2023 Presidency: “Obi is a Tsaunami in the race” – Barr. Onyebueke
A renowned lawyer of repute, a public analyst on national and international issues, and a Calabar-based constitutional legal luminary, Chief Barrister FIDELIS ONYEBUEKE spoke with our correspondent, in Calabar, AKPAN WILLIAMS on why the Igbos are not happy with both APC and PDP about the issue bothering on the rotational presidency, why Peter Obi left the PDP, the choice of Governor Okowa as the running mate for Atiku and why Bola Tinubu make a mistake over his description of PDP and other issues. He says Peter Obi entering the race to contest the position of a president means there is a tsunami in the polity.
Excerpts:
In some areas they said for the Easterners to get their slot in the presidency they connect it to the agitation for the actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra championed by (IPOB). Now the Igbos are saying that they are not happy, because they have been deluding them concerning the issue bothering on power shift in this country since it was supposed to be the turn of the South-East to produce the next president of the country. They complain also that Buhari has taken the turn of the North, Obasanjo has taken the turn of the South-West, and Johnathan has taken the turn of the South-South. Now the power which is supposed to be zoned to the South-East instead they zone it back to the South-West courtesy of the ruling party APC. What do you have to say about this?
Yes, politics is a good game, but the participants in politics are horrible, selfish people, and unqualified pekople. We don’t know how to quantify them, that is my worry. Ordinarily, human beings deserve Justice, equity, and good governance. Otherwise, we would have quietly queued in for good governance in this country for part of good governance is equity and justice. Now, the North has produced Atiku for PDP, ordinarily, PDP should have chosen someone from the southeast the anchor point before, again it would be a better option APC zone toward the southeast too. Obasanjo ruled for eight years, as well leaving the South East to be on a losing side. Nonetheless, the mind of human beings is not vehemently the same. God sees the spirit, not the physical, and having done so. It is for them to judge themselves if what they are doing is not for the issue of Biafra. Is there equality and justice? And by the way what was the Biafra issue? Inequality and injustice everywhere, if there was equality and justice in dealing with issues of this magnitude, nobody will be talking of Biafra. But when you feel that you have been marginalized to the point of no return an upsurge reaction will come up. We normally said that unnecessary reactions to unnecessary are normal actions. So, you see that is so bad, so bad, that those who are supposed to know, pretend not to know. Those who are supposed to know, refuse to know. But I know as they said, if the thing is spiritually guided, is not human-made. Their way is not the way of God. For Peter Obi to pull out of the PDP primary because he feels he won’t be able to share money as they expected, which happens. Atiku shares money and he got the ticket’ as it was reported on all the social networks. You see an upsurge in his popularity. There is an upsurge everywhere, even on social media. Tinubu too shares and got it. But Peter Obi who never wanted to share money rather he crossover to Labour Party, LP, and got the ticket. The question is, this upsurge that is everywhere, is it human or an act of God? To me, it is an act of God, because Obi never went to North to put up any structure there. But the youth have taken over the matter. And who are the youths,? The same youths who were involved in the END SARS protests. END SARS was not planned. That is nature, it happens sometimes that way. And if I were the politicians. Particularly, those who assumed that they are LORDs. They should know that END SARS was an act of GOD. GOD wanted to show them that one day something more than END SARS will come, what is that: Obi entering into the race is like a TSUNAMI in the sense that the youths have taken over. Case in point, between now and December this year, there would be a change of mind among the northerners who do not want to queue in. I know that there are 4 notable parties, not three. New Nigeria Peoples Party is there among the four. Rabiu Kwankwaso is there. He is a very formidable man. So my advice is that Nigerians should learn from the past. They should learn to give those old politicians a back seat. But Obi entering into the race is not galvanized by a human being but galvanized by the Spirit of God that touches the youths to take over the issue and they are doing so, with every seal of ferocity that sparks them to make such a wise move, watch out something will happen.
Finally, on the angle of IPOB, to show you that God is working, since Obi entered into the race and this Tsunami is taking over everywhere. Did you hear much about IPOB again? And the killings in the Igboland are there so much again? No. It has been reduced. That is to show you that injustice is the main issue. Once it affects these persons It affects all, and if you do the right thing injustice will stop. Obi is the only solution to the problem, that God will use to solve the problem. Once he becomes the president the Igbos will be happy and the injustice will come to an end, and the Igbos will also have a sense of belonging.
Sir, the majority of Nigerians are saying that they are living from hands to mouth today, that is, in abject poverty under Buhari’s led government, yet Bola Tinubu of the same party as Buhari was describing PDP as a Poverty Development Party. He made this statement in Calabar while canvassing for Cross River delegates’ votes. What are your views on this?
I am so worried that the person who made that description, was that person competent enough to do that? Tinubu, was he competent at the time he made that comment? What was his health status? Was he in his normal state of mind? Cut in: he was canvassing for votes from the Cross River APC delegates when he made the description. Yes, there is a difference between using your normal sense at the time of canvassing for votes. Imagine, that was a terrible scenario under the same government that is talking about fighting corruption yet, corruption is everywhere. Ordinarily, how could he, Tinubu paid a whopping $30,000 (about N19,200,000) to just one delegate to vote for him. Is that not corruption? Would that happen in any other country? How could he explain this? Are we using Dollars in Nigeria as our legal tender? This is nothing but vote-buying, yet nobody is talking. How do you explain this type of thing? How did he compare PDP and APC in this issue? I assess that God wants to expose the two parties now, and God has exposed the two parties. God will say, look I will send you a savior who will come and save the country. Now God has sent that savior, who is that savior? Peter Obi.
Look at his record, look at his qualifications. You have seen what he did in Anambra State. Let’s be frank, mention any past governor in the whole federation who has left such a huge amount of money in their Treasury, mention any of them. He left N78 Billion Naira in the Anambra state Treasury, which his successor came and swindled overnight. So God is exposing both parties because Nigeria would be finished. We will be buried finally if they decide to choose a President from any of the parties to lead them again. Therefore, Nigerians should learn from their past mistakes and choose a credible leader to lead them.
What are those gains Nigerians stand to gain in the new electoral act?
Transferring election results is very important and is critical in conducting a credible election. The moment it is done here, it is transmitted to Abuja, it will transmit immediately, and no chance to rig. That is the major gain in the new electoral process. This is the greatest thing Buhari has done, this has sent a signal to election riggers that it is no more business as usual. It will be difficult to manipulate. I also know that if you try anything funny some people would be burnt alive. Watch out many won’t want to lose their life. END SARS has thought Nigerians a big lesson.
How would you describe the choice of Governor Okowa of Delta State as Atiku’s running mate?
Okowa’s choice is an act of God as well. Because I have not seen Okowa garnering votes for Atiku from the South-south. It is not possible. Let me tell you, as far as Obi is there in the race, half of Delta are the Igbos, and you can’t expect an Igbo man to leave a core Igbo man and vote for another man. It is not possible. When you go around you will hear a lot of people saying I will vote for Peter Obi. That is the issue. The way things are going, it is likely Nigerians are tired of the recycling of the old politicians in this country, so recycling of the old people every time Nigerians are saying they are tired. So if they have chosen Wike, Wike would have made tremendous progress for the party but with Okowa the road to victory is very narrow.
