Chief Modestus Umenzekwe(Onwa-Achina) is one of the leading lights of the All Progressives Congress APC in the Southeast. He is an Anambra-born astute politician with enough capacity like President Tinubu. In this Interview with the Southeast Bureau Chief, NWANOSIKE ONU, and EMMA ELEKWA, the Igbo leader, talks about things that make President Bola Tinubu thick, his party, APC, and the way forward, Governor Chukwuma Soludo‘s government and the recent defection of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah from YPP to APC and of course, the politics of 2025 in Anambra state.
Excerpts
As a member of the campaign council in Bayelsa, What’s your party doing to recapture some of the states you’ve lost to opposition parties in recent times?
You people like digging holes where there’s no land. In any contest, you must not win everything. The most important thing is that you performed and performed very well. Look at the three off-cycle elections we had – Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi, we were able to secure two, convincingly. Even that of Bayelsa you were referring to, we did very well. When you look at the results, the margin was not much; you’ll agree with me that we did well.
Besides, we’re still studying the entire results to be able to come up with our true position. Mark you; about two weeks before the election, we had a court order which was enough distractions. But thank God for the judiciary that saw the need to set aside the ruling of the lower court. That gave us some little distractions before we were able to reorganize, return, and perform very well within a space of one week.
As per what we’re doing to recapture the lost states, if there’s a lost state in the real sense of losing an election, I won’t tell you now, we’re still studying the whole situation, and very soon, our approach to those issues will come to limelight.
Recently, one of the political heavyweights in the State joined your party, Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah. It’s been rumoured that the move was to contest the upcoming 2025 governorship election in the State. Are members of the party comfortable with the plans of a new entrant eyeing such an exalted office?
Every political party, irrespective of its size, needs membership, because party formation is about numbers and winning elections is about numbers. So Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah joining us is a welcome development. Our doors are always open and I believe that before 2025, many heavyweights will defect to the APC for one particular interest or the other, all in the name of providing services to the state, nation, and mankind. After all, governance is about providing services. Ifeanyi Ubah has the right to contest for any position as well as you asking me this question and I answering the question.
People should not be rattled because he defected to APC. It’s his right. If he wants to contest, nobody can stop him. Whether Soludo is doing well or not, it’s his right. It’s left for the people to decide whom to follow and where to follow. I don’t think it’s something that will give us a headache. And if the incumbent is struggling to retain power, it’s also a welcome development. I reserve further comments, as the years go by, we’ll come up with the final conclusion. Who knows whether you that is asking me these questions will contest.
Soludo has been battling with criticisms recently. While some believe he is doing well, others, especially the opposition, seem to disagree. In your own thinking as APC chieftains, how do you access him?
Thank you so much. In governance, you must not get everything right or wrong. It depends on the angle you’re assessing a leader. Yes, he’s having a lot of running battles with several interest groups. But his efforts are not yet enough. We’re waiting for him to draw a conclusion based on what he said, that he should be given between now and next year to present his score card, and we’re waiting for him.
However, irrespective of the party affiliations, I thank him so much for what he has done so far on road infrastructure be cause my town Achina is benefiting. You know, the past administrations substantially forgot about my town. Remember the last time you came here, you parked your vehicle far away and I was crying. For you to come to my house, using a caterpillar as your private vehicle, was very embarrassing. But today, inasmuch as the road has not been properly done, at least it is passable. For the fact that my town benefitted, all these while the previous administrations didn’t remember us. Peter Obi tried to some extent, passing through Achina. But the heart of the town didn’t benefit. The man who would have given us what we wanted, unfortunately, his administration didn’t last long… that’s Sen. Chris Ngige, the man who opened up governance in Anambra State. The man told us that even with little resources, we can achieve a lot. But unfortunately, that administration didn’t last. Today, Soludo is on the saddle. There’s a place we call Ugwu nganga, about five persons have died there, but he has filled those holes. We believe that in no distant time, he will tar the roads completely, and even tar this one passing through my house because it’s the only road that saves this town. To that extent, he’s doing well. But that’s not enough to justify his working hard to retain power. That’s also not enough to say that another person cannot contest. He must be on his toes to retain his seat if he so desires. I want to congratulate Ifeanyi Ubah if he’s interested in contesting for the office of Governor of the State. It’s a welcome development. If he wins, it’s my party that wins and I will be very glad. But then, it must not be a do-or-die affair.
