The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities may be preparing for another showdown as the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has insisted the government will not pay full salaries to lecturers despite their ongoing nationwide protest.
ASUU had on Monday begun protests across the country to press home their demand for full pay after the Federal Government failed to pay them for the eight-month period the lecturers were on strike.
However, Adamu, who spoke with State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday, insisted the protesting lecturers would not be paid for work not done in line with ‘No work no pay’ policy.
The PUNCH reports that ASUU, which embarked on strike in February, called off the industrial action in October, after a Court of Appeal order them to do so.
Following the development, the government paid the lecturers half salaries for the month of October while insisting that it would not pay for the eight months they were on strike.
In response, ASUU began protests across the country. But the education minister declared on Wednesday that the lecturers “would not be paid for work not done.”
The minister also reacted to the allegation made by the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodoke, that paying the lecturers on pro-rata basis was a ploy to make them casual workers.
Nobody can make university lecturers casual workers,” he said. When told that the lecturers were threatening a one-day action to protest government’s action, Adamu said he was not aware.
BUK postpones examination
Meanwhile, Bayero University, Kano, has rescheduled all academic activities including its first semester examination slated for November 7, 2022, following the ongoing nationwide protests declared by ASUU
A statement by the Secretary, Information and Publication Unit of the university on behalf of the Registrar, Bala Abdullahi, said academic activities had been postponed to a later date.
The Vice-Chairman, ASUU, BUK branch, Dr Sagir Saleh, told reporters that the union decided to protest to show their “total rejection” of the “amputated” salary paid to members for the month of October 2022.
Also, the University of Benin chapter of ASUU has carpeted the Federal Government over its alleged attempt to criminalise the union’s strike action.
In a statement titled, “The onslaught against intellectualism,” read by the union chairman of the chapter, Ray Chikogu, at its secretariat in UNIBEN, the lecturers condemned government’s decision to withhold their salaries.
Also, the ASUU chairman for the University of Ilorin, Professor Moyosore Ajao, called on the Federal Government to pay the backlog of salaries owed members of ASUU during the strike period.
Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents, Ajao said, “My question back to them is if the work is going to be done, will the money be paid or not? If they are saying no payment for work not done, ASUU is not asking them to pay us for work not done. We are asking them to pay us because the work is going to be done.”
ASUU accuses parties
Meanwhile, the President, ASUU, Osodeke, on Wednesday alleged that politicians were planning to privatise federal universities across the country.
Speaking at a special congress of the ASUU of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, formerly known as Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, in honour of the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Richard Kimbir, Osodeke said the two options were being considered by the presidential candidates of some parties in the forthcoming general elections.
He said, “If you don’t know, they are planning to sell the universities (federal universities) through public-private partnership, this is being planned by two presidential candidates and the other plan is to initiate student loan at five per cent interest rate.
According to him, contrary to what is obtainable in USA, where student can easily get job and repay the loan, the situation in the country is more difficult due to the lack of jobs for graduates.
“In Nigeria where you have graduates that cannot get a job for several years and by the time you spend 30 years, the loan will run to N40m,” he observed.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson, ASUU, ATBU, Bauchi Branch, Dr. Ibrahim Inuwa, has alleged that the Federal Government is deliberately underfunding public universities to deny the masses access to education through exorbitant fees.
He spoke at a press conference held at the ASUU secretariat, shortly after staging a peaceful protest with ASUU members.
He said, “After suspending the eight months strike due to a court order and interventions of well-meaning Nigerians, the government went so low to withhold the salaries of ASUU members and only paid pro-rata for the October salary. The union rejects the casualisation of Nigerian academics.
Strike avoidable – Sultan
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, on Wednesday said the recently suspended industrial action by ASUU was avoidable if continuous dialogue approach had been adopted.
Abubakar spoke in Osogbo at the inauguration and handover of 25-bedroom guest house donated by the Babalakin family to Fountain University.
He described the strike as unfortunate, saying being part of the Federal Government negotiation team with ASUU, made him realised that honesty by parties would have prevented the industrial action.
He then commended the Babalakin family for the kind gesture, saying since the government could not singlehandedly fund education, well-meaning Nigerians should come forward to assist in improving the condition of learning, especially in universities.
Abubakar said, “We just came out of an unfortunate ASUU crisis. I believe we have come out of it. For eight months, our children were at home, very sad and frustrating. These are things that we could have avoided by continuously talking because it is not today that ASUU started having problems with the government and they will never stop having problem with the government.
The best thing is that anytime there is a problem, you sit down and discuss to find a way out. So, when you have a problem with anyone, what you should do is to sit down and dialogue in an honest way and once you have agreed on any terms, please try to implement your agreement.
“But if you think you cannot, come back to the table again and discuss more, then you have other alternatives to solve the problem – but not embarking on strike that will affect the children. I know how more of our children have been affected psychologically and emotionally by the eight months strike, I think that is not good for us,” the religious leader said.
Speaking on behalf of the Babalakin family, Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, said his late father, Justice Bola Babalakin, led an honest life and that the building was donated to Fountain University on the understanding that the institution would continue to maintain probity and discipline in its affairs.
In his goodwill message, Osun State Governor, Adeboyega Oyetola, assured stakeholders that his administration would continue to provide conducive environment for the university to operate.
I was always proud of you since I knew you as the CBN Governor. Infact, I got a job at Fidelity Bank due to your consolidation of the banks.
Coincidentally, Chief Willie Obiano was my ED, Executive Banking before he became the Executive Governor of Anambra State. I followed you afterwards and I read your commentaries on national and global issues. I remember your article on how African Governments can optimise their approach to save both the economy and health of Africans during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. I watched the Anambra Governorship debate because of you and was proud of your performance and was impressed with your firm rebuttals to Chief Andy Uba. I was happy that you won and became the Governor of your state. Again, Congratulations!
I watched your interview with Channels and I still sincerely think that Seun caught you off-guard. I recall that you kept insisting that you were there to defend your budget and would not want to be dragged into Peter Obi’s or any other candidate’s campaign.
My objective assessment was that that adjective “next to nothing” was not thoughtful and I felt it the moment you said. You were not sensitive to see Seun’s trap and you may need to reflect on the interview again as a teacher. Perhaps you were tired after the day’s hardwork. I don’t know.
My name is Chukwuma. I share the same name with you and I can call you Ogbom (my namesake). Our name means “God knows”. Shakespeare asked, “what’s in a name”? I have seen many Chukwumas and God appears to have always led them to a miraculous path. The same with you. Thus, a reason to be considerate and thoughtful because we rely on divine guidance.
I am an irreversible supporter of Peter Obi but I have decided to address you in a calm tone because I perceive that you are afraid of what Obidients would say to you. Hence, you intend to write Part 2 to keep joining issues with them. Ogbom that is not necessary, to be honest. Obidients are not just youths and illiterates. I have met Professors, Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, Traders, Farmers, intelligent Students, etc who are Obidients. The Obidient movement is a full house and there is no type and class of human beings you cannot find in it. I even whated a clip where Kegites were singing and enjoying life with Obidient songs. Obidients are not Social media bandits in anyway. They are pure creation of the Nigerian state and the ruling class like you. They are simply blocking-off APC and PDP from using it in the manner APC used it in 2015. Obidients appear to be ready to fight for every inch in the cyberspace and on ground. So, this should not be taken for granted as there is a correlation between Social media engagements and actual physical engagements. I think you should include this in your updated model for forecasting. Social media is a tool for social mobilisation and a potent technological tool that can sway elections as shown in African Countries that conducted elections recently, particularly in Kenya where Ruto won Kenyatta and Odinga put together.
You see, Peter Obi is blessed with rare grace. As a good Christian, I am sure that you know what grace means. Grace is divine. Grace is transcendental. Grace is incomprehensible. Peter Obi was not expecting this moment in the manner it came but I believe that he must have had the premonition. In fact, I have discovered the secret of his prudence and character in public office from the answer he provided in his Oxford University Interaction. He said that it would be shameful for him to be linked to public impropriety having passed through great institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, UNN, etc. I can relate with this because as unknown as I am, I noticed that I started weighing my public engagements after my Masters from University of Warwick, United Kingdom and my PhD from University of Manchester, United Kingdom. The fear of our actions creating negative publicity to institutions that we are affiliated with often inspire integrity and character in us. So, my assessment is that Peter Obi is a real deal and he means business and can cause a positive change in Nigeria as history indeed beckons on all Nigerians to rise above ethnic, religious or elitist considerations and be patriotic for once.
We cannot continue to hire the wrong people and return to church and mosques to pray for good governance. The theory of lid by John Maxwell states that a leader cannot lead beyond his/her capacity. I dare add that a Leader cannot realise a vision he/she cannot conceive. Peter Obi is a “Philosopher king” as imagined by Plato in the “Republic”. Peter Obi is in the class of Awoism and Zikism. There are philosophical underpinnings to Peter Obi’s ideas and that means that it can be replicated beyond him. I speak as an academic, a researcher and a university teacher.
