Presidency: Southeast should work with other zones – Nwosu

Uche Nwosu was the governorship candidate of Action Alliance in the 2019 governorship election in Imo State. He was also Chief of Staff to the former governor of Imo State, Senator Owelle Rochas Okorocha. In this interview, with Tony Akowe, in Abuja, Nwosu speaks on issues of governance and the agitation for an Igbo Presidency in 2023. Excerpts

We are still in 2019 and the agitation for the 2023 presidency is already on. As a politician, what do you make out of this 2023 agitations in 2019?

For me, it’s too early to start that. We have a sitting President and we have so many years to go. I think people should just kill this issue of 2023 and allow Mr. President to be focused and finish his four years that will end in 2023. It’s not in the best interest of the country for anybody to start talking about 2023 now. So, the President should be given all necessary support. Every idea you have, that you think is good for governance for 2023, give it to Mr. President and let us keep the country moving. When we come close to 2023, we will know where we are going. But for now, every support should go President Muhammadu Buhari.

Nigerians appear to be losing confidence in the ability of the APC and PDP to lead the country to the desired political destination and are realigning. Do you share this sentiment?

I do not share in that idea because Nigeria is a complex country. We have seen that kind realignments before and they didn’t work out, except for the emergence of APC. I still feel that the ruling party, APC, will at the end of the day, take the day because the structure there does not look as if anything better than the APC has emerged at the national level.

Looking back, would you say you have any regret contesting the Imo State governorship election on the platform of AA?

There is no regret at all. Like I said earlier, it was injustice that moved me to AA. When I won the party’s primaries and I was denied the ticket, which was given to someone who came to the party less than three months going to the primaries. I have no regret because I still have my support for the leadership of APC and its Presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari and also those who followed me to AA. They are very much dear to me. Remember that I contested under AA but we had what we called a perfect alliance with APC. So, I’m APC and I am AA.

When you say you are APC, you are AA, are you planning to return to APC in no distant time?

I’m still in court for now and we still have perfect alliance. If by tomorrow I’m declared winner from the case, I will not see myself as the governor of AA or governor of APC, I will be governor of the entire political parties in Imo State. So, for now, my alliance will be for APC and AA. These are the two parties that gave me their support in Imo State.

The 2020 budget has come under serious criticism, especially from the opposition parties. Do you have confidence in the document?

First of all, before anybody criticizes, you just have to take the budget, go through it critically.

Do you see that budget transforming Nigeria’s economy in the next four years?

Yes. Perfectly, it will. But there is need for supplementary budgets in some areas. But for me, it is a welcome development.

Let’s look at the issue of governance, how will you assess this government from the President to the cabinet?

We are just few months. We are talking about less than five months. The first tenure of our President, he did well; l give it to him. He performed well in the area of agriculture. In fact, in his first tenure, he did well and this one is just five months, not even up to six months. Things just started. I think it is too early to start comparing the last four years with these four years. With what I could see in the budget, I believe that Mr. President would do well. And also on this issue of some of the works that have started, both on the rail sector and construction of roads and so many things that have started, he’s putting things in the right direction. We will not judge from the present few months, let us judge from the last four years and compare it to what he is going to do in the next four years in details. I know if he was able to do well in the last four years, then, Mr. President will automatically do very, very well in the next four years he has to spend as a President.

You must have heard about the issue that is happening in the Presidency vis-a-vis the Vice President and the so-called cabals. What is your take about the allegations of bribery and of corruption against the Vice President?

Those things are fake news. Remember what went viral about the wife of the President. I don’t believe in that. The Vice President has come openly to say that he is in good terms with the President. So, we should not carry fake news around. For me, Mr. President and his vice are working closely and working well together. I’ve met with the Vice President when I was Chief of Staff in Imo State; he’s a gentleman and as a Professor of Law. You won’t have any option than to love him. He said it himself that he doesn’t have any problem with Mr. President. So, why are people trying to put problem. They should leave my President and Vice President alone so that they can enjoy their stay in the Villa. There is nothing like quarrel between them as far as I am concerned.

You are a politician from the Southeast and you can see the level of agitations that Southeast should produce the President in 2023, do you share this same view?

I don’t believe in shouting for Presidency now. Even the Southeasterners who are agitating that they must produce President in 2023, how far have they reached out to the other zones? You don’t sit in the Southeast and be asking for President or you sit in Anambra or Enugu or Abia or Imo or Ebonyi and say it is our turn.  What is the relationship between Southeast and the North? What is the relationship between Southeast and the Southwest? What is the relationship between Southeast and South-south? That is what they should be talking about. Meanwhile, the issue of 2023 should not even arise now! The best thing is to work with our brothers from other zones, so that Mr. President can complete his tenure. It depends on how they worked with other people from other zones; by doing that, we will see ourselves having one country and as people that are working closely together. For me, I wouldn’t want to venture into the issue of 2023 until Mr. President completes his tenure. But for those who are agitating for President, let me repeat, we need to work with our brothers from other zones. That is why I talked on this issue of hate messages on social media against Muhammadu Buhari. We must see ourselves as brothers and sisters with other zones. Southeast in 2023 must work with other zones.

But if you look at the political structures since 1999, every zone that had produced President was conceded to not necessarily because they worked with other zones. In 1999, the North conceded to the Southwest and General Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2007, Obasanjo looked at the North and gave it to Yar’Adua and later Jonathan took over. The same way Mr. President emerged when people said Okay, it is North’s time! Don’t you think that those making this agitation may believe that the other zones should extend that same olive branch; that is acceptance of the Southeast?

That is why I said, the Southeast should not make so much noise now. Even as it is now, we have the President who has three years plus to stay in office and nothing has come from the Villa that this person has been adopted or this position has been zoned to Southwest or Southeast. It is just rumour. People are just saying that the North says they will not handover power, that the South-south says they will take power; that the Southwest says they will take power; that the Northeast says they will take power; etc., this is based on rumours and hearsay. When the time for that comes, we will know where it is going to. But for now, I think we should just mellow down in the Southeast, work for the development of the region and wait for 2023. If we start fighting now, there are lots of things we need to put in place in the Southeast. Like the issue of Enugu Airport, I commend the President for the N10 billion. The Southeast governors should come together and help the President to see that the airport is properly fixed. That is the area I want us to work on before 2023. There are other things we need to go and talk about. 2023 is still far. By the time we move closer to 2023, automatically, God knows the best for the Southeast.