Why is it that Ndigbo are not embracing your party despite the noise of the opposition, including the one they call movement?
What do you mean by noise? That word noise is irritating, what do you mean by noise and who is making it? You know I’m not a harmful politician; there are words I don’t like using, either on the part of the opposition or that of the ruling party. So, none of them are making noise. They are just expressing their feelings and trying to protect their interests.
Coming to the one you referred to as a movement, what do you mean by that? It’s either you are in a party or not. Those borrowed languages by non-state actors are those who don’t know what politics is all about. It’s unfortunate, I don’t subscribe to them. As far as this country is concerned, it’s either you ascend the office through a political party or you remain in your house. So, some of these words we invent are alien to us. They’re not what our forefathers like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Awolowo, Saduana of Sokoto, and Tafawa Balewa taught us.
But these days, we keep on bringing up all manner of phrases to suit our situations. That’s why we run into a lot of crises. Like today, some of the Journalists don’t align themselves to the rules of engagement. You see them publishing all manner of ‘rubbish’ without verification. It’s unfortunate and painful. We must go back to the roots.
I think they also refer to the movement as a third force that can be used to topple the government.
Whenever you’re talking about democracy, you don’t talk about force. The word force is alien. We’re talking about democracy in a free society where one can express his opinion without being harassed. That’s why I must continue to congratulate our president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, irrespective of feelings. He loves democracy and deserves to be the president of the country.
He nearly wasted his life trying to push out the military. Today, we’re benefiting and those who never played a part are attacking him from every side. I’m not a Yoruba man and can never be one. I’m an Igbo, but I must give it to him. He worked for the presidency and built and developed people. He developed Lagos. That’s why we came out to say that he has to lead us this time to defend the democracy he fought for and correct the anomaly.
So, the word force remains with the military, but peace and normalcy remain with the diplomats and democratic principles which we’ve been practicing unbroken since 1999.
If Mr. President has what it takes to rule this country, why is the opposition not happy and still attacking him?
Let me ask you a question, have you seen any tree, mango, orange, or pear and what have you, standing without fruits and people going to it? It’s only a tree with fruits, edible ones for that matter that people attack in order to pluck. It’s a contest. I don’t see all these things as attacks, but a way many deploy to get him in order to reap from the wealth of his governance and experience.
So Asiwaju is a good tree that bears fruits. Everybody is scrambling to get his own share, including you, me, and the opposition. He promised to form a government of national unity and he has kept to it. Look at his appointments, from all political parties, even from the opposition. And no party has threatened to suspend any of its members because they’re working in Asiwaju’s government. So don’t you see that what you call oppositions are people talking and giving their ideas on areas of emphasis in order to get the country right? Remember he said, I prepared for these things, I saw them coming, I welcome them and I’ll contain them. So those things are neither here nor there. But if there’s any ill feeling among them, go and tell them that those ill feelings are dead on arrival.
But with all these, Ndigbo are still skeptical about joining APC, why?