You are well respected in Igboland but I would encourage you to seek the counsels of your friends and people like Chief Nnia Nwodo, Chief Osita Chidoka, Prof Obiozor, Lolo Bianca Ojokwu, etc on the Igbo questions. There is a clear difference between speaking as a politician from Igbo extraction and speaking to the interests of the Igbo nation. Your unwarranted attack on Peter Obi, who is trying to volunteer from the Igbo nation to participate in National politics, is why many youths believed in Mazi Nnamdi Kanu more than the politicians in South East. I am a Pro-Nigeria but I see what is happening in Igboland to my dissatisfaction. There is this false assumption in Nigeria that the best enemy of an Igboman is an Igboman; and that is what your narrative is promoting. How do you want Igbos to feel when you tell them that it is not their turn whilst the rest of Nigeria, starting from North to West to South, are saying that this is a golden moment for an Igbo presidency. I don’t understand you Prof. This is arguable but there are three persons that have been able to command the followership of the Igbos. First is Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Second is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Third is Peter Obi. Their circumstances were on different scales but Igbos have deep respect for them. Igbos are often republican in nature and they have independent mindedness as part of its culture. Yet, Peter Obi, being a man of humility and wisdom have refused to come close to be owned by the Igbos. This is making a lot of Igbo leaders uncomfortable because they would want to claim a role if Peter Obi emerges the President of Nigeria. Peter Obi knows that he must be a Nigerian President and his wide acceptance is quite remarkable! Of course, Peter Obi respects the Igbos just as he respects others and indeed everyone that comes his way.
Dear Professor Soludo, when I read your article, I suspected that you responded in anger because of the length of the article. For instance, I expected your article to update us on how much is “next to nothing” since that was the key issue. That piece was not as academic as your usual masterpieces. This one was a story that did not have head nor tail, and that is understandably what happens when thinkers respond with emotions instead of their rational mind. I read you and this was not you Prof? I did not believe it was you until I read it in National daily and watched its analysis on Arise and Channels. Ogbom, do not write Part 2. Even if per chance, which is becoming remote by the day, Peter Obi looses, that piece would not be the cause. You are a Professor not a fake Prophet or Prophet of doom. We know that Nigeria do not have the kind of data you based your questionable conclusions. Again, your conclusions do not tally with the current reality. Amazingly, you did not justify why APC or PDP candidates should win. Nigerians have suffered so much that telling them that their vote will not count is uncharitable. Ogbom, I know you are an elite who doesn’t know the level of hunger in the land. I would encourage you to avoid head-on collisions with supporters of Peter Obi.
Peter Obi has gathered all the rejected, dejected, neglected, ignored, subjugated people in the Nigerian society to his side and they are not playing hide and seek with anyone that appears to be dashing their hope. The best you can do is to allow the polls to decide during election rather than engaging in an attack at their only hope: they will attack you back and that is a huge distraction to a governor of a state. Anambra people did not elect you as the chief opposer of their son, your brother and friend. You don’t need that storm in a teacup.
In summary, please change your course ASAP. Change course because you are human and you can err. Peter Obi did not state false claims as he has repeated in the LBS chat. Leave Peter and campaign for APGA or PDP (if they will not see that as an anti-party activity). Please, retain your dignity and respect by not joining issues with the citizens who are legitimately disillusioned by where PDP and APC have taken them. I hope you will not merge APGA with PDP or APC? I have this concern.
I wish you well as the Governor of Anambra State. I wish the Nigerian state the best. I wish the citizens of Nigeria Peter Obi whom I am certain is the best at this time in Nigeria’s history.
Warm regards,
Dr Chukwuma Destiny Ogbonnaya
Manchester, United Kingdom
Soludo venomous rejoinder article in his renewed effort to drag Peter Obi to the mud is his lowest. His rejoinder did not come as a surprise to me because I knew his actions was deliberate from day one. After going through the sleezy write up, I can bet anyone that Soludo did not just write it as aftermath of his interview response backlash, he must have painstakingly spent several sleepless nights writing and editing that article weeks or even months ago waiting for when he thinks is the right time to descend low and insult our sensibilities.
Reading between the line, you will see undiluted bitterness, jealousy, hatred and palpitating fear from the darkest mind of the author. He said Obi saving money for Anambra state was a misnomer but turned around to praise himself for doing same for Nigeria as CBN governor. I am sure he still has more of such loquacious articles he has written and continuously editing as events unfold waiting for the current frenzy to simmer so he can unleash them as distractions to Obis supporters.
What people do not know is that he is not just displaying this ferocious animosity acting the spoiler because Obi is involved, he would have equally done the same to any other Igbo man. He never in his widest imagination thought that Obi would enjoy the level of support he is doing today in a party everybody thought was fringe including my self. In his black-market logic, he said he advised Obi to run under APGA but did not tell us he did so to set Obi up to be perceived as a tribal candidate knowing fully well that APGA has zero chance.
That graveyard advice is his grand design to ensure no Igbo man can smell Nigeria presidency before him. With the level of venom coming from him, I am beginning to agree with someone that said Soludo would rather prefer to loose his second term as governor of Anambra than see any Igbo man out shine him to become Nigerian president in his life time.
I am highly pained with his lack of restraint at thi point because I love him and do not want him to continue on the part to political perdition. He has a lot to offer to Ndi Igbo and Nigeria in general and should not wilfully truncate his dream.
He should join hand and support Obi then if it’s not devine that Obi will be there, he will have the moral ground to seek for our support when his time comes.
Leadership is a combination of charisma and character. The former is a pointer to the ability that can get the work done while the latter portrays the personality needed for the job. Of course, our country’s greatest need is leadership but it is important to put our need in context of the revelation of the present Anambra state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo on Peter Obi.
We need to clearly understand that there is work to be done, but beyond the work to be done is who does it.
Ours is a society that has turned value on her head; money seems to define us and at the Altar of Mammon we are compelled to worship by a lost elite class that has ruined our economy and elevated things at the expense of human worth.
To stop this trend, our dire crave for mentor-leaders who will champion value re-orientation and lead by example is essential.
Soludo of course is not Obi’s mate in paper qualifications! An economist of outstanding achievements, he towered over Obi in charisma. The need for him in Obi’s government if he wins the election as an adviser, no one should query. Character being the true strength of a leadership is Obi’s edge. Through it, the depth of personal discipline is revealed.
Having established the rhythm of Obi’s sound which Nigerians found danceable as the foundation for the ‘Obidient’ movement, let me proceed by stating same as our direction in this discourse to disect the character and depth of personal discipline of Professor Chukwuma Soludo as revealed by him in his letter.
The publication dated 14th November, 2022; and titled “History Beckons and I will not be Silent (Part 1)” By Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR is our study.
Professor Soludo stated in his opening paragraph that:
“my attention has been drawn to some of the tirades on social media following my frank response during an interview on Channels TV regarding the “investments” Mr. Peter Obi claimed to have made with Anambra state’s revenues”.
The Executive Governor of Anambra state had the time to trade in social media tirades with rats and bloggers alike who are venting their anger over his jab at their idol; Obi! I personally read more than a thousand and one comment on the social media and I can’t tell who among the numerous commentators is the privileged person the Governor found the time out of his very busy schedule to trade tirades with. His claim to being frank wouldn’t have been contestable; Soludo is usually a very blunt person but for the way his statement was structured; regarding the “investment” Mr Peter Obi CLAIMED to have made with Anambra state revenues, his use of the word ‘claim’ to describe Obi’s investment suggests that the investment are in doubt, whereas during his interview on Channels TV with Seun Okinbaloye, he authoritatively informed us of an investment made which is today worth next to nothing. By his interview and written response follow up, what should we believe?
The article also read:
“…several of the comments left the issue of the interview to probe or suggest motives, inferred from my response on “investment” that I am opposed to Peter Obi’s ambition and therefore committed a “crime” for which the punishment is internecine abuse and harassment even to my family”.
Leadership as the saying goes is by example, do I need to remind the Governor that his purpose on the interview was to present Anambra state 2023 budget and not to make Obi’s Investment the topic of his seating, he could have stated the fact regarding the investment and return the interviewer and his audience back to his focus – the budget – but he left the meat for humanity, and was running with the bone of the discourse. A man running with bone shouldn’t complain of dogs chasing after him. He should drop the bone now or live with the attack of the hungry dogs that PDP and APC have made out of the Nigerian masses.
That Soludo actually did read several of public comments on his interview leaves us with the impression that Obi was his reason for the appearance; else, we are left with putting a big question mark on his ability to stay focused. His character flaw exhibited by lack of restrain shown by this response demeaned the dignity of his office.
He continues thus: “I used to think that for decent people, certain conducts are off-limits, and that in Anambra, politics is not warfare”.
To me, it’s very appalling that the Executive Governor of Anambra State would like a commoner descend from decency of his thoughts about people to the murky water of politics and roll in it with them like swine.
