Ohanaeze Ndigbo chieftain and former President-General of Aka Ikenga, Goddy Uwazurike, in this interview with LAWRENCE NJOKU, among others, speaks on issues concerning Ndi Igbo’s apathy to the electoral process, new registration and Igbos joining national agencies like the police. He blames the perennial misunderstanding on misinformation that is still fueled by poor leadership and held to heart by many young Igbos.

The statistics of registered voters released by INEC show that the South-East has the lowest number. Why has the zone continued to lag behind on issues that should benefit it?
I will give you a straightforward answer. Registration, obtaining the voter’s card, and voting in an election are the only ways anyone can enthrone leadership in a democracy. Wishing that an Igbo person would emerge as president without registering to vote is like daydreaming. However, I am aware that the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo sent out a recorded appeal last week, pleading with every Igbo person in Nigeria to register.

I am aware that there is widespread disillusionment among our people following the 2023 general elections. Many came out to vote, believing their votes would count, but in the end, they did not. I can tell you that up till now, some of those who contested that election, especially Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, are still waiting for the certified copies of the results. They needed those documents to tender in court. INEC told them to pay; they did, but they never received it.

For the average Igbo man, once bitten is twice shy. Having gone through the disappointment of the last exercise, it is understandable that it will impact the current registration process. But we must be prepared, not merely wishing someone would hand us power on a platter.

For now, the only person who has declared interest in contesting is President Tinubu, and his party keeps telling everyone there is no vacancy. But of course, there is a vacancy by the constitution. So, we must get ready by registering, voting, and protecting our votes.

I am also aware that Simeon Ekpa encouraged his followers to boycott voter registration and elections. He was not the first person. When we conducted the national census in 2006, a man based in Abakaliki, who later ventured into Enugu, persuaded people not to register, which accounted for the low turnout. Fast forward to now, we again have a chance to make a change.

As for joining the army, police, and other security agencies, let me tell you that there has been deliberate misinformation circulating that Igbos should not join such institutions. Whenever we have the opportunity, we must tell our young people not to listen to those voices; they are deceivers.

Any young man who does not follow his own conviction is missing the point. The years of the Igbo man not walking the right path have taken a toll. The challenge now is helping our people realise that things can change. We hope that this time, we will succeed, and that some of those charlatans who misled organisations in the past will now rest, now that Ekpa is in prison.

Even with the misinformation and campaigns discouraging participation in national institutions, our leaders seem indifferent. Why haven’t they shown more support?
Our leaders, as currently constituted, do not care. Most of them are part of the problem because they have lost credibility. Any message coming from them is often viewed as serving their masters.

The governors are focused on self-preservation. Their only concern is how to retain their positions, not necessarily the welfare of their people. The only person who, in my view, can stand on his own merit right now is Governor Alex Otti.

Otti has been able to pull Abia State back from the precipice, and this has strengthened his second-term prospects. Nobody believed Abia State could get a responsible governor, but Otti has shown it is possible.

The same cannot be said of other governors in the region, many of whom have become anxious, sending signals that anything other than Tinubu is unacceptable to them. They are not doing this because they love Tinubu; they are doing it to survive.

In Imo State, there is all manner of political jostling. In Anambra, propaganda has become the norm. In Enugu, the government appears uncertain about its direction, and the same can be said for Ebonyi. At times, people are even afraid to speak out.

But the good thing is that Igbos have seen worse days, and we shall overcome again. We understand what is going on, but we will not give up. At the right time, the people will speak and decide their fate.

Our governors have long gone their separate ways and hardly meet to discuss Igbo unity and development. Has this affected Ohanaeze Ndigbo?
It is indeed an unfortunate situation we have found ourselves in. This is what happens when people occupy positions they never worked for. Their inability to come together and prioritise the interests of the Igbo nation has affected Ohanaeze Ndigbo, because the organisation depends on contributions from across the region to function effectively.

Every four years, Ohanaeze holds an open election to choose its leadership. The current president is from Rivers State, but he lacks the funds to run around. Ohanaeze is starved of resources, yet the organisation depends on its members for funding.

