As presidential primaries of political parties take place, particularly in the ruling APC and major opposition PDP, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, (APC), Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba in this interview decries the negative influence of monetary inducement in picking candidates as against other considerations.
He concludes that this was responsible for the scarcity of dollars and exorbitant exchange rate to naira. The former Minister of State for Education bares his mind on other national issues and how he intends to govern the country if given the opportunity. Politics Editor, TUNDE JOSHUA brings excerpts.
Why do you want to be President of Nigeria?
I think part of why I am running as an aspirant is because I was trying to bring some sense of social order to our polity. Let’s not run away with the belief that our country has collapsed.
That, it is no longer a country of laws or a country of rules and there is no more moral, there’s no more order. In other words, everything works because this is at the heart of what it is that you see on display.
Agitation for restructuring has reached its peak, if you become President, will you restructure the country?
What is it that I would restructure? The borders of Nigeria are known and are defined, and accepted internationally in the world. Restructuring obviously can’t be talking about landmarks, the issue is governance. Is it the question of landmarks or the resources? Since 1999 this Nigerian Constitution has been restructured.
I ask, is there something a state does with its citizens other than service and tax? That is how citizens and the state relate. Is there anything you would like to do in Nigeria that the law says you cannot do? It’s not. If you want to build a refinery there is a process, you just need to apply.
Remember, we were three regions by 1966, and war was fought over this matter. When the military took over, they said we don’t want the situation, it is better everybody creates states, they are no longer ethical. Nigeria had to create states to unbundle the structure as a way to stop a civil war again. To a large extent, they have succeeded. So, something must be right with the new structure.
What do you want to restructure? Is there any limitation to what a state governor can do? Nigerian governors are the most independent governors in the world. If anybody knows the income that they generate in the states that they transfer to Abuja, they should say so.
Nobody has ever compelled any state to generate one income and send. It is for the states to try and generate as much as they can. So, why keep saying let’s revert to the thing that killed us; I said it’s good to know a book, but read it.
What is your view on consensus candidate?
I already said it is not possible to win an election without the consent of everybody. So why will I say I can only win if I am the most powerful aspirant. You can only win by consensus. So whatever consensus my party agrees with for a better Nigeria will be okay.
If they don’t give me, whoever they give, they just decide that this is what we have to offer. That is my understanding of what we’re doing.
Your party inserted a withdrawal letter in the nomination forms of every aspirant, in your view, is it legal or ethical to withdraw ahead of an exercise?
Yes, in every situation, you make provisions. The Supreme Court has held repeatedly that political parties are not parastatals of government. They are voluntary associations, the only thing the Supreme Court has held repeatedly is been consistency, that the party is supreme in its decision on internal matters.
The only condition is that the parties must obey their guidelines and regulations. So, that is the only limitation I see. You come to an association and they say for you to contest on our platform before we agree that we and you can work together, you need to give us the confidence that looks as if we don’t like you to do this, you will not take us to court, will you give us that assurance before we can start.
Check other parties, they don’t have this. That’s exactly how I look at this. It may not be moral or ethical, it is actually what you believe that you want to do. Political parties make their own rules and if this is what they said they want to do you may be guided on how to engage it.
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Can you tell us about your economic plan?
All economies are socially based. You have to know the sociological content of an area to be able to decide what to sell to them and what they can produce. There is no point continuing the way we are, and expecting that we will survive. Just hearing that dollars will be shared; just knowing that there is a convention coming in the past few weeks, dollar has jumped by 12%.
We are now at N607 to a dollar because every Tom, Dick, and Harry who has access to any allocation, whether local government allocation or contract is changing it to the dollar to head up to the convention because we thought there will be 7800 delegates. So all the big men with big money bought up all the dollars. You also have the need factor, if you explain to the poor people that they are the ones causing this problem they will say no.
What caused inflation in the market; who will pay but they don’t understand. When I was running for governor in Imo in 2003, I published a pamphlet. For every economic plan, you can just expand but it will remain the same. If you produce or at least don’t produce, the only force on your production is determined by outside forces. When I said Nigeria is an oil occurring country instead of an oil-producing country, there is a difference.
Nobody knew there was oil here until outsiders came to do everything. That is Nigeria’s condition. So, until a nation re-engages its paradigm it will be difficult for her to grow and I think we should have a different way of working.
Do you think politics is being monetized today as insinuated by many?
I must agree with you that we have a monetized politics but I can assure you that we have a Buhari elected, who didn’t have money. I am only presenting myself for you to choose. I am not saying I can fly. I am not sponsored by the oil industry.
So the only people who can sponsor me are Nigerians. 3150 people made contributions and we bought these forms. So, I know that if Nigerians are willing, once my party selects me, APC will be speaking to 90% of the demographics of Nigeria, speaking to the 70% who are below 50 and who believe it’s possible to vote for somebody who is 55 who is hope for them.
Right now Nigerians are sure that this is where they can get the most efficacious drugs and this is what I am providing. I know that is what I am up to and that is what APC will be offering Nigerians if they take me as their candidate. They will be speaking to elders who believe that they have gotten somebody who will do the work for them. Almost all my supporters are above my age.
I have members of the House of Representatives from 1992 who endorsed me even before they contributed money. Some paid N1000, and someone from Nasarawa gave me 150 tubers of yams to sell from his farm. People are investing, thinking that there may be a new Nigeria. It is not about monetization or not, it’s about Nigerians committing to a future where they want to go.
As an aspirant from the South East, What is your position on the move by South East presidential aspirants towards having a consensus candidate from the zone?
The South East does not want to arrive at a consensus. The South-East wants to work with Nigerians. We are very disappointed, we thought about 10 to 20 people from the south-east will buy these forms so that we can make a case.
When you are making a case, you can make it one way, let all of us come out; men, and women and say yes we believe in Nigeria. We have only seven aspirants and that is very small but I am sure out of this seven, we have those in their seventies, we have those in their sixties, we have those in their fifties.
We have every type of aspirant you need. Nigeria must have the full breadth of Igbo diversity. Any type you need Igbo people has it. So what we said was that anyone you choose we are going to back him or her.