“Of course, as a Christian, I know that telling the truth can be very costly, even suicidal. Our Lord and saviour was crucified simply for telling the truth the people hated to hear. I promised that I won’t be the usual politician, and will not knowingly lie to the people. I am not an Angel but instead of deliberately repeating the same deceitful character which politicians are known for, I would leave public office. It is a vow I made to my God and to my family. Only God knows how many days I will be on this seat but whether I am on it or not I will always say it as it is— knowing fully the suicidal consequences of telling the truth in a political arena, especially in a country where lying and deceit by politicians have become culture and celebrated as being “smart””, Soludo writes.
Sir, your theology of Christianity is politically smart, how I wished it was Paul’s admonition that informed your submission, for truth, a Christian must speak in love towards the growth of the body, yours was indeed very bitter and laden with hatred, with no garnish of kindness.
Again, he says: “Ideally, I should just have laughed off the infantile exuberances as many friends advised”, that sincerely is what you failed to do and the days ahead will prove it that you made a mistake to step into the ring with hungry and angry masses of army recruited by the PDP government that you and Obi served as we were made to believe by APC, though the army are daily multiplying, hungrier and angrier! I would have thought that addressing the collective demonization of PDP years and all of you who served that government would have been of interest to you if only to exonerate yourself and mentor, whose support for Obi he publicly demonstrated by leaving his seat for him.
“Everyone knows that I don’t follow the winds nor one to succumb to bullies, nor shy away from a good fight especially when weighty matters of principles and future of the people are involved. One lesson I learnt from my former boss and mentor, President Obasanjo, is never to be on the fence. I learnt that one must always take a stand: for better or for worse. I do so with every sense of humility, and leave history to judge. Most people have commended me for “tactfully avoiding being drawn into the Peter Obi issue” until now. Since I am now being forced into the Arena on this matter, I have a duty and a right of reply, if only for the records, and to also give the social media mob something substantive to rant upon and rain their abuses for weeks. In this preliminary response, there are some things I will refrain from saying here because, in the end, February/March 2023 will come and go, and life will continue”.
Your Excellency, while it is commendable that you don’t follow the crowd, you are in this instance the leader of the crowd! I will advise that you reach His Exellency Dr Olusegun Obasanjo for the conclusion of the leadership class you failed to attend. He had made clear the problem of Anambra people, of an elite class who wants their people dominated and oppressed in perpetuity. His counsel to Emeka Offor is golden for you at this moment, “the man carrying the head of an elephant shouldn’t be found digging the holes of cricket with his toes”.
It is needless to dignify your outburst against those who commented on your interview which you described as an “exhibition of desperation, intolerance and attempt to bully everyone who expresses the slightest of dissent.” Sir, given your learning, you should agree with me that Nigerians should be desperate in the context of the hardship they are subjected to, if we are not, a national clinic should by now be running to have us all examined of our normality.
Your affirmation of Hitler in the making is the most uncharitable way to describe a brother and friend according to you, who is equally at the mercy of this desperate army of impoverished masses in their quest for a change.
Sir, you stated that: “any dissent is tagged a saboteur or, in my case, it could be that I want to contest for president after office or that I am envious of Peter Obi. Soludo envious of Peter Obi? Totally laughable! But this is the same person I was asking to return to APGA in March 2022 and contest for president and yet envious or doesn’t want him to be president. This is madness!”
This indeed is a season of madness like never seen before, and I will advise that you choose your fight; no one has ever fought against the people; right or wrong and won, your intellect can’t be questioned; at least not by me but then emotional intelligence is equally key at chosing your fight in the public against the public.
Please, face the discharge of your duty as Governor of Anambra state. You are neither the APGA Presidential candidate nor the Spokesperson of the Party. I need not remind you that you are the Governor of all Anambarians, a people which includes Mr Peter Obi.
You response drifted from Obi’s investment to political leadership of the Igbos, a position never assumed by Peter Obi in body language, spoken words or deeds. Your reference to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe though welcome was unwarranted. He, you said “was the undisputed all time leader of the Igbos but he had his arch rivals and even independent candidates win landslide elections against his party, NCNC, in Igboland. Obafemi Awolowo had stiff opposition among the Yorubas while Ahmadu Bello had his share of opponents in the Northern region. Today, no one has accused Afenifere or other strong presidential candidates from the South West of being “anti Yoruba” because Tinubu is a frontrunner, nor has anyone accused Kwankwaso and several other Northern candidates of being “anti-North” for not supporting Atiku. As a full blooded republican Igboman and democrat, I reject this despotic intolerance”.
Your pinning Obi here is most unfortunate Sir. Show us one person who has shown civility, in decorum and conduct better than Obi among the frontliners in the race!
“Yes, I fully understand the anger of some urban and Diaspora youths and some Nigerians who are dissatisfied with the trajectory of the country or with the candidates of the major parties and wished other options. Not knowing much about others, some see Peter Obi as the contrast they wished for. I get the point”.
Do you truly FULLY understand the hopelessness of this raging youths? I bet to disagree with you sir, that you get the point.
“But this is a democracy: the minority will have their say, but the majority their way”.
Sir, the concept of democracy as a voice, wherein the say of the minority is captured and the majority takes the lead is built on the sanctity and power of the ballot. You can’t drown the voice of the majority for minority leadership as the practice is in our case which you claimed is a democracy without translations of public anger and social media agitation into political outcomes, though humongous work is required but the people’s trust the political class have traded for their own comfort and that of members of the immediate family. You have an example in your neighbouring state; Imo. On my position against yours on democracy. May be Obi’s ability to keep his sons hands away from public switch to turn off and put on the light at will is his spell over the people. Could it be keeping his wife away from the senate or his refusal to send a bill that will guarantee a life time of comfort on the taxes of the people to the state house of assembly when he was leaving office?
Please, I look forward to your part two in hope that Obi will be truly de-mystified and the deception he is will be truly exposed. For now, let’s just assume that a people in search of a hero have found one in Him.
“We sat next to each other during the Emeka Anyaoku lecture at Nnamdi Azikiwe University on 8th March, 2022 and I made an offer for him to return to APGA and contest as its presidential candidate. Yes, I did. In my mind, it was time for Igbos to organize their region politically before stepping out to bargain power with other organized coalitions. On his part, he tried to convince me that he expected APC to unravel why PDP would be the “only one” standing. We debated and he proposed that we could meet later to discuss further. He attended my inauguration on March 17. A few weeks later, he requested and I obliged him to use the Anambra State government house facility to launch his presidential bid under PDP. I was surprised to read in the news later that he had defected to LP (a party with literally zero structure), thereby attempting to weaken the same PDP he saw as the saviour a few weeks earlier. He paid me a courtesy call as the presidential candidate of LP, and we had frank discussions”, the article reads.
“During our meeting… We noted that we were in opposing political parties and in response to my direct question as to how I might help him, he requested that I should just ensure a “level playing field” and let the people decide”.
I daresay this is one of the several reasons Obi is the idol of the masses who are craving for a majority leadership through a free and fair election. And your reference to Obi’s treatment of LP’s Candidate, Ifeanyi Uba when he was the Governor we are compelled to juxtapose with the Obi who as APGA seating Governor received President Olusegun Obasanjo and followed him to the campaign ground where he was referred to as the outgoing Governor. Sir, your intellectual venture to unravel Obi, must be reminded, Obi is not a book, he is a library, a collection of many studies in leadership. Do you honestly think you are ready for what you are stirring?
Sir, politics is dynamic, and as you quoted, there are no permanent friends or enemy but only permanent interests and if Nigeria is the interest, APGA can’t be the platform not even for Dr Nnamdi Azikwe if he is to resurrect to contest for presidency. APGA is viewed as the political platform of IPOB and taken a position against your party and people will no doubt be costly.
You would have saved yourself a lot of the pebbles throwing that greeted your response had you bothered to state clearly that you were writing as a party man, a right no one should deny you.
“By the way, APGA is Nigeria’s third largest political party today (after APC and PDP, it is the only other party with a state governor and third largest presence at the National Assembly). And some people have the temerity to suggest that APGA’s candidate should “step down” for Peter Obi as the “Igbo candidate”. I wonder when Igbos met to choose a candidate. They even argue that afterall APGA supported President Jonathan and did not field a candidate then. Well, the fact as I was told was that no candidate showed interest under APGA then. Besides, APGA’s unwritten rule then was to support the party at the centre — which, if we apply this time, should actually be APC. But we have our own candidate. Recall that all the political parties had their primaries during the same period. Once Peter Obi realized that he won’t get the presidential or vice-presidential ticket of PDP he ran to Labour Party (a political party known as a transit camp for aspirants who lost primaries in APC, PDP and APGA), and the chorus by a vociferous minority now is that LP has become the “Igbo project”, and the APGA candidate who emerged the same time as Peter Obi should “step down”. Ridiculous! Now I truly understand that a mob cannot reason”.
Your Excellency, like you, I have struggled to let this vociferous minority come to terms with the book, that politically speaking, they are inconsequential minority, just that the reality is against our beliefs and has become a shadow chasing our political elites across major parties of APC, PDP and APGA who are in the national assembly.
