Charles Anike is the president, Eastern Mandate, a non political association that intervenes on various political and social problems in the country. In this interview he speaks on the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to provide good governance for Nigerians and what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can do to return to power in 2019. PATRICK OKOHUE reports:
The APC has repeatedly shifted their convention contrary to the provisions guiding party formation and administration, do you see this as an indication that all is not well with the party?
The truth is that the APC is not a well established political party, it is rather the grouping and gathering of over ambitious power mongers, who were not and still cannot face or withstand defeat.
It is a gathering of strange bed fellows with different political ideologies. Recall that the APC is composed mainly of some notable over ambitious elements from the PDP that constituted themselves as new PDP and other desperate power seekers from other political blocs.
So obviously all cannot be well with such a group whose main agenda is take over power at all cost. The APC constituted of people who undermine the constitution, democratic principles and the rule law. And until it purges itself of excess luggage, all cannot be well with the party.
At the recent caucus meeting of the APC, indications emerged that there was no unanimous agreement on the candidacy of the President to run as the candidate of the party, do you see this as a low score for the President?
That may never be the case, because remember that the APC is filled up with people with presidential ambition. Apart from that, most of the APC faithful that are very sincere knows very well that this President is no longer marketable.
More so the party leadership knows that they have exhausted their bags of lies and propaganda that enabled them to clinch power in 2015.
They are aware that with the sufferings and hardship Nigerians are experiencing since the inauguration of the APC government, there is not more they can tell the people to win their support for Buhari come 2019.
The scandals and the poor handling of issues by the Presidency also have gone a long way to limit the chances of the APC in 2019.
Another important fact is the President’s unstable health which has resulted to his incessant medical tours and colossal waste of the nation’s scarce resources.
The Operation Python Dance in the South East is seen as being unnecessary or better still to appease the Northern youths who demanded that IPOB should be declared a terrorists organisations, how would you have wished the operation is carried out?
The general belief among our people is that President Buhari is a die–hard tribalist who harbours grievances against Easterners, most especially Ndigbo.
That belief is confirmed with the way and manner the President handled the issues, especially with his silence over the activities of the murderous Fulani herdsmen band, the Arewa youths who committed the same offence as the Biafra agitators.
The President ordered Operation Python Dance to deal with the IPOB agitations and Operation Crocodile Smile in the Niger –Delta, where the Avenges are merely protesting against government insensitivity, while the IPOB on the other hand were protesting out right marginalisation from governance.
It is important to note that all these groups (IPOB and the militants) are not faceless, like the Boko Haram in the North–East, yet the President ordered Operation Lafiya Dole there, where hundreds of thousands of lives are being wasted daily.
We need to know the full meaning, terms and reasons. Why didn’t the government order operation Lion dance or Elephant laughter in the North East where the evil Boko Haram are wasting lives and properties. So those who see this President as a tribal President have genuine reasons.
Do you think the quest for Biafra is dead with the silencing of IPOB or there is a potential danger lying low somewhere?
We have said it at several fora and we still maintain that the Nigeria unity remains negotiable and shaky, until injustices across the country are properly addressed.
IPOB may be silenced for now, but we don’t think that the quest for Biafra can just die like that. Biafra agitation is a movement which can only be delayed. The only solution is total restructuring of the country.
What will be your advice to the President on his tour of the South East?
The tour of the South East is a welcomed development because in politics, we disagree to agree and there is no permanent enemy in politics.
Our only advice to the President is that he should undertake the tour to the South East with an open mind, devoid of deceit.
He should be more real and more sincere to the people of South East this time and should forget about lying to the people; in order to score cheap political point as that will be counterproductive.
Our people are more politically enlightened and can easily differentiate the truths from the lies. Empty political promises must be seriously avoided because the Igbo is different from other tribes.
The MainaGate and the 2.5 Billion dollars NNPC contract are some of the recent scandals that Nigerians are waiting for the President to act upon; in the event of him not doing anything, how will you rate this government?
Anybody waiting for this President to act on those issues pointed out and many more will wait endlessly.
As far as we are concerned, this government is more corrupt than the previous government and that is why the President will always remain silent, because he is overwhelmed.
Recall that only pressure from social media forced the President to act on the cases of the suspended SGF and the DG NIA after about six months of silence.
Nobody knew about the colossal theft that took place under Jonathan’s watch until he left office, but let me tell you this, the corruption under Jonathan will be a child’s play when compared with what will be discovered after Buhari leaves office in 2019.
The reason why their government will record more scandals and corruption is that it is a government that does not believe in due process in the handling of things, coupled with the incessant travels of the President.
Most times, the President does not even know about things going on in his government, so too many corruptions will be uncovered when they leave office.
The Aso Rock cabals and others are all eating with their both hands now; while the President feigns ignorance. As for MainaGate, there are more to it than the eyes can see; because even Jonathan and his men may not be free from the whole saga.
Is the series of scandals rocking this Buhari administration, is an indication that the war against corruption is lost?
You have not even seen anything yet; wait until Buhari leaves office, then you will hear and see scandals. The war against corruption by Buhari is just a coded language.
It is actually war against political enemies like Sambo Dasuki, Olisa Metu, Dokpesi, Femi Fani- Kayode among others.
