Chief Emeka Kalu, speaks on issues on state of the nation in an interview with a Daily Independent correspondent.
Exerpts:
1. With what has been happening so far in Edo State, do you think the coming governorship election will be free, fair and violent free?
Well! The least we can do is to work hard and stay positive about the state of affairs in Nigeria. The essence of our hard work is to guarantee free, fair, creditable and violent free gubernatorial election in Edo, Ondo, Anambra and other subsequent elections.
Talking of what has happened so far in Edo State which I had always said that it is just a desperate action targeted at distabilizing the state in a bid to hijack power to the detriment of the entire state.
But notwithstanding these antics, I am still confident that power still recide with the people and only the people of Edo State must decide if their election will be free and fair or violent, not some desperate politicians.
Give and take, the answer to that question lies with the people.
2. How do you think the Edo election will go? Do you think Godwin Obaseki will retain his position under the PDP or if Pastor Osage Ize-Iyamu of APC will win?
We all know how it is already going, there’s no hassles about it. The Guard Dogs that bite doesn’t bark too much, but you see the lazy ones? They make the loudest noise.
Every Nigerian, especially the Edolites know who they want and therefore are not deceived by desperate disposition of god Fathers’ advocates.
It is true that they have gone to Aso Rock to demand for Federal Might to be able to intimidate and hand twist the people and force Pastor Osage Ize-Iyamu of APC on the people, but in the end, I am certain that the will of the people will prevail.
Times are different, it is not going to be business as usual. This is going to be a fight between advocates of godfatherism at the detriment of the people and a bridge to it to save the people from further descend into the abyss of political backwardness.
3. Do you think INEC will not cave in under the federal might in the Edo election?
We are watching them, just like the world is watching them. They have severally proved to align with APC to thwart the will of the people as we have experienced in many States and at the 2019 Presidential Elections.
Be that as it may, we cannot lose hope on their ability to make amends because change is a constant phenomenon. We are optimistic that they will be the fair umpire in this situation as anything short of that will be resisted by the people.
Look around and see what mess Nigeria is in because we surreptitiously divert the will of the people without recourse to consequences of such brigandary, this time Nigerians are ready to say No! It will be wise if INEC read the handwriting on the wall and do the needful. Times are different and Federal Might application will spell disaster in this instance.
4 Between the APC candidate Gov Rotimi Akeredolu, the PDP candidate Eyitayo Jegede and Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi, the candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) who do you think will win the Ondo governorship election and why?
Without prejudice, I give it to Jegede. He has the capacity, the capability and the clout to lead the state.
But you know power comes from God and we must succumb to his dictates for our lives.
I have confidence that Eyitayo Jegede of PDP will carry the day because PDP is a party of true Democrats and agents of true change. As at today, the circumstances and pains Nigerians had been subjected to makes it expedient to root for the best available option.
There’s a wind of reformation and rescue sweeping across, PDP is the saving Grace, Jegede is the face of PDP in Ondo State, therefore he is the candidate to beat.
5 With APGA ruling Anambra for about 16 years now and the increasing popularity of both the APC and PDP on the state, how do you see the Anambra governorship election next year?
I just said there is wind of change and resue sweeping across the political terrains in Nigeria, I assure you that Anambra State will not be an exception.
APGA have had all the opportunities in the world to prove their mettle, we have seen how far they have gone and how much they have done, this is time to move on and the messsge is clear and succinct enough.
PDP is going to take over Anambra State for the needed progress to begin to manifest. This is what I can categorically and authoritatively assure you. The wind of revival in Nigeria that will blow in 2023 will start from Anambra, Ondo and Edo States as a tip of the iceberg. There’s no two ways about it.
6 In what areas do you think Governor Willie Obiano performed in Anambra State?
I am not the spokesman of Governor Willie Obiano, neither am I an assessment bureau, but I assure you that in the next outing in Anambra State, you will get all the answer you seek when the peoope decide.
The performance of any Government is assessed when the people have another chance to speak with their PVC, by then, you and I will be in a better position to answer some of these pressing questions, but until then…
7 How do you see the recent tribunal judgement that sacked Gov Diri of Bayelsa State? Do you think he will get favourable ruling at the Appeal Court bearing in mind how he became the governor?
Nigeria has become a country of back and forth, very unpredictable per see.
At this juncture, all we can do is sit down and get our fingers crossed because government and governance has become a commodity for the highest bidders.
The level of federal might has gone beyond the streets to the courts and our homes, so nothing is certain.
The circumstances that brought him to power was clear to all, but this latest judgement is a result of APC still fighting and clawing at everything, the desperation of men that believe their will must be obeyed.
I am optimistic that he will get justice at the appeal court. We still watch and wait.
8. With politicians strategizing over the next general elections, what shape will the 2023 elections take?
2023 election is going to take the shape of upper and more sound reasoning because Nigerians have been there and back, and have seen it all.
In 2015, Nigerians were hoodwinked into believing that change is a surface and peripheral phenomena that guarantee magic wand approach to practical challenges of a practical nation like Nigeria.
Unfortunately when Nigerians fall for it, the facilitators got overwhelmed because they themselves were not even ready for what they preached. In fact they never believed the card they played will win, that is why till today, they are still fumbling to find the handle.
But 2023 will be different. There’s a saying that ‘once beaten is twice shy”. I do not believe that Nigerians will fall for such pranks again.
This 2023 election is going to be a determining indices for what will become of Nigeria as a sovereign nation. Mark my words.
9. Do you see the president of South East extraction possible in 2023? If so, how?
In politics, anything is possible, but I doubt the possibility of President of Eastern Extraction in 2023, if all the prevailing realities of a Nigeria State and put into perspective.
Putting every other excuses aside, the leadership of the Eastern politics have not laid a foundational political culture that can firstly unite them as a region because it takes a collective and purpose driven political discipline to convinced other regions to support you because each region needs every other region to succeed.
We must start from there as first things first.
Then you bring in the reality of voting demography. In a situation where Kaduna and Sokoto decides who becomes the President of Nigeria, how can such reality be defeated with a mere wish? SouthEast and SouthSouth can hardly produce the number of votes produced from these two States. Are you following my points? So I believe that we can only hope it happens when these factors are addressed, but definitely it is not in 2023.
So if the East want to produce a Nigeria’s President, they should understand that most of their leaders are not ready, the noise about Igbo Presidency is to give the gladiators of the East the opportunity to become Vice President for their personal ends and then dash the expectations of the masses that followed them so diligently.
Until East produce a leader like Buhari and Atiku in the North, Tinubu is the West, their chase for Igbo Presidency is not feasible and just a fleeing fancy.
10. Don’t you think that the Atiku/Peter Obi ticket will be more realistic for South East?
That ticket is the pedestal on which I still stand.
Nigeria need experienced men that can take her out from the dark woods of political wilderness guaranteed by Buhari and company.
Until Nigeria is out of it and restructured, we will continue to walk in circles as a nation.
Our economy is in comatose and security is at its lowest ebb. I will not be among Nigerians that advocated for Nigeria to be handed to a novice like some did in 2015, I will not be part of the mistake we had witnessed its similar consequences since 2015. Never!
We should try hard to understand the different between IGBO PRESIDENCY and Nigerian PRESIDENT OF IGBO EXTACTION, the two are not the same and I must say we have been marketing the wrong product just like Buhari took advantage of such scenario to become NORTHERN PRESIDENT, instead of NIGERIA PRESIDENT OF NORTHERN EXTRACTION, the rest is now history.
