Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview, the politician accuses leaders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being against innovations that will make the March 28 and April 11 elections free and fair. He argued that his party’s candidate, Major-Gen Muhammadu Buhari, would defeat President Goodluck Jonathan convincingly in the polls.
Do you subscribe to claims in some circles that the peace pact for a violence-free campaign has been observed in the breach by PDP, APC and their supporters?
I totally share that view. If you observe the wife of the president, the way she has been behaving, etc., you would agree with anybody that says that. In her own local government, she went and campaigned for the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State and she vowed that APC would never campaign there. When APC governorship candidate went there to campaign, there were bomb blasts and shootings.
Did you hear her say that APC would not campaign in her native local government or you are relying on rumour?
By her behaviour and her utterances, you will see it. The latest news is that some days ago, traditional rulers in the area stated that nobody could campaign there again. They know that PDP has campaigned, so they are banning APC from campaigning in the local government. Is that the way you institute democracy in the place? So, the wife of the president is a clear example of the violation of the accord that was signed by Buhari and Jonathan.
Before I go into that, I want to greatly commend Major General Buhari for the way he has conducted his campaign. I have been on his entourage for most of the campaign tours to states across the country. Buhari has behaved like a gentleman. He has behaved like a man who has adjusted from his military background to that of the civilian. Buhari will make a wonderful president when he is given the opportunity in this country.
You alleged that the First Lady was behind the disruption of APC campaign in Okrika, but you have glossed over the ugly incident in Katsina and Bauchi, which your party was accused of masterminding. Why?
Let me be fair to you; you seem to be biased, those things done to the president in Gombe and Bauchi were done by residents of those cities, not by APC members. The people were tired of seeing Jonathan campaigning for the presidency. You also know that northerners have not ruled for 16 years; so as it is time to get another president and a northerner comes out to campaign they will support him. Then, along the line, Jonathan goes to campaign for the same position they are looking for; they will throw stones at him.
To me, it is a normal human behaviour. APC did not tell them to stone the president. Aside from that, remember also that the Bauchi State Governor was courageous enough to admit that PDP members were behind the booing and pelting of Mr. President with stones. So, APC has no hand in the incidents you talked about in the two states. We believe in peace; we know that Nigerians have embraced us, so there is no need for trouble. PDP is the one quarreling with itself and the entire Nigeria. Over 90 per cent of residents of the states you mentioned and, indeed, other states, want Buhari to win the presidential election. They are tired of seeing Jonathan campaigning for the position of the president. They know that their lives have not been changed by Jonathan’s presidency. That is the reason everybody wants to vote out PDP.
What do you make of the consistent allegation against APC by some that it is desperate to stop President Jonathan from contesting the next election?
I am fair in my criticism of this administration. Nobody wants to stop Jonathan through the back door; we are only asking for a free, fair and credible election so that we can defeat him at the poll. Remember in 2011 election, I worked for him. Then, I went round with him. I was in PDP. I supported Jonathan; we went round the 36 states of the federation. I was convinced that he needed to be supported; he needed to be given a chance. But I left him when I saw that he was no longer making good use of the chance given to him by Nigerians. After he was given the chance, he needed to do what the people wanted and respect the constitution. But he has not been doing that.
This time is for Northern Nigeria to rule the country. I am saying it boldly; it is time for the North to take the presidency. If they do not take it now, they should not complain again. The Igbo were supposed to take the presidency but the Igbo did not manage their affairs well. So, the North is primed to take the presidency and anybody who is telling you about Islam and Christianity is merely deceiving himself.
Is the issue about the North and South or about who is qualified to govern and address challenges facing Nigeria?
When you come to who is qualified to rule, in leadership we also talk of individual personalities. How can you manage a country that is so unstable? Buhari will manage it very well, much better than Jonathan is doing. Buhari has been an Army General. He has seen war. Meanwhile, these things are happening in his own part of the country. Buhari has the character, the discipline and the wherewithal to handle the issue of insecurity in the North-East.
Are you not reckoning with the current successes that the military is recording in the insurgency war in the North East?
If Jonathan had done that four years ago, that would have been fantastic. But he is doing it after postponing the election, which was to be held in February. We are not fools. This is an election. You want to impress Nigeria that you can handle insecurity during election. In fact, people are already campaigning that if Jonathan were to be re-elected, the security situation in Nigeria will be worse than what it used to be. They are of the opinion that immediately after the elections, whatever the president is doing now will be forgotten. When that happens, the issue of insecurity will worsen. That is the rumour that is going on. So, the whole thing is about elections.
