Welcome to Justin Kingland's Blog News
Chief Mike Okoye, a constitutional lawyer, rights activist and
now governorship aspirant in Anambra State, was a founding member of
the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO. In this interview with Obiora
Ifoh, he says democracy under the present dispensation is on course. He
also comments on the state pardon granted to former Bayelsa State
governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha as well as his aspiration to contest
the Anambra governorship election in November. Excerpts.
How would you appraise our democracy in the past 14 years?
Let me first of all say that most of us were in the vanguard of the struggle for the democracy we are enjoying today. I can remember myself, the late Gani Fawehinmi and the late Nigeria Labour Congress President, Paschal Bafyau; a lot of us that played one role or the other and who were with me at the forefront of NADECO. We played roles that ordinarily we thought then that we would not be alive today. But, we decided to take that risk because we knew that there was no other option than democracy. When we were in the vanguard of the struggle, most of the current beneficiaries now were not there. When we were in the streets against the armoured tanks, when we were broking Abiola’s case, when Abiola was still alive, a lot of them were not there. When we forced Abacha to leave the meetings we had with him. A lot of things went down, when even we forced Babangida to leave, when Akinsanya had to declare Shonekan’s interim government illegal, a lot of people contributed so that we could have democracy. The beauty of democracy is that it is a government for the people by the people and for the people. Today, we are saying Democracy Day. I think we should look at heroes; we have lots of them; some who are not known and many who may never be known. We have lots of people who died on the streets of Lagos and their names are not recorded. They are my real heroes and I think the time has come for us to look at them and leverage on them.
Now, let’s go to the real issues. The real issue is looking at all these years, the way I will describe it is that Nigeria will be going through these ups and downs, but, ultimately, we will emerge triumphant. No nation started and got it right the same day. To me, I believe that Nigeria is on the right track; our democracy is on course. Politics of Nigeria has gone beyond tribal or regional politics. Nigeria has come to a stage where we have national politics. Today, we can boast of a political party that does not belong to the East, West, North or South; and that is PDP. In terms of governance, I will say a lot of mistakes have been made and also, a lot of achievements have been recorded, but, all in all, the errors are those of judgements of the heads and of the hearts. I can say that Nigerian democracy is on course. Could you highlight tangible democratic dividends enjoyed by citizens in the past few years?
In a democracy, the greatest thing you achieve is freedom. You see, some of us who had been under chains and locked up because of draconian laws, freedom of movement, freedom of expression were restricted. I recollect my friend who was the publisher of Newsbreed of blessed memory. I was coming to Abuja then when the city was new to bring him out from custody. What we battled was freedom. Nigeria was not free; and the greatest concept now is that element of freedom. Today, every Nigerian can boast that we operate a free state. No draconian laws where people can be locked up without due process. Today, the constitution is such that nobody can be detained beyond 24 hours unless he had been brought before a court of law. I know that the police are conscious of this law.
We are practising in Nigeria what is called rule of law. Nobody is above the law; and that is the greatest benefit of a democracy. Apart from the rule of law, the government has also provided an enabling environment. Before this democracy came, we knew the situation for example, like petrol, there was instability. People could not get the product and all of other utilities. Today, you can drive into any petrol station and buy petrol. With the ups and downs we are going through, the government has been able to have a stable economy compared to the past. In spite of all these security challenges, government has also provided a levelplaying field for foreign investments. You can see our democracy since it started focusing on progressive change. The change started with Obasanjo. When he came in, Nigeria was on analogue. Most Nigerians believed we could not have phones. Today, everybody in Nigeria can call anybody from anywhere.
When you now move from those ones, that is, Obasanjo’s era into the short space of the late President Umaru Y’Ardua, you would see a continued movement. That continued movement was inherited by the current administration. You can see that the focal point of the current administration is transportation. You see what the government is doing in making it possible for you to walk into a train from East, West, North and South as obtainable anywhere in the world. So, if the present government can achieve transportation, in terms of rail as it is with telecommunication, we can now see Nigeria as the way we used telecommunication also with the rail service which is an alternative; a clear alternative to road transport. President Jonathan’s government has also impacted on the areas of agriculture, energy, trade liberalisation, you can see that foreign investments are on the increase. You can see the progressive change. One thing I can say is that government is all about structure. What people would say is that they don’t know the structure and they don’t know the roadmap. I think that is what the government should come out openly and tell the public that this is the roadmap. This is where this administration is going. Let it be clear that this is the focal point.
