Samuel Adesanya

Chief George Moghalu is the National Auditor of the governing All Progresives Congress (APC). A seasoned politician and an administrator, he is one of the party leaders from the south east who fought day and night to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari gets an appreciable number of votes from the region.

In this interview with Tony Akowe, he speaks on the outcome of the just concluded Presidential election and the need to streamline the large number of political parties in the country.

THE APC again won the Presidential election without a significant contribution from the South East. What went wrong

The truth about it is that we did not achieve our desired expectations. I would have wished that we did alot better than we did in this election even though anybody on the side line would say it is an improvement on the poor outing in 2015. Certainly, we should have done better than we did because the government has been quite responsive to the south east. The President has shown great love and has done so many great and strategic things for us in the south east that should warrant our doing better than we did. But politics is all about what it is and you can never predict. I feel personally disappointed and I am sure that some other leaders also feel disappointed. I really can not access whether it is because our people have not actually understood the political implication because we are trying to seize a platform that we can use to actualise our ambition vis a viz 2023. So, i thought that this election was an opportunity for us to take over the platform and move in aggressively and take over the platform. But probably it was because one of us was given the Vice Presidential ticket of the other party or whatever. I really cant explain what went wrong. But I think it was not a good political move for us. But I believe very strongly that with time, it will continue to improve. We, as leaders of the party from the south east have an added responsibility to work harder to get our people to understand.

What do you think that the re-election of President Buhari mean for Nigerians?

For me, it is a reaffirmation and an expression of confidence. It is like telling somebody, you have done well and it places greater challenge. If you listen to the speech of the President when he received his certificate of return, it will show you a man that understand the added responsibility this re-election has given to him, it show you a man who has really dedicated himself to doing better than he has done. He has done quite well especially when you look at all the promises we made when we were coming in in 2015 as a party coming into government. Even at that, he has done extremely well and he believe also that with this re-election, Nigerians have said thank you for what you have done, but we expect you to do more. It is about Nigeria and not about him. So, it is a very welcome development. Its a wonderful thing that has happened and I know since this has happened, our party and government will still do more to justify the confidence of the Nigerian people.

There are those who believe that they worked for they worked for the party in 2015 and were not rewarded. Many of them have made more sacrifice, expecting thing to be better. What is your message to them?

Let us all be patient. Mr. President has said that things will be better and we also have a national chairman we believe that there should be a way of appreciating those who work for you as a way of encouraging them. He believe that doing so will also encourage others to know that loyalty pays, hard work pays and commitment also pays. I am sure that these set of people will not be forgotten this time around.

There is the believe that the position of the President on the leadership of the National Assembly was a tactical error that hunted the government so much. How will the party handle this issue this time around?

I am sure that the party has a role to play. All these people coming for the first time and those who got re-elected contested on the party platform. So, there is a canopy under which everybody is sitting and that canopy is the party. I am sure that with the dynamic leadership we have now, headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the party will do what it is supposed to do. Once that is done, I am sure we will not have any problem. I am sure that all those elected believe in party supremacy and the fact tat the party has a role to play because it is the party that was elected. All the candidates are representatives of the party and i am sure they will subject themselves to the decisions of the party.

The opposition PDP said this election was a sham and their Presidential candidate said he was challenging the outcome at the tribunal. What is your view.

For me, every election must have only one winner and in this case, Buhari is the winner. Don’t forget that before Buhari was elected President, he lost election on three occasion and in all these three instances, he felt that a few things went wrong and he sought protection in the court. This is his right and he exercised it. If the PDP candidate has evidence of things he felt were not properly done, he has a right to either say this is the will of God, let us move on as a nation because Nigeria comes first before my ambition or I will go to court to prove my case. The two options are open to him. It is for him now to make his own choice. I am yet to see that election that would have been concluded and the loser comes out to say this is a wonderful election, except for our experience in 2015 when former President Jonathan conceded even before the final results were announced. For me, the election was not a sham, but a highly contested election and everybody knows that. Don’t forget that the President travelled to the 36 states of this country including the FCT. I don’t know whether the leadership of the other party did what we did by way of campaign. I understand how he felt. I have lost election before, so, I understand the feelings of the candidate of the PDP. My suggestion would have been, yes it has happened and the best thing to do is to congratulate the winner. If they don’t want to do that, they have a right to go to court to seek redress. As for the election, it was one of the freest and fairest in this country.

Considering the massive crowd that we saw at the campaign rallies of both parties, would you say the voter turnout was impressive?

