In this era of our nascent democracy, it’s abnormal, absurd to call for interim government, military takeover--Umenzekwe

Onwa Achina, Hon (Chief) Modestus Umenzekwe, Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Member, Federal Housing Authority, in this interview summarizes his impression and assessment of the just Conducted General Election in Nigeria, makes appeals to both winners and losers in the election and also set agenda for the President-elect. Except:

The 2023 General Election is over, what is your general impression or assessment of the just conducted general elections?

As far as I am concerned the election went well. But before I comment on the election generally, we must as human beings created by God give the almighty God all glory for his infinite mercies upon us, upon Nigerians, upon politicians, because without him we couldn’t have conducted that election, we couldn’t have even participated, let us thank him at all times, because he is the finisher of all things, he is Alfa and Omega, so glory be to God.

Then I must congratulate Nigerians, wherever they are, even those in the Diaspora for coming up to air their views, to participate in the election, that means the voter education is permeating, that means we have started to know the importance of participating in governance, speaking our mind through the ballot. While congratulating Nigerians, let me congratulate in a special way President Muhammadu Buhari for making sure that our democracy is deepened, he gave INEC unfettered hand to conduct this election, he never interfered in any way, even when people were accusing him of supporting Mr A or B or being against Mr A or B. he kept quiet, and made the election go freely. Then INEC, they are now in the receiving end, so many people said so many things, both the ones that are true and those that are not true. It is not easy to conduct election in a country where you have more than 200million people, I must congratulate INEC, I must congratulate Professor Mahmood Yakubu for a job well done, because everything must not be perfect, but when you get near perfect, you are already there, when you score 70% in an examination, you are already making A, so I congratulate INEC for a job well done.

Yes there may be some irregularities here and there, but that is human nature, we are in a learning process. You see, some people will come and tell you in America, in London, in France, forgetting that those Super Powers passed through our present stage for hundreds of years, and Nigeria is just about 60 years plus, and democracy just started 1999, and you see people saying all manner of things. Incidentally this social media something, where everybody has turned to be a journalist, has created a very big problem in this country. Yes, I don’t rely on it, and there is need for proper regulation of our social media conduct. It has created a lot of problems, people configure whatever they like and push out. Nobody is querying them, nobody is asking them questions and they get away with that, and that ushered in rancor, ushered in unwarranted enmity among brothers, political parties, among ethnic groups, among religious groups, things that are not supposed to involve in our politics are brought in as a result of activities of unprofessional journalists.

And I want to use this opportunity to call on the federal government, state governments, local governments, and town unions to please, step in and regulate our social media conducts. I know people will say press is being gagged, let us regulate and filter whatever we push out so that this country can be in peace.

Let us dwell a little on this social media, the government also uses social media to disseminate information because it is one of the easiest means of getting information across, especially the youths. Talking about regulation, most of the time government simply select what they want and others they term hate speech or fake news, your take

All I know is that government uses professionals, it is different from myself sitting here, I configure something and push out, I am not a journalist. Somebody will be at newspaper stand and configure something and push out, someone will be at the comfort of his mansion, configure something and push out and he is not informed, somebody will be in his farm, stop farming, configure something and push out, but government doesn’t do that, government always use professionals, so let us allow professionals to handle the social media activities.

So let’s get back to the issue of election. Do you think Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves the victory he got at the polls?

You that is asking me, what do you think, answer me?

That is why I am here, I cannot be a judge in my own case

Well as far as I know, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a politician of note, he is a political giant, he knows when to strike, he is a master strategist; he has paid his dues in deepening our democracy. He put in his life to make sure that we have unbroken democracy; he fought for it and I think he deserves to win, and I believe that he won the election.

Looking at the election itself, a lot of things were thought to be wrong, especially the opposition felt that the BVAS, against all the promises of the electoral empire, did not go the way it was promised, election results were not uploaded real time, all these tended to bring about suspicion. Do you think otherwisw?

