One of the founders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, Monday, said himself and other progressive minded politicians are muting a new political order as a result of the silent agitations and complaints across the country against the current state of the nation.
He said from the body language of the Nigerians, it is obvious that they are not satisfied with what is on ground, adding that there is urgent need for regrouping of the ‘good politicians’ to restore public confidence in governance and save the country.
Okorocha who is also the Senator representing Imo West, recently stirred controversy when he called for the good people in APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to come together and rescue Nigeria in 2023, while commissioning projects in Rivers State, at the instance of the State governor, Nyesom Wike.
He insisted that the country needs political re-engineering, warning that Nigerians cannot be fooled again by mischievous politicians in 2023.
According to him, “the movement for a new Nigeria has begun and we must come together, I mean progressive Nigerians to make the country work.
Queried if the promise of the new political movement for a new Nigeria will not be akin to that of the APC in 2015, Okorocha, retorted that the APC was hurriedly formed to take power the PDP without much emphasis on the character of those championing the course.
He assured that the political coalition is being championed by people with a proven track record of achievement and public spirit, noting that it is no more ideal to allow people who do not have genuine love for the unity and progress of the country to hijack power.
He said, “APC was a hurried arrangement, it was hurriedly formed to take power when the then government was drifting. APC would have been better until people who were not members of the party; people who came for congratulatory message hijacked the party and became Lords.”
Okorocha, who gave a veiled confirmation of his 2023 Presidential ambition, however noted that, “the issue is not about APC or PDP, it is beyond political parties, we are talking about the character of the politicians.
“Political parties in Nigerian don’t have any ideology; it is just a vehicle to come to power. So what we have is not the ideal thing, we have so many people who are not interested in working for the nation. Take for instance if President Muhammadu Buhari had surrounded himself with good people, the story will not be the same today.”
“We have bad people in APC, just as we have them in PDP and that was why I made the call in Rivers State that the good ones should come together to lead the people”.
On the fears for his 2023 ambition, the former governor, said his greatest fear is the sacrifice he will have to make as a President, adding that, “remember I contested for President in 2003, 2007 and 2015 and I don’t know what else you think I will contest”.
Okorocha further disclosed that he has no idea about any zoning plan in APC, adding that, “I am not aware of any zoning arrangement in APC but there may be a kind of unwritten agreement. Though I don’t believe in zoning, but for the sake of equity, justice and fairness, all the zones of the country should be allowed to produce the President of the country, so that at the end, we will know the zone that produced the best President when we consider their achievements.”
The Nation
