All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Organising Secretary, Chidi Nze Duru, has carved a niche for himself in politics with his consistent, meticulous and objective appraisal of national issues regardless of whose ox is gored.

Speaking to Sunday Sun in Abuja, the Anambra-born party chieftain and former legislator bared his mind on various burning issues, including the just concluded off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.

He also spoke on the controversial proposed purchase of official vehicles for the legislators and the executives, arguing that it negates the principles of fairness to suffering Nigerians APC told to tighten their belts in addition to what it will take the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to regain the confidence of the Nigerian public.

What gave APC victory in the Imo and Kogi governorship elections?

Hard work and tenacity helped us to retain the two states. It is unfortunate that we could not add the third state to our bag. What happened that we could not take Bayelsa State will remain an open debate. It is good for the party that we retained the two states of Imo and Kogi that are already in the bag. Going forward, one take away from the election is that our party has maintained our voting strength. The party’s voting strength did not, in any way, deplete. As we know in politics, this has given us insight into what to do, and how to do it in preparing for the next off-cycle elections coming up next year. I am referring to the off-cycle governorship elections in Ondo and in Edo states.

What actually went into the victory in Imo and Kogi?

What went into it was hard work as I said earlier. We were able to mobilise our people, our rank and file. Essentially, we closed ranks in the states involved as expected because in politics, there must usually be different tendencies within the chapters of the party in the two states. The states in question were able to close ranks and ensure that the party members, regardless of the tendency, understood the need to retain the states and not to be in opposition. Also, with that mobilisation of the people, we were able to go to the various polling units. There was effective and efficient mobilisation. You will also note that for the first time in the history of party politics, the inauguration of the campaign council, as always been the case, was not done in FCT, Abuja. We took it to the state chapters. It was there that various campaign councils of the three states were inaugurated. We didn’t just have a 20-man or 50-man campaign council. In most places, we had close to about 600-member campaign councils, in the case of Imo State. In the case of Kogi, we had close to about 300 campaign council members and in Bayelsa, it was almost the same number of persons. And these party faithful came with various experiences. They know their reach and the resources to deploy to ensure that the party emerged victorious in the states. As I said, again, it was very unfortunate that despite our best efforts and endeavours, we could not win Bayelsa.

What do you think affected APC in Bayelsa?

Let me put it on record that everything we did in other states; we also did the same in Bayelsa. It is still very curious to us and we need to find out why collation of the results did not take place in the local government headquarters, where the election was conducted. Instead, in particular, in the three local governments where our candidate, from the initial results, appeared to have had an overwhelming persuasive lead, INEC had to write that they were advised to move the coalition of Southern Ijaw, Nembe and Brass to the state capital for collection. Whereas the other local governments where the opposing party in the state level, which is PDP, won handsomely and overwhelmingly, the collation took place at the local government headquarters where it took place. We find it a bit interesting, and we need to interrogate essentially exactly what happened.

Don’t you think that the power of incumbency may have contributed to your loss in Bayelsa?

In this case, I would like to say that our candidate went into the field on his own strength. And then because it is democracy, the will of the majority of the people prevailed. If there was any incumbency, if you are alluding to that fact, the government at the centre would have irregularly deployed the instruments of power like security and INEC. However, we beg to disappoint you that it was not the case. The election was held, and people voted, but what we now found, against the dictates of the law, was that they were asked to do the collation at the state capital.

Are you playing down the fact that APC in Beyelsa was never a united family?

Anybody making those views could also claim that APC members are never united in Imo State. We have many gladiators that did not work with our candidate in Imo State. We have the Rochas Okorocha tendency. He was not with our candidate. We have Ifeanyi Ararume and co that did not also work with our candidate and there are many other tendencies. The same also happened in Kogi State. The reality is that the party took a decision that we have got the candidate, that since he is our candidate, we will deploy our resources to support him. It is not unusual, and it cannot be expected that there will be 100 per cent alignment of party members competing for an election in any constituency, whether it is State House, federal constituency, senatorial district or governorship as it were. The tendencies within those constituencies will never be 100 per cent in alignment with the candidate flying the flag of the party. What is important is that the candidate has emerged and in that sense, the party supports the candidate and ensures that the candidate is given whatever is required within the law to win an election.

What is your take on the impression by many Nigerians that APC brazenly rigged this electron?

I witnessed the election in Bayelsa and because I was present in the state, I can speak for Bayelsa. If the incumbent factor did not work for the APC candidate, can we say the incumbent factor worked for the candidate of the other party? The evidence showed clearly that as far as the Bayelsa election is concerned, our candidate went into the poll assured, he reached out to the people, spoke to the people, and garnered their support, and confidence to go into the election. If there are any infractions elsewhere, whether it is in Bayelsa, Kogi or Imo, I want to believe that it is a matter for further adjudication, whether in the law court or in the court of public opinion.