Who said so? Am I not an Igbo man from Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State? And a major financier of the party in this community. I’ve never joined PDP, APGA, or any other party. I’m an Igbo man. There are so many people like me in this area. Let me ask you, do all Igbo people embrace PDP, APGA, and LP? So Igbo people embrace APC seriously. Look at what happened in Imo state, 27/27 in the recently concluded governorship election. Imo State is it Yoruba? Look at what Hope Uzodimma has been able to achieve there. Is it easy to secure 27/27? Look at what he did during the presidential election. There are people who voted for Asiwaju during the election in Imo state, are they not Igbo? At least, I personally voted for him, the same with my close allies. Five to ten percent of votes he garnered from the zone are they Hausa votes? And if he’s providing infrastructure, will he consider who and who voted for him? When he is constructing roads and providing electricity, he’s doing it for everybody. Have you asked why he gave David Umahi Works Ministry to manage? One of the best Ministries you can think of. So I disagree with you that Igbo people don’t embrace APC and any person saying otherwise will fall out with me.
Despite giving Umahi Works Ministry, Ndigbo are still complaining about lopsided appointments against them, are you comfortable with such?
I’m not saying that Asiwaju is the best person ever, but in this country, if somebody hates you, even if you dash him your wife, he will still hate you. He is still giving appointments, he has just started. I don’t want to be talking about that now. He had described the government as an elephant with so many parts to share. So I can’t start now to criticize him until he has given up to 90 percent of his appointments. But I must commend him for those he has given to Ndigbo so far. An APGA chieftain a few weeks ago, argued that Tinubu will surprise Nigerians soon the way Sen. Ngige did in his time in Anambra, are you of the same view?
How old is Asiwaju Tinubu’s government? Can you assess in totality what your six-month-old child will be able to do? Are you God? But let me tell you, taking into consideration what he passed through to ascend the throne, I believe he will do well. When you look at his track records, from NADECO to the time he returned from self-exile, contested and won the senate, and from there he contested and won the governor of Lagos State and changed the structure of Lagos for the better. Despite the fact that he was a lone governor who had a running battle with the then federal government led by President Obasanjo.
He remained in Lagos and started capturing other Southwestern areas and was able to gather them together. As if that was not enough, he fought for the formation of APC and ensured APC defeated the government of Goodluck Jonathan. Still, he didn’t bother, because he knew the time to cut his onions. From there, he declared his interest to run for the presidency. People started throwing all manner of banters and stones here and there. They came up with his certificate, health, and other frivolous, unfounded, and unsubstantiated allegations.
He crushed all of them. So many people bought forms to contest. They came to the primary, many started stepping down. Some even cried on the stage that day. That one gone, he went into campaign, a very rigorous one for that matter. The same day he visited Anambra was the same day he went to Bayelsa. After that campaign, he traveled to rest. The news all over the country from the opposition was that he was dead. That he’s not standing and is blind. All manner of useless and nonsense speculations. I wrote and warned people not to make a mockery of anyone as a result of his or her health. It’s very dangerous. Eventually, he returned and went into the election proper and won the election convincingly.
Oppositions said no, and went to court, we defeated them at the Court of Appeal. They went to the Supreme Court, he floored them there. And you’re asking me whether he will perform.
With all these track records, don’t you believe that if God has helped him surmount all these hurdles, he’ll also surmount others facing him as presidentDon’t you think Mr. President was able to achieve all those feats because he was younger?
In the bible, Noah built an ark that saved those who did the will of God. He did that when he was around 120 years or so. And he even did that manually. So if Noah was able to build an ark at his age, why can’t Asiwaju do something better, now that he has not even reached 80 years? Besides, the PDP ruled this country for 16 years, I’ve been saying this and I will keep saying it… APC should rule for 16 years before we can draw comparisons. We’ve just done 8 years. It’s 8 years remaining. That’s fair and equity.
Some say APC has not been able to win the Anambra governorship because of a leadership crisis in the party, how true?
I totally agree that there’s a leadership crisis in Anambra APC. We’re doing everything to resolve it. I won’t discuss it because such things are not discussed on the pages of newspapers. I don’t even know whether the person asking me this question is a mole. We have problems, no doubt. But that’s a family matter which we’re handling internally. So, it doesn’t concern anyone. All I know is that we’ll come out stronger any moment from now.
