2015: Choose one Nigeria or face disintegration –Ezeife

F ormer old Anambra State Governor, Dr
Pius Chukwuemeka Ezeife, is one of those
who passionately believe in ideological-
based two-political system as an ideal
way to achieve good governance.
However, in this interview, he dismissed
the present two parties as an agglomera­
tion of politicians without address. He
also warned of the danger of possible
disintegration of the country, if voting
pattern in 2015 general election suggests
that some people are born-to-rule and
others born-to-be ruled. Excerpts:
What is your prediction of the 2015
presidential election with the emergence
of Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) as the
candidate of the All Progressives
Congress APC?
You have asked a very big question. Ni­
geria is at a crossroads. One way leads to
what people have been predicting for Ni­
geria-disintegration. The other way leads
to a strong, more virile and purposeful Ni­
geria. Which way will it be? Before I give
an answer, let me adumbrate the problem
of Nigeria. It will surprise you to hear me
say that the chief problem of Nigeria is
religious intolerance. Some people; not
very many but many enough to cause
concern, are bent on Islamising Nigeria.
And unfortunately, the West-America and
her allies seem to believe that those who
want to Islamise Nigeria are determined
enough to win at the end. And in the eyes
of the Western powers, an islamised
Nigeria will be very difficult for world gov­
ernance. There is a continuing effort to Is­
lamise Nigeria.
Over decades, churches were destroyed.
And more recently, all the 99 churches in
Mubi were destroyed. I do know that
majority of Muslims in Nigeria are not
looking for Islamisation. But there is a
handful of Muslims who tenaciously
believes in Islamisation. Will we be
islamised? To the West, it is yes. So, it is
suspected that the West views in a
positive light disintegration of Nigeria. I
don’t know whether there is a fear of our
coming to the world stage to dominate.
With this background, it is not surprising
that the promise by America to help us
against Boko Haram is not in anywhere
found. So, what do we do? Everything is
in our hands. We can appeal to those who
want to Islamise Nigeria and show them
the consequences. Breaking up of Nigeria
is not in the interest of anybody. It is not
in the interest of Muslim Nigerians, it is
not in the interest of Christian Nigeria.
Hausa/Fulani gain better from one
Nigeria. Igbo have voted with their legs
for one Nigeria as they are everywhere in
Nigeria behaving as if the places they are
homes. The Yoruba gains from one
Nigeria. All other smaller groups gain
from importance of a larger Nigeria.
How then do you predict 2015 election?
Some people say it will lead to disintegra­
tion. Others say it will lead to the
emergence of a stronger Nigeria. I see
one way that can lead to the emergence of
a stronger Nigeria. And that is if the result
of the elections say clearly that this
country belongs to all of us, no group is
born to rule, no group is born to be ruled,
we are all one equal citizens of one
Nigeria. On the other hand, if the result
suggests the contrary, if the result
suggests that some people are born to
rule and others are born to be ruled,
Nigeria will be made ungovernable. So,
we have to choose either one Nigeria or
disintegration. I hope we will choose
wisely.
Nigeria is tending towards a two-party
system. Are you saying that the present
structure is not good enough for the
country?
First of all, we do not have a two-party
system now. None of the parties is based
on any ideology. When we had SDP and
NRC, the difference was clear. One was a
progressive party (SDP), the other one
was a Republican conservative.
And the dividing line was clear. What we
have today is agglomeration of Nigerian
politicians. PDP is an agglomeration of Ni­
gerian politicians with ideological
address. APC is an agglomeration of
Nigerian politicians without ideological
address. So, if it is ideological party wise,
none should be chosen. Let me tell you, if
Nigeria should survive this election, I will
come out as a politician and start selling;
one, a two-party system and two, true
democracy, which means the local people
will select among aspirants who will be
their candidates and not the cabals in
Abuja or anywhere else. I will also preach
welfares for any Nigerian thrown out of
job. Anyone thrown out of job must
receive money from government. SDP
came so late and the money to bankroll it
is not available. But after this election, we
will fight for the expansion of SDP and
destruction of PDP and APC. Those who
are conservative republicans should go to
one party. If they like, they can recreate
NRC. Those who believe in SDP ideology
should go to SDP. The next election after
2015 will be between two parties where
parties are identified by their ideology, not
just random parties.
Are you saying that emergence of Buhari
as presidential candidate will polarize
Nigeria along religious line?
There was a time APC was a Muslim
brotherhood. That time, 17 topmost
leaders of the party were Muslims. That
was why I call them Muslim brotherhood.
But they are now moving away from that
brotherhood. It is now mixed up. Nobody
can call them Muslim brotherhood now.
The fact that Buhari emerged the
presidential candidate of APC should not
polarize Nigeria along religious line.
What looks like dichotomy is the social
perception of Nigerians regarding those
who insisted on making Nigerian
ungovernable if Jonathan became the
President. Some people finance Boko
Haram. Some people finance all kinds of
insurgents. Some people finance all kinds
of discordant voices. Some people insult
the person of the president on everything
about the country. If I am to play politics,
I will rise up and say the North has ruled
for 39 years, why should they be in a
hurry to come back to power? The
country is divided into North and South. It
is the amalgamation of North and South
that produced this Nigeria. The North has
supplied presidential leadership for 39
years. The South is below 20 years and
the North still wants to take over again.
From that social point of view, a victory of
one can lead to disintegration of Nigeria.
A victory of the other can lead to a
stronger Nigeria.
Democracy is all about change. If people
decide to vote for a candidate that
represents your so-called born-to-rule,
why should that be a problem?
There is no problem. But are people
allowed to choose?
It is the electoral process that will decide.