In this country everything is politicized and it is very unfortunate. I am not holding brief for INEC or for anybody, but the way I see it as a person, the BVAS is man-made and it is part of our learning process, Technology is not sacrosanct, Professor of Medicine does not know it all, Professor of Economics does not know it all, anything made by hand can have error.  I don’t see, with the level of preparations we made in this election, I don’t see anybody intentionally or whatever trying to do such thing, after all the whole results are there now, anybody complaining would now compare what he has with what is in the portal there. So whether it was uploaded that day or a day later, the most important thing now is that the whole results are there and everybody, all political parties, winners, oppositions, the government in power too, they should compare what they have with what is there. If it is not the same, then they have the right to contest, but in doing that contest, you follow the legitimate way, not all these inflammatory statements coming from here and there. It can make me very uncomfortable, and it is heating the political space of this country and it should not be. I want to call on party supporters, those supporting Asiwaju, those supporting other candidates to tread with caution, allow the candidates to fight for themselves through the legitimate way, because each and every one of them put up a very good fight. Yes Asiwaju won, as declared by INEC, I congratulate other candidates, because they made the political space very hot, everybody was on their toes, even the electorates, the party supporters, so this 2023 election was one of the most serious, and at the same time freest elections ever conducted in this country. It is similar to 1993 election which was annulled and that drew us back and such a thing should not be allowed in this present election.

Do you think it is right for the opposition to go to court or are you advising them to withdraw their casess and join hand in moving the nation forward?

Before talking about what is their right and what is not their right, I must congratulate them too, more especially the two main oppositions, the PDP and Labor, and more especially the Labour, because nobody knew about Labour before, so they have done very well. Then to answer your question, the constitution is there, they have the right to go to court, it is their right and nobody should harass them or vilify them because they are going to court. And that is why I am saying, the supporters and the electorate should allow them to fight for themselves or adjust to retrace. You know, at times you might not want to do something, but people behind you will be nudging you until you make a mistake. But if I should advise them, I will advise them to retrace so that this country can move forward, because God knows everything. If we believe in God, that is my attitude to life, if we really believe in God, we must allow God to take decision for us; they have tried, they really tried, I must commend them, there is no two words about it, more especially the Labour Party, within the short time they came into the contest, the whole arena charged, everybody was running helter-skelter and they proved that they can do something, and it is good for our democracy. But then let emotions, sentiments not becloud the sense of reasoning.

What happened in the election was that a lot of unwarranted emotions and sentiments crept in, and some people are taking some steps that might blow ill wind for everybody. We need peace, we have had a lot of distractions in this country. Ebola distracted us, Covid distracted us, endSARS distracted us, cash swap distracted us, then election 2023 is about to distract us again. And we forget that if anything happens in Nigeria it will affect the whole of Africa, and as a giant of Africa, we shouldn’t allow such a thing to happen, and that is why I must commend the President Muhammadu Buhari who said, that election have come and gone, he will not stay a day beyond 29^th May, 2023, he is going to hand over while other legitimate agitations can go on in line with the law. I must commend him for saying so.

Many are said to be calling for Interim National Government, some others are said to be calling for Military Takeover. Do you think they are justified in anyway? 

Those calling for interim government and military takeover, are they candidates in the just concluded election? I am asking you.

I am sure it is a rhetorical question, tell the public

Who are those calling for interim government?

The DSS said they are misguided individuals

Who misguided them? Anyway, at the other day I was on Television Continental (TVC) and I addressed this issue. In this era of our nascent democracy, it is abnormal, it is absurd for anybody, for whatever reason, to call for interim government or called for military takeover. We have passed that stage long ago. Other countries in Africa where military took over, Nigeria went there and stopped them, then somebody is calling for military takeover in Nigeria, the giant of Africa. It doesn’t sound normal. And that is why I keep congratulating all the candidates for taking the legal way to address their feelings.

You said they are misguided, who misguided them? They misguided themselves. And I want to thank the DSS for sending words of warning to them to stop, otherwise, the long arm of the law will catch up with them.

Many people are of the opinion that the call for interim government and military takeover is coming from government party supporters to distract attention the court  case against them, or even to rope in some politicians

Those that said it should be called to substantiate, I don’t know about it.

We want you to set agenda for the incoming president as we await his swearing-in come May 29, 2023. What are those things you would want him to tackle immediately he assumes office?

The President elect is a Nigerian, he knows the problems of this country; he knows the problem of each geopolitical zone that made up this country, he knows the problems in our economy, he knows that we have serious security issue which started since 1999, he knows that there are so many agitations here and there. The most important thing he is going to do is to try and unite this country, he has to do everything possible to make sure we live in peace, number one thing, then in governance he should not look at the opposition as lesser human beings, he has to bring them into governance, everybody, both those that voted him and those that did not vote for him, after all he got vote from every part of the country. We have been talking about the number of votes, he got votes from every part of the country, and therefore the onus is on him to recognize all of them. And he has said it, he has extended hands of fellowship to everybody, he called it government of national unity and I congratulate him for doing so, and I believe he will do that. If he doesn’t do that we shout, we talk, we address the press, but I know Asiwaju, he has a large heart, he is focused. If he was able to rejig Lagos for better, because any person that handled Lagos can handle Nigeria, if Lagos collapses the country will collapse, so I believe he will do well, having done so in Lagos. So the primary thing is to unite the country, let everybody have sense of belonging, let there be peace. Once we achieve peace everything will be a work-over.