What is your opinion on amnesty and declaration of state of emergency in three states in the North consequent upon the growing insecurity in the region?
I think the President has handled the issue of security very rationally and diplomatically for two reasons. The insecurity is political. There is a difference between insecurity that is based on criminality whereby you see people stealing, robbing and killing. But, the one we are facing as a nation is purely political. The approach the President is using is political. The common man will expect him to use force, to be assertive. The people have the right to protest but they don’t have the right to take people’s lives. They don’t even have the right to take their own lives.
The balancing is that the President looked at it, to me, he is a statesman, and judging in the best way to assuage the fear of the people of the North that he is not going to dismantle the government they have in place, but it is the people who are killing other people that he is after. He declared a state of emergency but allowed the structure to remain. He is not attacking the political will of the people of the North but he is trying to remove the chaff from the wheat without causing damage to the political institutions. Everybody says ‘very good’. When he says amnesty, the people that perpetrate these criminalities are not the people that are the problem. They are just people used; it is not arresting those Boko Haram members or chaining them that will resolve the issue. It is those that are inciting them, those that have their children abroad; those who will not come out to actively take part in the acts are the real problems. They are the ones we should see as problems; not the people that are incited. They are just like a bullet.
How come the government has not gone after these sponsors and bringing them to book?
They know them and cannot bring them to book because it is highly political. If some of you understand how we became a country, then you will understand what I am saying. Nigeria you see today did not wake up one day and became a republic. We were formerly in regions and we have peculiarities. When certain parts are trying to use certain methods to press for their political will, you must try to respect them. If you go down on them, you will only create more problems. And, Nigeria is not ready for a civil war.
As a lawyer to former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, do you think his pardon was necessary?
I will say that the pardon was the best thing the President has done in Nigeria. You look at it in two ways. Alamieyeseigha is one of the finest Nigerians you can ever meet. In fact, to me, he is a patriotic Nigerian. Why did I say a patriotic Nigerian? Governance is about touching the lives of your people. Alamieyeseigha as governor of Bayelsa State so much touched the lives of the people of the sate that he was called the Governor-General of Ijaw nation. The whole of Ijaw nation believed in him and he is instrumental to the peace we have in the oil sector. The fact that you buy fuel, that people trade freely, the economy of this country is going smoothly, the international community buys our crude oil, rest solely on his ability to package what he had done to hold the restive people.
Secondly, he is honourable. How many people in Nigeria would accept that they have done wrong? He had the right to have contested the case. We were ready and able to fight the case as all other governors have done up to the Supreme Court. But, he said to us “look, sometimes, it is honourable to feel where you have done wrong to accept you have done wrong and ask God for pardon”. Alamieyeseigha made peace with God. Let us not also forget the politics of Nigeria. Those who were in the vanguard knew the political arrangement; the reason they were after Alamieyeseigha. It was not because of finance, it was not because of corruption. They knew there were people who were gunning for power to take over from Obasanjo. And, they reasoned that those people must be brought down at all costs. Then, there was reason to go after him. For whatever it is, he had made atonement to the court. He has made atonement to his God.
To me, his peace is like the biblical case where Jesus said ‘let the person without sin be the first to cast stone’. I dare say let anybody who believes his governor is not worse than Alamieyeseigha be the first to cast a stone at Alamieyeseigha. The issue was not money that comes from Nigeria; it was money that relates to his state. His state says we have forgiven you. Who are you from any other state to challenge it? Power belongs to the people of Bayelsa State. If the people of the state say we have let it go, that is the end of it. Legally, anywhere in the world, and I think that the President also comes from Bayelsa State, if it is the people of the state that feel that this man should be pardoned, then, the President did the most honourable thing.
Let us look at party politics. Considering what is happening now in the PDP in which you are a stakeholder, are you satisfi ed with the suspension of Governor Amaechi?
We cannot use one individual to decide the fate of millions of people that belong to the political party. Before we discuss the issue of Amaechi, let us understand that PDP is the only party that belongs to the people. PDP is the only party that is nationalistic. It is not a party that belongs to the North, East, West or South; it is a party of national coloration. Having that in mind, what happened in Rivers State cannot have an effect to decide the totality of Nigeria. We should not use the issue of Amaechi as if it were a national issue; it is not. Amaechi is, first, a state matter, it is restricted to Rivers State; it is not national. There is no crack in the party structure of PDP… from BOT to the national chairman. The issue is a governor that the party feels has acted improperly. Whether rightly or wrongly, we should wait and see how it unfolds. We should not judge. That is the mistake people make. They put a judgement before they understand what a matter is.