The voter turn out was quite impressive because at the end of the day, we are looking at a voter turn out of about 28 million which i quite a huge number even though it did not meet up with our registered population. But you wont lose sight of the fact that we still need to continue voter education. Election is not a one off thing. Right now, notice has been given for the 2023 election because once you declare the result of a Presidential election, you have given notice of the next one. It require all of us, both the political players and the electoral umpires going back to the books to find out what we must do to encourage more voter turn out and what we must do to let our people know the importance of our PVC. As we get more people educated and politically aware, the volume will keep increasing. So, we need to sustain voter education. Like in our party, we are looking at doing things beyond the election, turning the party into an institution and not only just for election. We should have other roles to play and not only as a platform for contesting elections. We should go beyond that. Within this period that notice has been given, we need to keep up voter education and increase membership. If you look at the percentage of membership of the political parties, it is usually less than 20 percent of the population. Why cant we ensure that over 60 percent of registered voters in the country are members of our parties. So, we have alot of work to do. While we are doing that, INEC also have alot of work to do to perfect these card readers, perfect the voters register and other things that will help them so that we don’t start running from pillar to post one week to election trying to do things we would have done when we have time available to us. So, I think we need to sustain voter education and keep encouraging people to be part of the electoral process.

How would you rate the performance of INEC and the security agents in this election.

For me, there is quite an improvement from what happened in 2015 irrespective of the fact that INEC failed us when the postponed the election. But it was better for the election to be postponed than having something that is not worth the while. So, I think there is quite some level of improvement from what was done in 2015 which we all adjudged as reasonably ok compared to previous elections. So, what has happened now is that INEC did their best and we need to encourage them, we need to support them and build that electoral institution so that it wont be a one off thing. So, what we need to do is to support and encourage them and then address the areas of lapses critically. For example, the challenges of the card reader has continued to reoccur. We need to address that issue once and for all and get over with it. On the issue of the security, I think they did quite well despite the challenges. As we talk about voter education, you should understand that those who run he security agencies are also Nigerians and are entitled to good representation and good leadership. When people talk about security agencies, they speak as if they are come from the moon or as if they don’t buy from the same market. They also need to be part of what is happening and so, voter education and citizen responsibility, they should also be part of it because once you keep educating them, they become part of the system and then understand that there is a way you do policing during the election without military presence. Some people argued that we don’t need the Army to be involved and I said they should be involved to avoid threat to national security. They are not participating in the voting, but provide additional security. From what has been reported, when the Army arrest people, they hand them over to the police because it is the primary responsibility of the police. So, the Army is providing additional security because that is their primary responsibility. I think they did quite well and we need to support them.

We have so may political parties on the ballot and there is this argument that there is the need to streamline the parties and make them stronger. Do you think we should reduce the number of parties?

I think the number is becoming very unwealthy. In this last election, we had 73 political parties that contested the Presidency and some of them came out with very ridiculous scores in country where we have over 80 million registered voters. That goes to show that some people have turned it into a joke. I think we must create the base. For me, if you don’t have representation in the National Assembly, you don’t have a reason to exist as a political party. So, i am of the school of thought that the number is unwealthy and we must create opportunities on how the number can be reasonably reduced. If you notice the trend now, it is going towards a two party system. It is all about APC, PDP while the others re there in number. Some people may be excited being called National Chairman. That may be the basis for their satisfaction and so, you allow that to massage their ego. Other wise I don’t think it is necessary have political parties that year after year, don’t win even a councillor and are still being called political parties. There are some names I saw n screen that I cant even remember if I have seen them before or what they stand for. I think the number is quite high and something need to be done in that regard.

http://thenationonlineng.net/igbos-didt-consider-implications-of-not-voting-buhari-moghalu/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Actually they didn't. Now they've shot themselves on the leg cause Buhari is not going to give them any juicy appointment.

[s]

amaniro:
Actually they didn't. Now they've shot themselves on the leg cause Buhari is not going to give them any juicy appointment.

[/s]
nope they didn't and will never have any regrets on that
an average igbo man does not depend on government for survival
they hustle on their own and make living from their hard works even in an unfriendly hostile situations
that's why they don't give a Flying furck when supporting the candidates of their choice
they do so and damn the consequences because they owe no one any freaking apology and favours.
that's how you behave when you're 100% independent.



my question is can any other tribe boast of such independence from government?

amaniro:
Actually they didn't. Now they've shot themselves on the leg cause Buhari is not going to give them any juicy appointment.

The real people who shot themselves on the foot are almajirins and the yoruba street urchins starving on most cities in squalid conditions, their poverty will multiply .

See how daft these people are. Who told them Igbo's are really after "juicy appointments"?