There is a bit of worry in the polity, immediately after the election, the president elect’s whereabouts is unknown so to say, he is not talking, and no public appearances, given room for the opposition to wag their tongues. What is actually happening?

You called him president elect, what do you want him to do? President elect, he will talk when he is sworn in, right now, he is still strategizing, gathering information, gathering opinions, do you want him to start fighting with the opposition?

Even during the celebration of his birthday, he was conspicuously absent which was unusual…

But he called for prayers which is part of what I am talking about, because anything you are doing without praying to God is a nullity. His absence is it creating problem? After the Primary he went out to rest, and people started talking, saying he has died, he has done this, and I keep warning Nigerians to stop using health issues to castigate anybody. They did it to Buhari, and Buhari has successfully completed eight years, very energetic, very elegant, much younger, they are now doing it to Tinubu, people should be very careful. After all this rigorous movement in the election, he can’t rest? Because people are talking, no, he will talk at an appropriate time, after all his Aids are talking, and when his Aids talk, he is the one talking. That is the way I see it and that is the way it is. Let somebody prove me wrong.

After the Presidential Election and what transpired in Lagos where Labour Party took the day, the Governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu appeared to be anxious, but thank God he won, what is your agenda for him too?

About two years ago I granted interview that Snwo-Olu would win second term, I said it and it has come to pass because he deserved it, he is working hard seriously. So let him continue with his agenda, development agenda that he has for Lagos. Let him be father of all, the role he has been playing to accommodate everybody, to make Lagos a smart city, to be a good listener which he has been, and do the work of governance, the way it supposed to be. The number of people in Lagos is much, and it is not easy for anyone handling such population, and that is why I have been calling on the national assembly to give Lagos special status in the national budget, I said it during the 8^th Assembly, I said it during the 9^th Assembly and in the coming 10^th Assembly I am still repeating it. There was a time Senator Oluremi Tinubu sponsored that bll but they turned it down, I wrote that time supporting her and I am granting an interview now supporting that motion to come up again so that it will be easy for the governor to do the enormous work that is waiting for him in Lagos State.

Over the weekend Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate decried the violence meted out to Ndigbo during and after the election and threatened to bring IPOB to Lagos to defend his people, your take.

Did you listen to the president of Ohanaeze Lagos, Chief Aguene, he has taken care of that, he has made statement that that statement didn’t emanate from Ndigbo. But what I am saying is that whatever the case maybe, whatever that Eze may have done, let them temper justice with mercy. But that statement didn’t emanate from Ndigbo and as far as Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos has made statement, there is no point talking on that because that is the apex Igbo body in Lagos and on that statement I stand.

Chief how would you assess the impact of Labour party in the just concluded election?

Well the Labour Party, I must say, changed the whole political situation of the whole country. As I said before I must congratulate Labour Party, they made the campaign very robust, all the parties were strategizing, working hard for them to win. So I think their participation in the election brought in a lot of vigour, a lot of more seriousness, a lot of crossing the Ts and dotting the Is. So I think they did well.

Your message to Nigerians

Let us live in peace, not in pieces, let us control what we say and push out, let us avoid inflammatory statements, whether you are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba. The moment we are able to control our tongues, we will flow very well. Let us be our brother’s keeper, let us see Nigeria as our kindred, if you see Nigeria community as your kindred there won’t be mistakes, we are one, and we have to remain one, so that we can keep the vision of our forefathers who made sure that this nation came together as one, the likes of Dr Nnanmdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, at least three of them, let us build on their legacies to keep this country as one.

Do you think Asiwaju should continue with Buhari’s programmes?

You see each incoming government, whether you like it or not builds on the past government, and building on the past government is changing the ones you can change, continue the good ones you can continue, it is not because of Buhari, even if it is another person that wins, you cannot come in and say, ahh, this Buhari did well, let me cancel it, you must continue, this place he did bad, let me continue it, no. so it is a process, whether it is Asiwaju or anybody, all the things that Buhari did that are good must be continued, if there are areas he didn’t do well, he has to improve on them, and I think that is why he called his agenda, Renewed Hope.