You see, when people are not in government, they make mouth and to them everything looks very easy.
I can tell you that, the best thing that has happened to our political history in this Fourth Republic is the boldness and courage exhibited by Goodluck Jonathan, who conquered fear and shame to concede to Buhari.
Now it is very clear to every sincere Nigeria that Buhari is not anything near Messiah. All the important facts about him, that he over-looked while struggling to cling power, immediately showed up and exposed him as a man who lacks the capacity to govern.
War against corruption was just the tactics he employed in order to deal ruthlessly with his long time and recent political enemies, otherwise, many of the APC chieftains, even those serving as ministers and other appointive positions in Buhari’s government are supposed to be wasting in the EFCC cells.
PDP will hold their convention next month, will you see that as an opportunity for the party to come out as the main opposition party?
PDP is a party in search of its soul. And I can tell you that a lot of things fell apart and we know that the centre is no longer holding.
Therefore if the present leadership does not take caution in the handling of things especially their coming convention, the party may become history, they must completely do away with impurity in order to restore the confidence of its members.
They must find a way to tame their overzealous and over ambitions members.
The old horses in the party must be ready to give way and support the younger generation to lead the way, if the party must bounce back to power.
The elders should give their supports to the youths because the outcome of the convention will go a long way to determine the future of the party.
Micro zoning is another virus that may further destroy the party because zoning in itself is against democratic principles.
Recently former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau said he will run for the office of the president of the country, do you see him as the right candidate of the party?
The recent declaration by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau is one of the best things to have happened to the PDP in particular and the country at large.
Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau is a man with impeccable character. He shares the same lifestyle with the late Umar Musa Yar’Adua.
His legacies in Kano State as a governor and in the education sector when he was the Minister for Education speak volume for him and it is very commendable.
If he emerges as the PDP candidate for the 2019 Presidential election, that will make the coast cleaner for the party to regain power.
The PDP need such candidate as Shekarau to coast into victory in 2019 Presidential election. Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau that we know is spotless and has untainted record.
There is urgent need to restore the country’s democracy back by electing a full blooded civilian president. We can’t continue to experiment with people without democratic background.
The military-democratic arrangement will never augur well and will never be healthy for our democratic development. You can see the constant flexing of muscles between the organs of government.
The leadership of the PDP should go extra-mile to get spotless and politically well-connected running mate from the Southern part of the country to fly the flag of the party along side Mallam Shekarau.
What chances do you think the PDP has in the next general elections?
The failure of the APC government at the centre to deliver on the promises has given the PDP or any other party opportunity to wrestle power from the APC.
Every Nigerian electorate that voted the APC in the 2015 election are regretting and many are saying ‘if they don’t know where they are going, let them at least return to where they are coming from’.
The PDP have too many chances of returning to Aso Rock Villa come 2019 and also reclaiming most of the states they lost to the APC in the 2015 election, if the party leadership can completely and genuinely repent by showing transparency and also do away with impurity.
The party must also encourage internal democracy and field credible candidates at all levels. The only chance left for the APC is rigging and nothing more.
The President said that he will reshuffle and expand his cabinet soon, in what areas will you expect change?
But this is a government of change, so we expect change in every area. All sections of the country is crying for change; though we know that all these are political calculations.
But its rather too late for the government because as from next year, nobody will be looking up to the APC government, rather efforts will be geared towards bringing a replacement.
The President is waking up too late because Nigerians have been calling on him to reshuffle his cabinet but to no avail.
Why is the President talking of expanding his cabinet at this dying minute, let him continue with his three star extraordinary super minister, that have plugged the country into gross darkness and dilapidated infrastructures across the country, especially the roads.
My dear, we are no longer expecting any positive change from a government that chanted change but rather destroying little achievements of their predecessor.
This administration has been accused of encouraging or better still introducing nepotism in Nigeria politics, do you see this cabinet shake up as an opportunity to amend that?
It is rather too late; the shakeup cannot amend anything, most especially when the man is still not seeing anything wrong in his actions. The worst thing the Buhari government did is to so divide the Nigeria people.
No government in the past ever did that. The country as it stands now is so divided along tribal and religious lines.
The government never made any effort to unite the country, rather it continued with lies, propaganda and accusations.
The hatred that exists among the Nigerian people under the APC led Federal Government is worrisome and this is due to poor management of information. There are serious disconnect between and among the information officers of the APC government.
So we hear one thing in the morning and another thing latter in the evening. And at the end of the day both will be lies. The President has refused to see the faults in his lopsided political appointments.
The President has spoken variously that he will do everything to avert another civil war. Do you think the security of the country is threatened?
It is not by saying things like that that will stop war or its possibility, but what are his efforts to ensure we don’t experience such? The methods and approaches of this government can ignite civil disobedience.
The government lacks the diplomacy and capacity to handle human society. Most statements and actions of the Presidency rather encourage war.
The President and his men fail to understand that the Nigeria of 2017 is different from the Nigeria of the 80s.
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APC faithful that are very sincere knows very well that this President is no longer marketable. More so the party leadership knows that they have exhausted their bags of lies and propaganda that enabled them to clinch power in 2015. They are aware that with the sufferings and hardship Nigerians are experiencing since the inauguration of the APC government, there is not more they can tell the people to win their support for Buhari come 2019.
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