Comrade Aluh Moses Odeh is a political activist and the National Leader, All Middle Belt Youth Forum (AMBYF). In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he speaks on the 2023 general elections and the emerging leadership equation in the country. Excerpt:

How do you see the controversies that trailed the 2023 general elections?

If you look critically, you will know you do not need a prophet to tell you that the greedy and incompetent crop of political leaders in power today have foresight unlike the good ones. You will think that in 1999, they took the risk and contested for various elective positions, while the good ones were peeping and foot dragging with a mindset that the military would not hand over to civilians. But, they were disappointed and those incompetent political leaders got the power and they made sure the door is permanently shut against the good ones to prevent them from coming in. If you screen three mad men for any elective position, there is a possibility a mad man will emerge the winner at the end of the election. It was the fight to keep the good ones permanently out of leadership that played out on February 25 and March 18, 2023. It is painful seeing victims singing praises of their oppressors and ready to kill to keep their oppressors permanently in power.

What could be attributed to the pitfalls of the 2023 elections generally?

God created Nigeria to be the pride of the black race in the world. But, lack of the fear of God and hatred for fellow man have brought us into this conundrum, the wrong choice of leadership into sensitive positions. We see that the appointees or elected public officials do not see their choice as positions of responsibility, but a way to amass wealth in a crude manner. This is responsible for the pitfalls. Our lackadaisical attitude by not punishing anyone saddled with any responsibility for failure gave Mahmood Yakubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, the effrontery to conduct the charade called 2023 general elections.

A cross section of Nigerians believe that ethnicity and religion played major roles in the 2023 general elections. How would you say that these affected the outcome of the polls and the hatred engendered in some parts of the country?

I want to say that Nigerians are too religious. But, they are not spiritual. Religion has eaten deep into many Nigerians. It is common in this country that before any gathering begins in this part of the world, people will commit their meeting into the hand of God through prayers. Immediately after, they will start to tell themselves lies until the end of that gathering. Then they will seal the meeting and the proceedings with prayer again and everybody disperses to their various destinations. These two evils (religion and ethnicity) have eaten deep into the hearts of Nigerians. Nigerians cannot stop the influence of religion and ethnicity. But, it can be managed.

How would you explain the ongoing leadership crises that erupted in both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) immediately after the 2023 general elections?

A Ghanaian lecturer once defined politics as madness of many for the interest of few. Sen. Iyorchia Ayu of PDP assumed that position to scuttle the chances of the Middle Belt to produce the Vice Presidential candidate. Now that the planners have gotten what they wanted, the next thing was to butt him out. As for the Labour Party (LP), I will ask: Where were those hungry people factionalising the party today when Peter Obi picked the party from political slums to make it a beautiful bride? The leadership crises in the political parties were all orchestrated by the greed of politicians who wanted to perpetuate themselves in power. Trace most of them, you will know that during the elections, they could not deliver their polling units to their parties. But today, they are proving to be good only by playing spoiler roles. Political party crises will continue as long as greed and politics of gangsterism reign in Nigeria. PDP in 2015 willfully handed over power to APC. This singular act has thrown the party off balance. Since then till date, the party is yet to find its bearing. The PDP failed woefully by altering the sequence of the presidential election. This mistake has placed the party in a critical situation since then.

Do you think that going by antecedents, either the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the Labour Party can get the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) upturned in favour of Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi at the Presidential election Tribunal and the Supreme Court?

The Judiciary Is regarded as the last hope of the common man. The Judiciary will not deny you what is lawfully due you. At the same time, it will not give you what you did not ask for. These are basic facts we must understand. I am confident the Judiciary will settle the political logjam which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu plunged Nigeria into. At the end of the day, those who are happy today may not be so when the Judiciary is done with the issues and everybody will be convinced that the right occupant whom Nigerians gave their mandate occupies the position to restore the confidence of the voters. The matter on ground is on points of Law. So, the Judiciary will resolve the logjam convincingly. So, there is hope that the Judiciary will not be on the same page with INEC, and will right the wrongs committed by the electoral umpire.

Lawmakers-elect at the National Assembly have been strategising and restrategising while a lot of horse trading has been going on over those that will emerge as leaders of the Green and Red Chambers. What is your take on this bearing in mind that the incoming administration, if it gets the backing of the Judiciary, is running a Muslim/Muslim and a South West/Northern ticket?

It is normal as there must be new leadership in the National Assembly. But, the problem is the quality of leadership of the legislature in the next four years. That is what should bother Nigerians. A lot of Nigerians believe that the incoming administration will be short lived if the Judiciary will do the right thing.

As a stakeholder in the Middle Belt, how has the nation’s power equation left region in the unfolding dispensation?

The Middle Belt was heard loud and clear during the electioneering not because of selfish interest, but its desire to see a working Nigeria that favours all, irrespective of class. So, to say that the power equation affected the Middle Belt is an understatement. We took out our time to analyse all the candidates then and a decision to vote for Peter Obi was reached. We convincingly carried this out only for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make us understand that it is also a candidate in the elections. We have no regrets as we will continue to do the right thing which we think will keep Nigeria moving forward. That is my take and I believe I am saying the mind of the majority of people in the Middle Belt. (Sunday Independent)

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