The political atmosphere in Anambra state is filled with dusts of interests for 2025 governorship election from contenders and pretenders as well. In this interview with Newspathfinder, Labour Party’s latest bride, George Muoghalu says the state is suffering from total infrastructural collapse and he needs just one term of four years to put the state to shape.
Excerpts…..
Q: Sir you recently left the All Progressives Congress(APC), a party you were among key founding member and nurtured to life. What happened, has the party lost relevance or has it failed?
A: My answer is very simple and straight. In every political contestation two issues are always critical; one is the person and the second is the platform.
There’s no doubt as to the fact that as a politician, and I intend to remain. I have not decided to quit politics, and in the light of that basic fact it’s me that will decide how to live my life, what I intend to do with my life. It is me that will talk about my ambition. The best I will do in that circumstances is to involve my immediate family -my wife and my children. But the second one which is very critical is the platform. And for you to consider the platform a lot of things need to be considered. A lot of consultation have to be made. If you remember, by the time I resigned from the APC I said that I was open for consultation across the country talking with my colleagues, my people, my friends, and my political associates. Thereafter I returned to Anambra State to continue the consultation with a lot of people, my supporters and followers. I also called my Campaign Council to a meeting, saying, now that I have resigned from the APC what do we do?
After all these consultation it became clear to me that for me to realise the ambition that I have, for me to have the platform to serve the people in line with my aspirations in this area, that the viable platform is the Labour Party(LP).
So now, on Oct 1,2024 I then declared for LP. So you can see that it’s not about this or that party failing or not, No! It’s about my decision and decision of my collective team, my desire, aspiration.
Q: Sir we all have always known you to be a one-party man. You were among the few that formed present APC which was a metamorphosis of different political bodies. Is it true you switched over to LP because someone from your zone promised to deliver the LP ticket to you.
A: Facts must be sacrosanct. If there’s anything I have strived to do, it’s to maintain my credibility to be honest and sincere, even in the face of daunting lies and challenges. I tried to live that life that at the end of the day, even after politics that my children will look at me and say they are happy. My friends like you will also look at me and say they are happy. That has always informed my decisions.
Yes I agree with you that am a one-party man. It’s not even from 2003. I participated in the forming of APP in 1998. As far back as 1991 when we formed the NRC, or when it was established. Because it was decreed into existence by the military government of that period, we congregated in NRC. Those my friends will tell you that we remained together and moved together to APP. Consistency has always been my mantra and I have followed it up.
So, as to whether somebody made me promise of the party’s ticket, I will be very happy if anyone made me such promise. But as we speak, no one made me that promise. Because I know that as at today a few others have also indicated interest in using LP as a platform.
But as at the time we further the campaign and consultations, the party themselves and the party members, that is, the owners of the party from my own understanding of party politics would be able to say who or who they would use to contest and win election. This is because it takes too many things to win an election. Acceptability is there, credibility is there, ability is there, capacity is there. So there’s quite a lot of considerations and the party members would take these issues into consideration. Is he a known face, is he acceptable to the people, can he win the confidence of Anambra electorate, and things like that. So all these issues will come into discuss before a final decision is taken. But as for whether somebody made me a promise of the ticket, no. But from the reactions and responses we have been receiving go to say that quite a lot of people within the party think that my coming into the platform would greatly help the party.
Q: There’s this intense open argument all over the State as to whether you are running for governorship or the vacant Anambra South senatorial seat?
A: The truth about it is that am qualified to be a Councillor, am qualified to be a Council Chairman, am also qualified to go to the State Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governor and qualified to President today by every stretch of imagination. So people are free to speculate. It goes to show that I am an issue for discussion if at virtually every drinking joint and beer parlours people are arguing whether am going to the Senate or the Governorship. Am even very happy to hear that. Because what that means is that I am issue in contention. But, am running for governor of Anambra State.
Q: What is that burning urge and desire that is pushing you to come lead Ndi Anambra?
A: A lot of things are wrong, quite a lot. We all, including you know that a lot of tings are wrong. However, am one person who do not criticize without providing an alternative.
Am going to issue a formal statement at my formal declaration where I will take all the issues of governance, and what I expect and promise to do. Am going go address all issues. I expect that you journalists who relate more with many people to do further consultations. Really our people are not happy. There’s total infrastructural collapse. There’s insecurity at the highest level. So there’s quite a lot that needs to be re-engineered.
Because the biggest loss for any administration is when you lose the confidence of the people. If you remember when I was coming for governorship in 2003, I made it very clear that my major agenda was to restore the confidence of the people. To restore the confidence of Ndi Anambra in their government. Because the moment you win the confidence of your people governance becomes a lot easier. Becoming that’s when you can relate with them, talk to them, they can even disagree with you as they can tell you where they want you to go. After all you are talking about them.
If it’s not about the people, some of us will not be in this business. But its only that you need a platform to be able to execute your intentions and bring them to practical reality. That’s why we are here.
Q: I heard a stakeholder from the Central Senatorial zone who claimed that his zone will not accept anyone in the 2025 election from the South zone if it’s not Prof Soludo. He went further to point out that his people’s standpoint was because if anyone takes it from Soludo he would go for eight years, thereby denying his Central zone to come on board immediately after the incumbent.
