‘2027: PDP, LP, building mansion on sandy soil that will collapse’

Chief Modestus Umenzekwe, is one of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress APC is Southeast. An Anambra born politician. He had held various appointments at the federal level and mixed Ministerial appointment by whiskers. In this interview with Southeast Bureau Chief, NWANOSIKE ONU, he speaks on the just concluded APC governorship primary that produced Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, the alliances by the opposition parties to oust President Bola Tinubu and the November 8, governorship election in Anambra state among other things. Excerpts…

APC held it’s State Primary for the November 8 Governorship election, where Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu emerged winner, what’s the next move now?

First of all, let me thank God for a successful primary election which we had, let me also thank the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving the National Working Committee, NWC, led by Dr Umar Granduje unfettered hands to conduct a successful primary . Even though there were small complaints here and there which is the normal thing in any group or association, but the process was very seamless.

The State Working Committee, SWC, should not be left out in this commendation despite the fact some people raised issues that their names were omitted in the delegate’s list which for me, everybody must not be, I was not a delegate, but I was there as a stakeholder where I coordinated my people. Then, the four contestants, my very good friends, Engr. Johnbosco Onunkwo, Valentine Ozigbo, who hails from my Maternal home, Edozie madu and prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, I congratulate them for following the exercise to a logical conclusion where Prince Ukachukwu finally emerged as the flag-bearer of the party, that shows there is unity of purpose in the APC family in Anambra State. Now that the Primary has come and gone, the flag bearer, Prince Ukachukwu is set to go into the battle field with the whole party members, both high and low. If you listened to his victory speech, he made it clear that he was not talking as somebody who has won the battle, but like somebody who is about to enter the battle field and that is why he said he needs the corporation and assistance of everyone. And recall that prince Ukachukwu ab’nitio, was very instrumental to helping people step into the government house of Anambra State as Governors and he equally made it clear in his speech and now he wants to handle that governance by himself to solidify in concrete terms whatever achievements any past Governor or the incumbent had made as well as bringing innovations in governance in order to link Anambra State proper to the centre. So, right now, we are mending fences making formidable allowances and re alliances for the party members in order to go to that battle because whether anybody likes it or not, to dislodge the incumbent is a herculean task.

Therefore, APC must not lose sleep in trying to achieve this, it must be through a fair, free and credible atmosphere come November, 2025.

You would have asked me whether former President Muhammadu Buhari had the capacity to match Goodluck Jonathan then as incumbent. But Buhari defeated Jonathan even though it was a very big task. Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, the much I know him, has been a goal-getter, he has been there as a Federal House Of Representatives Member where he represented Abuja Municipal. He has been a Philanthropist of note that cut across ethnic divide and he is deep rooted in grassroots mobilization.

Finally, he is capable even though friends and well wishers may equally give him enough support. He is a young man full of energy and vibrancy and above all, he relates very well with people high and low. His political tentacles are spread within the six Geopolitical zones of this country and every nook and cranny of Anambra State. With all these and others unmentioned, the capacity to run the election is all over him.

But APC seems not to be popular in Anambra and entire southeast and APGA being a movement in the state, what magic will be deployed to win?

(Laughs). What do you mean by APGA being movement? Interjection, (they worship the party like religion in Anambra). (He continues). It is not true. Before now, particularly Ebonyi and Anambra, Imo and Abia, were majorly APGA, due to the believe we had in late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu as an enigma. As a matter of fact, no Igbo person jokes with the name Ikemba Ojukwu till today. His name is like an oracle in Igbo land. But then, this is politics and the most important thing is to leverage on what is available now to attract the national cake to the entire southeast and Anambra State is not an exemption. There is a saying that Rome was not built in a day, when you say APGA is a movement there are so many movements in this country. Making sure that southeast gets its own share in government is equally, a movement and that movement has yielded fruits in Imo State, it has yielded fruits in Ebonyi State and after November 8, 2025, it will yield fruits in Anambra State. And mark you, when Ojukwu returned from exile in 1982 , his action was against sectional parties being the reason why he joined NPN, leaving NPP which was like APGA then, in the hands of the South Easterners. He believed that getting the national cake was our right, knowing that we could not get it from outside but from within. So, gradually we are getting there.

