Chief Maja Umeh is a senatorial aspirant for Anambra South senatorial zone for the 2015 elections. A former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism during the Peter Obi administration, Umeh, in this interview spoke on the chances of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, the relationship between Governor Obiano and former Governor Obi, among other issues in the polity. Excerpts:
By Vincent Ujumadu
YOUR party, APGA, may have come out of leadership crisis, but the recent resignation of the former governor, Mr. Peter Obi as the chairman of the party’s BoT and the defection of some federal lawmakers elected on the platform of the party are issues worrying your supporters. Don’t you think these may adversely affect the party during next year’s election?
Well, first of all, APGA is a spiritual movement; it is not just a political party the way other political parties are fashioned. People who are following APGA are doing so for what APGA is. That is why I call it a spiritual movement, not minding that some people come in and some people go out. It is natural. The electorate in this part of the country believes stoutly in APGA.
•Maja Umeh
So, though APGA is experiencing some problems, I don’t see such problems as insurmountable. For me as a party man, I will advise my party leadership to look inward. A situation where highly placed members of the party are leaving the party is not a good development; a situation where a former governor, more or less the founder of the party is also saying that he needs a ratification of his BoT chairman is also a serious issue. I must admit that all is not well in APGA, but they are not insurmountable problems. I want our party leadership to look inwards and find out the reason for the disgruntlement. I am happy with the sustained tour of local governments by the governor, Chief Willie Obiano which would give him first hand experience and feelings of party supporters.
As for our chances in next year’s, I believe they are bright election because I hope that before the election, we will put our house in order. I sincerely call on our party leadership to look into the issues that make people leave our party and not to treat their leaving with a wave of the hand. It is not healthy for the party because we believe in one large, big family. The challenges may be there, but we must conduct ourselves the way our great leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu directed us. If we don’t do that people will be asking: is it because Ojukwu is no longer there that these things are happening? It is not a good omen for the party. So, I call on the governor, the national chairman of the party and the entire leadership of the party to, for the sake of Ikemba and Ndi Igbo, not let this cock to stop crowing. If there are areas that need amendment, let us amend them. We should not adopt the posture of it doesn’t matter. If four people have left out of five, you call them. They are not dead people. If you ask they will tell you and then you will know whether they are right or wrong. Everything matters and a stitch in time saves nine.
There is the report that the incumbent governor and his predecessor are not on talking terms. Dot’s you think this will also affect party cohesion?
I don’t know about the insinuation that the former governor and the incumbent governor are not getting on well because I discussed with my principal, the former governor, and he told me he has no problems with the new governor. I am yet to see the new governor, but I believe that they don’t have any irreconcilable difference, if they do have at all. But as I said before, our party leadership should sit down and put their acts together because our lack of cohesion can definitely affect the way the party develops.
There is also the insinuation that the immediate past governor is backing you for the senatorial race, while the party leadership is backing the former deputy governor, Dr. Okey Udeh. What are you envisaging during the primaries?
Nobody is backing me, except the masses that have said go, speak and get our things for us. The slogan of our ‘Effective Representation Group’, ERG, is: ‘go, speak and get’ and that is what this ambition is all about. It is about speech, it is about delivery, understanding your terrain; it is not about money. So, at the end of the day, you get something for your people. You have gone there to represent them. It then means that you go and present their case and get a solution. It is not how wealthy one is, and if there is any of them that is better than me; so be it. Right now I don’t want to address the insinuation of who is backing who. I am not a money bag but my determination is coming from people’s love for me, my moral encouragement and personal zeal God has given to me.
From my knowledge of Anambra politics, virtually all the money men come from your senatorial zone, that is, Anambra South Senatorial District. How are you going to compete with these men?
I agree with you that a couple of very successful Ndi Anambra come from my zone. But I want to re-iterate that politics is not all about money. Nigerians must begin to appreciate quality of representation; they must begin to appreciate effective representation.
That is most important and I must tell you that people underrate the intelligence and political behaviour of the electorate. Money has stopped winning election in Anambra State a long time ago without people realizing it. I have seen so many money bags backing people and yet they lost elections. What is important is; who is the candidate, what does he have to
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