BusinessDay 11 Feb 2018

Sunday 11 February 2018
BD SUNDAY 31
C002D5556
Perspective
(APC) of Imo are really
in the race. To many commentators,
there could be
more spoilers of shows
than aspirants.
As I write, none of the
governor’s associates is
yet to formally declare
even though from grapevine
the likes of Madumere;
the Speaker of the
Imo State House of Assembly,
Acho Ihim; Okorocha’s
Chief of Staff and son
in-law, Uche Nwosu; his
former Secretary to the
State Government, Jude
Ejiogu, another in-law of
Okorocha who is a House
of Representatives member,
Chike Okafor; a top
banker with the Zenith
Bank Plc, Stanley Amuchie
and George Eche are said
to be interested in succeeding
him.
When the above persons
make their own aspiration
known, they would
join one person, Retired Air
Commodore Peter Gbujie
whose has become public
knowledge, to seek the nod
of Imo APC electorate.
For the purpose of this
intervention, the point
ought to be made that nobody
indicates interest in
governing a state without
the person having something
to offer. So, to that
extent, it is commendable
that we have such number
of brothers from Imo with
genuine interest in taking
over from the governor
any time he exits office in
2019. They all need to be
congratulated.
But beyond that, governance
and leadership
transcend mere showing
of interest, and that is
where we ought to be critical
of whoever Okorocha
unveils at this point in time.
Suffice, therefore, to
say that the pedigree, capacity,
and chances of the
lucky one garnering the
support of the generality of
the Imolites in such a way
that it would turn to electoral
victory for the party
must be the starting point.
The speculation that
Madumere was poised to
succeed Okorocha is wide
and the sympathy for the
deputy governor deep.
Forget the political gerrymandering
going on within
the Rescue Mission camp,
insiders and informed observers
of the APC-led
state government of Imo
State believe Madumere
remains first among equals
and should be favoured
and positioned to succeed
his political mentor.
The things going for
Madumere are legion.
Okorocha
Apart from being one of
the oldest associates of
Okorocha in the Rescue
Mission political family,
he remains a known confidant
of the governor having
worked with him for
more than 25 years.
Even within the Owerri
zone where Madumere
comes from, virtually everyone
is at home with
his aspiration and will be
proud to work for his success
which eventually will
translate to APC success.
In fact, many had argued
that had Okorocha
earlier unveiled his deputy,
most of those who exited
the party would not have
done so, and that since it is
better late than never, unmasking
Madumere now
as the preferred choice
of the governor would go
a long way in healing old
wounds and cementing the
fractured relationship that
many fear was injected in
the party by selfish APC
political nitwits and killjoys
who have been selling
wrong ideas to Okorocha
knowing same to be faulty
and not in his interest and
in the interest of the party
he has laboured so much
to sustain.
Those who live under
the illusion that Madumere’s
interest may divide
Okorocha’s political family
in Imo State are enemies
of Okorocha, his private
and political life. They are
also enemies of Imo State
where the people need
consolidation of developmental
foundation the
Rescue Mission had laid in
the past seven years.
Madumere, who is from
Owerri zone, which has
not produced a governor
since the return of democracy
in 1999, is equally
loved in other zones that
constitute Imo State. Of
late, all segments of the
society from across the
state have been visiting his
office and home to practically
drag him into the
race, but he is one man
who would never jump the
queue for selfish reason.
He wants his boss to say
something first.
Those who understand
the complexity and perplexing
nature of Imo politics
will wittingly or unwittingly
tell you Okorocha is a
grand master and has been
in the game since 1998, but
only those with perceptive
minds will come to the
conclusion that his deputy
has learnt the ropes like
no other aspirant or aide
to the governor no matter
the pretension.
Madumere is many
things combined – loyalty,
hardworking, respectful,
intelligent, educated, humane,
astute administrator,
entrepreneur, God-fearing,
family man, and more. He
is also a young man full of
untapped energy.
Okorocha, what you
are looking for in Sokoto is
in sokoto (kaftan), and if 1
Corinthians 3: 6 is anything
is anything to go by, that
“I have planted, Apollos
watered; but God gave
the increase. So then neither
is he that planteth
anything, neither he that
watereth; but God that
giveth the increase. Now
he that planteth and he
that watereth are one: and
every man shall receive his
own reward according to
his own labour,” then, Owelle,
your best bet remains
Madumere.