In your desire to teach Ndigbo politics, especially the larger Nigeria politics. Bola Ahmed Tinubu became your example: “who defied the political wind of the time and stood out as the “only man standing” in AD and later AC (before ACN) against a sitting president of Yoruba descent, no one accused him of being “anti-Yoruba”. Indeed, everyone recalls that both Tinubu and President Obasanjo disagreed politically,…. in their frenzied Nzogbu nzogbu politics, have sadly found themselves in a political cul de sac. Tragic indeed! When will my people smell the morning coffee”?
Sir, I will personally like to know which of the APGA you are representing as the Governor of Anambra state, the stand alone or the faction within APC? That BAT is your political mentor whose footsteps you hope to follow at leading the Ndigbos through APGA to a political alliance tied to his ideology is a bad dream; a political albatross.
Addressing the substance of your interview, you wrote; “Yes, Peter Obi was governor for 8 years (2006 -2014) during a period of unprecedented oil boom and prosperity in Nigeria (Nigerian economy was growing at average of 6-8% per annum, and oil price was highest during this time). I have seen all kinds of funny comments and interpretations regarding what I said about the value of his “investments”. Some refer to SabMiller and bandy all kinds of figures as to how the investment of $12 million is now worth less than $3 million. Of course, there is room for legitimate debate about the logic or quality of the investments. For example, people might differ as to the propriety of using taxpayers money to promote a company in which one is a shareholder in the name of “investment”, or even whether so called “savings” are warranted when there were dozens of schools without roofs or classrooms, or local governments without access roads or hospitals without doctors/nurses. A Bishop recently publicly advised that I should please try to construct the “Ngige type of quality roads”, stating that the ones done by his successor (that is, Peter Obi) had washed off, while Ngige’s remained. I promised and we are delivering quality roads that Anambra has not seen before.
For sure, prudence in public resource management is desirable and we are opening new frontiers in that area. People will however differ as to whether saving money in the bank account is a KPI (key performance indicator) for a government where poverty is escalating except where its institutions for absorption are weak or where the government has no robust/big agenda for transformation. Governments exist to save lives, not to save money. We can debate and differ on this— (by the way, I know when/how it is appropriate to “save” as I built Nigeria’s foreign reserves from $10 billion I inherited to all time $63 billion, and even after paying $12 billion to pay-off Nigeria’s external debt and going through unprecedented global financial crisis, I still left behind about $45 billion— Go and verify!)”.
Your claim we have verified to be nothing but the facts; we are however lost to the comparison between the roads constructed by Obi and Ngige without giving us examples we can visit to affirm your astuteness. Sir, do remember to do this in your part two.
“Funny, in the rabid frenzy to grab every straw, they cut a clip during our governorship debate where I was stating vital statistics and they claimed that I was “praising” Peter Obi then while committing a crime now by “criticising” him. Hahahaha! Well, it is true that I said during the debate that, according to National Bureau of Statistics, poverty in Anambra actually grew (from less than 25% in 2005) to about 53% under Peter Obi in 2010/2011 but fell under Willie Obiano to 14.78% in 2020. Yes, poverty more than doubled under Peter Obi and more than 50% of Ndi Anambra were in poverty under him. Go and verify! I am Governor, and sitting on privileged information which I will not want to use against a political opponent”.
Sir, please, don’t back out on this as a custodian of the people’s trust and the Governor of Peter Obi, it will be an eternal legacy to help us understand that Both Atiku and Bola Ahmed Tinubu are better than he. This of course will add to your feather as one time international organizing Secretary of Ndigbo who helped PDP and APC to survive a people led revolution by giving up his brother.
Your question, where do we go from here? Reveals nothing but your intention to jump ship and play in the big national league of politics on the platform of APC, it was a very nice way of stretching your hands across the Niger bridge to your friend Gov El-Rufai at the expense of your brotherhood. With a tactical attempt to assume leadership of the Igbo nation! Sir, structure for a lost nation in a nation like the Igbo will not be built on an interview. You have an office with which to prove you are the leader of the Igbo nation by leading them to win all the seat to the National Assembly, and if possible the presidency. Your political communication to me is suggestive of a man patronizing APC with the intention to use APGA to negotiate, I only hope the party sees what I am seeing and rise to the occasion of the needful that must be done to call you to order.
“I worry that Ndigbo as Nigeria’s foremost itinerant tribe and with the greatest stake in the Nigerian project does not yet have a strategy to engage Nigeria—politically! Every four years, we resurface with emotive Nzogbu Nzogbu political dance (“it is our turn dance” but without organization or strategy) and fizzle out afterwards while others work 24/7 strategizing and organizing”.
Your worries are justifiable, but the medium of communicating it was wrongly chosen, you are no stranger to Ohaneze Ndigbo, have you shared your worries with them? Or you chose to speak to Elders of your tribe along with the public in a public letter?
“Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win”. Really? This shouldn’t come from you in honour of your person from whom you said he asked as a brother to not do anything to assist him win but to provide a level playing ground for the people’s decision, whoever that winner will be so be it!
In your bid to unravel the game Obi is playing, which is known to both of you, but unknown to us, you sounded more like a betrayer of friendship and brotherhood:
“The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA. The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama! That many Americans may not like the fact that Joe Biden (79 years) and Donald Trump (76 years) are two frontrunners for president in their parties does not remove the fact that if both of them emerge as candidates, definitely one of them will be president in 2024”.
Sir, I must give it to you, that was an excellent marketing, you patronized Atiku and Tinubu so well using the American scenario to lower the huddles of age standing against both of them. But you should have brought to bare your international exposure to address the huddles of their corruption to sell the APGA candidate whose name you barely mentioned unofficially in your long letter to Ndigbo and epistle to Nigerians.
After all said towards de-marketing and political disadvantage of Obi, you wished him well as your brother, and even prayed for him. Sir, you mean your communication which we all read are endless good wishes and prayers for a darling brother, that, the public need to understand?
“I told him during his courtesy call that my prayer is that himself or Prof Umeadi of APGA would win, why not?”
Sir, if you are all out for APGA, a consistent mentioning of Professor Justice Peter Umeadi would had saved you from the probing of political integrity that your piece raised. You were all out to destroy Peter Obi, without an attempt to sell Peter Umeadi.
Sir, you attempted to take our eyes off the ball of political merchandising which for me is the intent of your vituperation against Obi.
When you said, “Of course, Peter Obi will get some votes, and may probably win in Anambra state— as “home boy”. But Anambra is not Nigeria. If he likes, I can even campaign for him but that won’t change much. From internal state by state polling available to me, he was on course to get 25% in 5 states as at August this year. The latest polling shows that it is down to four states, and declining. Not even in Lagos state (supposed headquarters of urban youths) where Labour Party could not find candidates to contest for House of Reps or Senate. The polls also show that he is taking votes away mostly from PDP.”
Your flow on this wasn’t suspicious until you gave it away, when you wrote:
“Indeed, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even given Peter Obi money as someone heading one of the departments of his campaign because Obi is making Tinubu’s pathway to victory much easier by indirectly pulling down PDP. It is what it is”!
Sir, indeed it is what it is, APGA we all know holds the ace at edging out Obi’s advantage of 5 states win in the South East and PDP 25% win is the region where BAT stand only a chance of just 25% vote from his Supreme Court made state by crook or hook. What a subtle patronage of BAT by his Excellency that if the price is right, you are ready to hold down your brother for him by making it a four way race in the region; Atiku, Tinubu, Obi and Umeadi.
You left no one in doubt of your determination to work for his loss in the coming election.
“What is our Plan B when Peter Obi loses in February 2023”?
Sir, we heard you well, “when” and not if!
“Some people prefer that we should play the Ostrich while Peter Obi toys with the collective destiny of over 60 million Igbos”, what a smart way to “Igbolize” a national movement. Sir, Edo state has erased the record set by the previous state that Obi visited with a mamoth crowd so far pulled by any state, the record is been regularly broken. Obi is not about collective destiny of 60 million Igbos but of all Nigerian who are fed up with the leadership your preferred candidates in Atiku and Tinubu. Please, put Obi’s and Tinubu’s visit to Jos side by side and convince yourself that the movement is an Ndigbo movement.
The desperation of the Nigerian elite political class at stopping Obi is appreciated, their reign of ruin is about to end, it’s a survival fight and it’s bound to be dirty. May be, just may be, you could have been strategic enough to know that the movement is a body with clear objectives for good governance and well defined aims of ending oppression by sacking oppressors from power. This is the revolution, with no official leadership.
“Ohun to ba jo ohun lafi we hun”, meaning there must be resemblance when substitution is your goal. Sir, you should have connected with your name sake Chukwuma Monye of ADC to provide the leadership the movement is yearning for or reach out to Omoyele Sowore of AAC who is more visible and has been in the trenches of freedom for Nigeria for close to 3 decades, who hasn’t missed any day of appearance in court by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu except when he is in incarceration, imagine a south eastern agitator teaming up with Sowore. But the class you represent are not interested in changing Obi for Sowore, they just want the oppressive status quo maintained. Them or nothing!
