2011: IBB, BEST CANDIDATE FOR PDP–UFOMBA
In an interview with Daily Sun, the vocal politician threw his weight behind the presidential ambition of the former President, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, insisting he was the best choice for the party and the return.
While sounding convinced that Babangida would scale through at the end of the day, Ufomba warned that any atempt to pick another candidate would spell doom for the PDP.
He also spoke on other issues like his ambition to govern Abia State among other issues of national interest..
Excerpts:
Why politics?
I don't consider myself a politician. I joined politics by accident, though in 1979, I was a youth leader of National Party of Nigeria, (NPN). After that, I went to school and while in school, I played some politics both at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede and Lagos State University (LASU). I have been playing youth activism until 1999 when I was appointed into the Board of Broadcasting Corporation of Abia.
I also served as Special Assistant to the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu and left in 2003. After that, I went back to business and decided to remain there until I heard the cry of my people. I am thinking of going back to salvage Abia State not because the people there are not doing their bit but because I have a vision for the State. Abia deserves a quantum leap. They need someone who is creative and proactive. Someone who is forward looking. Certainly, and God willing, Abia will witness a new lease of life.
PDP and Abia 2011
Well, I disagree with you that Abia is a PPA State. Largely Abia is a PDP State. You know that Orji Kalu was in PDP in 1999. You also know that he was denied registration and then as the incumbent governor he moved over to PPA and used the power of incumbency so well to install another PPA government. You know and if I remember vividly that he criticized the election. I watched him on television when he announced to the world saying how late the election materials arrived in Abia at about after 6.30 to 7pm. It is the same election that gave birth to PPA government that we are all talking about.
IBB's presidential ambition
IBB is a Nigerian. He is entitled to vote and be voted for. That is his constitutional right. To Judge him as a person, I don't know how many Nigerians that will say from the bottom of their hearts that things are better today in comparison to when IBB was the president. We had better days. Electricity supply was steady but what we have today is dierct opposite of that situation.
We can go on and look at the value of naira which was about 20 to 22 or there about during his tenure. We can also talk about good road, regular supply of disel and gas. It was during his tenure that we had Third Mainland Bridge, movement to Abuja and so on. There are many good things that portrayed Babanginda as a man of vision and the man who lived ahead of his time. Even when we criticize him for introducing Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), we are even over implementing SAP today.
I was very happy when some of his critics admitted that Nigeria deserves free and fair election which he gave to us. I am also happy when they admitted that we need two party system which he gave to us. The masses also admitted that we need the democratic institution which was better in IBB era. And since the man is alive, why don't we allow him to get involved or engage in this rescue mission? We should rescue Nigeria. We do not need an eaglet president in 2011. Enough of this trial and error. We need somebody that is tested and trusted. Somebody that has the maturity and experience to get us out of the wood.
Crisis in PDP
I have been a member of PDP since 1999. The chances are there. PDP controls majority of the states in the country and now that somebody in the cloth and mould of IBB is coming out, our chances are brighter because I do not know of any village that hasn't got an IBB follower in this country. So, IBB's emergence will be the best thing that would happen to PDP in the country. Any thing to the contrary will spell doom for the party.
Atiku's return to PDP and IBB's ambition
Atiku has not declared any intention to contest. Until he does that, all well meaning Nigerians are free to join our political party, the PDP. In the end the best candidate, most acceptable, popular, effective and efficient will carry the day. It is no doubt that nobody in this country has the kind of acceptance that IBB has in this country. It does not matter if we have five to ten vocal opposition against his candidacy or aspiration. But in the end he will definitely triumph.
Benefits of visit to US
The visit is a welcome development. It cannot be a means to alter or divide the country but definitely any association with a world power like USA will definitely benefit Nigeria. That is my belief.
Plan to impeach Yar'Adua
I am not in the House and I think that what members of the National Assembly did was to proffer a political solution to the crisis. We should look more on the constitutional solution of that crisis because it will pay us more if we obey our constitution. We would want the appropriate authority to follow the constitution.
Plan for Abia
I want to make people happy. My quest to go back to government house is not about me but about those that cannot afford their children's school fees, those who have cars and cannot ride because of bad roads. It's about those who cannot keep their aged parents in Abia for fear of kidnappers. We have to go and ensure that we safeguard lives, carry out massive infrastructural development and empower the people socially and economically. It is not by how many cars I drive.
If you talk about money in the millions, I have seen and counted money. It is not about me as God has blessed me enough. It is about those who do not know where their next meal will come from. Those who cannot sleep with their eyes closed. We will definitely touch lives. All we need is the vote and support to make a change in Abia. If Abians do not see a change, something that will make them wonder if this is Abia, I will resign.
Abia needs somebody who is very creative and that is what we will bring to them in Abia in 2011. We need not wait for the so called federal allocation. Where does countries like Equatorial Guinea and Liberia that are the same size of Abia get allocation? Yet, they are doing so well.
What of countries like Togo and Benin Republic which are half size of Abia? Do they depend on United Nation or African Union for their allocation before they develop their countries? The answer is no. So, we need some level of creativity, some level of radicalism in policy formulation and implementation. That is basically what is lacking.