-Nwanjoku, a political
analyst, writes from Orlu
My conversation on
Nigeria with Atiku
REMI OYEYEMI
“Great ambition is the passion
of a great character”.
- Napoleon Bonaparte, French
Emperor
I
have met His Excellency,
the former
Vice President, Atiku
Abubakar several
times. He comes
across as someone who
actually believes that it is
either we save Nigeria now
or we allow it to wither. Pinpointing
that the choice is
obvious, he insists that delay
can be very dangerous.
During our meetings,
which touched on several
issues about Nigeria, repeatedly,
he kept underscoring
this urgent need to
repair and revamp Nigeria’s
unity. He kept insisting that
there is only one way to do
this - bring peace through
unfettered justice and
sense of belonging to all.
The former Vice President
told me that the
economy could only be
a necessary corollary to
peace ensured by justice.
He insisted that a good
economy would serve as
a strong pedestal for the
rehabilitation, refurbishment
and replenishment of
our health and educational
services.
“It is time we stop playing
games with the destiny
of this country. All of
us must recognise that injustice
is what is fueling
separatist agitations. This
has to be addressed. We
can’t sweep it under the
carpet any longer. All of us
must embrace restructuring,”
he volunteered.
“There has to be a politically
conducive atmosphere
for the country to
move forward on other
fronts for us to be able to
address the challenges facing
our people. It is not possible
the other way round.
All nationalities should embrace
restructuring. It will
establish trust among us all.
It will renew our commitment
to this country. It will
go a long way to address
the fears of various nationalities
and make us stronger
as a country. We have to do
it,” he further said.
“I am very glad to let you
know,” he made it clear to
me, “that I have succeeded
in convincing the elders in
the North of the propriety
of restructuring. They were
totally against it initially.
But I am grateful to Allah
that I have been able to
Atiku
bring them around. It has
been a difficult task, but we
accomplished it. With the
same attitude, open-mindedness
and determination,
we can cooperatively take
Nigeria to the next level.”
He informed me that
“Between the year 2004
when I first bought the idea
of restructuring and now,
I have reviewed and updated
my position paper
a number of times for it to
address most of the concerns
of all of the ethnic
nationalities in my opinion.
It can’t possibly satisfy one
hundred percent of us all,
but I am very confident that
more than 75percent of
Nigerians will buy my idea
on this subject.”
I asked him, you have
been in politics for a long
time. You have been the
Vice President of this country.
Why do you want to be
President?
He explained: “It is true;
I was the Vice President of
this country. But the way
our Constitution works,
you could only be as good
and as effective as the President
wants you to be. The
President’s ideas are what
you espoused. His policies,
as inspired by the party
manifestos, are what you
follow and execute.”
He then added, “I want
to be President to help put
Nigeria on the path to the
deserved greatness. I have
what it takes to make this
country work. I am the best
prepared candidate for the
Office of the President. I
have not only learnt, my
knowledge has increased.
My vistas have improved.
My horizon has extended.
My perspective has widened
and my vision is much
more consummated. I am
much more mature. I am
ready.”
He then extrapolated,
“I have policies on what
to be done. From resolving
our political crisis to
bringing our economy to
the digital age and making
it competitive. Reforming
our Education to revitalising
our health sector. Kneecapping
institutionalised
corruption and unleashing
the great potentials of this
great country. I am very
ready.”
His Excellency told me
that he is not in the business
of blaming anyone.
“My business as the President
of this country is to
proffer practical, resultoriented
solutions. It is to alleviate
the sufferings of our
people through a working
economy and ensure peace
through justice.”
“There is too much hunger
in the country,” he noted,
saying, “The pervasive
hunger has brought about
seething anger. The injustice
in the land has exacerbated
the anger. We are sitting on
a time bomb. We have to
detonate it. We cannot allow
it to explode. We must
rescue this generation from
self-destruct. We must give
hope to the next generation,”
he further explained.
Ruminating, he looked
into space and said as if
soliloquising, “I have what
it takes to build a New Nigeria.
I have done my homework.
I have been tested. I
am prepared. I will work to
push and put my ideas on
the party platform. I look
forward to working with
other great, brilliant and talented
patriotic Nigerians to
actualise my dreams and vision
for this country. I pray
and hope that Nigerians
would give me the opportunity
to bring to bear my
wherewithal to chart the
part for our future. I appeal
to them to do so. I really do.”
“I am in the process of
putting my campaign organisation
together after
which I will unfold the details
of my agenda for the
country,” he promised.
- Oyeyemi is a journalist
and public analyst