Okoli Akirika is a lawyer and former secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State. He also served as secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Commissioner for Land in the state. In this interview with TONY OKAFOR, he details why he dumped the PDP, political activities ahead the 2023 general elections, growing popularity of the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, among other issues.
The OBIdient movement is believed to be a kind of threat to the APC and PDP, what do you think will play out in the 2023general elections?
There is no doubt about it. Truth is that when Peter Obi moved from PDP to the Labour Party, I was one of those who said that his movements would be a paradigm shift; in terms of political thinking, orientation, inclinations and actual voting. If you appreciate the reason that led to his leaving PDP for Labour Party, what’s playing out now won’t surprise you. Even some PDP members are making allusions, with Wike disagreeing with the party, because they are no longer keeping to the agreement.
For the All Progressives Congress (APC), it’s obvious that, although Tinubu won the primary, Nigerians would have preferred someone like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Without doubt, Peter Obi’s movement will actually and certainly question the status quo. If you look at the mode of campaigning currently, including what played out during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference, you’ll see that every politician is no longer emphasizing tribe, money or blind followership. People are now talking about capacity, competence and pedigree. For the first time, APC was compelled to have recourse to campaign on facts and figures. That was what Shettima was referring to at the NBA conference; the statistics. He was indirectly campaigning against his party because when he said there’s need for competence and shift from status quo, and need to vote for competence, it means that a change in status quo. He didn’t mention activities of the Federal Government, but mentioned his days as Borno governor and Tinubu’s days as Lagos governor. So, what he brought on the table was their performances as respective governors of their states, not the achievements in quote of the government of the day.
Certainly, Peter Obi’s emergence is not necessarily Obi’s affair, but rather it’s a clarion call to every right thinking Nigerian, to every progressive man in Nigeria, for those who taste and hunger for good governance to identify with the aspirations of Peter Obi; not just for him as a person, but for the movement that will eventuate good governance anchored on equity, justice, accountability and above all, future of this country. If you have a look at Chapter 2 of the 1999 constitution, which talks about the political objective of the country, you’ll discover that power resides with the people and that’s why Peter Obi is beckoning on Nigerians to take back their country. In a nutshell, there’s no iota of doubt that Peter Obi’s emergence is already dislocating the status quo and paradigm shift in the polity. You can see how he’s now championing, though mildly, the third force Nigerians have been yearning for.
I thought you’re still in PDP, what happened?
I was in PDP for the purposes of enthroning good governance, not just for the sake of being a member of a political party. When it’s now obvious that PDP isn’t keeping to the founding aspirations of the party, which says that power belongs to the people and a party anchoring justice when it matters most, the powers that be jettisoned that fundamental contract between the party and members. So many people now felt the party is not living to its dream. In view of that, some of us, who are desirous and proactive apostles of good governance, now decided to follow the person who insisted on enthroning government that will, at the end of the day, be for the people, of the people and by the people. That warranted my departure from PDP to Labour Party. Anytime anybody who has the interest of Nigerians at heart, or who demonstrates the ability to attend to the needs of Nigerians, or persons who come out with programmes and policies that are in tune with the interests of Nigerians, I for one, will identify with such a person.
From your experience, can you tell how the voting pattern will look in 2023?
From the way I’m looking at it, for the first time, INEC witnessed tremendous and historic surge in registration by prospective voters. So, that goes to show that Nigerians have now been activated and educated to come out and practicalise that political maxim that power belongs to the people. In 2023, the votes and voice of the people will influence 80 to 90 percent pattern of voting. People keep saying that Peter Obi has no structures or he’s the president of social media, but that’s not the truth. For the first time in the Nigerian history, Nigerians are coming out on their own to undertake projects for the interest of a particular candidate, without the prompting of that candidate. The youths marched in Calabar, Port Harcourt, Benin, Lagos, Adamawa, Kaduna, etc. So, no matter the geopolitical zone or religious inclinations, there appears to be a consensus among Nigerians that we want a shift in the political architecture of the country and I foresee a situation where that will be reflected in 2023 elections, and it’s already reflecting. If you go by the various party primaries, you’ll notice that it was the APC governors that orchestrated the emergence of Tinubu. They insisted that power would shift to the South. So, if you put all permutation, it’s very obvious that we’re going to witness a radical departure in the pattern of voting.
APGA chairman in Anambra warned party faithful against supporting Peter Obi, what’s your reaction?
The APGA chairman, Norbert Obi, had to give the warning because it’s becoming obvious that his members are becoming OBIdient. So, he’s now frightened. He’s only being partisan and protecting his political post as the chairman. I want to bet you that if he’s subjected to public scrutiny, you’ll find out that the state chairman of APGA will vote for Peter Obi. It’s not necessarily because Peter Obi is from Anambra State or one time governor, but because of the fact that Peter Obi is the sum total of good governance. The APGA chairman is not the first. Kogi state governor, Bello, had to caution the civil servants not to show open partisanship. Why did he say that? It’s dawned on him that even his own civil servants are clamouring for a change. So, what APGA chairman said is not new to us. Various state governors had been issuing threats to civil servants, party members and prospective voters. Did you not hear Edo Governor the other day that he heard those who are clamouring for the OBIdient movement. That APGA chairman said that doesn’t mean the average party member is not appreciative of good governance. There’s no way you expect the governors of Kogi, Edo, Kaduna States to abandon their parties in view of the partisan nature of Nigerian politics. They can do that publicly, but inwardly, they all know that there’s every need for us to vote for a person that will occasion economic progress, political stability and accountability, reduction in cost of governance. They all know that Peter Obi is the very best in managing resources.