Let us get the full picture; then, we can be able to see. But, I tell you that for a governor of PDP, if we all understand the principle of governance; we would know that a PDP governor must be loyal to a President and all office bearers of the party. You cannot be disloyal or speak ill of your party and still say you are loyal. If PDP has decided that this is the person who should be the chairman and it has the majority of the governors in Nigeria, it is unthinkable that a governor of PDP should be in alliance with any other political groups. You can’t have two PDP.. We are not talking about whether Amaechi is governing Rivers State. Politics is about loyalty. If the party says this is where we are going and this is our number, he must at all times adhere to it. You should remember he is a governor of PDP and it is PDP that won the election, not Amaechi. I think that he has goofed so much that if I were him, he should be able to distinguish his personal interest and the political interest.
Anambra politics is ironical. Most elective positions in the state belong to the PDP but the party did not produce the governor. How do you see that?
There is no confusion. PDP is the national party and it is in power. The national influences the state. If PDP is at the national, it tells you that Anambra State is preparing to be a PDP state. In 2014, Anambra will be one of PDP states. What you are seeing is the sign of things to come. APGA is a dynamic political party. The Governor, Peter Obi, is somebody I have great respect for. At the same time, he understands the politics of Nigeria. He also understands what the Yoruba did when Obasanjo was in power was that they all moved to PDP to strengthen Obasanjo. They left AD and moved to PDP. Now, our brother is in power and we will move from APGA to strengthen PDP; there is no other issue. We will move from APGA to strengthen PDP. I was once an APGA. I was instrumental to most of the things they did in APGA but we must move to strengthen PDP because the President of Nigeria is our brother. All the pillars in Anambra State must be PDP to strengthen him.
If you were governor of Anambra, what new things would you bring into the state?
I will bring change in governance. The governed and the governor do not understand what democracy is all about. The belief is that it is the governor that gives and decides what he does. Governance as of today is what I call ad hoc. The governor wakes up and says this is a good project; I will build roads for you. Tomorrow, perhaps, I will demolish the secretariat that has historical whatever and I will build my own secretariat. There is no structural plan. Therefore, governance is ad hoc. We would start in Anambra State to practise true democracy where there will be a structure created by the ideas we have and the ideas the people have as to what they want. These things will be prepared by those who are intellectually equipped to prepare them. It is like the building plan for a house, the structural plan. The architect does his job, the builder just looks at the plan, that is, the chief executive; the job of the chief executive is not generating ideas but implementing ideas generated. That is what democracy is all about; it is what governance is all about. In so doing, Anambra will know this road map, even after Mr Okoye has finished as the governor; the road map has been defined. The main thrust of our policy is that Anambra State will be the highest producer of refined crude oil products. Now, the issue is from the evaluation: at what stage would we attain that? But, it is one of the cardinal principles of where we are going. The journey starts from 2014.
Intra-party crisis has been common issue in Anambra State. Are you sure such will not come into play again in 2014?
For PDP, which I belong, I believe the party is conscious of the situation. I know that they are doing something to make sure that PDP goes for the election as one family. One thing I can tell you is that PDP today, especially for Anambra State, whoever among us (aspirants) emerges; we all will step down and follow that person.
What do you think gives you the edge over likely opposition such as Senator Ngige, who is reported to be interested in the gubernatorial poll?
Looking at my stature as a constitutional lawyer; as a human rights activist and all I have contributed legally, politically and otherwise to the federation, to Anambra State and the fact that I come from Anambra North that has a bloc vote, I believe that victory is mine. Looking at my pedigree and the force my party has; looking at the vote we already got from the north, I can assure you that I am the man to beat. I can also say without fear or equivocation that Anambra State is yearning for a change; a new wine in an old sack. Ngige was nobody before he became governor. It was opportunity given to him that made him excel. If the same opportunity is given to somebody else, that person can equally excel beyond him. But that person must be given opportunity and must be a new brand because the old brand people will say we all know them. Politically, the North is going to vote en bloc. I can also assure you that APGA, under the leadership of the present government, will be sympathetic to support where they will have to decide whether to follow Ngige’s party, they will rather follow PDP because it is a national party. Don’t forget the party where Ngige is, is a tribalistic party, a party that has its root in the West. If APGA can win governorship in Lagos or Oyo State, then, Ngige, with the Yoruba party can win governorship in Anambra State.
