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Former Aviation Minister in the First Republic, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, has implored the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) to shelve its idea of stopping the 2019 general elections from holding in the Southeast region. In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the elder statesman said such move by the separatist agitators is suicidal. He also called on Nigerians not to repeat in 2019, the mistake they made in voting President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
What are your expectations for this year’s elections?
I’m about the last titan that fought for Nigeria’s independence. With the death of former President Shehu Shagari, about three weeks ago, I remain the only surviving member of Parliament and Minister at independence and at the First Republic in Nigeria; I don’t know of any member of Parliament then that is still alive.
In that situation, if we were in a country, where history is honoured, I should be recognised, as the Father of the Nation today. However, the military disrupted a lot of things in this country, so, history is no longer honoured. Even at that, as long as I’m still alive I will continue to comment on the situation in the country and offer solution where necessary.
Right now, the country is in a precarious situation, and should be handled very carefully; otherwise, mishandling of the situation spells disaster that could affect the existence of Nigeria as a united country.
Elections are coming on, unfortunately we have in government somebody who has no respect for democracy; we have in government somebody who overthrew the Second Republic of this country, headed by Shehu Shagari for no just cause whatsoever.
That dictator that committed that treason was forgiven by the country and given a chance to rule the country by democratic process. In 2015, the country elected him as a democratic president. But people were misinformed, those who expected he was a changed man; a democrat were disappointed as he has come out to be the same dictator, the only change was the change of dress; in the military, he was wearing khaki and in 2015, he changed to Agbada. He is the same character and person that could only be compared with Abacha and co.
The tragedy of it now is that in this government, he is not in control; he is not the one ruling. He has neither the health nor the mental capability to rule a big country like Nigeria. The truth must be told; the man has neither the mental or intellectual capacity nor the physical capacity to rule this country.
How can somebody who is ruling a big country like Nigeria not be in control? His wife in the early months of his administration shouted and shouted that certain people have hijacked the government, and she has repeated recently that this man is not in charge of the government. She said there is a cabal in Aso Rock, who are truly ruling the country, and that her husband isn’t in control.
Does anybody doubt it knowing that the vice president came out last weekend to say that the president didn’t even not know about the arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria; that it was known to the president less than 24 hours before the man was supposed to appear in court? The head of one arm of the government is taken to the court and the president said he was not aware of it, simply shows that he is not in charge; he is not ruling.
The danger now is that we are faced with a situation that they will rig in a larger scale than what they did in Ekiti and Osun states, by pronouncing him reelected whether the people like it or not, and if that happens, only God knows what it will lead to.
I ask Nigerians to get ready to defend our democracy against the dictatorship by any means legitimate
IPOB has threatened to make sure that election in the Southeast is boycotted, what is your view on this?
I’m appealing to my people, the young men in IPOB, who are strongly persecuted and killed because they are making a demand, which they have the right to make. They are neither armed nor violent, but they are being killed. I appeal to them to withdraw this idea of boycotting the elections.
It is political suicide to boycott the election. Even in their own interest as Biafra, if they advocate for boycott of election, they will be committing suicide; they are destroying their own case and time.
If they boycott the election and the people who hate them are elected, they will continue to hate them and nobody will listen to them. If they allow people to go and vote, people will vote a candidate that may listen to their grievances. If the government wants peace in this country, it should de-proscribe IPOB. The proscription of IPOB is one sided, it’s wicked and uncalled for. They should de-proscribe the organisation and bring it back to life and monitor it.
Between Buhari and Atiku, who do you think will win the presidential election?
From what I can see, the country is tired of Buhari. He is not in charge and Nigerians have known that. He hasn’t got the mental, intellectual and physical capability to lead this country. The country has realised its mistake of four years ago and the people are not ready to repeat it. Even in the North, they want a change. It is quite clear that the change will favour Atiku.
Which direction do you want the Igbo to follow in the February 16 poll?
It is not only the Igbo, I ask Nigerians to vote for any party, any candidate that will look into the whole structure of Nigeria, restructure Nigeria, redraw the constitution of Nigeria and return powers to the regions, and not to continue to run a unitary government in a supposed federal system because the military headed by Northern Generals prescribed unitary system.
If Buhari promises to restructure the country, even though you said Nigerians were tired of him, can they change their minds?
