The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Prof. Rufai Alkali, tells CHUKWUDI AKASIKE about the plans of his political party ahead of the 2023 elections and other issues
The New Nigeria Peoples Party planned an alliance with the Labour Party which did not materialise. Do you think your party (NNPP) can win the 2023 general elections at the national level without achieving the proposed alliance?
Yes, we are on that. We will continue to talk to other people and groups across the country as we progress. We are still talking, we are still working very hard and we are making progress in reaching out to Nigerians.
Do you think the NNPP has the spread that can make it win elections across the country?
Don’t forget that the NNPP was formed by a gentleman, a highly respected leader from Anambra State, Chief Boniface Aniebonam. The NNPP is a national party, it is also a national movement and it is in every part of the country.
Why do you think the NNPP’s governorship candidate in Osun State, Rafiu Salihu, did not compete favourably in the poll?
That governorship election in Osun State has happened and we are leaving that behind us. We are looking ahead and moving ahead. The most important thing is that there was a contest and the NNPP participated.
Given the performance of the party in the Ekiti and Osun states elections, do you think the party has begun to assert its presence in the South-West?
You have forgotten that by the time we started the NNPP revival project, all these candidates have been there on the ground. You also know the time it took us to rebuild the political party. This did not give us enough time to focus on the elections, otherwise the two gentlemen who contested in those two states are also very good.
Looking at the governorship election in Osun State, will you describe it as free and fair?
The NNPP will review the governorship election in Osun State and after that, we will know our next line of action.
Since you replaced the pioneer chairman of the party, what are your landmark achievements so far?
I think Chief Aniebonam is a good man. Holding a political party for 21 years is not an easy task. What we have done is to reposition the political party. What we have done is to bring the political party to a point where it can compete with any other political party in the country. Today, the NNPP is ‘A’ Class and not in ‘B’ Class.
Many see the proposed alliance between the NNPP and Labour Party as an effort that has failed to yield result. What went wrong?
The Peoples Democratic Party has been trying to overtake every political party in this country, the All Progressives Congress has also been trying to do that. But now, the NNPP has come out, and so far, we are doing very well. Like I told you, we are in continued consultation with individuals, groups and others. We are a political party and we are in a political process.
The 2023 elections start February next years. How do you intend to win in the South-East without achieving the proposed alliance?
The NNPP has structures all over the country; in every state and local government areas. Therefore, we are working very hard to ensure that we strengthen our base before the elections.
Do you think the presence of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and other leaders of the NNPP in Osun State should have made a greater impact on the outcome of the governorship election?
Like I said, we are going to review the governorship election in Osun State, and even Ekiti State. It is better we review the situation and then we will know what to do next.
The issue of vote-buying has become a serious challenge. How can this problem be tackled?
The problem of vote-buying is one that has continued to rear its ugly head. I believe this should not be allowed. Everybody should be allowed to vote for any candidate of his or her choice.
What is your advice to the electorate on the issue of vote-buying?
The electorate must realise that voting and choosing who will lead them is their power. They have seen the implication of voting into power people and political parties that will make promises without fulfilling them. Some people do not take election seriously, but this time, they should vote the NNPP. It is the political party that will bring back the respect and the glory of the country.
There are arguments by the South-South arm of your party that the vice-presidential candidate of your party, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, does not have political structure. How will you react to this?
Why are they looking at one aspect of his life? Who told you that he does not have political structure? So, whoever you produce as a political leader, people will have something to say about him. But the good thing is that they have not told me that he is a bad man or that he has any reputational problem. They have not told us that he is not qualified. They have not told us that he is not educated and they have not told us that he not capable. He is a man of God and a man of credibility. We are absolutely comfortable with him.
Some South-South members of the party said due consultations were not made before he (Idahosa) was nominated by the presidential candidate. Don’t you think this would cause a problem for the party’s acceptability in the zone?
I just heard that from you for the first time. Due consultations were made, and you know it is not something you go to the open market and begin to shout “vice-presidential candidate”. Due diligence was embraced in arriving at the choice of the vice-presidential candidate.
