As Anambra governorship election draws closer, what is the level of preparation of your party towards taking over the state?
We have a lot of plans, which will be unfolded as days go by. As we speak, in December, 2020, we did comprehensive evaluation of party structure and party leadership to examine how committed and prepared the party leadership are for PDP takeover of the state. Soon, we are starting mobilization and sensitization tour of all the local government areas of the state. Thereafter, we will be going into training programme for party leaders and operatives. After that, we go into another stage of contact and mobilization, reaching out to prominent citizens of the state, and telling them why PDP is best suited to come back to power in the state. After that, we go into massive statewide campaign, ward to ward, as prelude to the party primaries. Immediately after the primaries, the candidate will emerge; then, as a party, we shall lead our flag bearer to the field for campaigns. By then, Anambra people will understand that what we have in Anambra today is a failed government; a government of retardation, and a government that has squandered our common wealth. By the time we go to the field, Anambra will understand that this present government is not worth entrusting with power again.
The plan on ground in Anambra as regards zoning of governorship slot contradicts what PDP is championing at the national level. Why that contradiction?
PDP in Anambra is not aware of any zoning arrangement. We are not part of it. If there is anything like that, it is mere APGA arrangement. Each political party is free to devise its own strategy towards wining political power. Now that APGA has realized that it has nothing on ground to market itself and its candidate for 2021 election, the party has resorted to clannish and mundane ideas. They do not have any achievement on ground to campaign with; ordinarily, the party’s achievement should have been the ground for its campaigns, not zoning. PDP in Anambra State will not be thrown into that madness. We, as a party, it is our responsibility and duty to determine how to achieve what we want; which is winning the governorship election. What we have today in Anambra is a government for one set of people; not even for one local government; but for one set of people – a cabal, so to say. That is not what we need in Anambra. What we need in Anambra today is a governor that will represent the entire state; not governor for the cabals.
What will be the parameter of your party in choosing its flag bearer?
Selection of candidate or flag bearer for PDP is the prerogative of the delegate. The delegate has wide range of interests. If an aspirant is able to aggregate these interests, the delegate will choose him. We are happy that the entire people, who have indicated interests to contest under the umbrella of PDP, are eminent personalities, highly qualified, and who can hit the ground running anytime, anywhere, once they emerge. They have the experience, they have the contact, they understand what governance, and wealth creation and infrastructure are all about.
A female aspirant under your party recently made a case, where she pleaded that governorship slots should be rationed on male/female arrangement. Does your party welcome such?
Politics is all about interests and a set of ideas that will lead to the achievement of a goal. It is enshrined in the PDP Constitution that women must be given their pride of place in the party structure and arrangement. This is one of the cardinal objectives of our party; but, as I emphasized earlier, the delegates will have the final say. If they wake up on the day of primaries and decide to elect a woman flag bearer, so be it; but if they decide that a man will fly their flag, so be it. It now behooves on the aspirants to approach the party and delegates, and convince them on why any or each of them will be best choice to fly the party flag.
This is the first governorship election you are witnessing as PDP chairman in Anambra. What does this task mean to you?
It is a major task to me, and I will give it all that my political experience and sagacity can offer, and by the grace of God, I will deliver in this very first assignment.
It is becoming a ritual that in every major election like this, PDP in the state will sink into crisis. How would the party under your watch check this trend to ensure victory at the polls?
I had successfully presided over general election, both state and national assemblies. It is on record that in 2019, there were no two centers where primaries were held by PDP in the state. All of them were conducted in one place. It is also on record that there were no two different results flying here and there for the election. It is also on record that after the election, there were no litigations against any of the results or candidates that emerged after the party’s primaries. Therefore, I do not have any doubt in my mind that under my watch, PDP will still replicate this feat in the coming governorship election in Anambra.
What, in your mind, is the very factor that will favour PDP against the incumbent in the coming election?
The first factor is maladministration and poor performance of APGA government in the state. Second one is that the PDP, under my watch, in synergy with the zonal and national leadership of the party, is prepared to deliver transparent, free and fair exercises; not only for the primaries but also for all the exercises that will lead to the primaries; so that whoever that wins will know that he wins, and whoever that loses will also welcome the result. That will also absolve the party leadership from getting entangled on the muddy waters of supporting a particular candidate. Again, the PDP has people-oriented programmes for the state. These will be unfolded as time comes. These programmes will also tell Anambra people that we have what it takes to change the narrative, and to keep the light shining.
What is your assessment of APGA government in the state in the past seven years?
Abysmal failure! That is my assessment. The administration in the past 7 years has robbed the state of the remaining hope in it. This government is a complete failure; that is the best way to describe it.
Would you give brief political profile of yourself?
Ndubisi Nwobu is a grassroots politician, a former party chairman of Agulu-Ezioka Ward, in Awka South Local Government Area of the state. I was a former director of campaign and mobilization for Musa Yar’Aduah Campaign Organisation; a former state chairman of the Action Congress, ACN. I was a former executive chairman, Awka South Local Government Area. I am a student of politics, having bagged bachelors and masters degrees in political science. I am a Paul Haris Fellow and former president of Rotary Club of Awka. I am the MD/CEO of the Geogold Hotels, Awka; I am presently the chairman of PDP in Anambra, among other things.
What is your view on the present herdsmen onslaught on communities across the Nigeria?
We need to understand the fact that we have a president, who does not appreciate that he is a president of the whole nation. If he really appreciates that he is the president of the entire nation, he would be worried and ashamed of what herdsmen are doing today in the country. He has given the impetus to his own kinsmen to be marauding everywhere in the country. That is a clear indication of bad leadership. Instead of calling his people to order, he is giving them greater latitude to continue their onslaught in the country. Nigeria never had it this bad. We had Fulani herdsmen before now. They never had this kind of issue with other Nigerians before now. They were not carrying arms before now; but today, they carry arms terrorizing all parts of the country. And he had failed on his duty as president by not calling them to order. He needs to call them to order this time around, before they will dismember this country.
What is your take on the present abysmal rating of Nigeria by the transparency international, as one of the most corrupt nations of the world?
When the present APC government came into power, they pledged to turn Nigeria into a haven of sort. They were busy saying that PDP was corrupt. But for the past six years that APC assumed power, transparency international had continued to rate the country very high in corruption index. Under this APC government, the body had rated Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries of the world. If Mr. President claimed to be corruption free, why is it that people around him are dirty and corrupt? Tell me your friend, and I will tell you who you are. He cannot be Mr. Clean, and all his officials are criminals!
Mr. President submitted names of ex-service chiefs to the national assembly for confirmation as non career ambassadors. How do you see that move?
Mr. President has not told Nigerians what he is hiding between him and the former service chiefs. It took him many years to listen to people’s outcry on their gross incompetence, before he removed them from office. What message is Mr. President conveying again by trying to make such people ambassadors? That is the king of country we find ourselves. That is very unfortunate! There is something Mr. President and the ex-service chiefs are hiding that they have not told Nigerians. The appointment is for them to continue to cover up something, which, till now, is unknown to Nigerians.