The Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Drainage and Water Resources, Mr Joe Igbokwe, who is a former spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress in the state, tells TUNDE AJAJA his thoughts on the presidential aspirations of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
Before the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, declared his intention to contest the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, many people boasted that he wouldn’t contest since his former principal, Bola Tinubu, already declared. How did you receive the news of his declaration?
Let me say that the vice-president and Tinubu are my leaders. Both of them are eminently qualified to seek the highest office in the land, but if you put Osinbajo and Tinubu together, I will pick Tinubu because he is the leader of all of us, including Osinbajo. So, it’s time to reciprocate the gesture of the man who nurtured us and put us in various positions that we have also used to assist thousands of others. Therefore, it’s a mark of respect for him. There is something called loyalty and like they say, one good turn deserves another. So, the vice-president is eminently qualified; he’s a smart lawyer par excellence, but Tinubu is the man that made all of us and that is why we are insisting that it has to be Tinubu. You will never see me make a negative statement against Osinbajo; it’s not possible. However, I am standing behind Tinubu 100 per cent and even more, unless something happens or the dynamics change.
What dynamics could make you switch your allegiance in this regard?
Let’s say Tinubu calls us and says we should queue behind a certain aspirant. You cannot quantify the bridges Tinubu has built across Nigeria and that is why people from all over the country are standing with him. I promise you that you would see his (political) structure manifest on the convention (presidential primary) day. These things are not achieved overnight. He’s the leader of all; talk of former governors Babatunde Fashola, Akinwumi Ambode, National Assembly members from the North, South, East and West, state Assembly members and so on. Time and space will not permit me to mention everybody. Some would come to him that they wanted to contest and he would encourage and support them. Many people would have seen pictures of where people from different states brought their certificates of return to him. This man has the capacity and capability to take this country to the next level. The foundation he laid in Lagos State is there. When he emerged as the governor of Lagos State, he set up a committee of professionals that drew a master plan that is being used in the state up till today. Like I have said, I have nothing against the vice-president, but the master himself has thrown his hat in the ring, so we have to give him that respect.
Some people, especially Tinubu’s supporters, have described Osinbajo’s declaration as a betrayal, especially when the former governor declared before him. Is that justified?
Let me use myself as an example; if I had been the one eyeing the presidency and I noticed that Tinubu was already in the race, I would not do it. But Osinbajo is different from me. He has been the vice-president and he has his own reasons. Some people could have mounted pressure on him to declare, but if I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t do it.
There have been reports that Tinubu was instrumental in Osinbajo’s emergence as the vice-presidential candidate in 2015, is it on that basis that you expected Osinbajo to jettison his ambition?
First, it was Tinubu that recommended him. He was also the brains behind the formation of the APC. After Buhari lost the presidential election in 2007 and wept when he lost again in 2011, Tinubu in 2013 went to Daura with the late Tony Momoh, Chief Bisi Akande and a few other persons and they told Buhari that if he formed an alliance with them, they could make him win that presidential election. He couldn’t believe it. He was packaged here in Lagos. The rest is now history. That is Tinubu for you.
Are you surprised that up till now, despite Tinubu’s contributions to Buhari’s emergence in 2015 and 2019, the President has not openly expressed distinct support for him, different from the way he told every other aspirant who consulted him to go ahead?
His vice-president is in the race, Tinubu is there and others are there too. Buhari is a very sensible person and he’s not a thoughtless man. He understands the environment. Remember, he said he wouldn’t mention the name of his preferred successor so the person doesn’t get killed. For now, I don’t know what he would do, but I know Buhari, he would just keep quiet. He may not even support anybody; he might tell them to go to the field and if you win, you win. It’s hard for somebody who has been in power for eight years not to have interest in who succeeds him. He may have it close to his chest, until maybe after the special convention. He cannot say every delegate should queue behind one man.
Are you hopeful he would support Tinubu?
I know that Buhari does not forget people. I remember the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo was his running mate on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in 2003. Okadigbo has passed away but Buhari appointed the wife as the chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. There was one elderly man (late Justice Sylvanus Nsofor) Buhari appointed as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States. That man stood with Buhari in those 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections, both in and out of court. Once Buhari became the President, he made the man ambassador to the United States and people abused him for making such an elderly man an ambassador. But that is him; he does not forget. Buhari will remember how Tinubu made him the President of Nigeria and how Tinubu was the brains behind the formation of the APC. Can you dismiss that kind of man with a wave of hand? Is it possible?
What if the President supports another aspirant?
Like I said, I know Buhari does not forget people. If somebody has helped you in the past; if you are a good man, you will never forget that person. It’s just like myself today; God used Tinubu to bring thousands of us to where we are today and when you look at the multiplier effect, thousands more have been impacted. If you have lost an election in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and somebody went to work and practically made you the president for eight years, justice, equity and fair play require that you reciprocate. So, it’s a natural thing. One good turn deserves another. I hope we will not forget history. Others can forget what he did for them, I don’t forget such. So, I expect President Muhammadu Buhari will not forget how he got to power and I know he always rewards patriotism, support and all those that have stood with him in the past. There is reward for hard work, commitment and loyalty. If somebody brought out his time, money, energy and strength to support you, if you are a child of God, you are expected to reciprocate. The same vice-president we are talking about is a product of Tinubu’s political school.
Would you know if Tinubu was disappointed when Osinbajo declared?