Your party’s presidential candidate seems to have taken into consideration the issue of religion. Do you think the current disagreement in the APC on the Muslim-Muslim ticket will shore up the chances of your party in the 2023 presidential election?
We as a political party will not join the debate and argument or the drama over same-faith ticket issue. This is not our primary concern. I think people should look at the credentials of the political parties and what they promised while campaigning. Have the political parties been able to fulfill what they promised? These are the things to look at and not to debate on same-faith ticket.
What are the plans of the NNPP to improve the country’s economy which is currently on the downward trend?
If we have no plan to rescue our country, why would we come out in the first place? We should have stayed in our homes and continue complaining like every other person. We have programmes of action and very soon, you will see the programmes clearly. Inflation and other economic issues would be well tackled. The NNPP will ensure that peace, stability is brought back to the country. We will fight insecurity so that people can go back to their farms and other businesses. But currently, we are not moving forward as we should as a country.
How would an NNPP government tackle insecurity and banditry in Nigeria?
When the time comes; you should remember that campaign has not commenced. When we start campaigning, by that time we start campaigning, Nigerians will know what all the political parties are promising them, and I can assure you that they (Nigerians) will know the difference between water and oil.
What is your advice to the current regime on how to tackle the problem of insecurity?
This government has many people who are very qualified to tackle all these issues you have raised. So, I believe those people are also doing their jobs. I cannot take away anybody’s job and do it for him or her.
Some people said the current government has failed in the area of security and economic development. What is you view on this?
It is for Nigerians to decide whether the current government has failed or not, especially during the 2023 general elections. If there is any person who is in doubt, 2023 will be an opportunity to know. This is when every issue would be brought to the fore and discussed. For now, we are working hard to ensure that we win in every state of the federation, including the presidency.
What makes the NNPP different from the PDP and the APC, especially in terms of the party’s ideology, policy direction, and internal party engagements?
Look at the composition of the current leadership of the two political parties you have mentioned and look at our antecedent. Look at the achievement of our leaders, including Rabiu Kwankwaso, with his experience either as a former governor of Kano State or as a Minister of Defence or as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Look at what he had done; look at the kind of leadership he provided. With time, you will have a clear understanding of what we want to achieve as a political party. We don’t want a situation where people vote and will not benefit or enjoy the dividends of democracy. We want to develop this country so that it will join the comity of nations that are productive and developed. The NNPP is coming with a different type of leadership from what the APC and the PDP have offered Nigerians.
In what areas do you think the ruling party has failed in tackling some of the problems facing the country?
Nigerians are the judges on this matter. Everybody knows where we were 10 years ago and even 20 years ago; everybody knows where we are now. So, if people are satisfied with what is happening, then that is it. But I know that generally, people are not happy with what is happening now.
Restructuring has always been a point of discourse, but it was not implemented by the regime of the President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). How will the NNPP engage the issue of restructuring?
When the time comes, we will tackle that matter.
But do you think restructuring is something Nigeria should embrace?
I have said when the time comes, we will tackle that matter.
Many pundits have said that Kwankwaso and President Buhari come from the same geopolitical zone and region. Do you think this may serve as a viable argument against your presidential candidate in the spirit of zoning?
This is not a regional matter. We are talking about a political party that is ready to change the face of the country and bring progress and advancement. This is not a regional matter. So, it should not be personalised.
What is your message to Nigerians ahead of the 2023 elections?
First of all, I want to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, the security agencies, and other relevant groups to do what is expected of them so that Nigerians will have peaceful 2023 general elections. We just talked about the need to have stability in the country, the need to have peace. The elections should not turn out to be an opportunity for people to cause trouble or confusion or crisis in the country. So, we call on INEC as the umpire and all the political parties, we call on the security agencies who are doing a very difficult and tough job under difficult circumstances to work towards achieving free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
We also call on the youths not to allow themselves to be used as cannon fodder in this coming election. They should not allow themselves to be used to manipulate the election process. We are very proud of the media who have been in the vanguard of protecting the country’s democracy. We in the NNPP are very proud of you.