Initially, the governors supported Ohanaeze, but they no longer do. No government in the South-East today supports Ohanaeze financially. The group means well, but its main challenge is funding. Everything we do in Ohanaeze Ndigbo is borne out of sacrifice.

Positions in Ohanaeze are not remunerated, and if you cheapen yourself by begging for money, you lose relevance. That is part of the dilemma. Support from businessmen has also waned because businessmen will always put their money where their mouth is. If they invest in politics, they expect patronage. Supporting Ohanaeze does not guarantee such returns, and if it appears to place them in conflict with the ruling class, they will simply avoid it. So, it is up to the people to rally around Ohanaeze and give it the strength it needs.

Do you think there is a gang-up against any other presidential aspiration apart from Tinubu’s in 2027?
The power of incumbency has always been a decisive factor in Nigeria’s politics. It is heavily employed during elections. When Goodluck Jonathan was in power, he used state machinery to seek a second term. Buhari did the same. Now, Tinubu’s team is doing everything possible to ensure his reelection, whether deserved or not.

In this country, performance has little to do with reelection. Those in power often use state resources to maintain their position, regardless of their record. That is the sad reality of our democracy. But no matter the conspiracy to thwart other aspirants, people will still challenge Tinubu in 2027. Nigerians have seen what he has done with the opportunity of power, and they will decide accordingly.

Let me also tell you, Peter Obi will contest in 2027 from the South, and he should not give up. What he will face will be formidable, but no soldier goes to war afraid of death. Peter is a solid person. They have tried everything to discourage him, including spreading falsehoods, but it will not give Tinubu a free run.

The situation in opposition parties seems unconducive for anyone aspiring to contest in 2027.
One thing about politicians is that, by nature, they are men of steel. If you do not have a strong heart and strength of character, politics will crush you. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been around since the 1990s, and he is still here. Peter Obi knows he can fail, but no politician should be afraid of failure.

Right now, there is an army of individuals creating confusion, spreading fake news, and sowing disunity within opposition parties. You might be surprised to learn that the APC has branches inside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party.

The proof? You will never see the PDP Secretary issuing a statement against the President. You will also never see the Labour Party’s Abure camp criticising Tinubu. The same thing is happening within the African Democratic Congress (ADC). So, the disunity in these opposition parties is artificial, deliberately engineered by those in power.

Is it still possible for the ADC to provide the necessary challenge in 2027, given the developments within the party?
The ADC is made up of people who are well-tested in politics and governance. Many of them are the same individuals who rigged Jonathan out. Many also helped bring Buhari and Tinubu to power. Most are experts in electoral manipulation.

So, 2027 may become a battle of who can out-rig the other. That is the sad truth. Some of us still believe that the will of the people should prevail because democracy, by definition, is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Unfortunately, it has now become the government of a cabal.

After two years in office, how would you assess the current government?
This government claims to have instituted reforms, but it keeps saying the dividends will unfold soon and asking citizens to “bear with them”. That, by their own admission, means citizens are suffering. So, I do not see what can be placed on President Tinubu’s scorecard. All his so-called reforms have translated into pain for the people.

Nigeria is 65 years old. Looking back, do you think the country has realised the aspirations of independence?
We stopped growing about 10 years ago. Tinubu himself helped bring Muhammadu Buhari to power, and that administration stagnated Nigeria. When Tinubu came, he said he wanted to “renew the hope”, because hope had died under Buhari. However, this renewal does not appear to provide any clear direction forward. For me, the only way out is to put square pegs in square holes and allow competence to guide governance. If you prioritise clannishness and myopia, you will get exactly that.

How far has the rotation of power between North and South since 1999 helped Nigeria?
It is a step in the right direction, but remember that during the 1994 Constitutional Conference, Dr Alex Ekwueme proposed a six-zonal structure, which was accepted. Every party, except the current APC, has operated on that zonal structure. The APC only recognises the North-West and South-West. It does not regard the others as legitimate contenders in the presidential equation. So, we are still in the doldrums. At 65, Nigeria is still crawling.