New Telegraph

Datti Ahmed: Obi’s national acceptability isn’t for nothing

The Vice Presidential candidate of the LP, Sen Yusuf Datti Ahmed, was at the palace of Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe recently, and he spoke to some reporters about the coming election. OKEY MADUFORO was there

 

Why did you pay a courtesy visit to Igwe Achebe?

It has been my long time desire to pay this visit and most of the time I have not been that lucky, but today it has been made possible.

Each time I planned this visit it had always coincided with the Ofala festival, but today it has been made possible. The last time we met was at Zaria but it was brief and we had always discussed when to meet to talk extensively and this visit is one important opportunity for me to actualize this dream.

 

Well, this is part of our election campaigns and from what is happening in this election it appears that Nigeria is ready to unite and this 2023 general election is the most unique opportunity for our country to unite ourselves.

My candidate, Mr. Peter Obi is one person that has come to be that instrument for the reunification of our country, and you should know that Obi remains a unifying factor for the progress of our country.

This is a man that has a clear record that we must continue to cherish in this democratic dispensation. Going by the happenings in the country I wish to tell you all that the North is ready to change and to strengthen the unity of this country Mr. Peter Obi is that platform for that.

So far, Peter Obi has remained at the top of the six international opinion polls so far carried out, which gives us a strong indication that he is the man to be used by Nigerians to take back our country. God the creator knows why a man like Peter Obi is leading this movement for a better and greater Nigeria. God has a way of creating a country of this nature.

Our name is Federal Republic of Nigeria and not a kingdom not a Vatican not and not an Emirate. Some countries were created with one language and one culture and one religion but ours has different languages, different religions and cultures and God did not make a mistake by doing it so with over 250 tribes and two major religions.

We also have to accept the way God has created us because He has His reasons for creating this country this way and we have to take back our country and make it better for all irrespective of language, tribe or religion.

How do you see the fact that the issue of rotation has always been a recurring decimal at every election and which has set the geopolitical zones against each other?

Six years after the Independence of this country we couldn’t find our bearing and it was after 19 years that this country began to look inward for the unity of our country based on the policy of equity, justice and fairness.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo a Southern Christian started this process and handed over the baton to Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a Muslim from the North, recognizing the need for equity and fairness, but we lost the Republic to the military for 15 years and in-between we had Gen Ibrahim Babangida, a northern Muslim who handed over to a southern Christian, Earnest Shonekan, a southern Christian. Irrespective of what may have happened as it were, Abdusalami Abubakar came into the position as a northern Muslim and handed over to Obasanjo a southern Christian who was there for eight years.

In line with this progression, Obasanjo returned power to Alhaji Umoru Yar’Adua, a northern Muslim and at his demise President Good luck Jonathan, a southern Christian had to step in and once again respect this zoning arrangement. Then in 2015, the likes of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo when the dynamics changed destroyed their membership cards of their party for yet another shift and that brought President Muhammadu Buhari a northern Muslim, who was sworn in and that is for another eight years.

I aspired for the Presidency of this country, though unprepared and the likes of Nyeso Wike and Peter Obi had the people behind them and that was in the bid for Nigeria to once again respect that arrangement. The South showed that respect for this gentleman agreement all the while and had always given in to this and for us to have peace and stability the country has to also respect this arrangement in this 2023 general election for it to return to the South and indeed the South-East.

If we are to say the truth 2023 general election is another time for this rotation and the fourth DNA of Nigeria and it must continue to function that way because that is the only way to ensure the unity of this country.

But how does the North accept the candidacy of Mr. Peter Obi at this point?

The answer is very clear to you and all Nigerians that Mr. Peter Obi is the unifying factor for this country in the 2023 election. From Lagos to Borno, Port Harcourt to Sokoto and out of what we have Peter Obi is the only option.

We have 18 political parties with 18 Presidential candidates and 15 out of the 18 are nowhere to be found, and two of the presidential candidates have chosen to pride themselves as the only people that would salvage this country, irrespective of their position in the politics of this country.

They have violated the unwritten agreement and understanding in the politics of this country and it is rather unfortunate. Yes they may have that confidence because they feel that money would play a vital role in this election and let them come and spend that money but not to win the election because the Nigerian people have spoken and they are not going to win .

According to late Chief MKO Abiola, when you jump into the well to wash your body, you know that you are not going to drink from that well. Some say it is time for the North when you have already compromised the arrangements and you know that the North had its own fair share.

Our people in the North always respect agreements since the existence of this country and the 2023 election will not be an exception and for those who are planning to disrespect this agreement we have told them that it will not work and the North has spoken. It is important to note that a son from the South-East is contesting for the Presidency of this country and against all odds Northern Nigeria has endorsed him to be the next President of this country.

The North expects the highest number of votes in this election and we had always done that and it is for Peter Obi of the Labour Party. It is important to note that I went through a lot to get to where I am today, and I appeal to the South-East not to let me down because I don’t know where to hide at the end of the day. It is not about the North because the North has made up its mind and all those primordial sentiments of the past about North and South issue have been set aside.

The younger generation of Nigerians are calling for change and calling for a new Nigeria where there are no tribal sentiments or religious colorations, and the campaign has been taken to the North and they have embraced it so the South and indeed the South-East has to prove to us that they are also ready.

No governor in Nigeria can ever dream of matching the records of Peter Obi – a man who won election, got back his mandate at the court and was later impeached. Then he was returned and was there for eight years and handed over the sum of N75 billion to his successor and has no single record of fraud or misappropriation while he was in office and till date nobody is asking questions about his tenure as governor.

People like Peter Obi are really in short supply in this country and thought God can always throw up such people but it doesn’t come that way and when you see such people, hold them because they are hard to find.

President Muhamadu Buhari made a broadcast on the Naira swap and shifted the deadline. What are your views?

It is mixed feelings because when you see a President bulge once, however small, those mighty that prevailed on him to bulge will see a glimmer of hope to press further.

Maybe this President is becoming a weakling as they would say a lame duck President and if you seed one inch, you are likely to seed another inch. So it is a lot of concern for us for the President to change position literally nine days to the election. However, we have recognized the fact that currently it is a sovereign matter and no state governor, especially those who don’t respect court judgement have any right to interfere with the Federal Government in issues currently.

It has been done and it stays and it was poorly implemented and everything about the government is poorly done, including our economy, security as well as the level of corruption and we have come to leave with it. We pray that the election will go well so that as His Majesty said if the election is well done, it can open the space for good governance.

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