Haba! “Yes, you pray that he wins, but what if he fails as he is certain to”?
Your diplomacy at writing is top notch, your “if” of his failure was drowned by the certainty of your determination to see to his failure.
“It is not too late for Ohanaeze Ndigbo and progressive Igbo leaders to pre-emptively start charting a pragmatic future for Ndigbo in Nigeria after the elections. Armchair social media analysts can have the luxury of fantasizing with wild speculations. Right or wrong, they earn their pay and with no consequences. For us as leaders, the lives of tens of millions are at stake. We have a historic duty to act and being silent or politically correct is not an option. For starters, Ohanaeze should study the report of my committee (planning and strategy) in 2019. It may still be relevant today. Second, Ndigbo should seriously study the MoU signed at the Yar’Adua Centre in 2010. The leader of Igbo Political Association, Chief Simon Okeke and our members are still there. Thirdly and for me, Ndigbo should strategize and bargain especially with the TWO candidates likely to be president on at least four central issues:
A) Lasting peace and security in the South East, including the release and engagement with Nnamdi Kanu.
B) South East Economic transformation agenda and the FGN’s Marshall Plan for the South East as promised since the end of the Civil War (the post war ‘reconstruction’). We appreciate the Second Niger Bridge and recent contract for MTN to reconstruct the Onitsha-Enugu expressway. But the rail-lines to the five state capitals, speedy access to the sea, highways linking South East to the North and South South, addressing our existential threat as gully erosion capital of Africa, Free Trade and Export Processing Zones, etc.
C) Restructuring Agenda for Nigeria that devolves powers/resources to the subnational entities and in which it would no longer matter where the President comes from.
D) Levelling the playing field for the unleashing of the private sector and the full participation of Ndigbo in the economic and governance space; etc.
All of the points you raised are critical and poignant but ignoring the leadership ability of Obi and the justice and equity for the Igbo nation for which Obi is the official candidate of the Afenifere Social Cultural Group. Could it be that the man who wanted Afenifere divided for his failure on the mission has found a tool to do same in your Excellency to the Ohaneze?
Your Excellency, let me quote a line of interest in your conclusion, “no one should play God”. Let it be known that this is exactly all we could make out of your very lengthy thesis. Sir, are you then a god to decide destiny or a governor to encourage a citizen of his state. Whichever you think of yourself, you failed Obi, Anambra state and Ndigbo.
Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is a bold activist, an inspiring apostle and a dynamic nation builder with several intervention projects towards a better and greater Nigeria. You can read more from him on his blog: www.bolajioakinyemi.com
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, says Nigeria is better than many countries including developed ones, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The governor said this while addressing Buhari at an event in Jos, Plateau State on Tuesday, November 15.
“You have done so well in terms of infrastructure and our economy. You inherited it when there were recessions and challenges across the world.
Today in Nigeria, we are better than so many countries, including developed ones. It is under this wonderful APC, that you gave women, people and youth living with disabilities a chance to have a voice and belong.
Your Excellency, you have done it from 2015 to 2019, from 2019 till date,” he said.
I felt pity as I watched Governor Soludo caught up in an intractable quagmire, all of his own making. His first mistake was to try to say something that was irrelevant and which nobody wanted to hear. Whether Obi invested state money in buying shares in a company where he invested his private funds is not what anybody wants to hear. Standing against Tinubu and Atiku, Obi is a Saint and anybody trying to put Obi down would be seen as an enemy of the people.
Also, Soludo said something else he has no right saying. Repeadly stating that Obi would lose the election is the one that shocked me. How can a sitting Governor be debating with the electorates over who would win or lose election? Is he somebody’s campaign manager? He even predicted that the APGA candidate would beat Obi because, according to him, APGA had better structure than Labor Party. When I read this, I was so shocked.
Soludo showed lack of wisdom. He could have seen that nobody has been able to attack Obi without being destroyed. The most powerful prophet Fr. Mbaka is now in a Monastry prison for attacking Obi. Bishop Chukwuma is hiding in a corner now after attacking Obi. Even Reno Omokri got the whipping of his life. One journalist called Omoteseyi, who wrote an article titled Obi-tuary, has not recovered from attacking Obi. The streets are littered practically with corpses of those who attacked Obi. Why did Soludo want to become one of the littered bodies.
Overconfidence often insulates men from reality. Soludo must have gotten to the point of believing he could have his way on any topic of his choosing. So, he believed he could succeed where a prophet like Mbaka failed. Wrong assessment! When Soludo realized he miscalculated, the best thing would have been for him to keep quiet, and many of his friends advised him to keep quiet. But he refused. Hot blood was rushing in his veins. He did not realize that he couldn’t win this battle.
Today, to fight Obi is to fight majority of Nigeriabs frustrated by the Nigerian circumstance. If you think Obi will lose election, just keep it to yourself. I pity any public figure who takes the risk of fighting the people behind the dream of Obi. Sorry, Soludo. Next time, try to read the signpost well.
Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, has reacted to the strongly-worded letter which Governor Charles Soludo wrote about his 2023 ambition.
The letter, which was released on Monday afternoon, literally set the internet on fire.
In the 4008-word piece, Soludo dismissed Obi, one of his predecessors as a joker in the 2023 race, saying he would only deplete the votes of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and widen the chances of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tracing the multiple defections of Obi from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to PDP and Labour Party, which he described as “transit camp” for aspirants who lost primaries, the governor said Obi himself knows that he cannot win.
Soludo also took a swipe at Obi supporters whom he referred to as social media mob.
Reacting, while speaking to the alumni association of the Lagos Business School at an event on Tuesday, Obi said Soludo remains his brother.
The United Kingdom and the United States have expressed concerns over the attacks and destruction of the Independent National Electoral Commission facilities across the country, warning that this portends grave danger to the 2023 elections.
The UK Development Director, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Chris Pycroft, and US Consul General, Mr. Will Stevens, said this at separate fora on Monday against the backdrop of the multiple attacks on INEC offices and violent rivalry among political parties in the country.
Last week, INEC offices in Ogun and Osun states were torched by unknown persons.
The electoral body had also said that about 41 attacks had been carried out against its offices in 14 states between February 2019 and May 2021.
Speaking at the Northern Peace Conference on the 2023 General Elections in Abuja organised by the 2Baba Foundation in partnership with the J-Dev Foundation and the Child Protection and Peer Learning Initiative, Pycroft said the survival of democracy in Nigeria is critical to Africa and the world at large.
Themed, ‘Vote Not Fight: Election No Be War,’ the event attracted eminent personalities including the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, Northern Elders Forum’s spokesman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, among others.
Pycrof said fears over the forthcoming election have heightened in Nigeria over the past few years even as he called on all stakeholders, particularly politicians to commit to peaceful conduct before, during and after the elections.
He said, “As we approach the polls next year, attacks on INEC facilities and personnel, violent clashes between opposing members of political parties or broader security challenges are all factors that threaten the peaceful and inclusive and successful execution of the elections.
“The largest democracy in Africa occupies a critical place in efforts to consolidate democracy elsewhere across the world. Credible, useful elections will deepen citizens’ trust and reinforce the foundations for democratic consolidation in Nigeria.”
According to the diplomat, a peaceful environment enables people to cast their votes on election day, without fear of harm, intimidation, or coercion.
He pledged the support of the UK government to Nigeria both in ensuring the smooth conduct of the elections and in sustaining her democracy.
On his part, Baba-Ahmed called on the United Kingdom and the rest of the international community to match words with action in their commitment to credible elections in Nigeria.
Lamenting the spate of violence ahead of the polls, the Northern Elders Forum’s spokesman called for adequate security measures to enable eligible Nigerians in various communities participate in the electioneering process.
On his part, Abdullahi Zoro who stood in for INEC chairman, tasked political parties and their candidates to play by the rules for in his words, “the credibility of any government is determined by the credibility of the process that brings it to power.”
He pledged the commitment of the umpire to doing a good job, saying “INEC places high premium in ensuring that the elections are free, fair and credible.”
Meanwhile, the US has insisted on credible and peaceful polls for the 2023 elections, saying the polls must reflect the will of the people.
Speaking at an open session of election reporting workshop for journalists, organised by West Africa Broadcast & Media Academy in Ibadan on Monday, the US Consul General, Will Stevens, added that the US government looked forward to seeing a free and fair conduct of the 2023 election in Nigeria.
Stevens said, “We really want to see a credible, transparent, peaceful election. That above all, represents the will for the Nigerian people in our programmes and our funding our ballot process, and encouraging people to vote. So people participate in a democracy. They feel like they have a stake in that democracy.
‘’When they vote, when they read your reporting, they feel like they’re part of the project of Nigeria, just like the project of the United States. So I’ll leave you with the words of one of my heroes, American investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett, who said, ‘’the smarter the journalists are, the better off society is.”
According to the Consul General, the US has also earmarked over $50mn for the training of journalists, Civil Society Organisations and technical assistance among others to ensure transparent 2023 polls.
In a related development, the National Peace Committee has condemned the spate of violence in the country barely a few months to the 2023 general election.
