Oyibo Chukwu, a lawyer, is the candidate of the Labour Party for the Enugu East senatorial seat. In this interview with DAMIAN DURUIHEOMA, he speaks on preparations for next year’s general election
Why are you in the race for Enugu East senatorial seat?
The main reason for my quest to be a senator representing my people is because of the passion to serve. I had the opportunity of offering myself to serve under the old Nkanu region when I represented them at the Constituent Assembly in the constitution-making process. I also had the opportunity of serving as an administrator for health in the old Nkanu Local Government. So, it is a progression to serve my people. As you could see, the current leadership both at the state and federal levels have failed in the confidence reposed in them and the dumbest representations we have had come from this part of the country because of their involvement in the rot, corruption and decay. They do not offer quality representation to the people they are serving. Many of them have gone to the National Assembly to orchestrate dumbing instead of speaking out for their people. This is because of the piles of skeletons they have in their cupboards.
Again, you discover that constituency projects are diverted, they are tired, they have run out of ideas and after 23 years of superimposing themselves on our people against the run of electoral manifestations of our people, it has become necessary to immediately have a change of leadership, especially at the senatorial level.
You will have to contend with former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani who is running for a third term in the Senate. How will you overcome the challenge?
No doubt, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani is a very well-known politician in Enugu State, but fortunately for me, he is running against the wind and tide. The Obi-phenomenon, which represents the new direction in Nigerian politics epitomises the impetus the youths have injected into Nigerian politics, and cannot be easily dismissed. My opponent is a tired man, meaning that the zone needs some form of freshness. That is why in all humility, I believe that I have more acceptability among our people than he can even garner in this election.
In what areas do you think the ruling party has not performed and what are you bringing on board to convince the people about your readiness to serve?
Firstly, an elected senator not only represents his constituency but also represents a zone and the entirety of the Nigerian people. My opponent in the PDP, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani has failed woefully in this regard. We noticed that in the past one year before his nomination as the PDP candidate for next year’s election, he hardly had time to attend Senate sessions; he attended only 19 times. This is disturbing and unfortunate. Indeed, it portends a lack of commitment.
Secondly, one may wish to interrogate the quantum of constituency projects he has attracted to our senatorial zone and my answer is nothing. The motorcycles that were brought under his care ended up in the hands of some workers of Renaissance University. A road that was supposed to serve the people of the district ended up serving the same university.
Thirdly, I have not heard him make an informed contribution on the floor of the Senate that will serve the interest of Ndigbo. They were all there when the railway project was discussed and the Southeast was excluded. They were also there, Ndigbo were excluded from having direct contact with the outside world. He has also failed to lend his voice to serving the interest of our people in this direction. We have heard how our young men are being mowed down. Nnamdi Kanu who appears to be a lone voice was incarcerated. None of them including my opponent in the PDP could stand up for him to insist that our people should no longer be marginalised and that there should be informed and constructive engagement with the IPOB. These scenarios portend a very tired senator without ideas. That is why it has become necessary and indeed compelling that there should be a change and that is part of the reason I am presenting myself for the office
When I am elected senator, I shall make my people accessible to me. As a senator, I am going to continue to hold town hall meetings so that their aspirations can be tackled. I hold no skeletons in my cupboard, so it will afford me the opportunity of engaging other power blocs in the Senate for the good of my people.
As a lawyer, what is your opinion on the recent ruling by the Appeal Court on IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, particularly the position of the Attorney general that Kanu has been discharged but not acquitted?
Let me say that professionally speaking, I think the present Attorney General is a disaster to the legal profession. When you come to the issue of the court judgment, I have not seen the judgment but snippets of information available to me, appear to me that he was discharged by the court and that should have been a leeway for the office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice to do something and release him unconditionally.
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You will recall that the United States agency had advised Nigeria to release Nnamdi Kanu within about six months when the resolution was passed. That has not been done. Again, the fact that there was a gamut of amendments in the charges by the DPP at the federal level, shows some measure of uncertainty and meaning that he has not committed any offence known to the Nigerian law and the attempt to hold him on trumped-up charges, does not hold any water. The Federal High Court has struck out some of these charges against Kanu which is bad enough for the DPP and now that the matter had gone on appeal and decided, it would have been good to release him. But my mind tells me that they won’t. That is because there is this inert fear of the Igbo and what Biafra represents in the minds of the Igbo. But, I don’t think that the proper representation should be to hound the leader of that group but I think the proper thing should be to engage him in a proper dialogue and indeed the political class and leadership of the Igbo should intervene. Knowing the antecedents of Malami, the Attorney General, I think what he will try to do is to embark on a frivolous appeal at the Supreme Court to buy time and ensure that Nnamdi Kanu is held further.
Are you worried about the level of political violence being introduced into the country’s elections?
