Chief Emeka Charles Kalu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, serves as the National Coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party Coalition (PDPCO) and the Director General of the Global Initiative for Good Governance (GIGG). In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, Kalu discusses, among other things, the emergence of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate of his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Excerpt:
Could you, as a Peoples Democratic Party leader, comment on Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State’s selection as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate?
In terms of Atiku’s choice of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa to fly the flag alongside him, it is a positive step in the right direction, given the importance of balancing, inclusiveness, and fair play in public governance. Gov. Okowa holds dual citizenship in Southern Nigeria, as an Igbo and a Niger Delta native. People in Nigeria’s Delta region consider him to be their son, as do Igbos. So you can see the balancing that would likely help the PDP secure a large number of votes from the region in 2023. As a level-headed and intelligent leader, he will be able to perform admirably in line with Nigeria’s aspirations if elected and inaugurated by May 29th, 2023. Though I had previously tipped Gov. Wike for the position, the party’s decision is supreme and supersedes any other individual decision. My recommendation was influenced not by my dislike for Okowa, but by the number of votes Wike received during the primaries. Okowa is a friend of mine, and I regard him as a trailblazer in terms of leadership.
Don’t you think Okowa is preferable to Wike, whom many regard as an alleged Igbo hater?
The suggestion that Wike despises Igbos is purely political. Gov. Wike is not anti-Ndigbo. Rather, he is being blunt in some sectional uprisings in order to prevent them from escalating into a full-fledged national crisis. Most of Wike’s aides are Igbos, and there is no way he can hate those who voted for him in both the 2015 and 2019 gubernatorial elections, which he is serving out in 2023. If Wike had been chosen to run alongside Atiku, he could have done exceptionally well. But that doesn’t mean Okowa isn’t a capable leader. People believe in Okowa’s leadership because he is such a person. What distinguishes a good leader is the level of exemplary services rendered to the acceptance of his people, and Okowa has demonstrated this in the eyes of the party leadership.
Who do you think made a better choice of running mate, Atiku Abubakar or Asiwaju Tinubu?
(Cuts in) No one is ever neglected or denigrated in leadership until he fails to meet standards and expectations. As previously stated, Okowa is an effective governor, and the Niger Deltans hold him in high regard. They confide in him and are always ecstatic when he addresses them. Tinubu’s choice of Kabir Masari, the brother of Kastina State’s serving governor, has been a wonderful man since his involvement in national politics. The extent to which their people value them is the deciding factor. What is their attitude toward their subjects? These are the factors that will determine how wealthy or poor their outcomes will be. Their good or bad antecedents before their subjects, on the other hand, affect their chances of delivering votes to their respective parties during elections. As a result, their credibility in front of their grassroots and geopolitical zones is critical in determining their strengths and weaknesses.
Dr. Doyin Okupe campaigned as Peter Obi’s running mate. Don’t you think this is just a stopgap measure because they’re both from the South?
Yes, I agree that it was an interim arrangement to keep Labour from clashing with the INEC guidelines and timeframe for submitting election candidates set for all registered political parties. Okupe, who is from the South, could not have been chosen as Obi’s running mate unless Mr. Obi had planned to fail from the start. Politically, we are confronted with the challenge of ethnicity, and failure to balance it in the selection of election candidates will undoubtedly affect your chances of winning elections. Simply put, if Mr. Obi selects Okupe, his spokesman, as his running mate from the same Southern Nigeria, he will not receive a single vote from Northern indigenes, effectively eliminating his chances of winning. Okupe, I believe, will be replaced by another good choice from the North, allowing Obi’s ambition to take flight.
What challenges do you believe Peter Obi will face in his presidential campaign?
Peter Obi’s ambition to govern Nigeria as an experienced technocrat is admirable. He possesses the necessary knowledge and experience. However, he will face challenges such as ethnic tensions and a low number of registered voters among his indigenous people. Participation in national politics is difficult for Igbos. They hardly have the patience to wait in line for their PVCs. Rather, they choose to bombard social media with confrontational words while other regions are registering with INEC to obtain their ID cards. Not because the Ndigbo have a small population, but because their youth are disengaged from active political participation. Other ethnic groups seize the opportunity to gain an advantage over them. This is the major obstacle that Obi’s chances face. Every other issue, such as party structure deficiencies, is not unique to the Labour Party; rather, it is a problem that every political party in Africa faces.
What do you think the Igbo majority will do in light of the difficult choices they face?
Everything is dependent on how Igbos perceive national politics and operating systems. Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party will undoubtedly receive the support of the majority of Igbos, but not all Igbos will vote for him. Some are APC, PDP, and SDP stakeholders, and as a result, they are unlikely to support him because they believe in their respective parties and would work to deliver them to power at the center. Some Northerners will vote for Peter Obi, while others will not, in contrast to Atiku and Tinubu. The undeniable truth is that Igbo are dissatisfied that none of their sons have ever been given the opportunity to occupy the most exalted seat of power at the center, and as a result, they are ready to fully support Mr. Obi.
Will you say the LP can put together a strong and widespread structure to help Obi win the election?
It is determined by a political party’s structural solidarity. It also depends on the level of support and solidarity a party receives from the majority of the country’s population. According to a national daily published on June 19, 2022, Obi’s decision to align with Kwankwaso of the NNPP could be the long-awaited Third Force, if properly realized. The effectiveness of party structures is critical in determining what emerges during elections. The Ekiti State governorship election last Saturday demonstrated that a party’s structural standing determines how well it performs. APC won the day, while PDP finished third, indicating that PDP still needs to reinvigorate and solidify her structure in order to achieve greatness in the eyes of the people. As a result, Obi is on the right track as his party joins forces with other political parties to form a formidable Third Force with clearly defined goals that Nigerians can see as a CHANGE Agenda 2023.
What are your thoughts on the recent surge in the number of Nigerians registering for PVCs? What advice do you have for INEC in this regard?
It is a positive step for Nigerians to have awoken from their slumber to obtain their PVCs. People no longer mistakenly believe that their votes do not count. The recently enacted electoral laws have paved the way for free and fair elections in Nigeria, as demonstrated by the Ekiti State gubernatorial election. Only through our PVCs will we be able to depose a bad leader and enthrone a popular choice. Our PVCs serve as power aprons. It is the only weapon used in fighting and winning the war for democracy. I hereby advise INEC to allow enough time for Nigerians who have yet to receive their voter cards. The extension of time here will assist those who were not of voting age two years ago but have now qualified to fill out their information and obtain their PVCs. Finally, INEC must ensure that there is no impropriety in the conduct of the general elections next year. It must strive to avoid any type of malpractice or double standard. As a legally constituted independent body, it must be allowed to act independently of the government in power or any other ganged forces. It must avoid accepting bribes from candidates seeking preferential treatment. It must also look after its officials by providing adequate training and providing all necessary facilities during elections, with security being a top priority.
