July 11, (THEWILL) – Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu is the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC. In this interview withAYO ESAN, he speaks on issues as they affect the nation and his party. Excerpts:
What would you advise the Federal Government to do about the worsening insecurity in the country?
I have written so much on how to manage diversity and living chains, but this government is not a listening one. So, it is quite difficult advising the government on what to do about the worsening insecurity in the country. But to answer your question, I would ask the government to do its best to create harmony in the system and bring the people together.
A lot of things have gone wrong with the system. There are too many ethnic militias operating in the country. There is too much violence, ethnic wrangling, kidnapping, et cetera. Things have gone so bad that one of the ways to restore confidence in the government is by initiating a national conversation. The Federal Government should try as much as possible to bring everybody to the roundtable. A national conversation will help to douse the tension in the country and calm frayed nerves. The government should listen attentively to what the people have to say. That may be the beginning of the healing process.
If failure on the part of this government to listen to the people results in dire consequences for the country, it will be held culpable. Look at the way the Department of State Security made mockery of a major institution by invading Sunday Igboho’s Ibadan residence at night. Can you imagine that? There are different ways to restore peace to the country; it should not be by force.
The present government does not have any economic focus. If the economy is bad and you don’t have economic focus, a lot of things will go wrong. If people are dying of hunger, there is no way you can stop a hungry man from looking for a way to survive. So, it is better to show Nigerians that you are thinking about their welfare by creating an enabling environment for them to work on the economy. This is one of the things you can do to reassure the people that the presidency is concerned about their welfare.
A national dialogue will help the entire system to heal. Until it begins to heal, there will be no end to insecurity, insurgency, rise of ethnic militias, bloody conflicts, kidnapping and other symptoms of the bigger problem.
The National Assembly is trying to amend the 1999 Constitution. What parts of the constitution do you think need to be changed?
Although it has already started something, the National Assembly does not have the right to fix the constitution for us. We have to face reality. Do we really have a constitution on ground? Nigerians should be allowed to decide, not just a few elected people, what to do with the constitution, whether to amend it or not and what parts to amend. It is unbecoming of a group of so-called elected representatives of the people, who have the people’s mandate, to make decisions without considering the wishes of the same people who elected them. I don’t even want to talk about this anymore, but what the members of the National Assembly are doing is a waste of time and they know it. What they say they are amending doesn’t even exist in the first place. Is it not better if all Nigerians sit down to discuss and decide what kind of constitution they want for the country?
Are you saying that Nigeria needs a brand new constitution put in place by the people?
Yes, I am saying so.
So how do we go about it?
That is what I have just said. I have said that we need a national conversation. It is critical for almost everything that has gone wrong in Nigeria. This is because a lot of water has gone under the bridge. We have been living in falsehood. If we are just realising it because of the way the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari has mismanaged our diversity, then it is still good. May be the best thing we have learnt from the Buhari administration is that all they have done must lead us to a national conversation. Instead of the National Assembly usurping the peoples’ power or role by working on something that does not exist, let the people sit down and decide for themselves what to do. The 1999 Constitution can be the starting point. The conference organised by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration or the one hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, which is the most recent, can also be the starting point. After making their decisions, the people will then let the National Assembly fine tune and bring them to life. But the government should first allow the people to talk and make the decisions. You cannot shut out the people and expect to have a country.
How is the African Democratic Congress preparing for the governorship election in Anambra State and what is your advice to the Independent National Electoral Commission?
Luckily ADC has produced the best candidate for the election in the person of Akachukwu Nwankpo. He is a seasoned technocrat and has also been involved in politics and governance at the state and national levels. He happens to be the most qualified candidate for the election. So he puts the ADC as the party to beat. You can see what happened when the other political parties held their respective primaries.
We need to advance our democracy. I heard that the APC are saying that they are going to write the results by all means. We need to advance our democracy beyond elections. I would like to advise the Independent National Electoral Commission to give Nigeria credible elections. I have told INEC that if it ensures a credible and transparent election in Anambra State, the ADC as a party will guarantee all Nigerians a super power economy within the next 20 years. It will begin immediately and in less than 20 years, Nigeria will be well established as a super power economy in the world. This will be of benefit to all ethnic groups in Nigeria. When some people think small and promise to introduce this or that, we shall be left with a parochial view of leadership that will be a great disadvantage to everybody. But if you are disciplined and you have a huge vision, everybody benefits.
So, considering its performance in Edo and Ondo governorship elections in 2020, do you trust INEC to conduct a credible governorship election in Anambra?
Judging by what they have done, there is no need to trust them. But if you want me to advise them, I will advise them as a pan-Africanist. Nowadays, we in ADC don’t talk about Nigeria alone. We talk of Africa. You are in Lagos. Lagos is in Africa and it is supposed to be the economic power of Africa. Kano is supposed to be another major commercial hub in Africa, not only in Nigeria. So those of us in ADC are thinking globally. We want our people to start thinking globally because it will help us to grow.
Is your party considering zoning the presidency to the South-East in 2023?
I think that every Nigerians should start thinking in terms of fairness, equality and justice. Justice is critical to unity, harmony, peace, diversity management, leadership and life. Every Nigerian should be thinking of justice, if we want a united and strong country.
What is your advice to the electorate as we move towards the 2023 General elections?
Last Saturday, the ADC kicked off what we call the PVC revolution and advised INEC to sensitise Nigerians on the continuous voter registration, which has just started. In doing that, we urged Nigerians that voting is the best way to get the kind of government they want. We asked them to do their bit as citizens of this country. If you don’t have a voter card, INEC has opened another window to enable you to register. Makes sure you always vote, no matter the situation.
What advice do you want to give to the National Assembly, concerning the passing of the Electoral Act?
We at the African Democratic Congress have asked the National Assembly not to pass the New Electoral Amendment Bill without a clause on electronic transmission of election results.
This is truly shocking and absurd. At a time lawmakers are supposed to be thinking of how to make laws that will transform Nigeria to a strong democracy, it is incomprehensible why they are building booby traps and creating windows that serve parochial ends.
With a population of over 200 million, Nigeria should be relevant globally and to its people. Failure to adopt methods and attitudes that enhance best practices in law and policy formulation demeans the National Assembly as an institution, as well as reduces and limits us as a people.
It is of utmost importance that we begin to build integrity into our processes; things to bring value and credibility to our processes and help our journey into democracy, development and maturity. We cannot continue to live in falsehood and corruption. The beauty of democracy is people ownership, which is an endearing franchise that must be guided.
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
