₦airaland Forum

Dr Kelechi Nwagwu is the Convener and National Coordinator of South East Professionals for Buhari. In this interview, he explains why the group is supporting Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the March 28 election.
Excerpts:

What exactly is the objective of South East Professionals for Buhari?
South East Professionals for Buhari is a political pressure group. We have been Buhari’s supporters since 2011. I had always believed that somebody that has the kind of Buhari’s character, his integrity and incorruptible nature should be supported to clean up the country irrespective of our ethnic, religious and geographical differences. It is a common knowledge that corruption is a major problem that has held this country down for many years. We all saw how this man tackled indiscipline and corruption in his first coming. Unfortunately, that regime was scuttled by the Babangida regime. Now we feel that we should allow the man to renew the battle. But there are lots of misrepresentations, especially in the Southeast. Some have tagged him an Islamic extremist or religious bigot just to misrepresent him to Nigerians. So, our task is to tell our fellow easterners to disregard all these fabrications. When the All Progressives Congress (APC) was first created, it was very difficult to identify with the party especially in the East. But today, APC is making a serious inroad in the region. If we have a free and fair election, it is certain that the party will win in states like Imo and Buhari will score constitutionally required 25 percent in most states in the region. We have been doing neighbor to neighbor campaign. We’ve been going house to house speaking to people. Every rally Buahari had in the east, our members were present.

Where are you getting your funding to carry out this campaign?
That is where passion comes in. When you have passion for a particular course, you will always go out of your way to make sure you achieve that target. The organisation is basically self- funding. You know Buhari does have money to throw around. Up to this moment, this organization has been self-funding. We have some important personalities that are working with us. Also, we have been trying to develop a working relationship with Gen Buhari Campaign Organisation. We have had several discussions with Alhaji Lai Muhammed, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC. We believe it is a good course and we are giving it all support it deserves by maximizing the little funds we can raise individually.

How spread is your organization?
Our presence is largely in the Southeast where we have the largest population of the Igbo. We equally have our presence in Lagos here. For instance, we’ve have been meeting with Igbo at Ladipo market where they sell spare parts. But the bulk of our work is in the Southeast.

Are you now confident that elections will hold as scheduled?
Before official announcement was made of the postponement, I had already got a hint from the Associated Press (AP) on Twitter that Nigeria’s elections would be postponed by six weeks. Later the National Security Adviser spoke about the postponement in London at Chatham House. He was then talking about INEC’s lack of preparedness, but the INEC Chairman told the world that the commission was ready for the election. When the postponement became inevitable, they used Security Chiefs to force INEC to postpone the elections. Though the President has given us his words that there will be no further postponement, I still have my doubts. They gave us six weeks within which they would have crippled the insurgency. If they could not do this in five years, how are they going to do it in six weeks? But since he has assured us that security will no longer be an issue and that elections will go as scheduled, let us believe him and keep praying. They only postponed the election; they cannot kill inevitable victory of our Presidential candidate. We have our PVCs, we will stay to defend our votes and they will see us coasting to victory. They have postponed the election; they have not killed our supporters. The facts that threatened them are still there. The day of reckoning is just some few weeks away.

To what extent have you succeeded in disabusing the minds of the Igbo against the sentiments that form the basis of their opposition to Gen Buhari?
Information is very powerful tool. For most young Nigerians who were not yet born when Gen Buhari emerged as military Head of State, whatever you tell such individuals; there is a tendency that they will believe it. The truth is that Gen Buhari is a good Muslim and his running is also a good Christian, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Through enlightenment campaign, many people have now discovered that most of what they are saying about this man are no true. We have a face book page where we inform people about the character of Gen Buhari and a lot of people like the page. A lot of Igbo are now getting to know that this man is not an Islamic bigot. He has a driver of more than 20 years who is a Christian. He has a cook of more than 20 years also a Christian. If they could drive the man around and cook his food for 20 years without the fear of being killed, isn’t that enough to clear the doubt about the man being a religious bigot? Today, if you go to the East, many prominent Igbo people are now supporting him. A former Governor of Anambra State now a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ngige is there, Rochas Okorocha, Governor of Imo State is also there. A lot of work is being done to win more support for Buhari. We don’t have money to run radio jingle, but we do one-on-one public enlightenment campaign. What we are doing is presenting the real picture of the man. This is democracy; people are entitled to their choices. We are only helping the people to make a right choice. And, of course, in politics you cannot completely avoid sentiments.

Concerns have been raised about the danger of politicizing the military. What does this portend for the future of this democracy?
We fought a fierce battle to send the military back to the barrack. People like MKO Abiola lost their lives in the process. Power can be very alluring. If you expose bees to the honey, it is difficult to chase them away. We should leave the military out of politics. We have all sorts of security agencies who can provide security during elections so that military can concentrate on protecting the territorial integrity of the country. We have the Police, we have Civil Defence Corps, we have Department of State Security (DSS). These are all civilian security agencies which can provide security during elections. In spite of security challenges facing Afghanistan, election took place in Afghanistan, election took place in Syria, election took place in Egypt. Let us not make this country a laughing stock. For good reasons, elections can be postponed within the limit of the constitution, but you don’t need to drag military into the process because a lot of people will begin to doubt their unbiased position in the electoral process. Why is that all those who went on air celebrating the postponement were PDP supporters? How come foreign media leaked information regarding that postponement before the official announcement? Is somebody buying time? Is somebody afraid of being defeated? Nigeria is the only country we have, let us put our hands on deck to fight corruption. If we fight corruption, we will certainly be a better country.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=105942

BeeBeeOoh:
APC don buy another set of pepul with fake igbo names claiming to be easterners..


Hayfeecee! Una no dey taya

ilugunboy:
Stupidd reasoning....

BeeBeeOoh:
APC don buy another set of pepul with fake igbo names claiming to be easterners..


Hayfeecee! Una no dey taya

Through enlightenment campaign, many people have now discovered that most of what they are saying about this man are no true. We have a face book page where we inform people about the character of Gen Buhari and a lot of people like the page. A lot of Igbo are now getting to know that this man is not an Islamic bigot. He has a driver of more than 20 years who is a Christian. He has a cook of more than 20 years also a Christian. If they could drive the man around and cook his food for 20 years without the fear of being killed, isn’t that enough to clear the doubt about the man being a religious bigot?

waternogetemeny:
Buhari must collect igbo vote by fire by force but GEJJ cannot collect Fulani vote.


Igbos are the most African orientated tribe in Nigeria so good luck Buhari with his igbo most vote me.



As for all the igbos with me here in my family and village, it is GEJ i hear and see.



GEJ tilll 2019

OBAFEMIawolowo:
I don't think Igbos want Buhari. This is just some set of paid people.

OBAFEMIawolowo:
I don't think Igbos want Buhari. This is just some set of paid people.