The committee which only in September brought all 18 registered political parties and their presidential candidates to commit to peaceful polls, expressed worry that in the past few weeks, politicians have conducted themselves in a manner that betrays the letter and spirit of the peace accord they all endorsed willingly.
In a statement titled, ‘Towards Peaceful Campaigns: Our Concerns,’ and signed by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah and former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), the committee expressed sadness over what it called “the deterioration in the communication of fundamental issues among the politicians since the Independent National Electoral Commission lifted the ban on political campaigns on September 28, 2022.”
The statement read in part, “When all the presidential candidates and the party chairmen signed the peace accord, they were committed to infusing a sense of decency, civility and nobility in the political process. The political actors cannot pretend to be oblivious of the content of the peace accord that they signed. Nigerians expect that as men and women of honour, they were committed to keeping their words.
Meanwhile, the new Kano State Police Commissioner, Mr. Mamman Dauda, has pledged to uphold the principles of the 2022 Electoral Act to ensure peaceful conduct of the forthcoming 2023 general election.
Re: History Beckons and I will not be Silent by Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
Part 1… Scene 1.
By Paschal Candle.
Ordinarily I wouldn’t have responded to this vainglorious and Empty Essay by Professor Soludo. But after wasting my Data and time reading this Trash, I want to set the records straight. I am not a fan of Mr Peter Obi and I have never supported Governor Peter Obi in anything. In 2010, I supported Prof. Soludo in PDP. My Ward then was one of those 10 wards Prof. Soludo won as PDP Governorship Candidate. In 2013, Peter Obi brought Obiano, I never supported Obiano and APGA because the Party was built on envy and lies.
I have asked myself, the letter released today by Prof. Soludo, is it necessary? I have wasted my time and data to read it carefully. The letter would be necessary if Peter Obi himself had responded to Soludo’s outing on Channels Tv. It might be necessary also if Peter Obi had authorised his spokesperson to reply Soludo. In that case, the reply should also come from Soludo’s aide, not him. In this case, Our Professor is replying to himself. He granted Interview and was replying to his interview. Is this how he got the Professorship.
So, the letter can be faulted on grounds of strategic purpose for Him (Soludo) in that the governor should not engage a mob. Professor Soludo belittled himself and his office by engaging the Mobs as he called them.
From Prof. Soludo purported and so called response to the trending issue,”All Peter Obi’s Investment are worthless. The Governor ended up saying nothing new. All the Rhetorics he is trying to portray, are what people are already aware of. The lengthy esay is as empty as anything you can think of. To Professor Soludo, what you said on Channels Television is very clear. Even ordinary Trader in Main Market understood you clear. You are just beating around the bush. You are a Professor of Economics or one time Governor of Central Bank, that does not make you the most intelligent or brilliant Igbo Man. You becoming the Governor of Central is just an opportunity which can come to anybody. You are just lucky to get it, not that you are the most qualified for it. There are people with two PhDs, yet they are still where they are today. Thank your gods who made it possible for you.
When I told some friends last week that Governor Soludo is on a clear mission to discredit Peter Obi. Some said it is not true. Just today, the news is everywhere that Professor Soludo is out to probe Mr Peter Obi administration. I thought it was a joke. Till this moment no official spokesman of Professor Soludo or APGA or the State Government has come out to deny that report. So with this lengthy and baseless esay which the Governor authored, every right thinking being will now agree with me that Professor Soludo is on a mission.
You are probing a man who handed over 9 years ago. Governor Obiano did the same during his tenure and found nothing. Now, you are towing the same line. We are watching. We want the Probe to be public. So that Ndi Anambra will know the pure truth. Bear it in mind, what goes around, comes around. We have seen BILLIONS you are mapping out for roads in Anambra State all in the name of STONEBASE ROADS. Even the companies that are being used for those constructions. We are watching also with keen interest.
Taking time to go through this Professor Soludo’s Envy-laden and logically error riddled offering, you can see that politically, Professor Soludo is confused and envy of what his Brother has achieved in the Political space within a shortest time. Ambition is not a crime. Mr Peter Obi contesting for President of this country is not a crime and I don’t expect everybody to support him.
There are many burning Issues in the country. We have serious economic and security issues. One would have expected our Professor of economics to come up with a blueprint on how we will address the economic problems of the country. Rather, Our Much celebrated Professor is discussing Personality instead of Core issues.
Professor Soludo described Supporters of Mr Peter Obi, who were mainly young Nigerians as “Social Media Mob.” What a lousy statement. This is a great insult on those supporters of Mr Peter Obi.
In the baseless Essay, you can see Prof. Soludo speaking from two sides of his mouth. He is urging Ndi Igbo to Support APGA as an Igbo Party in order to give Ndi Igbo voice. He said APGA has a Presidential Candidate. He also said in the same essay that there are only two Presidential Candidates. That means to him, Mr Peter Obi, Kwankwanso, Abiola and even his own Peter Umeadi of APGA are not in the race. So if Jutlstice Umeadi is not in the Race, so why asking people to vote for your Party Candidate, when you know he is not a serious contender. That is a ranting of a confused Professor.
To Prof. Soludo, Mr Peter Obi is not in the Presidential race. He is just catching cruise. The mammoth crowd that Welcomed Mr Peter Obi in Edo State and Abia State, are they out there for cruise. I challenge Prof. Soludo to organise 10,000 man March for his Party, APGA and Presidential Candidate in Anambra State, 1000 man March for the same man in any Nigerian State.
One of the angers of Prof. Soludo is that Peter obi left APGA for PDP while you Soludo remain in APGA. Let me ask Prof. Soludo, are you a foundation member of APGA. Soludo you left PDP for APGA. The same way Peter Obi left APGA for PDP. Your own is not a crime but Peter committed a crime for leaving APGA.
You said Peter Obi cannot be President from Jumping from one party to another. Did you Prof. Solduo not become Governor from Jumping from PDP to APGA? Did President Buhari not become President from jumping from ANPP to CPC to APC. It is very clear you are too jealous of Mr Peter Obi. I know you have not forgiven Peter Obi for defeating you in 2010 and for your disqualification as an APGA aspirant in 2013. I know you have not forgiven Senator Victor Umeh for that disqualification that is why you made everything possible to make sure Victor Umeh didn’t get that Anambra Central Ticket of APGA. To you, it is better APGA loses Anambra Central instead of Senator Victor Umeh clinching the Ticket. Yet, you claim to be a Christian. You are a sadist.
Mr Governor, you are not telling yourself the truth. What you said on National Television is very clear to everyone. So stop beating around the bush. You claimed that Mr Peter Obi investment is worthless. I have asked you, is Mr Peter Obi investment in Education Sector, Health Sector, Civil Service Sector and many others a waste and worthless?
I make bold to ask Prof. Soludo to tell Ndi Anambra what made his own investment in the mining sector Worthless? Or do you think we do not know that you sold almost all your shares and invested in the MINNING SECTOR, which you lost all the investment. Your saving grace was Governor Obiano who revived you and gave you the Governorship seat against all odds.
To Professor Soludo, he is the most intelligent Igbo man. He knows more than everyone. For those who didn’t know, It is on record that Prof. Soludo fought Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Prof. Dora Akunyili, even in death, fought for autonomous community in his town. Does a Leopard change its spots? Not at all.
Today, Prof. Soludo is the only economics and a Political seer of our time. He is the only one that knows who will win election and who will lose election. Since Soludo is a seer, why didn’t he see that he will not win in 2010. Yet he went ahead to contest for the Governor. Why didn’t he see that APGA swill disqualify him in 2013. Mr seer in Politics. I could remember in 2010, When Prof. Soludo was addressing us in PDP, he said he was the ordained Candidate. He will win the election and he is the Next Governor of ANAMBRA State. That Yar’dua wants to use Anambra State to test him. That his main target is the President. He is going to be the first Igbo man to be President. So they want to use Anambra and see what he can do. That was why he can with that useless slogan”AFRICAN-DUBAI-TAIWAN AGENDA.”
Therefore, Prof. Soludo’s letter in my view, is neither here nor there, and ultimately failed certain strategic tests, based on what is at stake for him. And what is at stake for Prof. Soludo. He wants to contest for President. He is supporting Atiku Abubakar to become President. After Atiku’s First Tenure. He will be used as Atiku’s running Mate during his second tenure. Then Atiku will hand over to him as Presidential Candidate of PDP. What a marvellous dream, Prof. Soludo.
I will end this article with this statement from Professor Madam Ngozi Okonjo Iweala about Our Lousy Professor, “an embittered loser in the Nigerian political space” who is “so derailed” to “commit intellectual harakiri by deliberately misquoting economic facts and maliciously turning statistics on their head to justify a hatchet job. “Soludo has shamelessly pandered to so many past leaders that Nigerians are asking one more time – what position is Soludo gunning for now?”.
“There is definitely an issue of character with Prof. Charles Soludo and his desperate search for power and relevance in Nigeria. Nigerians should therefore beware of so-called intellectuals without character and wisdom because this combination is fatal.”
