Anambra Guber: Why Obiano Will Win By A Landslide – Nwegbo

Elder Uchenna Nwegbo is the acting National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in South East. In this interview with Ben Uroko, he expresses optimism on the victory of Governor Willie Obiano in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, and his wish for APGA to present a presidential candidate in 2019 general elections.

What are the chances of APGA in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state?

It is true that Anambra state is the only APGA-controlled state in Nigeria. Nonetheless there are many APGA elected political office-holders across the federation. The good thing about Anambra state is that APGA controls the entirety of the state. Ahead of the governorship election, we are not resting on our oars despite the visible smooth sail for our party. Anambra is very strategic to APGA. APGA will surely win the governorship election with a landslide for obvious reasons. Gov Willie Obiano has performed very well. Don’t also forget that before the emergence of Obiano as governor, Anambra was also an APGA state. So the trend continues and no going back. It started with former governor Peter Obi who also did very well. It was a case of building upon a strong foundation that had already been laid.

Obiano has not disappointed in the delivery of our party’s manifestoes. He has expanded the scope of the former governor in all ramifications. He has excelled in infrastructural development of the state, oil and gas, agriculture, education, community development, health care services and security. The state does not owe salaries of workers; it is the only state that empowers all communities to identify their need projects which the state funds. Anambra has indeed come first in virtually all the developmental indices in Nigeria. It is under Obiano that the state began to export her agricultural products.

What is the strength of APGA at the national level?

By virtue of being registered as one of the political parties in Nigeria through the instrumentality of the extant laws of the federation, APGA is a national party. Suffice it to say that it has a kind of greater sympathy within the south-east zone, but it is a national party, and it continues to wax stronger ahead of the 2019 general elections.

What is your take on the ideologies of the Independent Peoples of Biafra?

Every Nigerian that believes in justice, fairness and equity has sympathies for IPOB. Every Igbo creature with the Igbo blood has sympathies for the IPOB. The relationship between APGA and IPOB is because APGA has greater sympathies in the south east, and IPOB is an agitation of young Igbo people against the imbalances against the present system of Nigeria. To the extent of agitating for equitable distribution of the national wealth; equitable representation in the centre of government, and equitable development in terms of infrastructure, every APGA person shares in the frustration of the IPOB people. As an Igbo man, I shall tell you point blank that the spirit of IPOB runs in the blood of every Igbo man. The bone of contention is the mode and strategy of agitating for the correction of the imbalances that are inherent in the polity. The lacuna is their mode of operations. I am aware that much as APGA shares in that ideology of fairness and equity in the development of justice within the Nigerian context, I am yet to see anybody within the ranks of APGA that subscribes to the secession of the Igbo from the Nigerian state. I support one Nigeria because I believe that a lot of the Igbo are better enhanced within a larger Nigeria. No average Igbo man will want to secede from this nation given the level of commitment and dedication the Igbo have shown for the unity of this nation. We don’t subscribe to that, rather we want a Nigeria where equity and justice reign supreme.

What is your rating of the Buhari government?

The APC government came into power on a premise of change. Prior to the 2015 general elections, agitations were rife in virtually every part of this nation because of stifled growth and what many would describe as a dwindling misfortune of the Nigerian state. Prior to that election, the APC sold the idea of change to millions of Nigerians, and given the frustrations on ground as at then, some Nigerians bought into that mantra with great expectations. The integrity of President Mohammadu Buhari was there as a factor; the promise that the political party made to Nigerians was there, and so the moment APC took over government, Nigerians wanted to see those practical changes that became the order of the day during the campaign. When the changes did not come, frustration set in. That is basically the problem of Buhari’s regime. The circumstances that brought Buhari and the economic recession that Nigeria found itself in have made rational Nigerians interrogate the much-anticipated change. The APC government has not even helped matters. Internal strife and squabbles have engulfed the party and accounted for the seeming non-performance with which Nigerians have seen the government. There are close to four factions in the APC, and a nation that is divided against itself can never stand. As long as those factions exist, coming together to face the challenges of rebuilding Nigeria becomes problematic to them. This is a big challenge to Buhari. I will call for support to the president, and also advise the APC to put their house in order so that they can deliver on the promises they made. It is also a moment of re-examination of other political options come 2019. It will offer Nigerians the opportunity to make an informed opinion on the way forward. What is happening in Nigeria today should be of interest to every human being in this country. We have seen the government of the PDP for close to sixteen years. We are now in the government of the APC. Nigerians know the relationship between some key factors within the APC and even the PDP. I have listened to some people mention that close to 70 percent of the APC are people that left the PDP. So the problem of the PDP is equally bedevilling the APC. What we telling Nigerians is that now that they have seen the APC government with its attendant challenges and recession among others; as I am talking to you, about twenty-four states cannot pay salaries. These are the indices that will help inform the opinions of Nigerians in 2019, and the option is APGA.

Will APGA present a presidential candidate in 2019?

I will not speak for the national working committee of the party. That position remains the exclusive right of the NEC. But from my personal opinion, I advocate that APGA fill candidates in all strata of the elections. It is my personal opinion, but the party as an entity will decide, and whatever is decided binds us.

What is the strength of APGA in south east?

The entire south east has subscribed to APGA given the contemporary political circumstances in the country. The party remains the only viable political party through which the Igbo can champion their aspirations. With the excellent performance of Willie Obiano, the argument is how to get the entire south eastern states to adopt the same APGA template which Anambra has done. Don’t forget that Gov Rochas Okorocha of Imo state emerged as a governor under the platform of APGA. It was the buildup to the last general elections in the state that made him defect to the APC, but the fact remains that the massive revolution that made him defeat a sitting governor was the APGA factor. The entire Imo people are APGA and the stakeholders did not like his move.

What are the chances of APGA in the forthcoming Enugu LGA polls?

APGA will perform very well in the upcoming local government polls in Enugu state. Enugu people are increasingly getting sensitized on the need to vote for APGA. We are happy that they have bought into our manifestoes. In fact, APGA remains the only viable alternative to the subterfuge that had characterized governance in the state since the return of democracy in 1999.