APC can’t win Igboland — Okwu
MAY 26, 2013
Maxi Okwu
As the crisis rocking the All Progressives Grand Alliance continues, Maxi Okwu, who was elected National Chairman of the party, tells ALLWELL OKPI that the party is leading an alliance of minor political parties
It has been reported that you are leading some ‘minor’ opposition parties to form an alliance that will challenge the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in 2015. What is it about and which parties are involved?
The All Progressive Grand Alliance under my leadership is working on being the third leg in the Nigerian political tripod. This has been the case in history, right from pre-Independence era. There has always been a tripod-kind of arrangement, in which the third party in the tripod would hold the balance of power. APGA is going to be the party under which all the other parties would gather. I’ve had a lot of experience in inter-party operations; as General-Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, as chairman CNPP, and as Coordinator, Patriotic Alliance of Nigeria, which is an alliance of some political parties and civil society groups. Shortly after I emerged as the National Chairman of APGA, about 11 political parties endorsed me. I will build on that and draw these parties into the alliance, with APGA as the lead party.
How many parties are currently involved in this?
It is like quick sand, the Independent National Electoral Commission is still deregistering parties. As we speak, about 25 parties are existing from the over 60 parties that we had before. I understand that further weeding will go on. I cannot give you the picture until we come nearer the date. But of the parties still existing, a party like the Citizens Popular Party, which was my former party, is on the cart.
Have you held meetings on this?
After my emergence as APGA chairman in February, we met in Lagos. In Awka, during our convention, eight political parties showed up in solidarity. The partnership has continued; we have continued to talk and meet. But we want to keep it under wraps for now. As time goes on, we will come out with more information about our alliance. However, one thing that is clear is that APGA has been accepted as the hub of this alliance.
What is the basic objective of this alliance?
Every political party in the country is out to win elections and implement its manifesto. There is nothing wrong with political parties coming together. I’ve always said that there must be two major forces contending. There should be clear choices before the people of Nigeria. Political historians will tell you that in 1964, it was the United Progressive Grand Alliance versus Nigerian National Alliance. When they allowed us to do it again from 1979 to 1983, it was National Party of Nigeria against the progressives. We will continue to form such alliance. It is a natural and historical development. In a power contest, there could be a third leg, which can make power shift to the left or the right. If you recall, in 1979, Nigerian Peoples Party held the balance of power and stabilised Shehu Shagari’s government with the historical accord. I see the same scenario playing out in 2015. There nothing wrong in seeking power and you can either do it alone or through alliance.
With all that the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress are doing to prepare for 2015, what chance does your alliance have at winning elections at the state and federal levels?
We are moving from known to unknown. Our immediate target is to capture the five Igbo states, because we are dominant in the South-East. Then, we will move on from there. It’s not new. It has been done before and the most-recent example is the Action Congress of Nigeria, which did it in the South-West. That is not to say that we are a South-East party. Every party by definition is a national party, but there must be a catchment area; an area of strength. Other political parties have such attributes, I don’t know why our own should be different. We have wide acceptance in Igboland. The advantage of having acceptance in Igbo-speaking areas is that in other parts of the country, when the host community takes first in population, Ndigbo takes second. We will harvest political dividends from that.
Does it mean this alliance will support the demand for a President of Igbo extraction in 2015?
That is a sentiment that I know exists. But there is a difference between sentiment and reality. Real politics is mathematical. The political arithmetic must be right. Basically speaking, we have an advantage, which we intend to capitalise on to achieve our political goal. Igbo people are yet to be appeased. Yoruba people were appeased by the two-term tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo. Ndigbo are in line for appeasement but for the fact that Umaru Yar’Adua died in office, and the South-South took a shot at the presidency by default, so, Igbo people had to go back to the line. After South-South has been appeased, it has to be the turn of the South-East.
Do you mean the South-East would have to wait till after President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term?
We cannot say, because Jonathan has not announced that he is going for a second term. Let’s wait for him to make his intention know. But if he is not going for second term, then the next president should be Igbo.
There is a notion that APGA is tilted towards PDP, since it endorsed Jonathan in 2011, and got some political appointment in return. Is this alliance led by APGA not going to be an advantage for PDP against APC?
APGA is not in alliance with PDP. The APGA I lead is not in any formal or informal agreement with PDP. What has caused this misconception is that our performing governor and able leader, Mr. Peter Obi, the Governor of Anambra State, who is indeed the face of APGA, has attracted the love and attention of Mr. President. We have no apologies for that. If he was not performing the President would have shunned him. The President is making maximum use of his talent and credibility to deliver governance. He (Obi) is a member of the economic team. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Chairman, South-East Governors’ Forum. Government to government, it is in order, but there is no talk between me and the National Chairman of the PDP. And I know Governor Obi does not speak with the chairman of PDP. We must differentiate between governance and politics. Our governor is a close ally of President Jonathan and we are proud of that.
Assuming Jonathan decides to go for a second term and approaches APGA for support, what would be APGA’s response?
That would be speculative for now. I would rather wait till we get to the bridge before we cross it. But if that happens, we will look at it critically, based on past experience and future political projections. Such an offer would be considered but what it would lead to, I don’t know. But APGA would take a position that is in its best political interest and the interest of Nigeria.
Is Governor Rochas Okorocha, who is part of APC, still a member of APGA?
There is an anxiety that a governor elected on our platform is romancing with a political association in the name of APC. There are provisions of our constitution that deal with such situation. We are going to keep a low profile on this believing and hoping that at the end of the day, sanity will prevail. APC is not yet a party. So, technically speaking, Okorocha has not committed any offence for now. If tomorrow, APC is put in the books as a political party in Nigeria, and Okorocha moves to take its card, then Okorocha ceases to be a member of APGA because he cannot be in two parties at the same time. This is speculative, but there is already a tendency, and we have advised him to rethink. I’m aware that the other group in APGA that is fighting us, led by Victor Umeh, is working hand-in-gloves with Okorocha in this project. Umeh has not resigned his position as Director of Publicity, C21, a political association that was formed by Okorocha, which negotiated with APC. They want to hijack APGA and move it into APC, but we will make sure it does not happen.
How can an alliance led by APGA capture the South-East where PDP is in control of three states and APC is about to take over Imo?
Let’s take them one after another. Anambra State shifted from PDP to APGA and has remained with APGA. Abia shifted from PDP to PPA and the PPA people returned to PDP. Imo shifted from PDP to APGA. Enugu and Ebonyi have been consistently PDP. APGA will retain Anambra in the elections coming up this year. Imo State is APGA. Rochas was never in APGA, he just romanced himself into APGA and rode on the crest of popular anti-Ikedi Ohakim sentiments and won. If he eventually leaves, APGA will retain Imo State, because APC, in my opinion is glorified Action Congress of Nigeria and cannot win elections in Igboland. Theodore Orji of Abia State is the most unpopular governor in the South-East. So, Abia is waiting to be taken over by a credible candidate of APGA. Enugu State is up for grabs and APGA would make its mark there. I cannot speculate much on Ebonyi, because they have a peculiar politics that is difficult to decipher. But let’s see how it goes.
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