How would you appraise our democracy in the past 14 years?
Let me first of all say that most of us were in the vanguard of the struggle for the democracy we are enjoying today. I can remember myself, the late Gani Fawehinmi and the late Nigeria Labour Congress President, Paschal Bafyau; a lot of us that played one role or the other and who were with me at the forefront of NADECO. We played roles that ordinarily we thought then that we would not be alive today. But, we decided to take that risk because we knew that there was no other option than democracy. When we were in the vanguard of the struggle, most of the current beneficiaries now were not there. When we were in the streets against the armoured tanks, when we were broking Abiola’s case, when Abiola was still alive, a lot of them were not there. When we forced Abacha to leave the meetings we had with him. A lot of things went down, when even we forced Babangida to leave, when Akinsanya had to declare Shonekan’s interim government illegal, a lot of people contributed so that we could have democracy. The beauty of democracy is that it is a government for the people by the people and for the people. Today, we are saying Democracy Day. I think we should look at heroes; we have lots of them; some who are not known and many who may never be known. We have lots of people who died on the streets of Lagos and their names are not recorded. They are my real heroes and I think the time has come for us to look at them and leverage on them.
Now, let’s go to the real issues. The real issue is looking at all these years, the way I will describe it is that Nigeria will be going through these ups and downs, but, ultimately, we will emerge triumphant. No nation started and got it right the same day. To me, I believe that Nigeria is on the right track; our democracy is on course. Politics of Nigeria has gone beyond tribal or regional politics. Nigeria has come to a stage where we have national politics. Today, we can boast of a political party that does not belong to the East, West, North or South; and that is PDP. In terms of governance, I will say a lot of mistakes have been made and also, a lot of achievements have been recorded, but, all in all, the errors are those of judgements of the heads and of the hearts. I can say that Nigerian democracy is on course. Could you highlight tangible democratic dividends enjoyed by citizens in the past few years?
In a democracy, the greatest thing you achieve is freedom. You see, some of us who had been under chains and locked up because of draconian laws, freedom of movement, freedom of expression were restricted. I recollect my friend who was the publisher of Newsbreed of blessed memory. I was coming to Abuja then when the city was new to bring him out from custody. What we battled was freedom. Nigeria was not free; and the greatest concept now is that element of freedom. Today, every Nigerian can boast that we operate a free state. No draconian laws where people can be locked up without due process. Today, the constitution is such that nobody can be detained beyond 24 hours unless he had been brought before a court of law. I know that the police are conscious of this law.
We are practising in Nigeria what is called rule of law. Nobody is above the law; and that is the greatest benefit of a democracy. Apart from the rule of law, the government has also provided an enabling environment. Before this democracy came, we knew the situation for example, like petrol, there was instability. People could not get the product and all of other utilities. Today, you can drive into any petrol station and buy petrol. With the ups and downs we are going through, the government has been able to have a stable economy compared to the past. In spite of all these security challenges, government has also provided a levelplaying field for foreign investments. You can see our democracy since it started focusing on progressive change. The change started with Obasanjo. When he came in, Nigeria was on analogue. Most Nigerians believed we could not have phones. Today, everybody in Nigeria can call anybody from anywhere.
When you now move from those ones, that is, Obasanjo’s era into the short space of the late President Umaru Y’Ardua, you would see a continued movement. That continued movement was inherited by the current administration. You can see that the focal point of the current administration is transportation. You see what the government is doing in making it possible for you to walk into a train from East, West, North and South as obtainable anywhere in the world. So, if the present government can achieve transportation, in terms of rail as it is with telecommunication, we can now see Nigeria as the way we used telecommunication also with the rail service which is an alternative; a clear alternative to road transport. President Jonathan’s government has also impacted on the areas of agriculture, energy, trade liberalisation, you can see that foreign investments are on the increase. You can see the progressive change. One thing I can say is that government is all about structure. What people would say is that they don’t know the structure and they don’t know the roadmap. I think that is what the government should come out openly and tell the public that this is the roadmap. This is where this administration is going. Let it be clear that this is the focal point.
What is your opinion on amnesty and declaration of state of emergency in three states in the North consequent upon the growing insecurity in the region?
