A former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, has said that political leaders in the South-East who declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term are merely speaking for themselves and not for the people of the region.
Speaking recently on ARISE News, Nwodo argued that elite political alignments do not reflect the feelings and voting behaviour of ordinary people across the South-East.
“These are our leaders that are not speaking the mind of our people. I can tell you that for certain.
“It is information you can gather on the streets, in the marketplace, anywhere you go. That is not the natural feeling of the people,” he said.
Nwodo said while some governors and political heavyweights have publicly aligned with the APC, several Nigerians remain unconvinced by the reasons behind their support and defections to the ruling oarty.
“Many of us in this country are wondering what is the attraction for our governors in particular, who are leaving their parties for the APC.
“We do not see the justification in joining the APC. We do not see it in the performance of the central government, which is run by the APC. We do not see it in any exemplary state government under the APC. So, what is the attraction?”, he asked.
He warned against what he described as a drift towards a one-party system without ideological or performance-based justification.
“People are wondering why some people should be drifting to a one-party state, not based on ideology, not based on the performance of that party,” he said.
Addressing concerns on South-East leaders appearing to abandon the former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nwodo said political decisions are often driven by personal calculations.
“Every politician has a reason for his action. I will not act on behalf of any of our politicians in the South-East, which is to support the president for a re-election,” he said.
He stated that the ADC’s focus was on engaging the current administration on policy delivery and offering Nigerians alternatives.
“We in the African Democratic Congress want to engage the current president of Nigeria and his party on issues, on their policies, on the efficacy of their execution of their policies and promises to the Nigerian people.
“I will put this side-by-side with the candidates that we are supporting, the former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi, and the solutions he is putting on the table for Nigerians to make a choice,” he said.
Nwodo stressed that the APC’s growing influence among political elites has not translated to popular support in the South-East, citing voting patterns in Enugu State.
“APC has not been a popular party in our state. PDP was.
“Before the 2023 election, PDP had won all the councilorship elections in our state since the party was formed. All the local government elections. All the State Assembly elections. All the House of Representatives elections. All the Senatorial elections. All the governorship elections,” he stated.
He added that the APC’s performance in the 2023 governorship election in the state highlighted its weak grassroots appeal.
“But come 2023, and APC had a candidate for governorship in our state.
“The candidates in the entire state scored 14,000 votes. That was how unpopular it was,” he said.
Nwodo said the emergence of the Obedient Movement significantly reshaped political dynamics across the region and the country.
“It was not helped by the tsunami, that even that popularity that PDP had was swept over by the Obedience Tsunami. What you found on the streets at that time is even stronger today,” he said.
According to him, ordinary people across the South-East continue to question why prominent politicians are aligning with the APC.
“People cannot find justification why important politicians are declaring for APC. If they can, they will join freely, happily,” he added.
He argued that federal might and incumbency may not be enough to override public sentiment.
“In spite of what appears that APC is now a behemoth, unchallengeable, with federal might, with incumbency in their world politics, people are still anxious to do what they have to do to salvage their country, to have a better life for themselves,” he said.
On whether governors of South-East extraction can influence presidential voting outcomes, Nwodo expressed doubt pointing out that people of the zone have largely remained republican in such matters.
“When it comes to the presidential election, I doubt that those people that will vote for their governor that is doing well, will vote for APC presidential candidate,” he said.
He maintained that the APC has struggled to gain acceptance in the region since its formation, wondering if that has changed.
“Since APC was formed in the South-East, it has never taken root. It has been seen as the government or the party that singles out the South-East from the rest for marginalisation,” he said.
Nwodo also addressed concerns about future elections, stressing the need for citizens to push for electoral reforms ahead of 2027.
“It is a matter for all of s. We should put pressure on the National Assembly to make sure that the electoral reforms that will come out meet our expectations,” he said.
He added that safeguarding democracy ultimately rests with Nigerians themselves.
“Nobody is going to come to do it for us from outer space. It is us, Nigerians, that can make sure that this happens.
“If we are all saying that we are living under extreme hardship in this administration, all hands must be on deck to make sure we have a better government come 2027,” Nwodo said.
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