Nigerians Should Vote Out Non-Performing Governors In 2019 – Igwe

Hon. Chief Adonys Igwe (JP) was Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Enugu State and currently state chairman, Advance Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) as well as Conference of Strategic Political Committee (CSPC) in Enugu State. In this interview with EMMA NZOMIWU, he speaks on the forthcoming general elections in Enugu State. Excerpts:

Parties have started campaigning for the forthcoming elections. What are your expectations?

I thank God. A lot of awareness has been created. People have known what is happening.  It is no more business as usual. Anybody who did not do well based on objective assessment will be shown the way out. Serious awareness has been created in Enugu State and in Nigeria in general. Nigerians are now aware politicians employ ‘use and dump’. They (politicians) are self centred. They also use pull him down syndrome and divide and rule. But, I believe that this time, well-meaning Nigerians will use their votes wisely by returning who deserves to be returned and voting out whomever that deserves to be voted out. My advice is that anybody who has been recognised as a self-centred human being should be voted out so that good people who are ready to serve their community, the state, their community and the country would come in and be tried, so that we could know their ability. Then, we can now know the good and bad.

What exactly do you mean by politicians being self-centred?

Those who are determined to die in a particular seat without respecting the rotational principle existing in their area. Those who are desperate to remain in power, whether they are performing or not, whether they are serving the people the way it should be or not. Their concern is to spend the last kobo of public funds to remain in office. Therefore, they do not care whether they are serving the people or not because they have the money. They monopolised government money. They are ready to kill, provided that they will remain in power. They are the group of people that I call self-centred. They are not there for the masses. They do not care how any other person can benefit, except themselves and their household.

You have been long associated with the opposition in Enugu State, but we recall that sometime in 2011, you galvanised all the opposition parties to support the then Governor Sullivan Chime of PDP for second tenure. This time around, we have a sitting governor also gunning for a second tenure. Why are you (opposition parties) not supporting him like you supported his predecessor?

You know in Enugu now, the opposition is factionalised. So, it is not going to be easy to adopt any candidate now, until opposition in Enugu is harmonised. We need to harmonise and position things well or else any endorsement amounts to exercise in futility. Adoption or endorsement does not make any sense when the house is divided. There must be unity in the opposition for any adoption to make sense. You know politics is consensus. You cannot dictate for anybody. Politics is not a one man’s business. So, any attempt to adopt anybody in a hurry may lead to rebuttals. If you do it without proper agreement and assessment of whether the governor has performed or not, the opposition may start speaking in different voices. So, you must do the needful before talking about adoption.

But are you not being unfair to the sitting governor considering the fact that his predecessors stayed for eight years. Chimaroke Nnamani stayed for eight years. Chime stayed for eight years. Does history not entitle Ugwuanyi for additional four-year tenure, to give him eight years like his predecessors?

I am not saying he is not entitled to a second tenure or that the opposition will not adopt him. Constitutionally, he is entitled to two terms in office as governor. But, I am saying there must be an assessment of his first tenure. That assessment must be done first. If you do any adoption hurriedly, I am afraid, there must be discordant tunes. In other words, I am saying that any adoption must be a joint decision of the opposition.

But, are we not running out of time now with the campaigns already in top gear and election coming up in a few weeks time?

It just does not matter. Did you not see what happened in Osun State? At the 11th hour, there was consensus and SDP supported APC. APC eventually won the election. In politics, it is not over until it is over. As far as I am concerned, it is not late. In fact, even now, Ugwuanyi has not told anybody that he is running for a second term. People are just endorsing and adopting him. He has not accepted the endorsements. He has not told Enugu people that he will be happy if they allow him to serve them again. Governance is service. It is when he declares, that we can now decide to adopt him or not.

PDP has nominated him as its candidate for the election. Is that not enough?

It is not enough. His nomination only makes him a candidate of PDP. That he is a candidate of PDP does not guarantee him adoption as consensus candidate by other parties like we did for Chimaroke and Sullivan. PDP is his party. They have to give him ticket. We are talking about the good people of Enugu State irrespective of party affiliation adopting him as their consensus candidate. The people need to assess his performance to see if in four years he has done something to warrant him getting another four years as executive governor of Enugu State.

How would you assess the governor’s performance?

I will give him pass mark, just 50 percent. He has worked for just four years. He made pass mark in certain areas

If you are saying that he made 50 percent in your own assessment even with the lean resources accruing to states now, have you not endorsed him for a second term?

No, that is not what I said. I said until he declares his interest to run for a second tenure, then we know what to do. When we get to the bridge, we cross it. For now, we have not reached the bridge. Let him accept all the adoptions from street traders, market traders, DJs, recharge card sellers and phone repairers, then we will come out to speak and decide whether to adopt him or not.

In Enugu now, quite unlike the past when PDP held sway, there appears to be a strong opposition now from APC, the party in power at the centre. How would you assess the situation?

The situation is very clear. It is no more business as usual. It is not when people get ticket of APC, you hear ‘ojebego’ (carry go). You cannot do it now because there will be voting. The vote will be cast and it will be counted and performance in the polls will determine who wins. You cannot rig out anybody now. Awareness has been created and no party can win alone. PDP cannot win alone. APC cannot win election alone.

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