Paschal Candle is a Political and Public Affairs analyst writing from Abuja, The Federal Capital Territory.
My attention has been drawn to some of the tirades on social media following my frank response during an interview on Channels TV regarding the “investments” Mr. Peter Obi claimed to have made with Anambra state revenues. Sadly, several of the comments left the issue of the interview to probe or suggest motives, inferred from my response on “investment” that I am opposed to Peter Obi’s ambition and therefore committed a “crime” for which the punishment is internecine abuse and harassment even to my family. Some people even suggest that the gunmen who went to attack a checkpoint at my hometown on Saturday 12th November but were gunned down was part of the mob reaction. I used to think that for decent people, certain conducts are off-limits, and that in Anambra, politics is not warfare.
Of course, as a Christian, I know that telling the truth can be very costly, even suicidal. Our Lord and saviour was crucified simply for telling the truth the people did not want to hear. I promised that I won’t be the usual politician, and will not knowingly lie to the people. I am not an Angel but rather than knowingly repeat the same deceitful character that politicians are known for, I would leave public office. It is a vow I made to my God and to my family. Only God knows how many days I will be on this seat but whether I am on it or not I will always say it as it is— knowing fully the suicidal consequences of telling the truth in a political arena, especially in a country where lying and deceit by politicians have become culture and celebrated as being “smart”.
Ideally, I should just have laughed off the infantile exuberances as many friends advised (I am used to this, having been in the ‘Arena’ for a while). I always re-read the quote “The Man in the Arena…” by President Theodore Roosevelt (1910) to remind myself of the burden of public office. Several well meaning Nigerians and Ndigbo called to advise that I should just ignore them. A respected Igbo elder-statesman who called, advised that I should just ignore what he described as “Peter Obi and his social media mob”. According to him, “everyone knows that he is going nowhere, but they are looking for who to blame”. After some 20 minutes of discussion, he advised that I should personally author a response— just for the records.
Everyone knows that I don’t follow the winds nor one to succumb to bullies, nor shy away from a good fight especially when weighty matters of principles and future of the people are involved. One lesson I learnt from my former boss and mentor, President Obasanjo, is never to be on the fence. I learnt that one must always take a stand: for better or for worse. I do so with every sense of humility, and leave history to judge. Most people have commended me for “tactfully avoiding being drawn into the Peter Obi issue” until now. Since I am now being forced into the Arena on this matter, I have a duty and a right of reply, if only for the records, and to also give the social media mob something substantive to rant upon and rain their abuses for weeks. In this preliminary response, there are some things I will refrain from saying here because, in the end, February/March 2023 will come and go, and life will continue.
At the outset, let me state that this exhibition of desperation, intolerance and attempt to bully everyone who expresses the slightest of dissent is reprehensible. This is Hitler in the making. When the revered Arch Bishop Chukwuma stated that in Enugu State, they were not obedient, he was ferociously bullied on social media. Any dissent is tagged a saboteur or, in my case, it could be that I want to contest for president after office or that I am envious of Peter Obi. Soludo envious of Peter Obi? Totally laughable! But this is the same person I was asking to return to APGA in March 2022 and contest for president and yet envious or doesn’t want him to be president. This is madness! Seriously speaking, the obdurate attempt to muscle the republican Igbos to maintain the silence of the graveyard is antithetical to everything Igbo. It is not who we are. Insulting other ethnic groups and religions or denigrating others is certainly not the path to Aso Rock. If this is not checked, it may indeed endanger the future political and economic interests of the Igbos.
In his time, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the undisputed all time leader of the Igbos but he had his arch rivals and even independent candidates won landslide elections against his party, NCNC, in Igboland. Obafemi Awolowo had stiff opposition among the Yorubas while Ahmadu Bello had his share of opponents in the Northern region. Today, no one has accused Afenifere or other strong presidential candidates from the South West of being “anti Yoruba” because Tinubu is a frontrunner, nor has anyone accused Kwankwaso and several other Northern candidates of being “anti-North” for not supporting Atiku. As a full blooded republican Igboman and democrat, I reject this despotic intolerance.
Yes, I fully understand the anger of some urban and Diaspora youths and some Nigerians who are dissatisfied with the trajectory of the country or with the candidates of the major parties and wished other options. Not knowing much about others, some see Peter Obi as the contrast they wished for. I get the point. But this is a democracy: the minority will have their say, but the majority their way. Translating anger and social media agitation into political outcomes requires humongous work.
For full disclosure, let me state that Peter Obi and I are not just friends, we call ourselves “brothers”. But we have political differences: he left APGA for PDP after his tenure as Governor while I have remained in APGA since 2013. During the last two governorship elections in Anambra in 2017 and 2021, he led the PDP campaigns but APGA won landslide in both elections. By the way, in 2016, he visited and proposed that I defect to PDP and contest the 2017 election against the incumbent Willie Obiano, but I declined. After my victory in November 2021, he called to congratulate me as I did to him in 2010. That is the Anambra way: we fight fiercely during campaigns but share drinks at the next social events. After all, it was the great Zik of Africa who taught us that in politics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies but only permanent interests.
We sat next to each other during the Emeka Anyaoku lecture at Nnamdi Azikiwe University on 8th March, 2022 and I made an offer for him to return to APGA and contest as its presidential candidate. Yes, I did. In my mind, it was time for Igbos to organize their region politically before stepping out to bargain power with other organized coalitions. On his part, he tried to convince me that he expected APC to unravel while PDP would be the “only one” standing. We debated and he proposed that we could meet later to discuss further. He attended my inauguration on March 17. A few weeks later, he requested and I obliged him to use the Anambra State government house facility to launch his presidential bid under PDP. I was surprised to read in the news later that he had defected to LP (a party with literally zero structure), thereby attempting to weaken the same PDP he saw as the saviour a few weeks earlier. He paid me a courtesy call as the presidential candidate of LP, and we had frank discussions.
During our meeting, I reminded him of my proposal to him to come and contest under APGA. More importantly, I told him (possibly to his surprise) that I did not make the proposal in the belief that he will win in 2023 but that it would give us the opportunity to get our people organized as a bargaining force, with him leading the effort since I was busy as Governor (my immediate predecessor, Willie Obiano had indicated to me that he was not disposed to contest an election). We noted that we were in opposing political parties and in response to my direct question as to how I might help him, he requested that I should just ensure a “level playing field” and let the people decide. In fidelity, my government has provided the atmosphere for him and his supporters to operate freely in Anambra without any molestation (compare with treatments to LP even in other South East states), and allowed his billboards which are, in many places, wrongly placed almost on the roads. As a person, I have several shortcomings but being petty is not one of them. We have shown him tremendous goodwill—which he did not extend to the same Labour Party when he was Governor (Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, as LP governorship candidate in 2013 was denied the use of Ekwueme Square for his rallies).
Someone reminded me that a mob has no head and hence cannot reason. The same Peter Obi was one of those who told Ndigbo that APGA was the vehicle through which Igbos would organize to engage the rest of Nigeria politically. He was said to have sworn to Ojukwu and publicly that he would quit politics the day he leaves APGA. The rest is history. When he was the Vice-Presidential candidate under PDP in 2019, the emotive train then dubbed the ticket “the Igbo project”. As then chairman of planning and strategy committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, I cautioned for a more pragmatic approach but the emotive blaze of the time held sway. We were vindicated afterwards.
By the way, APGA is Nigeria’s third largest political party today (after APC and PDP, it is the only other party with a state governor and third largest presence at the National Assembly). And some people have the temerity to suggest that APGA’s candidate should “step down” for Peter Obi as the “Igbo candidate”. I wonder when Igbos met to choose a candidate. They even argue that afterall APGA supported President Jonathan and did not field a candidate then. Well, the fact as I was told was that no candidate showed interest under APGA then. Besides, APGA’s unwritten rule then was to support the party at the centre — which, if we apply this time, should actually be APC. But we have our own candidate. Recall that all the political parties had their primaries during the same period. Once Peter Obi realized that he won’t get the presidential or vice-presidential ticket of PDP he ran to Labour Party (a political party known as a transit camp for aspirants who lost primaries in APC, PDP and APGA), and the chorus by a vociferous minority now is that LP has become the “Igbo project”, and the APGA candidate who emerged the same time as Peter Obi should “step down”. Ridiculous! Now I truly understand that a mob cannot reason.
When will Ndigbo understand and learn politics, especially of Nigeria? When Bola Ahmed Tinubu defied the political wind of the time and stood out as the “only man standing” in AD and later AC (before ACN) against a sitting president of Yoruba descent, no one accused him of being “anti-Yoruba”. Indeed, everyone recalls that both Tinubu and President Obasanjo disagreed politically, and probably still disagree—but none is being accused of being “anti- Yoruba”. Under Tinubu, the South West strategically organized under a different political party, the ACN and went into a formidable alliance that kicked out a sitting president (in Africa?), and that alliance is not broken yet. Igbos, in their frenzied Nzogbu nzogbu politics, have sadly found themselves in a political cul de sac. Tragic indeed! When will my people smell the morning coffee?
