Why APGA Is Supporting Jonathan, By Umeh

Chief Victor Umeh, National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) believes anyone that loves Nigeria must support the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan for the implementation and restructuring of the polity, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) was vehemently opposed to last year’s national conference; hence is not expected to implement its report. 

HOW far have your party gone with the campaigns?

  It has been nice and challenging. Expectedly, campaign is the major thing that will secure victory for anybody contesting an election. 

  So, I am giving it my utmost best to reach out to the people, and their responses have been very encouraging. 

  Though I am not a new person to the electorate; they have known me over the years and can vouch for what I stood for in the past 13 years in Anambra State and in Nigeria, but my message was well received, because they know I am not telling them lies. They know I am telling them what I can do and they will check it with what I have done in the past and believe me very easily.

  One thing about the whole exercise concerns choosing somebody that can honestly represent the people, somebody who can speak for them, fight for their rights, somebody who will be bold and courageous to stand up, even in the midst of enemies, and say, yes, this people are not being treated well.

  I have done that in the past by standing for what is just and demonstrated the ability to fight for the oppressed people, who are disadvantaged; people who are weak. 

  In terms of my lifestyle and character, I am well known to the people. They know me as a good family man.

 These are the things people look for in a leader or somebody who will represent them, which are not lacking in me. 

  Despite that, I am not taking anything for granted and still going down to the grassroots to mobilise them to vote for me and stay on a curse of action that will give a stronger sense of belonging to our people as a whole. 

  I have been national chairman of our party for quite some time now, my tenure is running out this month, and my advocacy has centred on how to give the Igbo people a pride of place in Nigeria. I am somebody who can be described as an unapologetic Igbo man. 

  The Igbo should be given their position in Nigeria, so that they can continue to contribute very meaningfully towards national development. 

  So, I believe in this struggle and it is a combination of these things that makes it convincing enough for our people to ask me to go to the senate to present them. 

  And I am not somebody that anybody can intimidate. I have overcome intimidation in my life; nobody in Nigeria today can intimidate me. The moment I see injustice anywhere, I fight it head on, not minding who is standing at the other side. 

  Looking at the Anambra South zone, I can tell you that I am most premiered because of my experience to offer my people quality representation at the senate, because they had already known me. 

  In summary, my campaign is running well, am even getting volunteers by the day, beyond party lines. It is not something that is left for APGA members alone, there are people in PDP and APC who are supporting me. They are coming to me on daily basis to offer their support, services and contributions, not because I am running for senate, but because they have seen my track record of services to Igbo people.   

  They are particularly those who believe this election will go beyond party lines and affiliation. They want me to succeed; they want me to win and represent them. 

What is it that the incumbent is not doing well that you want to do differently?

  I will bring to my people a consistent character. There are people who have shown some flacks of claiming to be representing our people or fighting for our people.   

  Senator Chris Ngige, when he was harassed as governor, he ran to the people, who liked him and saw him as someone ready to stand against his oppressors. 

  That carried him to some length and he got into the senate and he got swallowed up in the chambers of the senate. Nobody can stand up to say what Ngige has done for Anambra Central zone or Igbo people at the senate. 

  People who supported him in 2011 thought he will be very vocal and effective for our people in the senate. Unfortunately, that has being lost for good; he has not demonstrated any sense of urgency in representing the people that are constantly being cheated in Nigeria. 

  I am passionate about my people. I will carry that passion, zeal and drive to the senate. I cannot change.  

 You sound so confident of winning Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Nasarawa states governorship elections?

  There may be other surprises! But we are sure of Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Abia, Imo and Zamfara states (where my National Secretary, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, is contesting).

What is your stand on the PDP’s alleged multiple candidates? 

  The masses should vote for APGA in other to surround the governor with APGA legislators at the state and national levels, so that they will work together with common vision and purpose for the good of the state. 

  PDP in Anambra is in confusion, so the only way to ensure there is peace in the state is to reject them at the polls.

  APGA is supporting President Goodluck Jonathan and at our convention last year, we adopted him as our presidential candidate.

  We are not supporting Jonathan for nothing or because we want to support someone. The major reason is because he said he would implement the resolution of the national conference. 

You mentioned that your tenure is running out this month. Are you grooming someone up for it?

  Leadership is something that will fall on you if you meet the criteria for leadership. People will identify, authorise you and support you. 

  My tenure will run out this month, but in our party, at the last national convention on October 17, last year we used the traditional provision in our constitution to extend our tenure to around April this year to give way for the general election. 

  Then we will elect new leadership for the party across the board from ward to local government levels.