Of course, it is worrisome to any fair-minded Nigerian who wants a change from the old order. Nigeria’s political history, unfortunately, has been saddened by political violence and that should be a thing of concern to every reasonable Nigerian we have seen political leaders prompting their followers to unleash violence in the system. We have seen violence replicated in some states during the continuous voter registration exercise, where supporters of the APC were attacking those identifying with the Labour Party. We have also seen violence in the North where the police have been used by the governor of Kaduna State to disperse the peaceful processions. The same has happened in Katsina State and I pray that the 2023 elections will be free, peaceful and fair. I have been a victim of this violence. My meeting at Nomeh was broken up and attacked for about a month and we have credible Intel that the attack was perpetrated by the PDP in Enugu State. This is because about 45 minutes after the attack it was posted on the internet and the person who posted the attack is a PDP woman from Nkanu East Local Government. So, one would want to know who she had the privilege of being the first person to have a video of the attack that enabled her to post to the internet.
Atiku recently advised northerners to vote for him because he is from the north; rather than an Igbo or a Yoruba candidate. In your view, how will this affect your party’s chances at the presidential election?
Of course, any true Nigerian who is patriotic and love this country should be worried by the events of tribal politics because it is disuniting, unpatriotic and not Nigerian. It is against the spirit of the constitution that provides expressly that no one should suffer discrimination because of tribe and religion. What Atiku has said about northerners not voting for the Igbo or Yoruba is unfortunate and unbecoming of a national leader and one who has served this nation as a vice president. It should be condemned by every Nigerian.
But, let me add that what he has said is not new because it is in line with his antecedent and you discover that when he was given the opportunity to sit over the privatisation of the Nigerian assets, most of it was sold to the northerners and his cronies. It is no surprise that when it is politically obvious and moral that the presidency should come to the Southeast, he is one of those who spearheaded the move to thwart it. His ambitions blinded him and he insisted to run even though it was the turn of the Southeast.
In his desperation, it is not surprising that he should make such a statement and it is one that I hope that the northerners should not listen to him. I pray that position hunts him for the rest of his life until he apologises. Our presidential candidate, Peter Obi is the first among other presidential candidates running for this election. There is no doubt that he is a detribalised Nigerian who will serve the interest of all Nigerians and therefore, I urge all Nigerians to support Peter Obi and the Labour Party because he will bring a new and positive dimension that will benefit and satisfy all aspirations and even suit and massage our differences.
Political opponents insist that the LP lacks the structure to win elections. What’s your reaction?
The Labour Party has that in abundance. It is only the Labour Party that has this army of supporters both young and old and has sustained a self-financing political procession in support of the Labour Party and our presidential candidate. You find that only in the Labour Party. The other parties spend a humongous amount of money to try to emulate the Labour Party without a success. In the case of the Labour Party, you find people who now want a new Nigeria, coming together, financing themselves and holding rallies in support of the party. So we have the structures, which is the people. Beyond that, we have in every ward, people whose hands are clean and ready to work.
Do you have some sort of engagement with people at the grassroots?
What we are doing now is educating the people at the grassroots to ensure sustained mobilization. We have developed a mantra that will sink into our people and it is beginning to connect with the people at the grassroots. This electioneering campaign is a marathon, not a hit. We believe that at the end of the day, it will catch up. One thing that is gladdening is that the people are willing to follow Peter Obi as well as ready to hear from the Labour Party candidates. At the end of the day, we shall be there.
How are you going to break the PDP’s dominance in Enugu politics?
It is correct to say that PDP has had a very devious hold in Enugu State for the past 23 years and that stronghold is about to be broken. Of course, the reason for PDP being in power for 23 years is because there were no credible choices and the people were left in a lurch between the devil and the deep blue sea. Now a credible option has been offered to the people of Enugu State and Nigeria in the Labour Party and we are going to present a new era in the Nigerian polity where the aspirations of various aggregating people will have their aspirations satisfied. Coming to Enugu State specifically, the administration of Chimaroke Nnamani was bad enough but that of Ugwuanyi is a complete disaster.
In the last seven and half years, Enugu State under Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has suffered retrogression, maladministration and misappropriation and I dare say that currently, we are experiencing very inexplicable, unjustified acts of violence which we saw under the Chimaroke administration if PDP is allowed to retain power. Our roads have become unmotorable. The potholes that hitherto were manageable have become gullies and impassable. In the past few years, no part of Enugu can boast about clean water for drinking. Our schools in the last few years have consistently and intermittently been on strike. Workers are no longer being paid as of when due. Our people are being subjected to dictatorial administration in the state and monumental corruption and sleaze are going on under the Ugwuanyi administration. There are so many illegal acquisitions going on in Enugu. Enugu has been squeezed to the point that the residents are beginning to feel the heat and that is why there should be a change in governance not from the PDP to the PDP but from PDP to the Labour Party.