Obong Nsima Ekere is the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Akwa Ibom State. He spoke to AYOYINKA JEGEDE about the possibility of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC.
Insecurity is on the rise. There are endless kidnappings, hunger and frustration in the country. ‘Japa’ is the order of the day when young people struggle to leave the district. Do you think Nigerians want to vote APC back into power?
So Asiwaju Bola Tinubu spoke about New Hope. Aware of all the problems we have as a country and as a people, he has a solution to the problem of insecurity. That is why you hear him talking about the dependence on technology to solve the security challenges in the country. Someone has a cure for our economic situation and that is why Tinubu is talking about creating jobs and increasing GDP. He has talked about attracting youth to creative jobs.
When you talk about Nigerian issues, you try to create an impression that the APC administration is made up. The issue was not created by the APC-led administration. This is a problem experienced in other parts of the world, almost all countries. For example, inflation is everywhere in the world today. All developing and developed countries face inflation. Britain is facing the highest inflation in recent history and the same as America. The case of Nigeria is not unusual, but no matter what the challenge, there is always a solution and the solution to Nigeria’s problem is Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Will these Muslims/Muslims vote for your party?
The question will be: will the religion rule or the people? We must not allow religion and other sentiments to be decisive. What Nigerians should concentrate on is who has the capacity to deliver in these very difficult times, make no mistake, religious sensibilities are present in this country. Nigerians saw that Tinubu was a Muslim before they voted for him in large numbers in the last primaries. There were Christians who objected but the party delegates voted for him.
And you think that will not affect the chance?
We have confidence that our candidate will win because, of all the candidates running for President, Tinubu is the most qualified and experienced. They are tested and proven. He has done it before becoming the governor of Lagos State with a good performance. He is a strong fighter, he is a symbol of democracy in this country and he has everything it takes to lead Nigeria, and Nigerians know the truth. Forget all the rumors and misinformation organized on social media, the truth is that among all the candidates, none can match Tinubu.
Considering his age, one would expect him to cast one of his ‘children’ as a candidate?
I don’t know what Nigerians call it and what it means. First, Asiwaju Tinubu stood in the presidential primaries with the same age and qualifications. He competed against more than 10 other candidates and won. This is a democracy and democracy means the majority will have its way. In the midst of the other presidential candidates, there was a young man named Jack Rich. If it’s about age, Jack Rich should win. The American president, Joe Biden, how old is he and he leads the most influential country in the world so far? Age is not an issue, Tinubu has the capacity and track record to deliver, making him something Nigerians should watch.
Nigeria has a peculiar problem, we need to bring in a president who understands the problem and also has a solution. I believe Tinubu has the solution to Nigeria’s problems and he will make us proud.
The office of the president is very demanding, so it requires physical fitness. Is Tinubu suitable for that task?
We are not God, so you can’t start talking about someone’s health when you don’t know their health condition.
Tinubu’s health is fine and I see nothing to suggest that he is unfit to be the president of this country.
He is fit, forget social media, a lot of things happen on social media. They can use technology to turn people’s faces on social media and you will see snakes instead of people. On social media, they’ll make you start singing, while you’re talking. So much can be done through technology in social media these days. If you sit down with someone and talk to them, you’ll know if they’re a good fit. Nigerians are very creative. They can just take whatever happens and change it. Don’t believe everything you see on social media.
What are the chances of your party in the South-South, especially in Akwa Ibom, where it is mostly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?
I do not believe that PDP owns the country. In the same Akwa Ibom, the so-called PDP you are talking about has split and split into two because the governorship candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in the state is from the PDP. He was not given a fair chance to run in PDP, so he moved to YPP, and moved with many people.
PDP’s victory is in the past. Do not forget that this time, no one will go, sit and write the results in the Government House. People will vote and thank God for BVAS. In the 2023 election, the people’s votes will be counted. Neither party owns the state. The common people of this country, who are the majority, will decide who will be the leader. It has nothing to do with one political party or another party owning or not owning a certain region.
APC now has a governorship candidate, it has a court. How do you feel about that?
Finally, the APC in Akwa Ibom now has a gubernatorial candidate in the person of Obong Akanimo Udofia. The party has faced many challenges, from the last congress to the primaries. There are many contentious issues, but the Court of Appeals recently ruled in our favor. Going into the polls, we now have a gubernatorial candidate and interestingly, he has a welfare message. If you look at his own blueprint, it is for Akwa Ibom to prosper. I want to urge Akwa Ibom people to vote for Akanimo Udofia.
Every politician who holds an election prays to God for victory and we will win the election because we will work hard to ensure victory. Udofia is a son of Akwa Ibom with positive antecedents in the private sector. He is a successful businessman who gives back to the community. He built an ultra-modern and state-of-the-art student dormitory at the state University, and donated it for free. Whatever problems the party had that delayed him from becoming a candidate are now gone.
How do you win when your house is messy?
We have started and taken many steps to unite the party in Akwa Ibom. We have many problems in the party, but whatever the problem, the APC led by the Niger Delta minister, Obong Umana Okon Umana has taken steps to reconcile and bring everyone together to work for the good of the party. .
We have determined what the problem is and we have taken the necessary steps to align all the members of the party who understand and charge them to work together for the good and success of the party in the next election.
We need to choose sincere leaders. We must choose experienced leaders with a track record and courage to tackle the problems of this country, and I believe that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu fits into that mode. This is the leader we should elect for Nigeria in the presidential election.
I advise voters to go and collect their PVCs, and on election day go out and vote for the APC candidate across the board. This is because we present a wide range of experienced and capable candidates for various positions. This is my request to the voters and when you vote, defend your vote, stand up and make sure your vote is counted and also sent to the live server.