I think the President has handled the issue of security very rationally and diplomatically for two reasons. The insecurity is political. There is a difference between insecurity that is based on criminality whereby you see people stealing, robbing and killing. But, the one we are facing as a nation is purely political. The approach the President is using is political. The common man will expect him to use force, to be assertive. The people have the right to protest but they don’t have the right to take people’s lives. They don’t even have the right to take their own lives.
The balancing is that the President looked at it, to me, he is a statesman, and judging in the best way to assuage the fear of the people of the North that he is not going to dismantle the government they have in place, but it is the people who are killing other people that he is after. He declared a state of emergency but allowed the structure to remain. He is not attacking the political will of the people of the North but he is trying to remove the chaff from the wheat without causing damage to the political institutions. Everybody says ‘very good’. When he says amnesty, the people that perpetrate these criminalities are not the people that are the problem. They are just people used; it is not arresting those Boko Haram members or chaining them that will resolve the issue. It is those that are inciting them, those that have their children abroad; those who will not come out to actively take part in the acts are the real problems. They are the ones we should see as problems; not the people that are incited. They are just like a bullet.
How come the government has not gone after these sponsors and bringing them to book?
They know them and cannot bring them to book because it is highly political. If some of you understand how we became a country, then you will understand what I am saying. Nigeria you see today did not wake up one day and became a republic. We were formerly in regions and we have peculiarities. When certain parts are trying to use certain methods to press for their political will, you must try to respect them. If you go down on them, you will only create more problems. And, Nigeria is not ready for a civil war.
As a lawyer to former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, do you think his pardon was necessary?
I will say that the pardon was the best thing the President has done in Nigeria. You look at it in two ways. Alamieyeseigha is one of the finest Nigerians you can ever meet. In fact, to me, he is a patriotic Nigerian. Why did I say a patriotic Nigerian? Governance is about touching the lives of your people. Alamieyeseigha as governor of Bayelsa State so much touched the lives of the people of the sate that he was called the Governor-General of Ijaw nation. The whole of Ijaw nation believed in him and he is instrumental to the peace we have in the oil sector. The fact that you buy fuel, that people trade freely, the economy of this country is going smoothly, the international community buys our crude oil, rest solely on his ability to package what he had done to hold the restive people.
Secondly, he is honourable. How many people in Nigeria would accept that they have done wrong? He had the right to have contested the case. We were ready and able to fight the case as all other governors have done up to the Supreme Court. But, he said to us “look, sometimes, it is honourable to feel where you have done wrong to accept you have done wrong and ask God for pardon”. Alamieyeseigha made peace with God. Let us not also forget the politics of Nigeria. Those who were in the vanguard knew the political arrangement; the reason they were after Alamieyeseigha. It was not because of finance, it was not because of corruption. They knew there were people who were gunning for power to take over from Obasanjo. And, they reasoned that those people must be brought down at all costs. Then, there was reason to go after him. For whatever it is, he had made atonement to the court. He has made atonement to his God.
To me, his peace is like the biblical case where Jesus said ‘let the person without sin be the first to cast stone’. I dare say let anybody who believes his governor is not worse than Alamieyeseigha be the first to cast a stone at Alamieyeseigha. The issue was not money that comes from Nigeria; it was money that relates to his state. His state says we have forgiven you. Who are you from any other state to challenge it? Power belongs to the people of Bayelsa State. If the people of the state say we have let it go, that is the end of it. Legally, anywhere in the world, and I think that the President also comes from Bayelsa State, if it is the people of the state that feel that this man should be pardoned, then, the President did the most honourable thing.
Let us look at party politics. Considering what is happening now in the PDP in which you are a stakeholder, are you satisfi ed with the suspension of Governor Amaechi?
We cannot use one individual to decide the fate of millions of people that belong to the political party. Before we discuss the issue of Amaechi, let us understand that PDP is the only party that belongs to the people. PDP is the only party that is nationalistic. It is not a party that belongs to the North, East, West or South; it is a party of national coloration. Having that in mind, what happened in Rivers State cannot have an effect to decide the totality of Nigeria. We should not use the issue of Amaechi as if it were a national issue; it is not. Amaechi is, first, a state matter, it is restricted to Rivers State; it is not national. There is no crack in the party structure of PDP… from BOT to the national chairman. The issue is a governor that the party feels has acted improperly. Whether rightly or wrongly, we should wait and see how it unfolds. We should not judge. That is the mistake people make. They put a judgement before they understand what a matter is.
