WHY NORTH IS NOT HAPPY WITH TINUBU – ADIKWURU

WHY NORTH IS NOT HAPPY WITH TINUBU – ADIKWURU

Hon. Dennis Adikwuru is a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Imo State. Adikwuru, a member of Imo State Presidential Campaign Council under Media and Publicity Sub-committee in the 2023 elections and erstwhile State Publicity Secretary, Imo State Professionals for Atiku, is also the State Coordinator, Imo PDP Grassroots Movement. He spoke on current national issues in the polity. Excerpt:

With the depletion of the PDP by the defection of Delta and Akwa Ibom governors, several party leaders, members of the states’ legislatures and National Assembly to the ruling APC, how do you see the state of PDP presently?

The state of the People’s Dem­ocratic Party at present is appall­ing. The daily defection of PDP big names to APC is a bad omen for both PDP and APC, especial­ly which is turning Nigeria to a one-party state and President Tinubu becoming a despotic rul­er. It is pathetic that democratic norms have been eroded by APC and President Tinubu who is al­ready a demigod, an idol who is being worshipped by the high and mighty and who writes the scripts for the Legislature and Judiciary. Very unfortunate!

With the PDP now fighting a battle of survival, how can it effectively play the role of a leading opposition party in the country?

I can tell you that what seems to be PDP’s internal wrangling is a combination of in-house and external warfare. I will also tell you that most of the PDP cri­sis is being fanned by external forces, some of whom had left the party and are making no inroads outside of PDP, but are trying to launch a comeback us­ing some of the party members with the aim of achieving their plans. The internal forces are the party gladiators who are struggling to outwit the other thereby causing a no headway situation in the party. If not for these forces playing out, the PDP would have given the ruling APC a run too fast and fierce to cope with. However, I see the future of PDP as bright and promising because the support base of the party at the grassroots is intact and strong. All we need is an end of the belligerent entities and a total reconciliation. Then, the party will swing through.

The newly formed coalition has applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration as a political party. How do you see the development and what do you think is the future of the new party if finally registered?

In recent times, we have heard about SDP and ADC, both coa­litions. We have also heard of ADC and ADA. I do not know which one we are talking about. But, I will hastily tell you that the purveyors of the coalition parties are too exuberant, over confident and not strategic at all. I also sense elements of the ruling APC among the gladiators of the coalition parties. I cannot go and sleep with the assurances that the coalition is succeeding. I will advise that they instil more commitment to the build-up of the coalition, else, there will be infiltration by APC.

The Obidient Movement has also reportedly applied to INEC for regis­tration as a political party. What do you say the party will make much impact if registered by INEC?

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I see the Obedient Movement as a movement without direc­tion, a movement that will scut­tle the movement of their mis­sion. How can a people push up a political movement for INEC registration without the consent of the principal of the organisa­tion? Are they really in the race for good or on a spoiler mission? We shall watch and see how they will operate as a political party without the involvement of their main political player. The near­est future will tell us better.

What is your take on the peace deal which President Bola Tinubu brokered between former Governor Nyesom Wike and Governor Simi Fubara?

I do not see any peace deal brokered by President Tinubu between Wike and Fubara. It is rather intimidation, threat, co­ercion and forceful withdrawal of the people’s mandate from Fubara and handing Rivers State over to Wike, all in desperation to conquer Rivers State for wild­fire called APC. Simply, a bitter moment, leaving only the option of rejecting this undemocratic exercise and face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis­sion (EFCC) onslaught, or as­sume Wike’s subservient gover­nor for the rest of his one term allotted tenure. Fubara is caught in the web of a rampaging power afflicted by Wike using the Pres­idential authority to achieve his deadly mission in Rivers State.

Still on Rivers, how do you see the way the Sole Administrator, Ibas, has been administering the state?

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State has no will power to impact on Rivers governance. He is on that seat as dictated by Wike and therefore, carrying out Wike’s bidding. I cannot point out a single novelty in his ad­ministration so far.

With Nyesom Wike openly sup­porting and working for President Tinubu towards 2027 presidential election and his reported closeness to your party’s embattled National Secretary, Imo State-born Senator Anyanwu, and the Acting National Chairman, Damagun, don’t you see the PDP being swallowed by the ruling APC, even before the general elections, to make for an easy ride for Tinubu?

The fact of anti-party practice by Wike is clear and undoubted­ly evidential. Wike’s strangle­hold on PDP is also of ocular demonstration. Ordinarily, his dual loyalty to APC and PDP by membership has dealt a lot of harm and backwardness to PDP. But, I must observe here that Wike, being an overzealous politician, is holding PDP in the background for his future ambi­tion and I can tell you that Wike has the capacity to turn around PDP to capture federal power anytime. I am not perturbed by the influx of PDP personalities into APC, or the rampaging co­alition parties. One thing that is permanent is change and this is occasioned by interests. So, I won’t be surprised that there will be a return of these erst­while PDP forces to the party. I still don’t see any other name with the driving force to take over governance other than PDP. The implosion that will occasion the euphoric entry into the coa­lition parties will be their omen to scatter them.

The North does not seem to be comfortable with the Tinubu presi­dency. What do you think will be the effect of returning Shettima as his running mate in 2027?

The resignation of Ganduje as APC National Chairman is long awaited and therefore not a sur­prise to Nigerians. If it is on age grounds, he ought to have left the scene long ago. If it is absurdi­ties caused by Nigeria’s democ­racy, Ganduje ought to have been a history long before now. Are we talking about miscarriage of justice across the country? Ganduje’s resignation, though induced, has long been awaited. What Nigerians are waiting for is the next chapter of his polit­ical expedition. But, I will tell you that Ganduje’s next move is going to run for APC, whether he remains in the party, or joins the coalition.

What is your take on the recent resignation of the APC National Chairman Ganduje?

The North has been short­changed in the scheme of poli­tics since Tinubu’s advent. It is evident in the silence and irrel­evance of the office of the Vice President of Nigeria. Unfortu­nately, the North is the architect of this misfortune and it appears the political gladiators are going back to the drawing board. Shet­tima or no Shettima, the North is not at peace with the political architecture as being shaped by the Tinubu administration. The North should closely watch Kwankwaso and his overbearing ambition without any central goal. Kwankwaso is bidding for the Vice Presidency with Tinubu in the 2027 runs and this will fur­ther elongate the political woes of the North.

Would you see the way the Federal Government and security agencies have been handling the killings in the Middle Belt?

The genocide happening in most parts of the country, espe­cially Plateau, Benue, the South- East and North-East is a poser for the Federal Government. The government, through the secu­rity and Armed Forces, protects lives and properties of citizens as well as defend the territori­al integrity of the sovereign state of Nigeria. Sadly, under the watch of the government and her forces, Nigerians are hacked and slaughtered with impunity, unencumbered and without reprisals. One can say that these gruesome, murder­ous atrocities have the consent of the government, except the president decides to bow out for incompetence.

What is your take on the nation’s democratic journey so far? Do you think the ruling elites have really learnt any lessons?

Nigeria’s democratic journey has been of tortoise speed, filled with failures from the ruling class to impact positively on the masses and make life worth liv­ing for them. The height of cor­ruption and quest for personal enrichment, which is the central motive of political ambitions, can be attributed to the fall of Nigeria’s democracy and only a social revolution by the elector­ate can restore the democratic journey to sanity.