Following the perceived existential challenge threatening the very survival of our dear country, Nigeria, most of the political parties in the country came together by the middle of last year with a collective resolve to forge a common front in order to save the Nigerian state from the strangulating grip of the APC-led federal government, and President Buhari. But contrary to what most political pundits would take for granted, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) elected to stand aloof.
After mulling the idea of directly adopting the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari, for a second term and considering the backlash of strong negative reaction, and adverse publicity especially from the South East by directly adopting the President, APGA in its joint strategy summit with the APC adopted a new strategy: that of fielding a presidential candidate. The idea of fielding a Presidential Candidate for the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) became an agreed strategy for the consummation of the APC + APGA alliance aimed at whittling down the avalanche of votes naturally expected for the PDP from the south-east.
And the APC, the net beneficiary of this subterfuge is presently bankrolling the APGA smokescreen presidential campaign. The Presidential Candidate of the APGA, Maj-Gen John Gbor(rtd) from Benue State is a known acolyte of President Buhari right from his
days in the military. Apart from that, nothing more could be attributed to this man who is being subtly positioned to thwart the will of the Igbos in their quest to seek a level playing ground that would accommodate them within the Nigerian polity.
A politician seeking to contest election must have what is called name recognition as well as image identification. My question is: Does the name John Gbor ring bell in the south east where Mr. Gbor will hope to rubbish our collective aspiration? What are the known expressed opinions and views of Mr. John Gbor on any national issue? Why would APGA choose to play on the intelligence of our gullible masses and still refer to itself as “Nke anyi” What would the likes of Willie Obiano, Alex Otti and Victor Oye stand to gain by thwarting the will of our people in our sincere efforts to see that this country is restructured so that power is devolved and decentralized? Has it not become glaringly obvious that Mr. Buhari does not have a heart for all of us? What really does today’s APGA stand for?
For those who may have forgotten, Emeka Ojukwu, the Ikemba Nnewi did not go to Aburi to ask for Biafra. He went to Aburi to seek for the restructuring of the country. It was unfortunate that Yakubu Gowon returned from the Aburi trip and backtracked. It was because the Federal side reneged on the Aburi Accord that Ojukwu anchored his rallying clarion war slogan around the Aburi agreement: On Aburi we stand.
Today APGA should take a stand and tell the Igbo nation how the party is championing the re-election of President Buhari. APGA can no longer continue to hide behind a finger. The leader of APGA, Willie Obiano, does not even hide his bias. His comments at the book launch of His Excellency Victor Atta of Akwa Ibom State and his recent superfluous encomiums on Buhari for his efforts at the 2nd Niger Bridge all betray the fact of allegiance towards the incumbent’s re-election.
I have no qualms with anybody or group supporting whosoever they choose to. But I sincerely condemn politics without morality. Brandishing APGA as “Nke a bu nke anyi” while at the same time shielding our true motive from becoming public knowledge is political roguery. It shows that APGA leaders cannot be trusted with the destiny of our people. It is obtaining the people’s votes through false pretence. APGA should be exposed, and condemned by all Nigerians.
In Abia, Alex Otti is working hard to woo the Federal mighty (Security and INEC). Part of his plan is to instigate crisis in selected areas considered as the incumbent’s stronghold. Already Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina was in Abia last year to commission a Federal project and he stunned his audience with his comments about how the road project was attracted by Alex Otti (APGA). He went further to assure the people that Otti would be attracting more projects – obviously when he would have joined APC.
Alex Otti is the only columnist of ThisDay Newspaper who has never made any critical remark against the gross violations of our constitution by the incumbent President. Otti hopes to govern Abia State by default, and herein lies his political Achilles heels. Just this morning on channels television Otti admitted that he comes from Arochukwu and not Umuru in Isiala-Ngwa South. He would have to further explain how he would be contesting to govern Abia State, with him as governor and his deputy coming from the same Federal Constituency (Arochukwu/Ohafia). This is one of the peculiarities of Alex Otti’s candidature not found anywhere else throughout Nigeria. And it smacks of his patent and identity as a desperate politician always enmeshed in unanticipated compensating errors.
I urge all my Igbo brothers and sisters to challenge any APGA candidate canvassing for his or her vote to tell the whole world what the Igbo man stands to gain if President Buhari gets re- elected for another four (4) years. This question is necessary because APGA is the main promoter of Buhari’s re-election in the South-East. Already Vice President Osinbajo, a bishop of the Redeemed Christian Church of God has told his Yoruba brothers that Buhari will be handing over to a Yoruba man after his second term. Although strong Yoruba voices have taken a swipe at the Vice President for his insensitivity yet such public utterances say a lot about the moral content of the present APC leadership of the country. It is most unfortunate to use a less pejorative term.