See, adopt policies that carries everyone along and guarantee right to meaningful life and watch them carve a niche for themselves. Or give them just four years to stir the ship of this country and see what transformative inclusive governance means...


It's the mismanagement of the governance class that makes them agitate for a country of theirs that will make living worth it. Nigeria as it is will NEVER work until we tell ourselves the honest truth...

1. In 2015 fuel was N87/litre and now N145/litre 
2. In 2015 exchange rate was N187/Dollar and now N360/Dollar
3. In 2015 a bag of rice was N7000 and now N18000 a bag
4. In 2015 a mudu of gari was N120 and now N600 per mudu
5. In 2015 kerosene was N50/litre and now N350/litre
6. In 2015 killings were limited to North East now it everywhere. 
7. In 2015 Fulani herdsmen were hardly heard of not now they are reigning, killing at will in Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Enugu, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, etc.
8. In 2015 we hardly heared about a group called Miyetti Allah but today Miyetti Allah reigns supreme; they boast of extra-judicial killings

9. Ordering Soldiers to kill hundreds of unarmed IPOB agitators but left his Herdsman brothers who kill thousands of Nigerians every year

10. Lost almost 10 million jobs since 2015

Igbos considered very well the implications of not voting the hopeless disaster called Buhari

amaniro:
Actually they didn't. Now they've shot themselves on the leg cause Buhari is not going to give them any juicy appointment.

Igbo did the right thing by their democratic choice. I am very proud of them even though I am yoruba.

People must stop criminalizing political choice. It is buhari that is being a bad leader by nepotism. Donald Trump didn't win majority American votes but leads the entire America not only the whites!

Or should Atiku win he should ignore the conservative north that didn't vote for him?

it shows that the Ibos had no opportunity in 2023 presidential electi..Eventually ,Buhari's Victory will work to South west advantage..

There is no implications greater than doing the right thing. Whatever comes along with it, it is worthy of it. Even majority of Yorubas, without rigging, didn't vote for him.
Imagine with all the intimidation and rigging in Lagos, he only came up with 130,000 victory, in a state where he controls police, inec, army and governor and every government apparatus.
Where Tinubu is based and calling the shots for him.

The rest is history now

We have a nation to run

Which implications?

5% now 18%

Mystick:
There is no implications

You are a small boy

Since this is not Davido concert

You won’t know

tuniski:


Igbo did the right thing by their democratic choice. I am very proud of them even though I am yoruba.

People must stop criminalizing political choice. It is buhari that is being a bad leader by nepotism. Donald Trump didn't win majority American votes but leads the entire America not only the whites!

Or should Atiku win he should ignore the conservative north that didn't vote for him?

You are not a Yoruba man

You will never be part of the omoluabis

ngadaAwo:
[s][/s]
nope they didn't and will never have any regrets on that
an average igbo man does not depend on government for survival
they hustle on their own and make living from their hard works even in an unfriendly hostile situations
that's why they don't give a Flying furck when supporting the candidates of their choice
they do so and damn the consequences because they owe no one any freaking apology and favours.
that's how you behave when you're 100% independent.



my question is can any other tribe boast of such independence from government?

Chest beating online is not as same as reality on ground

There is implications

In associating with othe two major tribes

There won’t be support from the two regions whenever they pursue a political gains fro the nation

An lots more

Stop the chest beating

tuniski:


Igbo did the right thing by their democratic choice. I am very proud of them even though I am yoruba.

People must stop criminalizing political choice. It is buhari that is being a bad leader by nepotism. Donald Trump didn't win majority American votes but leads the entire America not only the whites!

Or should Atiku win he should ignore the conservative north that didn't vote for him?

You don't see anything wrong when the same Igbos are crying that yoruba voted for Buhari, are yoruba not suppose to be democratic in their political choice, must yoruba support whoever they support

People that survived 3 yr civil war and later became the most prosperous group will be afraid of Bubu? No way!

sarrki:


You are a small boy

Since this is not Davido concert

You won’t know

A man considers all options placed before him before taking his decisions, when he has done that and stands by it.
It is rather a small boy like you that will think that every part of the country must vote a particular political party in order to gain anything from the government.
Such thinking is immature and against the ethics of democracy.
Though I'm not disappointed, I know you here and what you stand for. Call it anything you like, I know your true nature camouflage in what you are parading yourself to be.

Mystick:

A man considers all options placed before him before taking his decisions, when he has done that and stands by it.
It is rather a small boy like you that will think that every part of the country must vote a particular political party in order to gain anything from the government.
Such thinking is immature and against the ethics of democracy.