The electoral process is baptized democ­
racy. Some cabals decide who emerges
as President. Like I said before, the only
genuine democratic process is when
candidates emerge through direct primary
election by the voters. What is clear is that
the incumbent President is being vilified.
Some people put fire in the house and
expect the president to put off the fire. For
me, I want one Nigeria where Hausa is
happy, Fulani is happy, Yoruba is happy,
Igbo is happy and the country itself is
happy. If people are happy, they will vote
for Igbo President in 2019 and Nigeria
will take quantum jump into to develop­
ment. Change will come because a
believer in one Nigerian has taken over.
They (Igbo) make a home of everywhere
they go. Now, I am calling on all Igbo
people, it is time to make friends with all
Nigerians. When you are telling the truth
and your friends begin to abandon you,
you don’t have to change. Just make sure
you are honestly telling the truth.
What makes you think that the sentiment
about whether the North has ruled for 39
years will sell in today’s Nigeria?
If we are practicing democracy and the
votes of the people represent their choice
and there is no manipulation or rigging,
even if people are misguided, we have to
accept returns from the field. If they are
told lied and they voted on the basis of
lies, they have voted. If they are given
money and they voted on the basis of
money, they have voted. But there are
cases when the will of the people is
deliberately disregarded.
Then, the onus of creating a credible elec­
toral process lies on the incumbent.
(Cuts in). Is it the incumbent that
decided to create 1200 polling units for
Abuja and 1157 for the whole of
Southeast? Isn’t that a clear design to
rig election?
But that has been resolved.
At what stage? It shows a clear intension
to rig. To me, all electoral tribunal needs
to do is to establish intension to rig to
arrive at whatever decision.
You talked about vilification of President
Jonathan. Why will he not be vilified? He
promised stable electricity supply, there is
no electricity. He promised resuscitation
of railway sector, he failed to deliver on
the promise. Universities were shut down
for six months last years. The health
crisis has not abated.
What else do you want from the
president?
He has brought Standard Gauge railways
system; you said you did not see it. He
has given you even more than he
promised as far as railway is concerned.
In all your born years as a Nigerian, have
you ever had steady supply of fuel at
filling stations as you have had under
President Jonathan? We have not got
power as promised but the system for
delivering power has been made such
that any minute of darkness costs
someday some money. Some private
persons lose for any minute of darkness
and that private persons will not want to
be losing money. The system has been
created to make for full availability of
power.
It has not arrived there yet, but the condi­
tion for steady supply has been created.
Over time, the private sector person who
loses money for any minute of darkness
will work to ensure he doesn’t lose that
money. Yes, universities were shut and
there is strike in the health sector.
Today, the condition for more strike is
rife. With the decline in the world market
price of oil, some kind of austerity
measures may become necessary. I won’t
recommend any cut of anybody’s salary
but sometimes it may become necessary.
Politics had affected all strikes. Because
the last government was going, it agreed
to any demand. And now when it came to
meeting the demands, it was not possible.
So, if there is any demand by former
negotiator which cannot be met even if
there is no drop in the price of oil, it is a
matter of having people who know how to
negotiate. If they labour people know the
truth, they will strike if they must but not
at any time.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in
his recent book washed down the present
government for not fighting corruption.
How do you see the present effort to rid
the country of corruption?
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is
also corrupt. If he is not corrupt, where
did he get money to build university? I
don’t know whether it is from his salaries.
Obasanjo may say anything he likes to
say against Jonathan because somehow
godfathers sometimes quarrel with their
godsons. It happens in government.
He thought he will be running government
for Jonathan. Although Obasanjo fought
corruption during his time, it was only
against those who quarreled with him. It
was selective justice. If Obasanjo doesn’t
like your face, he would prosecute you
and leave me. Obasanjo actually made
corruption worse in his time. If he had
taken action properly, corruption would
have been reduced. But having said that,
the present government hasn’t done
enough to deserve any mark on the fight
against corruption.
With the present political permutations,
what is the possibility that Igbo
presidency will come so soon?
We (Igbo) thank God for His gift, although
that gift sometimes provokes jealousy
against us. Anywhere we are, we should
be friendly with our host communities
and keep to their laws, traditions and
customs. We should identify with things
around us when we live in diaspora in
other people’s place. Anywhere you go, if
you remove indigenes, the next populous
tribe is Igbo. One Hausa man said if you
go to any place and there is no Igbo there,
be on the run. Now, why is it that Igbo
have not had a taste of power when by
now every zone has supplied presidential
material? For the avoidant of doubt,
Azikwe was a ceremonial president not an
executive president just as he was
ceremonial Governor-General not
executive Governor-General. If you were
in the National Conference, you will notice
a new Nigeria that is evolving.
When the issue of extra state to the east
was being discussed, come and see how
Nigerians are becoming their brother’s
keepers. There was no dissent.
A small negative comment made by one
of the delegates was attacked furiously by
none Igbo. No Igbo man stood up to
defend one extra state. In 2005 when we
had political conference, the same thing
happened. Out of 42 people, 39 said give
the east one extra state. That sense of
justice will let Nigerians vote an Igbo
president. An Igbo president will banish
poverty because of our egalitarian culture.
As things roll by and the spirit of fairness
is in people, they will say if we find a well
adjusted Igbo, we can vote for him.
But there is apprehension that the report
of the conference you raised may not see
the light of the day. Don’t you agree?
Once result of election in 2015 brings
about a stronger, more virile and more
united Nigeria that will resort from voting
in as president a person more likely to be
favourable to the report, Nigeria will be
better for it and the other way round.
If Jonathan is voted in, he will implement
the report. If you vote in Buhari whose
bothers keep manufacturing hidden
agenda, he will discard the entire
recommendations and postpone the evil
day.