By EJIKEME OMENAZU

Chief Martin Onovo, a seasoned activist, was the 2015 presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) and currently Head, Policy Positions, the Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC). In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he spoke on the security situation in the country and the allegations against DCP Abba Kyari, the coming Anambra State governorship election, and the recently held local government election in Lagos State, among other crucial issues. Excerpt:

What is your take on the recent corruption allegations against DCP Abba Kyari and what it tells of the current political system in the country?

All insightful analysts knew that the image of Abba Kyari was phantasmagorical. It was similar to that of Ibrahim Magu. These guys are products of our rotten Nigeria Police Force and they played the games. The Police in Nigeria was determined by a Nigerian anti-corruption survey to be one of the most corrupt institutions in Nigeria. The same Nigerian Police was rated by the World Internal Security and Police Index as the worst police organisation in the whole world. Such corrupt organisations destroy ethical, diligent, and competent officers while celebrating corrupt officers.

The security situation in the country has continued to deteriorate not minding all the assurances and promises by both the Federal Government and security chiefs. What is your take on this?

More individuals and organisations now agree that the ruling party is the direct sponsor of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria. We know very clearly that the Fulani terrorists in Nigeria were brought in from Mali, Sierra Leone, etc., by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2015 elections as was confessed by Alhaji Kawu Baraje, former APC leading national chieftain. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo previously declared: “Fulanisation, Islamisation Agenda Going On In Nigeria”.

We know that Nigerian security forces know exactly where the terrorists are camped as confirmed by Sheik Ahmad Gumi. We know that, “The Armed Forces are not neutral. They are conniving with the armed bandits that are killing people,” as concluded by Gen. Theophilus Danjuma.

We know that a herdsman arrested in Plateau State was armed with a Nigerian military rifle as confirmed by Police. Further, the Police gave the rifle number as HC2614. We also know that, the herdsmen repelled and captured in Ogoja had rifles from the Nigeria Army barracks in Ogoja as confirmed by Col. Nyiam (rtd).

Remember that His Excellency, Ayo Fayose insisted that, the Federal Government is now the employer and defender of terrorists.

According to His Excellency, Jonah Jang, “What is happening is not a secret; people are being brought from Mali, Chad and all over to come and occupy native land”. We also know that the Presidency has insisted on developing RUGA settlements for these terrorist Fulani. Finally, Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General and a Fulani himself, is the Commander-in-Chief of these Armed Forces that are conniving with the armed Fulani bandits. Therefore, Buhari must be held responsible for the insecurity in Nigeria.

How would you score the Federal Government’s fight against corruption?

The mass media has been unfair to Nigerians by claiming falsely that the government is conducting a “fight against corruption”. The most corrupt government since independence cannot fight corruption. We alleged in 2016 with incontrovertible evidence that the Buhari government was deliberately promoting corruption. Today, all can see that we were right.

The ‘Corruption Perception Index’ of Transparency International confirms that we are right. The US Department of State Report confirms that we are right.

The numerous corruption scams confirm that we are right. The audit reports of the Auditor General of the Federation confirms that we are right. The government simply named its agenda of political and religious domination by the persecution of political opponents a “fight against corruption” and the mass media with its claim of investigative journalism and editorial power was deceived by the semi-illiterates in government in Nigeria. This is clearly the most corrupt government ever in the history of Nigeria.

How do you see the process leading to the recently held local government elections in Lagos?

We would not worry about the process. The process is simple. We worry about the conduct and the legitimacy of the outcome.

The conduct was very shameful. Violence prevailed, turn-out was very low, opposition agents were brutalised, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) officials were not at some polling units.

They arrived late at some other polling units, some opposition party agents were excluded from collation centres, many were wounded, ballot boxes were snatched at other polling units, the Police pretended at some units that nothing was wrong, etc. It was another lawless charade as expected. Everybody knows this and that may explain the low turn-out.

Could you explain the continued victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos elections? Do you think APC is beatable in Lagos?

The ruling party did not win any election in Lagos State. They cheated. The ruling party cannot win any free and fair election in Lagos State.

Don’t you think that an amalgamation of political parties can defeat APC in Lagos?

As long as the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is under the ruling party, it will be very difficult if not impossible to have free and fair elections in Lagos State. From the low turn-out, you can see that the people have given up.

With the defection of top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains and governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), do you think the influence of the main opposition party has waned as the country moves towards the 2023 elections?

The influence of the PDP has definitely waned. The members may still reorganise their party before 2023. That will be very difficult as the party was founded on false philosophies of selfish interest.

A lot of people have foretold an implosion of the ruling APC as the nation moves towards 2023. Do you also think that this is possible?

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed woefully. It is not a national party. Buhari, the party leader, is a northern Muslim. The Caretaker Committee Chairman is a northern Muslim. The Chiefs of all Armed Services are all Muslims. All five top revenue generation agencies in Nigeria are led by northern Muslims. The heads of all the three arms of government are all northern Muslims. Islamisation and Fulanisation of the Federal Government is complete. Northern and Southern Christians have complained and yet the Islamisation and Fulanisation agenda of the regime as exposed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo has continued.

Do you see the possibility of a Third Force emerging any moment from now to snatch power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in 2023?

The Third Force will emerge naturally from the dynamics of our national politics. The ruling party is aware of this and has been using corrupt manipulations to subvert the emergence of the Third Force. Naturally, the ruling party will be ruined by the contradictions of its own corrupt, sectional and unpatriotic politics.

With the confusion trailing the primaries of major political parties in Anambra State, how do you think the November 6 governorship election in the state will be?

It seems obvious that corruption in Nigeria has made the practice of democracy nearly impossible. The two pillars of democracy are the rule-of-law and the integrity of the ballot. The two are absent in this criminocracy. (Sunday Independent)

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