Israel Chinemerem Nweke is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abia State. He contested for the House of Representatives in the last general election representing Obingwa/Ugwunanagbo/Osisioma Federal Constituency but lost out in the primaries. The Petroleum Engineering graduate from the University of Port Harcourt-turned politician, in this interview with Ayodele Olalere, lamented the irregularities that marred the APC primaries in the state in the last election.
He blasted the party for its failure to live up to its change mantra, saying the party disappointed Abia people by failing to live by what it preaches.
You contested in the last general election for the House of Representatives but you lost. What motivated you to go into politics?
The value system of our leaders, when you look at it, it’s worrisome. This is because when you see someone’s actions and words, you can deduce if it’s important or not to that person. A situation where someone who is responsible for washing dishes is not committed or does it inconsistently, the person might not know that he or she is responsible for the rats in the house or other pests that have come in because of unwashed dishes. But if you take your responsibility serious, if you have values for your responsibilities, the way you do it will tell if you have values.
I am from Abia State and if you look at indices of development across the 36 states, you will notice that Abia State is the worst in every ramification. So, for some of us, who do personal community projects from our purses, there is little we can do because the deficit is too much. The state of governance is so bad that some people have held the state hostage. So that motivated me. I have the exposure and so, I felt I should throw my hat into the ring which is what I did.
I contested on the platform of APC in the primaries but the last election was marred by irregularities across all states and Abia State was not an exception. We are still where we are but the drive is still there and I am waiting for another opportunity to throw my hat into the ring. The last contest gave me an insider view. Contesting in a primary election gave me a better understanding of the system. So, hopefully, by next time, we will not trust people the way we trusted them. When I say people, I am talking about the process.
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Normally in an election, there was supposed to be a result sheet where everybody will sign but imagine where somebody said he was not given result sheet from the state secretariat and that the result should be written on a sheet of paper. But between where you wrote the result and the state secretariat, the original one shows up whereas you had trusted the party to conduct credible election without inviting the DSS. But next time, one will make sure security operatives are available so that when the results are given, there will be someone to verify it and make sure it got to the required destination so there won’t be excuses later.
What is your general view about the present government under President Muhamadu Buhari?
I believe we can do more than what we have done. We have the capacity to do more. We have not done 50 per cent of our ability. When Buhari came into power, people used to call him Baba go slow and he made a joke that ‘you can call me Baba go slow but we will get to the destination.’ Time defines a lot of things. Time defines a wise man and separates a wise man from the foolish man.
You admitted there were irregularities during the primaries. Are you disappointed in the party or the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC?
I am disappointed in the party. When I looked at what happened to the party at the general election and the party shouting foul, it makes me laugh. It was like when we were in school in those days. There was what we called mock exam. The mock exam is not the real exam; it is just to prepare you for the real exam. If you intend to pass with integrity, you will read for the mock exam as hard as you would for the main exam. If a party cannot conduct free and fair primaries, it is morally wrong for that same party to expect INEC to put together a free and fair election. A party that cannot put together a primary that is free of cheating, they are jokers. I told my party that since their primaries was more about who knows how to cut corners more, it wasn’t free and fair, they should make sure when they go for the main election, they have more candidates who can cut corners than the PDP guys. From what I know, the PDP guys have been on this game for long but our people are still learners so if you are coming on the platform of integrity, why don’t you preach it from home. Why did you do rubbish in the primaries and come to the general election ad expect INEC to do better. I am disappointed the party couldn’t put together a free and fair election.
Could that be the reason the party lost to PDP at the general election in the state?
The people of Abia State want change. They are tired but APC disappointed Abia State. Abians knew their process wasn’t free and fair. What happened in the general election was the normal writing of results rather than counting of votes which they did in the primaries. The PDP primaries were fairer in Abia State than the APC primaries. The PDP primaries were an open election. They did open election. But in APC, materials didn’t get to my village until 8p.m and they expected people to vote. A village that has no electricity yet they announced results. Even I that was contesting an election didn’t vote. I was at my ward till late but the materials were not there but the result came out. So, by the time they got to the big field, they were now playing with those who knew how to cut corners because right now in Abia State, the people in governance are not the choice of the people. They are bunch of people best at cutting corners. Until we get the system right, Abia State might never be able to have the kind of leadership it deserves.
Do you see change coming in 2023?
Till this present administration take electioneering seriously and put process in place where the vote of people can count. I campaigned in 31 wards as House of Representatives aspirant but my opponent did not campaign in any ward. He told me ‘you are not the one the party wants’ and I said ‘why don’t you let the people decide.’ He was just laughing and he said ‘you are just coming, you will soon find out’ and the young man won later. This is because the party did not allow the vote of the people to count. The people don’t count in the final equation.
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With everything you have experienced, will you also play by the game in the next election?
When you serve food in a party, you don’t give a hungry man food to serve. He will first eat and get himself satisfied before he can give to the next person. When I was campaigning, I told my people I was not going to be entitled to any allowance. The people who will go there and change are people who are not yet satisfied in their lives as individuals. Someone might have N10 million and he is satisfied because he can take care of his family. But if the person wants to buy an aircraft just to be flying around for no just cause, when he gets to the office, he will be looking for money to buy the aircraft. So, we look for people who are more interested in good roads, good hospitals. I can’t even see myself change because right now, I don’t have a personal need I cannot solve and I don’t have family need I cannot solve. The only needs I have that I cannot solve are community related such as bad roads, no light and bad schools. I can’t solve them and the more I tried to do it, the bigger the deficit. The difference between me and the person who is going to go there and change is that I am satisfied. I am contented with what I have. There is no country in the world I had not gone to. There is no car I want to drive that I had not driven.
But many politicians, once they lose election defect to another party. Are you not defecting to PDP?
PDP is worst. I am only asking APC to practice what they preach. I am not defecting. Where am I going to? I cannot go from fry pan to fire. PDP is worst. Abia State has been under PDP for a long time. Going to PDP will be a big mistake. At least APC is preaching something. It’s just that they are not practicing what they preach.
What have been some of your contributions to the society?
I don’t need to blow my own trumpet. Before now, I have been grading roads in my community but the funny things I don’t have pictures of any of them either before or after the grading. During my campaign, the media houses that came were asking me if I have pictures of what I have done so they could show the world and I told them I have none because when I was doing them, I didn’t have intention of using them as campaign materials or political tools. The truth is how many people keep receipt of what they give to their kids, or mum or father? They don’t. What will I keep the pictures for? It is the people that always broadcast what I have done for the community. The problem is we have a lot of hypocritical people. Some people go out with cameras showing them giving alms to people. For what? That is crap. We are doing a lot of showmanship and get nothing done.
