In this interview, Spokesman of Atiku/ Okowa presidential campaign Team and Commissioner for Information in Delta state, Mr Charles Aniagwu talks about factors that make the PDP presidential team to have an edge over others in the forthcoming general election, saying that endorsement by Nigerians is far weightier than an individual’s voice. Alphonsus Agborh brings excerpt:
What makes you believe that PDP and indeed Atiku/ Okowa will win the presidential election.
In this race, there are very well-known number of issues that Nigerians could relate with. That everybody is going through a whole lot of pain is very well-known to Nigerians. That Nigerians are looking forward to leaders who have got the ability to reverse the very ugly trend of issues, whether in the economic aspect of our lives, whether in the area of security, whether in the area of our unity, all these are issues that are plaguing us as a country today. And so, Nigerians are more united in their understanding of these issues. Another area where Nigerians are united is in the search for a capable individual. What may seem like point of divergence is who that individual is. And because Nigerians know who they are looking for.
Atiku is the first person to come forward with a work plan, what you may call manifesto, titled “My Covenant with Nigerians.” And in that covenant, Atiku has clearly stated or rather, provided for those antidotes to the challenges that we have today, whether in the area of our unity that is heavily challenged, Atiku has been able to provide point-by-point what he is going to do to address the disunity that we have today. Atiku has also been able to look at the issue of security which has become a very disturbing issue in our country, today, and he has provided solution and how he wants to go about it. In the area of our economy that has become very comatose, Atiku has also been able to clearly provide the medicine, what you may call “the solution” to the many challenges in that sector. Beyond that, Atiku also knows that for us to function effectively, every hand must be on deck such that some power is now devolved to the states and local governments and not to make the Federal Government to be too heavy. That has also been a challenge. And of course, the issue of our educational system, Atiku says he would also take a look at it such that these different sectors function effectively.
And so, when you look at these areas that the man has talked about, you could see that he speaks to the need of Nigerians and the many things disturbing our people and how he is going to address them and it resonates with a whole lot of Nigerians and that is why when you see the different rallies, we are seeing the different people navigating towards us, and even those who are disagreeing with us within the party, have found it difficult to leave the party because they do know that this party is attracting more people and that forms the basis of our confidence.
What Atiku has done in the past, what he is capable of doing, makes us believe that Atiku is the man of the time that we are in.
What are those convincing credentials or programmes that could give Atiku/Okowa an edge over other candidates?
Number one, almost every Nigerian agrees that Atiku a is very more detribalised, so that helps with the issue of unity we are talking about. Atiku is not going to give you a position because you speak the same language with him or because you prefer the same religion with him. He would give you because he believes that you have the ability to make a difference so long you are a Nigerian and you have what it takes to add value. Two, Atiku has the credentials of hunting for talents based on capabilities. He has demonstrated it when he had the privilege of working with his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, which of course, led to the discovery of the likes of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a woman who has contributed so much to the growth of our economy when she was around . I want to believe that when Atiku wins just like he has said, he will also proceed to having a government of national unity and not just to look at those of us who were only involved in championing his course, that is a good credential.
Atiku has also got the credential of understanding what economy is as a business man who has been involved in production. He is not just going to begin to learn how production and productivity can add value to our economy. There are those who are talking about moving Nigerians from consumption to production when what they are involved in total consumption and importing finished goods. Atiku is not involved in the business of importing goods, Atiku is involved in the business of production here in Nigeria and that is why he has employed thousands of Nigerians in his many companies. These companies are thriving, so they say “follow who knows road.” Atiku has demonstrated that he knows the road, so it pays us better to follow him than to begin to guess whether others can afford to do what he is doing.
Beyond that, Atiku has been able to demonstrate that he has got the international and local connections, and you need all these to be able to understand who is able to add value because if you are able to know the people, you would know those who will be able to add value. In the international community because we are also operating in the global community, Atiku is of value to our country. And so, these are the reasons why we believe that Atiku’s antecedent and what he had done with Obasanjo is a plus in adding much more value to the ticket and to what Nigerians are asking for.
Many Nigerians believe that the redemption of Nigeria does not lie in Atiku
Atiku never told anybody that the redemption of Nigeria lies only in his hands and that is why he is a team player that needs a capable team. To demonstrate that one could see the first choice he made in the person of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, a man who is reputed to also make a whole lot of difference in this part of the country, Delta State, where he has been able to give back jobs to a number of Deltans through entrepreneurial skills and many other things in terms of infrastructure development. Okowa has done so well in Delta. For Atiku to be able to recognise that such a person can add value to his ticket demonstrates who Atiku is. As someone who wants all Nigerians to come on board, he will not take pride in saying I am the one. He is not having the ‘emi lokan’ mentality to say it is my turn as if he is the only one that can do it. Atiku can only be messiah in what he believes in, that the team is going to bring on board brains that understands the issues in different areas. And so, that team provides that messianic desire that Nigerians are asking for and not to be found in one man. But that man is able to assemble the people that could make the difference and Atiku is that man who can assemble the people who can make the difference.