Let us get the full picture; then, we can be able to see. But, I tell you that for a governor of PDP, if we all understand the principle of governance; we would know that a PDP governor must be loyal to a President and all office bearers of the party. You cannot be disloyal or speak ill of your party and still say you are loyal. If PDP has decided that this is the person who should be the chairman and it has the majority of the governors in Nigeria, it is unthinkable that a governor of PDP should be in alliance with any other political groups. You can’t have two PDP.. We are not talking about whether Amaechi is governing Rivers State. Politics is about loyalty. If the party says this is where we are going and this is our number, he must at all times adhere to it. You should remember he is a governor of PDP and it is PDP that won the election, not Amaechi. I think that he has goofed so much that if I were him, he should be able to distinguish his personal interest and the political interest.
Anambra politics is ironical. Most elective positions in the state belong to the PDP but the party did not produce the governor. How do you see that?
There is no confusion. PDP is the national party and it is in power. The national influences the state. If PDP is at the national, it tells you that Anambra State is preparing to be a PDP state. In 2014, Anambra will be one of PDP states. What you are seeing is the sign of things to come. APGA is a dynamic political party. The Governor, Peter Obi, is somebody I have great respect for. At the same time, he understands the politics of Nigeria. He also understands what the Yoruba did when Obasanjo was in power was that they all moved to PDP to strengthen Obasanjo. They left AD and moved to PDP. Now, our brother is in power and we will move from APGA to strengthen PDP; there is no other issue. We will move from APGA to strengthen PDP. I was once an APGA. I was instrumental to most of the things they did in APGA but we must move to strengthen PDP because the President of Nigeria is our brother. All the pillars in Anambra State must be PDP to strengthen him.
If you were governor of Anambra, what new things would you bring into the state?
I will bring change in governance. The governed and the governor do not understand what democracy is all about. The belief is that it is the governor that gives and decides what he does. Governance as of today is what I call ad hoc. The governor wakes up and says this is a good project; I will build roads for you. Tomorrow, perhaps, I will demolish the secretariat that has historical whatever and I will build my own secretariat. There is no structural plan. Therefore, governance is ad hoc. We would start in Anambra State to practise true democracy where there will be a structure created by the ideas we have and the ideas the people have as to what they want. These things will be prepared by those who are intellectually equipped to prepare them. It is like the building plan for a house, the structural plan. The architect does his job, the builder just looks at the plan, that is, the chief executive; the job of the chief executive is not generating ideas but implementing ideas generated. That is what democracy is all about; it is what governance is all about. In so doing, Anambra will know this road map, even after Mr Okoye has finished as the governor; the road map has been defined. The main thrust of our policy is that Anambra State will be the highest producer of refined crude oil products. Now, the issue is from the evaluation: at what stage would we attain that? But, it is one of the cardinal principles of where we are going. The journey starts from 2014.
Intra-party crisis has been common issue in Anambra State. Are you sure such will not come into play again in 2014?
For PDP, which I belong, I believe the party is conscious of the situation. I know that they are doing something to make sure that PDP goes for the election as one family. One thing I can tell you is that PDP today, especially for Anambra State, whoever among us (aspirants) emerges; we all will step down and follow that person.
What do you think gives you the edge over likely opposition such as Senator Ngige, who is reported to be interested in the gubernatorial poll?
Looking at my stature as a constitutional lawyer; as a human rights activist and all I have contributed legally, politically and otherwise to the federation, to Anambra State and the fact that I come from Anambra North that has a bloc vote, I believe that victory is mine. Looking at my pedigree and the force my party has; looking at the vote we already got from the north, I can assure you that I am the man to beat. I can also say without fear or equivocation that Anambra State is yearning for a change; a new wine in an old sack. Ngige was nobody before he became governor. It was opportunity given to him that made him excel. If the same opportunity is given to somebody else, that person can equally excel beyond him. But that person must be given opportunity and must be a new brand because the old brand people will say we all know them. Politically, the North is going to vote en bloc. I can also assure you that APGA, under the leadership of the present government, will be sympathetic to support where they will have to decide whether to follow Ngige’s party, they will rather follow PDP because it is a national party. Don’t forget the party where Ngige is, is a tribalistic party, a party that has its root in the West. If APGA can win governorship in Lagos or Oyo State, then, Ngige, with the Yoruba party can win governorship in Anambra State.
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