about the Middle Belt or some of us in the North, the basic question is who do we believe? Can we trust the APC? Do we trust the PDP or can we try the Labour Party? That is where the crux of the matter is, people are ready to try the Labour Party.

Are You Saying His Preachment And What He Embodies Is Penetrating The Grassroots Where The Votes Reside?

It is rapidly spreading and penetrating. For example, take my people, nine of us in this home, then in Jos and other places; everybody is a voter and they are all OBIdients. They will all vote for Peter Obi. The Middle Belt will vote for Obi.

My friends that I discuss with, most of them say they’re going to vote for Peter Obi and I believe that. So, it has gone down to the people.

The thing is that it’s been preached also in the church, I think the pastors are not saying this is the person you vote for, but they are asking the people who do you believe? Do you believe this person, do you believe that person?

And the people know who they believe and it’s Peter Obi that they believe. Do you know why? People have been sensitised to go and get their vote on their voter’s card. That’s why you saw the astronomical jump in the number of people who went out to register between June and December of 2021 and January and up to June 2022.

Many people registered massively and they are ready to vote, and they will vote for the right candidate, which is Peter Obi. And I believe the votes will count.

I Believe You Must Have Heard Of The Recurrent Question, Where Is The Structure For Peter Obi To Win? How Does He Surmount This?

The Labor Unions, those who believe in the Labor Unions and those who are part and parcel of Labour Unions are part of the structure. These are also the people who will also preach to their people. There’s a Labour Union in every state down to the local governments.

Everybody is suffering. Everybody has gone through the pain we are going through in this country. His position on how to stop this suffering is penetrating and will continue to penetrate through the Labour Unions and others to the masses who are beginning to see him as the only solution.

Some of them would definitely be bought with money with what these people are used to but as long as the voting process is made safe for people to go and vote, without being harassed, people will see the difference.

Most importantly, the people are the structure. When they go out to vote, I believe with this suffering, they will vote for Peter Obi.

How Can He Sell Messages To People Who Are Muslims In The North, Like Penetrating The Mosques, Speaking With Imams Etc?

That’s where this Vice Presidential Candidate comes in. His Vice is somebody who should sell their position to them because he understands them better as he’s one of them.

His Vice is also popular in the North. His father was also well known as a businessman, a merchant. Obi on his part has so far played his role very well by accessing other people and areas, speaking and communicating with them. He has spoken more than all other candidates combined.

To explain better, in the North, religious leaders continue to preach and each time they do, they take a stand and say people are suffering and request that people should do the right thing. And they ask them questions if they are happy with what they are going through or if they want to continue. If not, are you happy with the other person?

That’s where the thing is. I strongly believe it is a three horse race in the North. Kwankwaso (Musa) may not go that far. With the people, Peter Obi has more spread than him.

Also, Peter Obi has the knowledge, the capacity and the vision. That is what we need in the country. And the people believe him. The most important thing is what do you see for your people? He has that vision and it is resonating with the people even among us in the North.

But There Are Fears The Decision Makers, The Power Blocs In The North Are Not Supporting Him? That’s The Kaduna Mafia.

We have gone past that stage. Who are the owners of the North? I am from Barewa College in Zaria, Kaduna State. They used to say Kaduna mafia. They used to say almost everybody from the North is from Barewa College. The issue of the Barewa mafia is gone.

The college is in Zaria and most of them settled in Kaduna. Most of them are already gone (dead) even though some of them are still around. The thing is that political education has improved in Nigeria. People have now aligned politics with the state of life. Gradually, we are getting better in our political decision making during elections.

Our prayer also is that vote buying will be drastically reduced because that is where the rigging is likely to take place. When people are bought they are bought because they are hungry.

We have more poor Nigerians than we have rich Nigerians. The NBS just released a stattling figure, that we now have about 133 million poor Nigerians. Some of these people are ready to take whatever they can get. That is where the rigging will take place.

It’s A Surprise Your People Feel Someone From The South East Is The Solution And Not Buying Into The Religious And Ethnic Narratives. What Does Obi Represent To You?

Obi represents a shift from the past. As I have said, I’ve not met him personally. But from the testimonies that we have heard and received, he is the solution. You hear people say he is a very frugal person, and he’s not a poor person and he has come up clearly to say that he’s not a poor person, that’s the person to choose as leader.

Even if he’s not a billionaire, he is a millionaire in dollars. So, he’s not a poor person or pretending to be. Many people have said how he was so frugal in the Government House in Anambra, how he reduced the cost of governance and again he doesn’t fly private jets unlike his colleagues who fly private jets. That is a positive for him. It shows he is ready to serve.

The closest person that we had that had such humility was Yara’Adua, a very, very frugal, very humble person. I knew Yara’Adua because he was also at Barewa College.

You know, you can see these things. As far as Peter Obi is concerned it is what we have heard, what we have seen and what he has done and these are not on the negative side. So that is a plus for him.

How Have You Been Campaigning For Him? Why Have You Not Entered The Field To Campaign For Him?

I have not gone out to campaign for him. I’m talking with my peers, we have social groups. We have WhatsApp groups and many groups and whenever I speak with people whenever I go out, I campaign for him.

I was supporting somebody in APC, Patrick Dakum, for Plateau State Governorship but when he was schemed out and somebody was imposed on them, he left. He is now in the Labour Party and I am supporting him.

We have reached the stage where we’re going to look at individuals who can perform. So as far as my position with Peter Obi is concerned, wherever I have the opportunity to talk to people about him, I do.

What Do You Think He Needs To Do To Win The Election?

He should be consistent. People are gradually buying into his ideology. You can recall the other day when his state governor, Charles Soludo criticised him, Obi got more people to his side because he was consistent with uis position in the way he replied to him. He did not condemn him. He prayed for him that leadership is a continuum that it’s his prayer for him to succeed.

I observed him when he was speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, he said that all of them, the contestants, will be saying the same thing. But the most important thing is for the electorate to know who they can trust and who to believe. I think that is the bottom line.

He should remain consistent to say what he says and we believe him and more and more people will continue to believe him.

What Would You Do If You Wake Up After The Election And Peter Obi Is Announced The Winner, The President-Elect Of Nigeria?

There will be thanksgiving all over the world. The whole world will celebrate. I will thank God and I pray to thank God.

It will be a reverse of when Abacha (Sani) died. I was around here in Abuja when Abacha died. People celebrated, people celebrated all over the country. And they celebrated for a reason. When Peter Obi wins, people will celebrate