Is an Atiku/Okowa victory at the poll being threatened by the actions of the G5
Nothing is threatening our victory by the grace of God. The only thing that can threaten our victory is what God wants. The fact is that the G5 persons are agitating for what they believe they want should happen but we need to situate what they want vis-a-vis the laws of the party over many other issues. This is not the time for us to overemphasise those divisive tendencies which is to a very large extent what the G5 tends to be doing when one begins to talk about North and South. Now, Atiku is in charge of the train, and that train is moving very well, very swiftly, though we are willing to stop somewhere and pick-up some other persons who were a little hesitant, including members of the G5. You saw what happened in Oyo State, when the G5 went there, the people were very busy shouting Atiku-Atiku. That tells you the acceptability of Atiku and so what they are doing for us may fall within their democratic rights but it’s is more like anti-party. However, because we do know that majority of people in the PDP and a good number of Nigerians are more-or-less endorsing Atiku, we are comfortable. We are only asking them to come back home so that our victory will be swift, not necessary because if they don’t come back that we would lose, but when they come back it makes the journey easier for us. That’s just the way it is.
What is your reaction to shout of Atiku, Atiku in Ibadan during the recent flag-off campaign for the re-election of Governor Oluseyi Makinde of Oyo State
You saw what happened in Oyo State , when one man tried to ascribe to himself the powers to decide who the people will vote for but the people expressed their democratic right which is very clear that Atiku Abubakar is their choice. We have said severally that our train has left the station but because we have very quality breaks, we can always stop to carry hesitant passengers. So, we will continue to appeal to our leaders, the G-5 governors, to sheath their swords and return to the mainfold of the party and join hands with the party to actualise the mission of recovering and rebuilding Nigeria. Those who mobilised them did not foresee what they saw and it goes to show that no one man can boast of deciding how the people will cast their votes. I am sure you have seen the level of inflow of people, in this case notable Nigerians from other parties to the PDP. We must commend our party faithful in Oyo State for demonstrating that Atiku is the right choice for Nigerians. We still have time for any of the presidential candidates, who wish to step down for Atiku and because we have promised an all-inclusive government, they will not be left out as their ideas will be harnessed to achieve our mission of rebuilding this country.
What weight does Okowa add to the presidential ticket of PDP?
The number one weight is his performance in Delta. He has achieved in the area of infrastructure particularly roads and housing and hospital. He has been able to achieve in the area of building our educational system. He has been able to achieve in the area of creating jobs for the people. What of the number of bridges he has built in the course of time, the peace that he has brought to bear in Delta state to the extent that when we came in, Delta was number four in oil production but today we are number one. It wasn’t by magic. Those things become very notable and worthy credentials that anybody who can relate with it can say yes, even though I am not supporting this ticket because of Atiku, I have to support it because of Okowa because he has done this and that. So, when you combine the performance of Atiku when he was with Obasanjo, his lifestyle after even leaving office and what Okowa is doing as a governor, you would know that this is a perfect match that will add value and lead towards the rebuilding of our country. And so, Okowa has brought a whole lot of value to that ticket. The humility that Atiku personifies is almost similar to that of Okowa and so you see two individuals that are almost like Siamese twins in terms of their appreciation in the many challenges plaguing us and possible solution that could change the course of things and make it better for the country.
Briefly, what are the landmark achievements of Okowa in Delta?
The major landmark achievement of Okowa is job creation. We have through different platforms made it possible for a number of Deltans to become entrepreneurs. You may have heard of our STEP program which is Skill Training Entrepreneurship Program; you must have heard of our YAGEP –Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship program, you may have also heard about our GIEP –Graduate Internship Entrepreneurship Program, you may have also heard of our Rural Youth Skill Acquisition Program, you may have also heard of our Girl Child Entrepreneurship Skill Training Program and of course many others that involves the widows which is the WESA program. These are in addition to ICT programs where a number of our people are trained in ICT. In all these programmes they are not only just trained, they are also equipped. The amount of man power we have built over time is such that what we saw when we came in, where you see people coming in from Niger Republic or Benin Republic to come and carry out POP and many other skills that are needed, is no longer the case. Now, the Deltans that are going out of the state to other states with skills are bringing capital into the state and that has accounted for the increase of our GDP .
