James Sowole in Akure
The former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chuckwuemeka Ezeife, yesterday said the people of South-east are not wanted in the All Progressive Congress (APC), saying those that are going to the party want to be governor by stealing the position.
Ezeife spoke yesterday in Akure, during an interview with journalists in Akure at the public presentation of an autobiography written in honour of the Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.
The book entitled: ‘Mimiko’s Odysseys: A Biography of Revelations,’ was written by Professor Olu Obafemi.
The presentation of the book attracted people from all walks of life including the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abduazeez Yari of Zamfara State, the Governor of Adamawa State, Bindu Ibrahim Jubril, while the governors of Lagos and Delta States were represented.
Ezeife, who spoke on the sideline of the event, said the people of the South-east zone are very consistent, stating that they are not going anywhere.
“There is nothing for us to show in this government. Are we the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or do we have any protocol position?
“Okorocha is in APC but we know that we are not wanted. Some people who want to be governor are smuggling themselves in to APC but we will not allow them.
“South-eastern people are not going to APC. What is happening is that some people who want to be governor by stealing the position about 12 of them are going to APC and they will discover that they will never win any election after going there,” he said.
The former governor said some people, who saw what happened in Edo and Ondo States believed that they could win election only if they belong to APC.
“We are consistent with All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Some people saw what happened in Edo and Ondo and they believed that the only way to be governor is to go through APC but we are assuring them that our people will not vote for them,” he said..
The governor, who commended the call by the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, that the South-east should show interest in the presidency, said: “We are going for presidency. I like what Obasanjo said. For that 2019, we are going for presidency.”
He said every Nigerian, who knows what is good for the country must support restructuring, saying that is the only way we can survive adding “every Nigerians who thinks with his head must support restructuring.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mimiko expressed satisfaction that some of his dreams about what governance should be about had been realised while he was in office.
“I personally have the satisfaction that some of the dreams that I have had about what governance should be that governance should be about impacting the lives of people that any government programs that doesn’t impact is not what it.
“In every sector, God has given us opportunity to impact positively the lives of our people in the state. This gives me joy and I thank God for this wonderful opportunity,” he said.
Mimiko said it was his father himself that made him to show interest in politics because he loves politics and followed politics.
However, the governor said his father discouraged him from going into politics after the 1983 crisis.
“After 1983 mayhem, my father developed hatred for politicians. When I decided to have a go on politics, it was because of the violent background of the politics that he did not want me to involve in politics.
“If he is alive now, he would have been proud of what we have been able to achieve. He taught us early in life about how to care for others. He taught us that there are greatest virtue in life than money.
“Money is not the source of satisfaction. I grow up in house that feel with love not about all these material things. So early in life, I got a value about service. I got value that money is not matter in life but what matters is the hand of love you can extend to people,” he said.