Let me now address the substance of my response during the interview, and I stand by what I said. On record, I doubt that any governor in Nigeria has paid as much tribute to his predecessors as I have done during campaigns and in office. I always said that ALL of them did well and to the best of their abilities. Yes, Peter Obi was governor for 8 years (2006 -2014) during a period of unprecedented oil boom and prosperity in Nigeria (Nigerian economy was growing at average of 6-8% per annum, and oil price was highest during this time). I have seen all kinds of funny comments and interpretations regarding what I said about the value of his “investments”. Some refer to SabMiller and bandy all kinds of figures as to how the investment of $12 million is now worth less than $3 million. Of course, there is room for legitimate debate about the logic or quality of the investments. For example, people might differ as to the propriety of using taxpayers money to promote a company in which one is a shareholder in the name of “investment”, or even whether so called “savings” are warranted when there were dozens of schools without roofs or classrooms, or local governments without access roads or hospitals without doctors/nurses. A Bishop recently publicly advised that I should please try to construct the “Ngige type of quality roads”, stating that the ones done by his successor (that is, Peter Obi) had washed off, while Ngige’s remained. I promised and we are delivering quality roads that Anambra has not seen before.
For sure, prudence in public resource management is desirable and we are opening new frontiers in that area. People will however differ as to whether saving money in the bank account is a KPI (key performance indicator) for a government where poverty is escalating except where its institutions for absorption are weak or where the government has no robust/big agenda for transformation. Governments exist to save lives, not to save money. We can debate and differ on this— (by the way, I know when/how it is appropriate to “save” as I built Nigeria’s foreign reserves from $10 billion I inherited to all time $63 billion, and even after paying $12 billion to pay-off Nigeria’s external debt and going through unprecedented global financial crisis, I still left behind about $45 billion— Go and verify!).
Funny, in the rabid frenzy to grab every straw, they cut a clip during our governorship debate where I was stating vital statistics and they claimed that I was “praising” Peter Obi then while committing a crime now by “criticising” him. Hahahaha! Well, it is true that I said during the debate that, according to National Bureau of Statistics, poverty in Anambra actually grew (from less than 25% in 2005) to about 53% under Peter Obi in 2010/2011 but fell under Willie Obiano to 14.78% in 2020. Yes, poverty more than doubled under Peter Obi and more than 50% of Ndi Anambra were in poverty under him. Go and verify! I am Governor, and sitting on privileged information which I will not want to use against a political opponent. But on matters of facts, I will always state same as is. As the saying goes, you can fool some of the people some of the time but never all the people all the time. Enough said for now!
Where do we go from here? I listened to my friend Gov El-Rufai on TV explaining why the northern governors decided that power should shift to the South. According to him, they asked themselves what would their founding fathers—Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa or Aminu Kano have done in the circumstance. Today, I ask my people, Ndigbo: do we ask what Azikiwe or M.I. Okpara or Akanu Ibiam would do in the present circumstance? I worry that Ndigbo as Nigeria’s foremost itinerant tribe and with the greatest stake in the Nigerian project does not yet have a strategy to engage Nigeria—politically! Every four years, we resurface with emotive Nzogbu Nzogbu political dance (“it is our turn dance” but without organization or strategy) and fizzle out afterwards while others work 24/7 strategizing and organizing.
Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the game he is playing, and we know too; and he knows that we know. The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA. The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama! That many Americans may not like the fact that Joe Biden (79 years) and Donald Trump (76 years) are two frontrunners for president in their parties does not remove the fact that if both of them emerge as candidates, definitely one of them will be president in 2024.
As my brother, I wish him well and even pray for him. I told him during his courtesy call that my prayer is that himself or Prof Umeadi of APGA would win, why not? That is from my heart, but I also told him that my head and facts on the ground led me to know that it’s probability is next to zero (what I cannot say before you, I won’t say behind you). So I already told him my opinion. Indeed, there is no credible pathway for him near the first two positions, and if care is not taken, he won’t even near the third position. Analysts tell him you don’t need “structure” to win. Fantasy! Of course, LP won governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun on social media and via phantom polls, while getting barely 2,000 votes on ground. Creating a credible third force for presidential election in Nigeria requires a totally different strategy and extreme hard work.
Of course, Peter Obi will get some votes, and may probably win in Anambra state— as “home boy”. But Anambra is not Nigeria. If he likes, I can even campaign for him but that won’t change much. From internal state by state polling available to me, he was on course to get 25% in 5 states as at August this year. The latest polling shows that it is down to four states, and declining. Not even in Lagos state (supposed headquarters of urban youths) where Labour Party could not find candidates to contest for House of Reps or Senate. The polls also show that he is taking votes away mostly from PDP. Indeed, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even give Peter Obi money as someone heading one of the departments of his campaign because Obi is making Tinubu’s pathway to victory much easier by indirectly pulling down PDP. It is what it is!
The current fleeting frenzy, if not checked, will cost Ndigbo dearly for years. The South East has the lowest number of votes of any region, but it is also the only region where the presidential race might be a 4-way race (it is a two-way race in the other 5 regions) thereby ensuring that our votes won’t count in the making of the next president of Nigeria. Afterwards, we would start complaining that we don’t get “what we deserve” or cry of marginalization. During the 2019 presidential election, the five South East States were united for PDP but contributed merely 1.6 million votes to PDP which was about the votes that Kano state gave to Buhari. The emotions might run to heavens but politics-power is about cold calculations, organization and building alliances for power. In a democracy, it is a game of numbers. So far, I don’t see any of these— and 2023 might again be a wasted opportunity for Ndigbo! What is our Plan B when Peter Obi loses in February 2023? Some people prefer that we should play the Ostrich while Peter Obi toys with the collective destiny of over 60 million Igbos. Yes, you pray that he wins, but what if he fails as he is certain to? The Bible says that my people perish for lack of knowledge. As the saying goes, only those who Plan can control the future. Ndigbo, wake up and smell the coffee!
What would Zik of Africa or M.I. Okpara do in this circumstance? Our founding fathers understood that in politics, you don’t get what you deserve but what you bargain/negotiate, and you negotiate with your organization and VOTES. Not social media militancy or bullying (where over 90% of actual voters are not on social media)! Our fathers built alliances with other major political parties in other regions (not with socio-cultural groups that don’t command any votes), and Ndigbo were in the reckoning in the first and second republics. After the elections, we will see how many votes any of the leaders of the socio-cultural groups will get for Peter Obi from their wards. Sometimes I even sense a conspiracy to nudge us on a path to nowhere thereby further pushing us into irrelevance, and I pray that I am wrong. Just my two cents!
It is not too late for Ohanaeze Ndigbo and progressive Igbo leaders to pre-emptively start charting a pragmatic future for Ndigbo in Nigeria after the elections. Armchair social media analysts can have the luxury of fantasizing with wild speculations. Right or wrong, they earn their pay and with no consequences. For us as leaders, the lives of tens of millions are at stake. We have a historic duty to act and being silent or politically correct is not an option. For starters, Ohanaeze should study the report of my committee (planning and strategy) in 2019. It may still be relevant today. Second, Ndigbo should seriously study the MoU signed at the Yar’Adua Centre in 2010. The leader of Igbo Political Association, Chief Simon Okeke and our members are still there. Thirdly and for me, Ndigbo should strategize and bargain especially with the TWO candidates likely to be president on at least four central issues:
A) Lasting peace and security in the South East, including the release and engagement with Nnamdi Kanu.
B) South East Economic transformation agenda and the FGN’s Marshall Plan for the South East as promised since the end of the Civil War (the post war ‘reconstruction’). We appreciate the Second Niger Bridge and recent contract for MTN to reconstruct the Onitsha-Enugu expressway. But the rail-lines to the five state capitals, speedy access to the sea, highways linking South East to the North and South South, addressing our existential threat as gully erosion capital of Africa, Free Trade and Export Processing Zones, etc.
C) Restructuring Agenda for Nigeria that devolves powers/resources to the subnational entities and in which it would no longer matter where the President comes from.
D) Levelling the playing field for the unleashing of the private sector and the full participation of Ndigbo in the economic and governance space; etc.
To conclude, let me once again wish my brother Peter Obi good luck. He should have fun and enjoy the fleeting frenzy of the moment. But he must moderate the desperation as exhibited by his social media mob. There is a limit to propaganda. A mob action often reflects the character of its leader. No one has a monopoly of social media violence, and no one should play God. Life won’t end by February/March 2023.
I hope that after February 2023, Peter Obi will return to APGA (the party that made him everything he is politically) as I offered him on 8th March, 2022 and begin the hard work, if he truly wants to be president of Nigeria. It won’t happen by desperately jumping from one party to another or by unleashing a social media mob on everyone who slightly disagrees with you. I decided to pen my views personally — again for the records. On this, I don’t mind being a one man minority. As history beckons, my conscience and sense of duty to my people dictate that I should never be silent. I will happily accept the judgment of history for standing by the truth!