A: The sentiment is right because he has not heard from some of us. I have said time and time again that what you cannot do in four years you can’t do it in eight years. That is very true!
I stated it plainly, and let me reemphasize it here. I am going for the governorship of Anambra State realizing in all honesty, God be my witness that there is a sustaining zoning formula that must be adopted for sustainability, for credibility, for balance, for equity, for justice and fairness. And I will go for one term. Let it be placed on record.
Q: You have been on the ballot once in 2003. Do you think the situation is now better for you to realize that ambition.
A: Yes, I have been on the ballot just once -in 2003. In 2021 they fooled us, and I reacted. However, I can tell you that its not about situation being better. The truth is that power belongs to God and he gives to whoever He pleases at His own time. What we mortals are doing is just to make ourselves available for Him to choose. If not, God will not come to your bedroom and say please take. More so there is no supermarket where power was being sold for one to go and pay to collect. So you must make yourself available. I decided that this is the appointed time, after wide consultation; if it’s the will of God. I have often said that it was not cast in iron that I must be Governor. What if you don’t have life anymore to be governor? It has happened before in this country, people!who have worked very hard to actualize ambition and very near to the goalpost he lost his life. Prince Abubakar Audi of Kogi had won election and was waiting for the declaration when he passed on. General Sanni Abacha has transmuted completely because all the parties have endorsed and adopted him. And that’s why Prof Sole Soyinka(or was it Chief Bola Ige), with all due respect said the five leprous hands have already adopted him. But sadly here the manifestation of the adoption, suddenly there was no man again to adopt. And someone who never plan to become Head of State became Head of State. That is God at work. So the same God who did yesterday is going to do it again because he doesn’t change. As He was yesterday, so He is today and forever. He doesn’t change. He will must always be done.
So if it’s God’s will that I be Governor, to Him be all the glory.
Q: Sir, looking a the array of aspirants like Chiefs Val Ozigbo, John Nwosu and perhaps more that could spring up soon, how do you intend to surmount them.
A: Its a welcome development. Val is my good friend. You even failed to mention Engr Barth Nwibe who is also my good friend. John Nwosu is not only a friend, he’s my brother. We are all from here.
Every one of them is qualified. But it’s only one person that will fly the flag. We will talk, consult and discuss; and if its the will of God, if its the will of the people, it becomes me. And we will give God t glory. And if it’s the will of God for any of them, to God also be the glory. I have never gone into any political contest with a fixated mind that it must be me otherwise it will not work. That’s not the attitude. The attitude which I go with always is that of friendship.
But I believe strongly that with us in LP and with the kind of mindset I have, and t kind of mindset I believe they also have we must all come together and build a strong force. We are running against an incumbent, so we will not go with a divided house. We must all come together and work as a family. Because LP should be, and I expect it is one family.
Q: To incumbent just conducted the Council election that has not held for long time. What’s your assessment of the process.
A: It’s a sham. I won’t waste my time commenting on it. Because if that is how elections are conducted, then sorry for democracy.
Q: Why do you think that LP is a better political platform for you to actualize your governorship ambition? Why leaving at a time people believe that the party’s national leader is far better than the former. That he would aid the emergence of an APC governor in the State
A: My leaving APC was a personal conviction and decision. The truth is that every politics is local, and we are going to play it local here. Its about the Anambra people. Its always the wish of everyone to play around. But every politics is local. So we are going to play it here. We have been in this business for for some time.
Q: What’s your reaction about the leadership crisis rocking LP now
A: Every human organization must have crises, because you are managing interests, ambitions, expectations and so on. So its a matter of how you resolve it that is critical.
All parties as we speak today have one problem or another. However from my findings and consultations I am convinced that whatever misunderstanding or disagreement will soon be resolved amicably. Am very certain about that.
Q: Sir for all these years you have been in and out of government, no doubt you must have gathered a lot of experience, observations and programs that you want to unleash on Anambra State. Can you please share some with us .
A: Like I said earlier, I have been around. I have served both in the public and private sectors. As at the time I was the Director General and later Permanent Secretary in the government of Abia State as far back as 1992. I was the only non indigene in the country to be so appointed. That was long before Sir Otedola appointed someone from Warri, Delta State. I was the only one to be appointed to such high office in a state where he was not an indigene. I served and I believed I served creditably. I have served in the political sphere, from being the National Secretary of APP, ANPP, to being the Vice Chairman of the party in the zone, to being the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state in 2003. Then member Secretary of the Merger Committee that formed the APC to later becoming the first elected National Auditor of APC, to being reelected the National Auditor. Then later appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigeria Communications Satellite(NIGCOM SAT); President Buhari did that. I was there until 2019 an I was appointed the Managing Director /Chief Executive of the National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA) until 2023 when my first tenure elapsed and I left. All what I did in these places is not for me to praise myself. They have all been documented in a book and in the electronic media. Its there for anyone to reach out for. One can google it. I can boldly tell you that I didn’t disappoint Nigeria, myself, supporters and my family. I did my best.
Interview by Chucks Collins