How can he promise what he doesn’t know, does he really understand the meaning of restructuring of the country? The persons who talked of restructuring are the governor of Kaduna State, El-Rufai and the APC national chairman, who is running dysentery from the mouth. If it were the former chairman, Oyegun, who understood what politics is all about, he will not be running his mouth like Oshiomhole. How will the president promise to restructure the country when he is not in control?
Other parties including PDP are supporting restructuring, should Nigerians support PDP or the other smaller parties that are not strong to win election?
Atiku has promised restructuring, the other parties talking in the same direction are just mushrooms, and nobody is talking about them because they can’t go anywhere. The former vice president has promised restructuring and has also promised to look into everybody’s grievances. We don’t want dictators or former dictators or any Abacha. We want a democrat; I fought for democracy, I fought for the independence of this country, so there is no other language I understand except democracy. I don’t understand the language of dictators; I don’t understand the language of military men who took up guns to chase away elected civilian government. As far as I’m concerned, these people committed treason and should be in prison.
But Buhari has promised that Igbo would succeed him in 2023 if they vote for him?
Who is he to decide who will succeed him? How can one man who cannot even control his cabinet tell the country who will succeed him. On what ground does he make such promise?
I praise him for doing one thing, which the Igbo cannot do for themselves, that’s is honouring Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the founding father of Nigeria, by completing the Zik mausoleum, which the nine governors of the former Eastern Region, and the five governors of Southeast zone could not do. I give him credit for that. He did that in honour of Azikiwe, not because he was an Igbo, but he was Zik of Africa, the father of Nigerian nationalism.
So, anything done for Zik is not for Ndigbo, it is for Nigeria, and I give him credit for that.
Buhari’s handlers said the president has done for Igbo in his almost four years what PDP didn’t do for them in its 16 years in government. They cited Enugu- Onitsha road, Enugu-Port Harcourt road, Second Niger Bridge, under construction, etc. What do you say to this?
For your information, Enugu-Onitsha is not being constructed, they were just pouring laterite on one side and causing confusion. From Ninth Mile, you cannot enter Enugu, as people now pass Udi to get to Enugu. Second Niger Bridge is not for Igbo alone, it affects the Delta area as well as the rest of Nigeria.
Do you see INEC conducting a credible election?
I have not seen the sign that INEC as presently constituted will conduct an independent election. They must be independent and show that they are truly independent.
Look at the case of Amina Zakari that they said should supervise the collation of the result, and almost all the political parties have protested against that, and yet the INEC chairman has refused to change her. Why are they still insisting she will be there? They know that it is at the collation centre that they pronounce the false result? They are planning to set this country ablaze, and they will not escape the inferno.
APC says the election is between integrity and corruption. Buhari represents integrity, while Atiku is perceived to be corrupt. Do you agree?
PDP is as corrupt as APC. The present ministers and leaders of APC are the most corrupt, rotten people you have in this country. They allow corrupt people: governors, former governors, senators etc, from the other side -PDP to cross over and get protection. It is kettle calling the pot black.
It is alleged that the Southeast governors are secretly working for Buhari. What is your take on this?
Maybe they want Buhari to cover their evil deeds and stealing. Like the former governors who are rushing over to APC for cover, these people think in the same way, but by the time the result of the February 16 election is announced and the man fails they will know what they have done to themselves.
From mammoth crowds at Buhari’s rallies, don’t you think it will be hard to defeat him?
You know that there could be rented crowd; at the end, they share money to them.
The same people you see were also in another candidate’s rally. The crowd I see does not move me. Have you heard the president make a speech on his own? Let him come for a national debate; let him come and engage in a political debate with even a woman, Oby Ezekwesili, not to talk of Atiku. Why is he avoiding a debate? The vice president was at the debate because he knows his worth – intellectually he is great, physically he is strong.
I challenge Buhari to come out for a debate, let him choose any of the presidential candidates he wants. The citizens are entitled to listen to the person who wants to rule them. Remember, in the election with Jonathan, he didn’t show up and in this election, he is not showing up, what is the problem; doesn’t he have a programme?
My final message to people of this country: Wake up on February 16, vote and save democracy, save your country. If you don’t, you have nobody to blame but yourself.
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