You can as well vote your choice without preaching hatred

[s]

sarrki:


Chest beating online is not as same as reality on ground

There is implications

In associating with othe two major tribes

There won’t be support from the two regions whenever they pursue a political gains fro the nation

An lots more

Stop the chest beating

[/s]
trash trash trash
for the past decade igbos have been relegated politically but they still had and maintained high standard of living irrespective of strict unfriendly and vile political environment
they've been living with that political implications for so long and they're coping well compare to those with all political arsenal at their backyard.
they've mastered the art of political independence and the art of improvising where government failed them.
it's not a new thing so that's why they're also politically independent and make their choice without fear of favour and damn the consequences.

afterall political posts does not automatically translate to growth and development ask the north.
it only enriches greedy politicians who capitalized on those tribal lines for political gains.

so once again if you're telling yourself the truth that's an average igbo man and not chest beating

Mystick:

A man considers all options placed before him before taking his decisions, when he has done that and stands by it.
It is rather a small boy like you that will think that every part of the country must vote a particular political party in order to gain anything from the government.
Such thinking is immature and against the ethics of democracy.

God bless you you

ngadaAwo:
[s][/s]
trash trash trash
for the past decade igbos have been relegated politically but they still had and maintained high standard of living irrespective of strict unfriendly and vile political environment
they've been living with that political implications for so long and they're coping well compare to those with all political arsenal at their backyard.
they've mastered the art of political independence and the art of improvising where government failed them.
it's not a new thing so that's why they're also politically independent and make their choice without fear of favour and damn the consequences.

afterall political posts does not automatically translate to growth and development ask the north.
it only enriches greedy politicians who capitalized on those tribal lines for political gains.

so once again if you're telling yourself the truth that's an average igbo man and not chest beating

Individual achievement can only bring development to set of people

Collective which is politically can bring development to the whole region and generation yet unborn

So stop comparing the 2

Sometimes we don’t use our heads.

[s]

sarrki:


You are not a Yoruba man

You will never be part of the omoluabis

[/s]
trash trash trash
this election have taught me that you guys do not in any way represent the view of majority of Yorubas out there
you guys are just online paid Tinubu and mc oluomo miscreants.

sane and real Yorubas are out there on facebook and twitter and they always make their choice

last election should have silenced you bigots
nobody will ever take you guy's serious or take your view as an average yoruba man's view.

[s]

Chukwurah003:
Sometimes we don’t use our heads.

[/s]
yeroba Muslim forming igbo

sarrki:


You can as well vote your choice without preaching hatred

When they preach hatred, when their elites publicly make hateful speeches, when even their rulers boils down in hateful speeches, they still find ways to point fingers at others.
I told you, I know your true colors.

ngadaAwo:
[s][/s]
trash trash trash
this election have taught me that you guys do not in any way represent the view of majority of Yorubas out there
you guys are just online paid Tinubu and mc oluomo miscreants.

sane and real Yorubas are out there on facebook and twitter and they always make their choice

last election should have silenced you bigots
nobody will ever take you guy's serious or take your view as an average yoruba man's view.

In all sense you lack sense of reasoning

Mystick:

When they preach hatred, when their elites publicly make hateful speeches, when even their rulers boils down in hateful speeches, they still find ways to point fingers at others.
I told you, I know your true colors.

Calm down ,breath gently

Talk slowly

Am listening

[s]

sarrki:


Individual achievement can only bring development to set of people

Collective which is politically can bring development to the whole region and generation yet unborn

So stop comparing the 2

[/s]
Stop talking Nonsense

for the past decade igbos are doing well helping ourselves with minimal political presence
since then till today can you compare the north that has always been in power to igbos who are politically doomed according to you guys
can you compare both in physical and mental development?
nope you can't because one depends solely on greedy Nigerian politician for help while the other depends on their human and capital resources for survival.

so tell me who will be at the top in the next generation?

sarrki:


Chest beating online is not as same as reality on ground

There is implications

In associating with othe two major tribes

There won’t be support from the two regions whenever they pursue a political gains fro the nation

An lots more

Stop the chest beating

Will you kip kwayet?
We survived Buhari's first half and I am damn sure we gonna survive his second half even better.

[s]

sarrki:


In all sense you lack sense of reasoning

[/s]
nope you lack sense of understanding.

no one will take nairaland mc oluomo faction of yoruba serious again
they don't represent the good people of yerobas

All these IGBO topics is just because of governorship election... and trying to make the average yoruba man feel Igbos want to take their lands....

Jimi Agbaje is a yoruba man.
Gbadamosi is a yoruba man.
Sanwo olu is a yoruba man.

Anybody is free to pick anyone...