Chief Chekwas Okorie, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Presidential Candidate, has stated that only a coalition government can emerge after the 2023 elections.
In an interview, the APGA Presidential candidate stated that the party was open to forming a post-election alliance with any political party, adding that “the next government to come will be a coalition government.”
Because of the three factors I mentioned earlier, it will be difficult for one party to win an overwhelming victory in Nigeria.
The President may be declared the winner. However, the National Assembly will be so balanced that the President will require a coalition of parties to form a stable government.”
He also revealed that the upcoming 2023 elections will be a referendum between the old and new ways of doing things in the country, insisting that the poll will give the country the opportunity to choose between maintaining the status quo and making the change that will allow them to regain their citizenship in Nigeria.
This comes as he praised Labour Party candidate Peter Obi for raising Nigerians’ political consciousness, saying that before now, many people, particularly “Igbos who form 70% of voters anywhere in the country have not been interested in the system because of the way they have been treated.”
While urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cleanse itself internally in order to hold credible elections, he urged stakeholders to work together to rid the commission of officials involved in’malfeasance’ that could jeopardise the outcome of the exercise.
He revealed APGA measures to end social unrest, adding that the party will include a memorandum of understanding on issues involving prisoners of conscience such as the leaders of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnadi Kanu, and Sunday Igboho, leader of the Yoruba nation separatist movement, in any post-election alliance.
According to the APGA flag bearers, both men are social crusaders, and imprisoning them will encourage more people to support their cause.
“Right from the start of this problem with Nnamdi Kanu, my position has been that it is a political matter that should be solved politically,” Okorie explained. I had told Nigerians and the government that they should use political means to resolve this. It is not something the court should decide. It is not a criminal offence. He is an agitator.
“You could also call him a freedom fighter.” If you imprison freedom fighters, more people who believe in his ideology will emerge. The fact that he is under lock and key has not calmed him down.”
“In any alliance we form after the election, we will include in the memorandum of understanding a political solution to the issues of prisoners of conscience, such as Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho, and others.” It is part of my own manifesto, which will be released in due course, because it is obvious that this government, which has less than a year left in office, will continue the legal proceedings, he stated.
On the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s federal government, Okorie stated that “it will be uncharitable to say that the government has failed.”
He stated that Buhari “became President at a turbulent time in the global economy.” The first thing that hit him was a very low oil price that was different from what existed before he arrived. As he was struggling with that, the issue of Covid-19 arose. And now, that Covid has affected the entire global economy. There is no country today, no matter how developed, that is not experiencing spiral inflation. We are not unique.
So far, he has performed poorly in terms of the economy. But I applaud some of his accomplishments. Some people object to the loans he has obtained. To begin with, it will require a person with certain credibility, which means that he has the ability to repay, even the smallest of loans as an individual.
“Nigeria attracted soft loans, and I am satisfied that these loans were not used for consumption or to pay salaries and allowances.” They were used for regenerative capital ventures and projects.”
He cited the seaports on the eastern coast as some of the Buhari administration’s accomplishments, adding that more seaports are being built and those that the military deliberately abandoned since the 1970s to make the eastern part of the country impossible to trade with have been regenerated.
According to Chief Okorie, “Buhari has given each area a comparative advantage.” Nobody else has done it since the war ended, even as he bemoaned the federal government’s refusal to listen to the call for state and community policing, despite repeated calls from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
“Some of his appointments have been lopsided, dividing the public into us and them.” These are the negative areas. Even during the oil boom, infrastructure has received the most attention since the war’s end.
Consider the issue of railways, even though some are still under construction. But they are under construction with loans that will drive them to a logical conclusion,” the Presidential candidate insisted.
