‘We’ll play real politics of ‘stomach infrastructure’ in Lagos’

Posted by Seye Olumide | 10 years ago | 4,108 times



The Publicity Secretary, Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Joe Igbokwe, while fielding questions from journalists recently, said the party would never allow a repeat of what took place in Ekiti State in the August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun State. He also flays the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the brain behind religious sentiment currently introduced into the Nigerian politics, reports Seye Olumide.

HAVING lost Ekiti State to the PDP, what preparation is the APC making for the 2015 governorship in Lagos?

  The APC is leaving no stone unturned, given the setbacks we had in Ekiti State recently. More than ever before, we are fighting and digging deep, as if we are in the opposition. 

  From the state level to the 57 councils, and to the 377 wards, we are playing the real politics, realising that all politics are local.

  Since the setbacks in Ekiti State, the Lagos chapter of the PDP has been granting interviews, issuing statements and conducting press conferences as if that is what it takes to win elections. 

  But fact is Lagos is different from Ekiti State. We are living witnesses of the build up before the Ekiti governorship election on June 21, 2014. 

  We saw the intimidation and harassment of APC leaders. We saw it all and if we tell you that we learnt nothing, we will be deceiving ourselves. 

  We are waiting for the PDP in Osun, Ogun, Oyo, and Lagos in the Southwest. We will play the real politics and politics of the stomach, too. Yes, that is what Ekiti people taught us in the 21st Century.

But there is the belief that the leadership of the party in Lagos is not masses friendly due to the policies of the state government. Can you disprove this? 

  I have told you that Ekiti people have added new words to our political lexicon and that is stomach infrastructure. We will play the politics to the letter. We will face the challenge with all the energy at our disposal.

  We have rice in abundance, especially the one produced in Ikorodu, Lagos. We are doing other things, which time and space will not permit me to recount here.

  Lagos has the capacity to carry out any assignment without hindrance. Thank God we’ve got seven months notice from Ekiti people that political equation in Nigeria has changed from politics of ideas to politics of the stomach.

  The ruling party, PDP, has impoverished Nigerians in the past 16 years and they are now using stolen money to buy votes. 

  The new trend in Nigerian politics is to get to the office, create poverty and steal as much as you can. Return four years after to use the same stolen money to buy their votes and life goes on. If this does not worry you, I wonder what else can.

SO, what type of governor should the people of Lagos expect from the APC in 2015?

  Governor Fashola is leaving behind big shoes and anybody who will occupy that office must be a leader of leaders. He must be lettered in the art of governance. He must be bold, experienced, firm, strong, courageous, wildly traveled, wildly exposed and very deep.

  He must have passion for service. He must be a good mobilizer, a friend of the poor, and must have a third eye. He must have a developmental orientation; he is not a hut builder.

  He must have a big heart. He must believe in government of small things, as well as government of big things. Only the best is good for Lagos because Lagos is not a place for mediocrity.

What are the likely challenges the incoming governor may encounter?

  Development is work in progress. He will continue where his predecessor stopped. The incoming governor will have 25 million Lagosians to contend with.

  Building infrastructure will continue to pose a big challenge in Lagos until every road, every street is upgraded in Lagos.

  Astronomical growth in Lagos population will continue to be a challenge; security will always pose a challenge. Transportation, housing, refuse disposal, jobs and others will continue to be the big issues. 

  The challenge to make Lagos to remain the Centre for Excellence will always be there. Critics will be there to put him on the hot seat. The challenge to make Lagos the first destination among African cities will always be there.

 

About 14 aspirants have showed interest to succeeding Fashola; what modalities is the party going to adopt to get its candidate? 

  I think we should leave this issue for the party leaders. Lagos is not in short supply of great leaders but only one out of 14 aspirants will be victorious.

  In taking the decision, a lot is going to be considered. If we make a mistake, we may end up with a meretricious mediocrity. 

  The leaders must be extremely careful now that ethnic and religious politics are taking the front seat in Nigeria. Our leaders must shine their eyes because the APC, Lagos will not go into 2015 elections with a divided house.

Could you explain further on the issue of zoning of the governorship in Lagos State?

  Going by the thinking of the party’s leadership, the Lagos West has produced a governor, the Lagos Central has produced one and now it is the turn of Lagos East to occupy the seat. 

  I think this is a wonderful development that borders on justice, equity, and fair play.

  I am inclined to think that it is good for the commonwealth. I have no doubt that the APC, Lagos will key into this development. It is fair to all concerned and it is going to be beneficial to all.

RELIGIOUS sentiment has suddenly come to play in the choice of leadership in the country; how is the party going to address this in Lagos?

  In 1993, nobody raised any eyebrow when Nigerians voted for the late Chief MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe. They were both Muslims. But 22 years after, the PDP has dragged Nigeria into ethnic and religious politics. This is unfortunate.

  I know that Christians in Lagos have been asking for a Christian candidate because Muslim governors have ruled Lagos since 1999. They have the right to do so and the leadership of the party is looking into it. We have to live with it. 

  The PDP has inflicted mediocrity, ethnicity, tribalism, sectionalism, sycophancy, and politics of infrastructure of the stomach in Nigeria. Nigeria is retrogressing, and moving dangerously into a state of anything goes. May we never crash this democracy?

  Lagos wants a good governor, a thinking governor and a goal getter. You can find a good governor from every religion.

And still on religious politics, what is the APC doing about this tag of a ‘Muslim party’?

  Ordinarily, I would not intervene on this stupid tag, which the PDP feel will win them the sympathy of the Nigerians that they have raped and bestially decimated in nearly 16 years of corrupt and visionless government.

  What makes a so-called Muslim party? Is it a party created for Muslims? If so, why is there a large number of Christians in our great party? Our National Chairman, former governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is a Christian and so are many of our governors and party chieftains.

  The PDP is more interested in dividing Nigerians into Christian and Muslim tendencies after it had failed to use the enormous resources Nigeria has in the last 15 years to make Nigeria livable for both Christians and Muslims.

Isn’t the APC threatened in any way by the PDP threats to capture the Southwest, and how does the party plan to avert what happened in Ekiti in Osun?

  What happened in Ekiti State will never repeat itself in Osun State. Ekiti State was stolen and that robbery is unacceptable in Osun State.

  Even though we know the PDP very well and their ugly antecedents, we thought they would respect themselves in Ekiti and play to the rules, but a leopard cannot change its skin.

  They will meet their waterloo in Osun State. The PDP would meet a lion in Governor Rauf Aregbesola. They will meet a man who is on ground, a consummate mobilizer, a grassroots governor and an honest leader.

  He is in touch with his people, both the high and the low. He has shown leadership class in the State of Osun. 

  Please, take it from me; the PDP will never capture the Southwest of the Fashola, Ajimobi, Amosun and Aregbesola because light and darkness has no meeting point.


Source: Guardian News

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