This is politics. The pictures of (another presidential aspirant, Rotimi) Amaechi and Tinubu are everywhere on the Internet, so they always meet. I think they have been meeting. It’s an ambition, not that somebody killed another person. On whether he was disappointed, he might, as a person, be asking: why is my son contesting against me? But the vice-president is not coming to kill him. What one would expect naturally is that if my Oga is going, let me step down, but there might be people that are pushing him (Osinbajo), we don’t know. However, let’s get to the convention. As the day draws near, events will begin to unfold. I can assure you that Tinubu will be the president of Nigeria, given the structures we have all over and the lives he has touched across Nigeria.
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Mr Adams Oshiomhole have joined the race. How do you feel about that?
You don’t even know what is going on and what would happen at the convention ground.
What would happen?
Tinubu will win 60 to 70 per cent of the votes. It’s in the cart already, unless something happens.
Do you expect them to step down?
Most of them showing interest just want to remain in the system. That title, former presidential aspirant, counts for something. Some of them coming out are Tinubu’s political mentees. Wait until we get to the bridge and we will cross it. Amosun was in the ANPP and contested to be governor but he was defeated until he joined the APC. Tinubu assisted him. When he came to Tinubu’s house after winning the election, he carried Tinubu and was dancing. You think those people would come and disappoint Tinubu? Wait until we get there. They are all working for Tinubu.
You think they will step down for him?
They don’t have too many structures. When we get to the bridge and a decision has to be taken, you would see them coming out and they would connect to the bridge.
Do you think the relationship between Osinbajo and Tinubu is still intact?
The vice-president is a pastor and he’s Tinubu’s man. However, he will not take what is due to God and give it to man. You can’t expect a pastor to start attributing whatever he is to a human being, even though he knows that God used Tinubu to bring him to where he is today.
Do you think this backlash would have been avoided if Osinbajo consulted with Tinubu before he declared?
He would have consulted with him, but the thing is that Tinubu declared before him. If he had not done so before him, it would have been a different thing. Let me talk for myself; if our father, Tinubu, says he wants to do something, nobody needs to tell me that I have to step down. I don’t know what informed the vice-president’s move; he must have been pushed by some forces. These things don’t happen like that. We never expected that it would happen but it has happened.
What would be your advice to Osinbajo on this issue?
The way it is now, I wouldn’t want to advise that he should step down; it’s within the scope of his conscience to go to the field to test his popularity with his Oga (former boss). It’s okay. It would have been better if we never got to this stage. Some of us are shocked to the marrow that this is happening. What happens to loyalty? Is it for nothing? But when things like this happen, you try to manage them. If I were the one, I wouldn’t even declare since Tinubu, the man that made all of us, has shown interest. After all, age is still on the side of the vice-president and he’s young, so anything can happen tomorrow. People make sacrifices.
Are you suggesting he could have waited for some other time?
That’s my feeling and the feeling of some of us. If he had declared before Tinubu, we wouldn’t be saying this.
With the continued clamours for a president of Igbo extraction, some people would expect you to queue behind one of the aspirants from your region instead of Tinubu, who is from the South-West. Why aren’t you rooting for any of them?
Look at it this way; I’m an Igbo man and I want an Igbo man to be President, but you have to prepare yourself. You have to cultivate relationships and build bridges because you can’t do it alone. These were the things I was talking about; I was telling them that you cannot aspire to be the president of Nigeria and you are first agitating for Biafra. Nobody would want to give you power, so you don’t use it to divide Nigeria. It’s a serious issue. I told our leaders they should go to the West, North and South and consult other people since whoever emerges won’t be the president of the South-East alone. What did they do? They went to burn my house, saying I’m a traitor. Few millions won’t rebuild that house and the things inside. As I speak to you, I have not been to the village since October last year. If those who committed that act see me, they could kill me. Are you going to kill your brothers and sisters because they tell you the truth? So, I am for Igbo presidency and it’s long overdue. I wrote 25 years after Biafra in 1995 and I made this point that the war has not ended because our people have not ruled Nigeria since then. Two years ago, I wrote about 50 years after Biafra. I said go and build bridges across the zones, but now the South-East is a killing field where people’s homes were being burnt. They have burnt the house of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo (Prof George Obiozor). They burnt the house of the Governor of Imo State (Hope Uzodinma); they burnt my house. Just a few days ago, a couple, both soldiers, going to the village for their marriage, was killed. Many others have been killed. Nigerians do not know what is going on. A lot of criminals have infiltrated the (proscribed) Indigenous People of Biafra and the Eastern Security Network and they have taken over the South-East. Nobody knows who is doing this. You want to be President of Nigeria but you don’t want to work with others; you are abusing them and killing people. These things will backfire. They would abuse Buhari and all those who speak for them. Who are your friends? Yet, we have the least number of registered voters and politics is a game of numbers.
What do you think is the solution?
It’s interesting that the places they are attacking are non-PDP states, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra. Nnamdi Kanu is from Abia State but you can’t hear any of those violent acts coming from that state. We see this hypocrisy and our leaders are not talking. Where are the first-class traditional rulers, the intellectuals, the business moguls, retired generals and retirees of other security agencies. Let them meet and call these guys to order, but now they cannot do that. They are afraid to talk now. That’s where we are today. In the face of this nonsense that we are seeing, do they think anybody or group would give them the presidency, so they could use it to divide Nigeria? It won’t work. An adage in Igboland says when elders are not at home, children may wear snakes like necklace. So, elders must speak. I’m an elder, at over 60 years, and I have written a lot, but today they see me as an enemy. Anybody that goes to pull down another person’s house commits an abomination, especially when the person has not done anything wrong. Now, politically, nobody takes the South-East seriously again. It hurts. I have seen the way politics has been played in the South-West since I left the university in 1985 and I wish our people would learn from it.
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