Excerpts:
Jude Ossai versus Prof. Onyekwere
Q: What is your view on the forthcoming general election in Nigeria?
A: The election of 2023 will be a watershed. It will be an election like no other since Nigerian Independence. I can rightfully opine that most Nigerians who never voted in elections will want to vote this time around and not just that, they will want their votes to count.
Nigeria and indeed Nigerians have suffered untold hardship at the hands of politicians, and most of the weak institutions in Nigeria are relics of political myopia which politicians and their humdrum supporters have left behind.
This election is symbolic in the sense that Nigerians are beginning to see the importance of getting things right.There is no gain saying the fact that the people of Nigeria are reeling from the economic wounds unleashed on them by either politicians or their cohorts. The zeal and the comportment of the electorate emblematic of an army that is combat-ready.
In the words of Karl Marx’s maxim “To leave an error unrefuted is to encourage intellectual immorality” finds expression in the zest with which the Nigerian electorate will change the political narrative in the general election of 2023.
Q: PDP has occupied Enugu government house From 1999 till date, Do you see PDP winning the next month’s governorship election in the State?
A: Enugu State is one notable State in the southeast of Nigeria that has maintained its political consistency by its affinity for PDP-led administrations since 1999. The reason for this is directly proportional to the fact that during elections, PDP candidates enjoy massive support from the electorates. This trend has remained over the years and nothing is expected to change in the coming governorship election. I say so because though there are other political parties fielding candidates for the position of governor of Enugu State, none has the stamina or followership which PDP enjoys in the State.
Then regarding the governorship candidature of the different political parties, it is instructive to note that the PDP still tops the list with the personality worthy of becoming the governor of Enugu State. If you ask me, I will liken the scenario to a zero sum game, where one person’s loss is another’s gain, and vice versa. Since the other political parties were unable to feature very credible candidates with towering credentials, it then gives PDP an overwhelming popularity which can be seen from all nooks and crannies of the State.
Q: What is your advice for the electorates in Enugu State?
A: My advice to the electorates in Enugu is to look before you leap. They should not be swayed by those masquerading as wolves in sheep clothings who jettisoned PDP to join other parties just to actualise their selfish ambitions. In every contest, there are winners and losers. When you win, it does not mean that the rest of the people in the contest had lack-lustre performance; rather it simply means that out of the finalists, one person will emerge.
Q: You collapsed your structure into Mbah’s camp. What informed your decision?
A: In line with the foregoing, it is imperative that given the array of governorship candidates, you can see that the candidate of the PDP is the primus inter pares and stands out as someone who is ready to serve from the first day. I am not saying this because I am a PDP member rather as someone who has studied the political orchestra. After all, I was also a PDP governorship aspirant in Enugu State and I had my best plans for the State had I been elected as the candidate, but since someone else emerged and I saw him as a credible alternative to my candidature, I had to throw my weight behind him. Let me put it this way: If someone other than me or Dr. Peter Mbah had emerged out of the remaining contestants, I may not probably had endorsed the person despite being in the same political party. So, my decision to support the Enugu State PDP candidate for the position of governor was borne out of my conviction of his persona and I am deeply hopeful that he will take Ndà Enugu to greater heights when he becomes Governor of Enugu State.
Q: Critics of Peter Mbah said that his manifesto is bogus and unrealistic in terms of implementation. What is your take on it?
A: A careful look at the manifesto of Dr. Peter Mbah, the gubernatorial candidate of PDP for the 2023 election reveals a well crafted philosophy of someone who wants to lead from day one. This manifesto is analogous to a compendium of the policy thrust of a government in power. This is so because the whole gamut of the manifesto sheds light on all strata of governance including but not limited to implementation, monitoring as well as compliance in all stratification. For the purpose of this discussion, let me take us through a cursory vista of this policy document. In the first place our candidate is a firm believer of the duties and functions of government on discharging its obligations to the people since the primary responsibility of government is the welfare of its citizens. He has promised to handle insecurity head on.
With regard to the statement of purpose of our candidate’s manifesto which states inter alia ” Building a Peaceful, Secure, Highly Developed and Prosperous State for All”, we can see that the statement is premised on the backdrop of the catchphrase of our flag bearer “Tomorrow is Here”. In the manifesto, our candidate carefully itemised 27 key sectoral areas which will attract his Government’s attention. These areas include but not limited to :
a) Agriculture
b) Energy and Mineral Resources
c) Commerce and Industry
d) Roads and Bridges
e)Tourism Development
f) ICT
g) Judiciary
h) Security
i) Healthcare
j) Education
k) Water Resources
l) Environmental Management and Sanitation.
An in-depth look at the areas above will tell you that Dr. Barr. Peter Mbah is prepared from day 1 to be Governor and all we ask of you is to behold your incoming Governor in the person of Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. You can demonstrate this support by casting your votes massively for a man tested and trusted who will take Enugu State to greater heights in the next political dispensation. The manifesto is obviously variegated and I can assure you that nothing was left out of consideration in crafting this omnibus document.
Q: The security challenge in Southeast is taking a frightening dimension. How do you want it to be addressed?
A: You will agree with me that the social space is now inundated with stories replete with gory details of deaths and mayhem unleashed by some faceless individuals and most times these individuals are enemies from within. Dr. Mbah is a seasoned administrator whose testimonials speak volume in this direction. He has put mechanisms in place to nip this menace in the bud. As you are aware, security instruments as well as related paraphernalia are not made public for fear that the intended targets preempt the measures hence I won’t bore you with the technicalities and methodology that our candidate will employ to stymie this ugly trend.
By Jude Ossai
