Chief Charles Okeke, the Lagos State coordinator of a pro-democracy group Coalition for Democracy (CD) in Nigeria, in this interview opines that in order to avert further rigging of elections come 2007, politicians as well as Nigerians should be well prepared.
He further explains the reason why his forum is in support of Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the presidential slot come 2007 noting that he‘s a detrabilized politician who will be able to take the country to the promised land. The forum‘s stalwart also spoke on the Anambra crisis and other national issues (Excerpts):
The country has been engaged in one political battle or the other and it looks as if it might mar the country's democracy, now, do you think this is healthy for the country?
Absolutely it is very healthy for our democracy. This is because it is a nascent democracy and in a nascent democracy, you must expect certain upheavals as well as some ups and downs. Even in the most advanced countries like the USA, democracy has not yet attained the optimum level that is void of upheavals. What matters most, is not the measure or extent of the crisis, but the ability to contain them. I believe that this government is equal to the task. It has been able to contain most of the crisis that has tried to ruin the polity. Right now, there is stability in Plateau State, of course, you know what has been happening there. And immediately the ruling party took decisive measures of which I give kudos to President Obasanjo. They have been able to bring sanity to those states where there has been consistent upheavals. They already know that there is a need to have timely check on all these things. Even the one that happened sometime ago in Adamawa State would have been a cankerworm but because of the decisive measure and fear of the unknown, that is state of emergency, that has made them to go immediately into the situation and contain it. Now, there is peace and tranquility in Adamawa State. So, sustaining democracy is a process which has to undergo some certain brushing here and there, but at the end, we‘ll get there.
It has been discovered that the reason why there are little skirmishes here and there is due to the government‘s policies which are not favourable to the people. What efforts do you think should be taken to ensure that these policies are people oriented?
If you have been following the economic and political policies that the government has been making all along, you will discover that the government has been trying to sustain this democracy by putting on ground people oriented projects. For example, some days ago, the National Assembly signed the Child Care Act which the government is trying to implement .
Likewise the liberalization of the down stream sector. What the government is trying to do in that sector is to make sure that the country is reformed and after that reformation what we'll have is a situation where there will be food on one's table in order for the masses to enjoy. But the fact is that the Nigerian masses, especially the opponents have failed to look deeply into the policies of the ruling class today. That is why people continue to criticize and complain, but if they were in that position, what would they have done? People have been criticizing President Obasanjo that he has been importing fuel instead of building refineries. Do you know that the four refineries we have in Nigeria were built during the military regime of Obasanjo? If he did not mean well for the country, he would not have built them. And you should know that the problem of this country is not institutional but societal.
The entire society is bad, what we should be doing now is to look at those things we can do for our country and not what our country can do for us. We should not just fold our arms and keep on criticizing the government of the day saying it has not done this or that. It cannot work like that. The citizens of the country must be able to help the country. Our people should learn to have patience, this government means well for the masses of the country and after this restructuring, I bet you that the polity will stabilize, the economy will hold and there will be smiles on the faces of everyone.
As an indigene of Anambra state, how would you assess the political situation in the state with some topnotch of the party clamouring for the removal of the government?
I will not join issues with those who want to remove Ngige, the reason is because there is a modus operandi for removing a constitutionally elected person, either a president, governor or a member of the National Assembly. If they want to remove him, so long as it is legitimately done, so be it. I am only envisaging that whatever is to be done should according to the laid down procedures.
For some time now, your forum has been engaged in some underground activities in the march towards 2007. Can you give us an insight into your activities?
Of course, it is no more a hidden agenda. I‘ve been sharing our mission statement for sometime now. Coalition for Democracy is an outfit that is made up of people with like minds. It is the greatest campaign outfit that has the people at heart and feels that the country needs a change, that the country cannot continue to be held at ransom by a cabal that wishes to hold on to power. A military man who comes in and hands over power to another military man either in civilian or military regalia. Our job is none other than that by 2007, Nigeria should rise and demystify this military cabal, to make sure that the people who know the tenets of democracy, who have the people at heart, who have the country at heart and detribalized people of this country. There is no other person than the very best candidate for the 2007 project. The only person we have been wooing over time is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and we hope he emerges as the president come 2007.
Do you think this is the right time to start off the campaign for 2007?
This is the best period for anybody that wishes to be an elected candidate come 2007. The reason why we run into one crisis or the other few days or months before election is because we do not start preparations early enough to sensitize the masses.
People believe in politicking and not politics. We want to talk about politics and not politicking, we want a situation whereby people will be sensitized and mobilized in order to let them know those candidate they are voting for. People who feel that 2007 is too far from now are people who feel they will use money to buy their way into Aso Rock and ballot boxes. Those people should know that the CD has mobilized over 40 million Nigerians to fight them. I bet you if anybody wants to rig elections come 2007, we are ready to fight them legitimately and we will make sure that such a person is declared persona-non-grata on our political grounds.
Is your forum just canvassing and mobilizing for the presidential seat alone, because your main focus seems to be on the presidency?
Our organization is not only campaigning for the presidency, the motto of our organization is good governance that is good governance in the local, state and federal government levels. We are not talking about the presidency, we want good governance throughout the federation; we want to liberate the Nigerian citizens. They have been emasculated by the cabal and mafia who feel that they will continue to dictate who and who takes charge in Aso Rock. But come 2007, they will be demystified.
How do you intend to achieve this?
There is no other way we intend to achieve this than what we are doing now. We have been going into the hinterlands, states and different towns, we have been using text messages, we have been going to the media houses and even the international community. A few days ago, we were in countries like Germany and we‘ll also be in Switzerland come October this year.
We have been going to the grassroots to sensitize and mobilize people, making them understand that their votes will determine the future of this country. They should not sell their votes, they should not allow people who do not have the clout to come and rule this country. The people who should rule this country are people who have this country at heart. There is no other weapon we have besides mass orientation and that is what we are doing now.