Another major area of our achievement is what we have done in respect to infrastructure. Today, Okowa is called the road master. It wasn’t just by magic. People saw what he has done in the road area and all of a sudden just started calling him “Road Master. Delta is also winning in sports. It isn’t by magic. Somebody had put in so much efforts. These are milestone achievements. Do I need to remind us of what we have also done in the area of education, the number of schools we have re-built? The different institutions we have established. What we have done in the area of health. The different hospitals we have built. And many of such, so I can tell you that when you look at that in addition to doing what nobody has ever done that is the creation of three universities and of course fast tracking the improvement of infrastructure in those institutions, you will agree that Okowa has a whole lot of milestone achievements that we can pride ourselves on.
What attribute do you think Okowa possess es that made Atiku to pick him among others as his running mate?
It is those milestone achievements in addition to his personality. Atiku is a very refined gentleman. He made it very clear that Okowa from day one is fit enough to be the vice-president, that he is very presidential. It’s not like those who are singing different kind of songs as if they are in a motor park. So when you look at Okowa you see a presidency personified. When you look at the other people that they are trying to push you could see the difference. Atiku saw tomorrow, he saw that this kind of person has what it takes to even become a president even from day one and he made it very clear in his choice of Okowa. He also saw a man who appreciates development . So those are the things that he saw and he said, No, this is where I am going to build my tent.
Some persons are of the opinion that Okowa betrayed the southern governors, who resolved in Asaba that the next president should come from the South by accepting to be vice to a northerner.
I don’t know what the word betrayal means. We must first of all look at our laws. Our law makes it clear that when you have a presidential candidate, the next thing is that, for that presidential candidate nomination to be valid, there must be provision for a running mate. Once a president emerges from the north, the vice may likely come from the south. Atiku won the primary election because the PDP threw their ticket open. Having won that election, was anybody expecting that he was not going to have a running mate? Or were they expecting that he would go to the north to pick a running mate? So if he had picked them and it is them, would they be saying it is the issue of betrayal? Betraying who? You can’t use the constitution of the APC to run the PDP. The constitution of the PDP says power will rotate between the North and the South, note, power and not candidacy. Atiku now does not have the power; he is only a candidate. When he has the power as the president, then we can begin to talk about the chairman moving out for the purpose of balance. So, Okowa did not betray anybody. Atiku did not betray anybody. It was a normal thing that happened in normal contest and Atiku won based on preference that he enjoyed on the part of members of the party.
Is Atiku/Okowa campaign team in any way worried about the endorsement of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi by notable statesmen, especially by Chief Edwin Clark, a native of Delta state where Okowa presides as governor?
We cannot propose to practice democracy without having democrats. Atiku-Okowa are democrats, they believe that even in a democratic settings the individuals have their rights to believe and belong somewhere. Atiku-Okowa believes that the endorsement by the Nigerian people is most important and those Nigerian people are gradually endorsing them with the amount of people that are attending venues of rallies. As a presidential campaign council, we do not begrudge the Labour Party candidate nor the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo on the position taken by the former president. Our presidential candidate and his running mate are very much aware from the onset that we were going into a contest with other contestants. But we are confident of victory because we have the competitive edge to be able to win because Atiku Abubakar and his running mate tower above other contestants in terms of their experience and antecedents. All the candidates have their qualities but like you know in any examination some will score C and some A, both of them have passed the examination but one scored better, Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa are in the A region as far as this election is concerned. So, if there is an endorsement coming from our former President and Chief Edwin Clark, we recognise that democracy offers freedom of expression as guaranteed in our constitution and if that be the case we do not begrudge anybody endorsing anyone. We have already received a whole lot of endorsements from numerous Nigerians who, the ultimate power to endorse resides. And because we have continued to interface with the people across the country, most Nigerians understand that Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa tower above other candidates in the contest. What we are interested in is that most Nigerians understand that Atiku is in the A region of the endorsement box to be able to bring us out of the woods . One thing is that every Nigerian irrespective of political parties understand the very parlous state of our country whether in the area of the economy, insecurity or our unity. Since we all agree that we have these challenges, the only issue we are yet to agree on is how we intend to address them but when you begin to tick the candidates experience and manifestos, Atiku and Okowa have what it takes to take us from our current situation.
As the spokesman of the Delta State government, what legacy could your principal, Okowa be remembered?
The number one thing he would be remembered for that is very visible is the three universities. Forever it would be remembered that he was the one who established three universities in one day. The flyover at Koka, along Asaba expressway in Asaba, completion of Asaba airport, the Professor Chike Edozien state Secretariat, Asaba, traditional rulers Secretariat, Asaba, state library, completion of Stephen Keshi stadium Asaba, Mother and Child hospital Owa, over 800 roads, including those in the creek among others. Even the people he gave job, who are doing the skill programme. They would always remember there was a man who established them. So that is the major legacy project.
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