With Atiku, APC may lose 2023 presidential election, says Imasuangbon

A former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Mr Kenneth Imasuangbon, in this interview with LINUS ALEKE and BEN OGBEMUDIA, says the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), may lose the 2023 presidential election with his emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the flagbearer of the opposition party

What is your general assessment of the special convention of your party, PDP?

It was peaceful, organised tactical, and very exceptional. I expected Atiku to win. He is more experienced, he is more detribalised, he is more focused, he has got 12 million votes in his kitty, and if we want to win the next elections, he is the only man that can win the election for the PDP. We shouldn’t experiment, at the end of today if Atiku fails to win the primary, mark my words, we would lose the general elections to APC. So, I hope the delegates know what is at stake and not dollars, regional sentiment, or friendship. What is at stake for me and every other delegate is to elect a man who has the interest of the Nigerian people at heart. Atiku is the man that can fix the roads, he is the man that can make the schools work, pay the teachers’ salaries, and secure the country. This is the man who will improve multilateral cooperation with the international community, make the value of Nigeria’s Naira strong, and of course reduce the burden of foreign and domestic loans. These are things that are primary to me. As I match toward the ballot box, I will be carrying the burden of Nigeria right in my heart and my palm, and therefore, ensure that the right man for the job is elected.

Is your support for Atiku not a betrayal of the collective clamour for power shift to the south for equity, justice, and fairness?

There is no South and there is no North, all we have is Nigeria. There is no hunger for the South and prosperity for the North. What we have is hunger in Nigeria and prosperity in Nigeria. I don’t believe in this regional dichotomy. Unemployment is unemployment, whether south or north. Joblessness is joblessness, while, insecurity is insecurity. So, for me, the country is in a big mess and we need a tested and trusted hand to fix Nigeria and not try and error.

Some will argue that Atiku is part of the leadership problem that Nigeria had grappled with since its return to democratic rule in 1999, having served as a Vice President for eight solid years. What difference do you think he will make this time around?

Atiku Abubakar was not the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was just the number two man. If you are familiar with our Constitution, as the number two man, you are responsible for the economic growth of the country. While Obasanjo and Atiku held sway, Nigeria’s economy was far stronger than what it is today. Three hundred per cent better, if you ask me? Therefore, Atiku deserves to be the Commander-In-Chief.

What chances does your party have to stage a comeback to power at the centre in 2023?

Our chances are very bright with Atiku. He is a winning team. If he wins today, and not those dollarising the delegates, that will be a win for Nigeria, and PDP will be back to power at the centre for good.

You had been consistent about the dollarisation of the delegates, what do you mean by that?

Silence.

Are you insinuating that the delegates were compromised with dollars to vote against their conscience?

You know the truth, why are you asking me? Don’t you know the truth? Are you not a journalist? Whether it is ‘dollarisation’ or no ‘dollarisation’, ‘nairalisation’ or no ‘nairalisation’, Nigeria’s interest for me is paramount. Today is a defining moment on which way Nigeria.

Are you not also given money to support Atiku against your South-South kinsmen who are on the race?

Silence.

You are not alone in these allegations of monetisation of the internal process of leadership recruitment by your party as some aspirants had also thrown in the towels and left the party. Can you throw more light on this issue of monetisation?

What else do you want to hear from me? You know the truth, so go and tell Nigerians the truth.

You also said on national television that some aspirants offered to give you money to vote for them, can you mention the name of those aspirants?

I never said that they called me to offer me money. What I said was that they called me and said they will give me a gift in exchange for my vote. Whatever that means, I don’t know but the question I asked them was what plan they have for Nigeria? How will they create jobs for Nigerians? How will they secure Nigeria? How will they make the Nigerian naira to be strong? That is what is at stake here today. I pray all the delegates will know what is at stake. After today, every eye will be on us.

Will the gale of defections from your party in the wake of this convention does not dislocate your chances as a party in the general elections?

No, it will not. What is happening is the beauty of democracy. In a democracy, if you feel that you are not properly housed, you can take a bow. So, I don’t have a problem with that because that is the beauty of the game. So, long as there is fair play, that is not an issue. But that does not minus the fact that Peter Obi is a gentleman. The party is going to miss him, but we still have good guys.

The question on the lips of every Nigerian now is what your party is bringing to the table this time around after squandering the 16 years previously?

The party manifesto is very clear. We will pursue vigorously what is contained in our manifesto, as it seeks to bring prosperity to Nigerians. It will restore hope to Nigerians, it will take away pain from citizens. It will encourage the building of health facilities to cater to the health need of our people and minimize if not eradicate infant and maternal mortality. It will end incessant ASSU strikes, and ensure that our teachers are better paid to deliver the anticipated quality of education that meets the global standard.

If APC presents former President Goodluck Jonathan as a consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential election as has been insinuated in certain quarters. Will Atiku be able to defeat Jonathan at the polls?

Whoever APC chose to face Atiku will face his Waterloo before the Nigerian people. Nigerians have rejected APC and their government because of the evil and atrocities that they meted out on the people in the past seven years. If Jonathan has the misfortune of picking an APC ticket he will be rejected by Nigerians.

Whoever APC chose to face Atiku will face his Waterloo before the Nigerian people. Nigerians have rejected APC and their government because of the evil and atrocities that they meted out on the people
past seven years. If Jonathan has the misfortune of picking an APC ticket he will be rejected by Nigerians.