There is this hate attitude by Igbo towards the president, Bola Tinubu, what is that thing the president is not doing well that offends the zone?

I do not believe or agree that Igbo hate Mr president, but the devastating effect of the civil war, was and is still too much on the people. They lost a lot both in human and infrastructural development. The only thing they are doing from my own understanding, is calling for the full implementation of the three (Rs) enacted by General Yakubu Gowon in his post war speech of ‘no victor, no vanquished’, which are, Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and so, Ndigbo are saying let there be more equitable distribution of the national assets to heal the wound totally. So, they are doing like Oliver twist, they don’t hate Mr president, after all, why have they migrated to everywhere, assisting to raise more structures in those areas than their places of birth? Those of us who are unrepentant supporters of the federal government that were part of the number of votes Mr President got during the last election, does it mean that we hate him? In all my political publications over the years, I have been very consistent, eulogizing and defending the policies of APC led Federal Administration at my own cost, are my not a core Igboman? It is misconception and misrepresentation of facts.

And this our cry for equitable sharing of the country’s resources is yielding good result being the reason why we got the second Niger Bridge, built by the Buhari led administration, using the hero of his government, Dr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, the then Minister of Works and housing. Today, President Tinubu has appointed our brother, senator Dave Umahi, the Minister of works and said go and make your people happy. Jonathan’s administration appointed Dezieni Alison Madueke as petroleum Minister and Other appointments two numerous to mention like that of Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The southeast Development Commission SEDC, as created by the Jagaban of African, Bola Tinubu and I believe, that in no distant time, one more state will be created from the Southeast to bring them at per with other regions in the country.

So, It will be unfair for anybody to think that the Igbo hate Mr President or that Mr President hate the Igbo, it is not so. As i commend Mr President for the giant strides he is making despite the hardship in the system which was not created by him, I urge him to kindly accommodate more Igbo indigenes in federal government appointments which will add more value in healing any wound that may have existed.

Two years to 2027 and opposite parties are rallying, ganging up against APC, do you think Mr President stands any chance?

That is the greatest joke of the year. PDP was in government for 16 years and I have said it time without number that APC must do 16 years for us to draw comparable analysis. But anytime I say it, some people will start attacking me. APC will do 16 years before any other gang up.

Now, coming to Mr President, this is a man that knows the political terrain, this is the man that brought certain members of opposition to political lime light. So, the political gang up to oust President Tinubu will not work unless he decides not to re-contest otherwise, the opposition is building a mansion on a sandy soil that will collapse.

Are you sure Tinubu will visit Anambra State to campaign for APC when it is being alleged that he’s working closely with Soludo?

There is great difference between governance and being a party man. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is always a party man and that is why you see him succeeding and that is why he contested once and won the election because he took care and related with his party members in all the zones and it worked for him. So, having the governor of Anambra State in his economic team, has nothing to do with campaigning for his party’s candidate. He made it clear that he is going to run a unity government and not winner takes it all, and he is reflecting it in his appointments . But it is totally different from making sure his party APC wins governorship election in any part of the country, Anambra not an exception.

Your party lost one powerful member, Sir Paul Chukwuma and some other governorship contestants quit the race in anger, don’t you think it will affect APC during the election.

You said Paul Chukwuma, Chukwuma Umeoji and Obiora Okonkwo( great men). Well, I have not discussed with any of them why they did so whether in anger like you said. I will answer this question well after hearing from them. However, it’s their decision. Two of them are my friends and we respect each other. I will talk about them after hearing from them. However, no one knows what it will resort to, but we are still watching the situation. But i know the flagbearer and the party faithful will not fold their arms. If indeed, they left in anger, he will know how to heal the wound. They promised to work to achieve the renewed hope agenda of Mr president, so they did not leave in anger.