In this interview with COLLINS CHIDERAA, the Deputy Director-General, North, Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement, Ambassador Muhammad Auwal Musa speaks on the efforts to make inroads into the North for Peter Obi and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of general elections. Excerpts:

What are the efforts the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement is making to win the hearts of northerners for Peter Obi?

The effort so far to break that barrier, we have already achieved the first stage. The first stage is to make sure he aligns with Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, by bringing them together. Which OK Movement plays a vital role. Even before they came together, we sat down on our own as a movement, thinking how to bring solution to the problem of this country. And we looked around, left and right, centre, we said, let us identify key people that at least when we give them this responsibility, they can do it better. Based on that, we discovered that the persons that can do this job better are Obi and Kwankwaso. And we agreed Obi to be the presidential candidate in order to respect zoning arrangement. And since the South has four years, they said let Obi be the presidential candidate and Kwankwaso to be the vice presidential candidate. So, we started going around to preach this gospel since when they were in ADC, but because of the party crisis and series of legal battles we now said the best party, which is a new party, the NDC. So, finally, we agitated for that and they answered our call. And today they have come together, agreed to run in one umbrella. That’s one of the greatest ways to bridge that barrier that happened in 2023.

Secondly, everybody knows who is Peter Obi is in the South. And we know who Kwankwaso in the North. So, we therefore started putting structure across to see how we can also defend our vote, because we believe we have a large follower, with which we can face any candidate in this country, and we can win election. This is where we are today, and we are working on that.

What are the successes recorded so far in selling Obi to the northerners?

I cannot reveal all our successes because we have a battle ahead of us and this battle we know who we are facing in general election. So, most of our successes are our own strateies known to us. So, if you reveal it now, I believe the party in power and those who are opposing us will use it against us.

With the one you people are seeing in the media, by going around to inaugurating our executive from various states, which I believe you are seeing, especially in the north that should tell you that we have bridged the gap. If you see the turnout of people that came out to be our executive, because we only have goodwill. We are not giving anybody money.

These are the people who volunteered to make sure that we win; we salvage this country, because there is a mission and vision of our two principals. So, we believe in their mission and vision. That is why in the various states, local government, down to the ward levels, the structure is going on, and when the time reaches for you to see the structure, you will see them come out to see how we can win election.

Do you think Obi has any chance against other candidates like President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and others?

Tinubu, our current president, we know what brought him power. It’s a religious sentiment. But we all believe Nigerians are not after religious sentiment now or tribalism.

What Nigeria needs now is government that will make the system to work, because we tested tribalism. We all shouted for Buhari to be in power. We know what happened after Buhari came to power. And Nigeria supported Muslim-Muslim ticket. We have seen what Muslim-Muslim ticket is doing with our lives, insecurity, economy, and everybody is facing this current hardship in this current administration, which we believe that one is not going to work. And that is the case of this current administration. It’s going to be Nigerians versus the current administration.

And the issue of Atiku Abubakar, I believe Nigeria will never make the same mistake they made, that is where I believe Nigeria will vote our candidates. We’ll not make the same mistake we made in 2015, we’re all shouting, Nigeria, there is insecurity here and there. We need change. But, unfortunately, we did not go into the profile of the candidate, we all believe that this person, because of media packaging, because he was this, he was former president, he was that, we all followed him and voted for him. But at the end of the day, we found ourselves in trouble and we are still in the trouble because it’s the same APC government. So, therefore, I believe Nigerians now will open their eyes and open their minds. Nigeria now will vote base on integrity and accountability. That’s what Nigeria wants. Nigeria wants somebody who can take this country into the promised land, they are not after tribalism, they are not after geographical differences, they are not after religious sentiments, what they are after, they want good governance. So, therefore, when you keep Peter Obi and Musa Kwankwaso based on their antecedents in their various offices they held before, we all know what they have done. We all know why people are agitating for them without paying them.

What is your take on the allegation that ruling party is instigating crises in opposition parties?

Whether we like it or not, it is so obvious that the government in power is the one instigating crises in the various opposition parties. I was in the political party called NNPP and also a national working committee member. Also, I’m the chairman youth leaders forum of all political parties then. So with that I should be able to have knowledge of various political parties within my jurisdiction. And then after 2023, the first plan that the government in power had was to instigate crises in the two major political parties, Labour Party and NNPP, to make sure they destabilise those two political parties so that these two credible people that Nigeria believe in them will not be able to have a platform to run.

And the third political party, which is PDP, they also went into it, we all know what is happening. The government in power is using judicial system to make sure that these parties have no candidates, except the candidates which they place there that cannot contest with them.

In NNPP of recent, what they did to NNPP has never happened in the history of the world. And without government in power, they cannot be able to do that. This NNPP have done their primaries, done everything and a week to collect the code to upload their candidates, they brought somebody from nowhere him and put him as a chairman for the party. There is no convention, there is nothing. But they said it was court that grants the order them to put that person in as chairman, removing the executives who were duly elected under the constitution of the people of Federal Republic of Nigeria. INEC observed their congresses, but the same INEC went ahead and removed their chairman and their national working committee, and put those that said they want to work for them.

So therefore, with this evidence I have before me, I’m telling you categorically, the government in power, they are the ones instigating crises in the opposition parties.

How do you think Nigerians, particularly the youth should approach the coming election?

My advice to Nigerians, because everybody is facing different types of challenges in life, starting from economy hardship, inflation, naira inflation, insecurity, that today you cannot go anywhere in this country and your mind will be at peace. Even in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where there is a sitting president, they are kidnapping people. So I think it’s high time we kept away sentiment, religious sentiment, tribalism, geographical differences, and face the reality. Let us go and study our candidates who want to govern us in 2027. Starting with the current government, let us not do things blindly, and then you come to NDC candidates, which is Peter Obi and Kwankwaso and also go to Atiku Abubakar, study them because all of them have held various positions in this country. When you study them, so that you can be able to differentiate the one when you give him the trust, who can hold trust for you. You know, it’s not time for campaign; I could have started mentioning good things for you.

And so, therefore, I can only advise, study these people who want to govern you, APC, NDC, APGA, and whatsoever, and ADC, go to their profile. When Peter Obi was a governor, what happened in Anambra in terms of security when he met insecurity? When Kwankwaso a governor, what happened when there is Boko Haram invaded Kano? How did he manage it?

When the education sector collapsed in Kano and in Anambra, how did these people manage the sector? Because our major challenge is economy, what have they done in economy aspects? While Obi was the governor of Anambra State, why former IGP, M.D. Abubakar come out and said Anambra is one of the safest places? Why when Kwankwaso was a Minister of Defence, the Nigeria military was rated as one of the best military in Africa? Why? So make all these analyses, because these are our major challenges in this country. Then from there, make your right choice. Know the people that will govern you in 2027. Don’t vote blindly, don’t vote for money. Vote for integrity, vote for competency, vote for unification of the country, vote for accountability. This is the message I have for Nigeria.