Observers and political pundits who have reacted on the conduct of 2021 Anambra governorship election have given a pass mark to both INEC and security agencies. What is your rating of the exercise?
My special commendation goes to the Returning Officer of 2021 Anambra Governorship Election and the Vice-Chancellor of University of Calabar, Prof. (Mrs) Florence Obi, she is a wonderful woman. I saw the qualities of late Prof Dora Akunyili in her. And such a woman, Nigeria should keep eye on her for very important assignments that requires courage and truth because she will deliver. I say this because having such characters in key leadership positions is the only solution towards combating corruption which is a very big sickness currently threatening the foundation of the country.
I make bold to say this because if there is discipline from the top, the whole system will be right, but if the mess starts from the top, there is noting the society can achieve. I will not forget to thank the father of Nigeria today, President Muhammadu Buhari who people have been dropping his name for all manner of things they do to achieve their inordinate ambitions. The Anambra election has shown that Mr. President is innocent of several atrocities people commit in this country with his name.
He is truly a statesman, father and patriot who demonstrates openness in a political contest wherein his party was in a political wresting heat with opposition political parties. Apart from that he approved for the deployment of heavy security during the exercise which made the election seamless security-wise.
Again the officials of INEC equally need to be commended because the conduct of the team that worked in Anambra showed that there are still people of honour working with the commission.
After reflecting on the conduct of the election, I make bold to say that the days of ballot box snatching, rigging, thumb printing of ballot papers and all forms of electoral malpractices have shrunk in our electoral contest if INEC sustains the feat recorded in Anambra. All I can add is that henceforth, people who have eyes in politics should be good ambassadors in their communities and states, let them show good leadership attributes so that when they are vying for any position it will not be a tall dream to achieve.
Nigerians are feed up with political hoodlums and political prostitutes because they are not role models and our nation requires political role models to not only re-engineer the political arm, but drive the socio-economic life to engender true transformation that will set the nation on the path of visible growth inorder to tackle the mirage of problems affecting the country.
Anambra happened to be the first State in Nigeria where INEC used the Bimodal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS) to conduct a major election, what is your assessment of the device?
I do not want to sound political but we must be telling ourselves the truth if this country must move forward. INEC told Nigerians before hand that they will use this BVAS device for the first time in Anambra and most of the workers saddled with the responsibilities of operating the devices to capture either the finger print or facial look of voters were not properly trained and majority of them could not perform so well in the use of the BVAS during Anambra election because the device is a new technology for the conduct of elections in our clime, outside that the BVAS device is a perfect innovation which has eliminated electoral frauds in Nigeria.
Like in my own case, the INEC adhoc worker tried to capture my finger print and facial look and it failed for more than five time before the device could capture me even to the extent that I had to resort to using water to wash my face and removed wrist watch before the device finally captured me which enabled me cast my vote. But the good news is that once you are captured, you will be allowed to vote without further rigour. But left for me, I would ordinarily suggest that INEC should go back to the drawing board and make sure that the BVAS are working perfecting well at least one month before election and that the operators understand the way to use the devices because that will make more people to have hope on the credibility of our elections as well as many participating in the future elections. I said this because significant percentage of electorates who came out for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra were disappointed because of issues surrounding the BVAS and good number of them went home without voting the candidates of their choice. If INEC can perfect these two pointed lapses, Nigeria is good to go in joining the league of nations where elections are adjudged the best in the whole world due to hitch-free conduct and less manipulation amongst others.
As one of the persons who staked a lot in this 2021 APGA guber project, what are your expectations and what do you feel Prof. Soludo should give priority attention first when he steps into office?
Living in America has taught me a lot of lessons not to hope on any human being, but God. I must tell you that in spite the contributions I have made in this Soludo election, I do not have high expectations from Prof. Charles Soludo because he can disappoint me as a human being, but my advice is for him not to disappoint Anambra people.
I will like him to put the interest of the masses first before that of individuals because that is how he can write his name in the annals of Nigeria political history and I can say that I have high hope that he will meet the expectation of the masses. Again, politically, I expect that Prof. Soludo should re-organise APGA to address all the bickerings and in-fighting that is causing so much disaffection amongst members. Let him get back all the aggrieved aspirants who felt that they were not well treated during the last governorship primaries and other past elections because that is the only way that party can have an in road into other states in the South-East zone and advance to other parts of the country. It is the best way the party can grow beyond Anambra.
At this juncture, I must commend our Governor, Chief Willie Obiano for all that he did in office especially the signature project he did, the Anambra International Crago/Passenger Airport, Umeri, that Project was a mast stroke that helped APGA in the just concluded governorship election.
We are hopeful that Soludo given his pedigree will do more for the state. All I will tell our new governor is to make sure that he selects a formidable team to work with as well as ensure that he listens to the people he will appoint as commissioners and advisers because no man is a warehouse of knowledge. I am saying this because what kills a democratic system or a leader is when the leader do not listen to the advice of people he appointed as aides. For instance, in the just concluded election, it was one young man who some people looked down on as nobody in my community that made me to win my ward for APGA. I worked on the information he gave me and that paid off and so I am telling Prof. Soludo to consider every of his appointees important.
If given the opportunity to further advice the governor-elect, what and what will you tell him to do in his first tenure in office?
There are many things I will advise him to do, but first, he should give attention to road construction, contractors, commerce, agriculture and security. He should look into activities and programmes that will bring food on the tables of common people living in Anambra State because many people are suffering from lack of jobs and hunger. He should make sure that he implements things listed in his manifesto because what he put down in his manifesto are fantastic.
But if I will apply the economic model of scale of preference in answering this question, Soludo should tackle road construction to jump-start the economy because construction is the centre of commerce. When the economic recession hit America, it was the construction sector that the government invested so much in and got the economy back on stream. Construction is so strategic because it affects so many sectors and a lot of human beings are involved directly and indirectly.
He should also look into the agricultural sector so as to engage our youths especially the graduates meaningfully. Agriculture is one very sector that can discourage our young people from riding motorcycles and driving tricycles and shuttle buses, it can significantly reduce unemployment and insecurities, stabilize the economy and earn huge revenue into the treasury of government if properly harnessed. The sector could help the youths to establish themselves as entrepreneurs and job providers because driving tricycles and getting into ‘Yahoo Boys ritual practices is not a veritable option for anyone to earn a living.