Talking about the infraction, from your own assessment, will you give INEC a pass mark in the conduct of this just concluded election?

INEC will continue to improve. But it has a big task to reclaim the confidence of the wider public in a sense that the wider public would again come to accept the outcome of processes of elections conducted by INEC. It will have to be proven, if at all there is any infection at any level to be shown by any representation that will be made at the law court. Public opinion is quite different as it were in the sense of determining whether there is an infraction or not, that is if it is submitted to the law court.

Are you aware that Nigerians are not happy with the APC, they accuse your party of insensitivity to their sufferings?

Our leaders have made the point. Only recently, you read what the National Security Adviser said. We are not making excuses; the reality is that there are tough times ahead. But, we are not like the ostrich that will bury its head in the sand. People are passing through tough and difficult times. And we appreciate that fact and feel concerned about it. What the government is saying to Nigerians is to give it a little more time to allow the policies and plans they have put in place to mature and materialise. And I think it is early in the day to give up. The president had made the commitment that as Nigerians, we should not sympathise with him. We should not be sorry for him because the ticket, the mandate to be president of Nigeria, is something that he converted over a long period of time and what he asked for. Our prayers are that he will be able to deliver the mandate of the office in a way that creates an enabling environment for Nigerians, in a way that puts food on the table for Nigerians, gives hope to Nigerians and sustains them in a very workable manner, providing employment, making it possible for parents to be in a position to pay their children’s school fees. And then, of course, guaranteeing safety and security of the lives and property of Nigerians. This is what the APC of today represents, a clarion call to Nigerians to be a bit more patient to allow the plans already in place to mature. I do not think that we are not unaware of the difficulties present in the land and I don’t think that Nigerians are unaware that we are addressing those issues.

For some time now, there has been relative peace in the APC leadership, can you tell Nigerians the secret behind it?

It Is because we are working together, but it did not discountenance the efforts our friend and brother, Salihu Moh Lukman did. He played a role at the time he was with the NWC for the good of the party and the good of the country. The members of APC NWC today are working together to find solutions to the myriad of issues and problems that are affecting Nigeria not just for the party, but also for the country. It is at this time that all Nigerians, all people of goodwill, and bipartisan approach have to come together and close ranks for the purpose of providing an enabling environment and the leadership that Nigeria needs by this time. Yes, I do agree with you, peace is not relative, peace is there. And every month, every week, we continually meet in search of solutions we will take to the executive with the hope that they will also be implemented because the executive is a branch of the party. It is on the basis of the party or flag of the party, or the manifesto of the party that the presidential candidate was elected as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, the peace is not apparent, the peace is not relative, the peace is present.

What is your opinion on the claim by a former NWC member that the cost of contesting an election in APC is outrageous?

I read his point and I do agree with him in a way. However, the Electoral Act has made specific provisions for the amount of money that each of the candidates can spend by election at the House of Assembly to the President of Nigeria. It also made ample provision of how much money a corporate or an individual can donate to a particular cause like a campaign. We are not aware in APC that there has been a breach of that constitutional provision. If there is a breach, I will expect INEC, being a regulator, to highlight those breaches and ensure that people are brought to book on account of that and that is the only way we can have democracy. By the way, I am one of those who believe that democracy is an expensive exercise, particularly the presidential system of government that we are practising, unlike the parliamentary system and some other forms of government that are inexpensive. The presidential system of government is a very expensive exercise in the sense of mobilisation, in the sense of advertising, in the sense of reaching out to people, in a sense of engaging people and talking to them to buy into your programme and your manifesto to be able to vote for you. So, it is something that we will need to continue to make progress in the democratic experiment and continue to engage with, particularly INEC to see how we can mitigate the obvious expenses that are warranted as a result of the presidential system of government that we are currently operating in Nigeria.

How do you feel about the humongous amounts earmarked to buy official cars for the legislators and the executive, especially the presidency?

I listened to Atade Peterside recently and he made a very obvious point which I do align myself with. He said that we need to reflect on what we speak and the point we make to the public. If we say we are running a very austere government, the only way to buy the acceptance of people is when they see you conducting your affairs in a way that suggests that you are recognising the impact of what the average Nigeria is passing through at the moment and then balance it against the need to also provide a measure of comfort for our colleagues who are in the National Assembly today and our colleagues occupying one form of executive position or the other. We need to give them the tools to be efficient and effective, but also provide those tools in a way that also meets the expectation of the Nigerian public for who we have told to tighten their belt because things are tough. We need to work from there and work out of it. So, that is something we need to be able to marry sufficiently to make the right impression on the mind of the average Nigerian.

What is your impression on the judgments at the electoral tribunals and Appeal Courts so far?

All I can say is that we will continue to work for the best. (Sunday Sun)

Update news