By PETER ANOSIKE

A Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Nelson Ahamefula Akuma, has described the notion that power should be rotating between the north and south of Nigeria every eight years as nothing but manipulation of the political elite who just want power but don?t know what to do with it.

Akuma, who is also the CEO of Nestak Technologies Ltd., said that sacrificing competence for power rotations a great disservice to the people who are desperate for good governance irrespective of where the person in power hails from.

In this interview, he speaks on the position of some people that southern Nigeria should complete its eight years before power rotates to the north, the capacity of ADC to withstand the antics and tactics of the APC, the clamour that Peter Obi must be the presidential candidate of ADC and on other very important national issues. Excerpt:

How do you see the power rotation agreement between the north and south of Nigeria?

As far as I am concerned the agreement is not just a disgrace to democracy, it is also a fraud. The agreement is a manipulation of the political elite. To start with, the agreement is not in the constitution and most importantly the agreement is not with the good people of Nigeria. We are complaining that we were not carried along or consulted when the 1999 constitution was been drawn and it has become a talking point. We complain that the introductory chapter of the Nigerian constitution which stated thus: ?We, the people of Nigeria, hereby resolve to live together with one another? is fraudulent because we were never consulted. In the same vein, we, the Nigerian masses were also never consulted before the so-called gentleman agreement that power should be rotating between the north and the south Nigeria. There was never a referendum on whether we want political power to be rotating between the north and the south. The same way the 1999 constitution was imposed on the Nigerian masses was the same way the power rotation agreement was imposed on the masses. I am therefore wondering why constitution will be a talking point and rotation of power will not be. Politics must not be about turn by turn but rather about the welfare of the people. Some power mongering individuals who just want to have power but know next to nothing of what to do with it except enriching themselves and their cronies, came together and took a decision in their own interest and never in the interest of the struggling good people of Nigeria.

I think that the decision was made to avoid monopolization of power by a section of the country.

Look, one of the beauties of democracy is freedom of choice. That is one of the reasons why democracy is touted as the best system of government. During elections, candidates from different shades, tongues and tribes present themselves to the electorates to make their choice. But when you begin to say that candidates from north, south, east or west should not present themselves, then you are not running a democracy. Again, let me tell you the truth. I have taken time to study Nigerian people, so I can tell you for free that Nigerian people will not really care where a president comes from as long as he would better their lives. Nigerians want better road irrespective of who constructed it. They want steady and affordable electricity, security of their lives and properties, where the person that made those things possible is not their concern.

Do you think that ADC has the capacity to match the antics and tactics of APC?

You should know that APC was not born with those antics and tactics. It was learned and I want you to know that they don?t have the monopoly of them. We in ADC can also learn it when it becomes necessary because we must not allow them to steal the mandate of the Nigerian people as they have being doing during the off cycle elections. Again, many of the people in ADC today were in APC so they know their game. Therefore, there is nothing that they will throw at us that we will not how to counter it. Most important thing is that Nigerians are in desperate need of change and they have seen ADC as the political platform that will give them the change. We will do all we can to make sure that the change will come in 2027.Nigerians need quality governance and quality representation.

Today we are practicing autocracy in disguise of democracy because the National Assembly is rubber stamp. The people there are just working for the presidency instead of standing for the people they are representing. For us to have a robust democracy, there must be checks and balances. The legislature must be independent of the executive. So, the purpose is not just to vote out the president, those in the National Assembly must go with him. We need credible people as law makers because it takes credible people to make credible laws. Imagine them driving one hundred and sixty million naira Special Utility Vehicles while there are no motor-able roads, no electricity, no pipe borne water in their constituencies. It that not inhuman. Most of them go to their constituencies once every four years to campaign for elections. Even in the hallowed chamber, they make laws that don?t impact on the people.

What is your view that ADC must use Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in 2027?

Well, the Interim National Chairman of ADC, David Mark has said that ADC presidential candidate is not reserved for anybody. Those who are interested in running for the presidency in the party in 2027are expected to go for primary and whoever emerges would become the flag bearer of the party. We must separate emotion and sentiment from reality. Peter Obi is a very good candidate. He ran an exceptional race in 2023 presidential election. His character, stewardship when he was the governor of Anambra State and his empathy is second to none. If he wins the primary of ADC in 2027, he will fly the flag of the party. But what I am not comfortable with is the view that it must be Peter Obi. That is not really how things work in politics. The most important thing is for ADC to win the election and bring the change that Nigerian masses earnestly needed. Again it is better to be a member of a winning team than the captain of a losing team. There is nothing wrong if Peter Obi deputizes Atiku Abubakar in 2027 because a combination of both of them will deliver the ticket.

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