Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa was a presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the build up to the 2023 general elections. In this interview, the former President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN and Convener, the New Nigeria Group (NNG), shares his thoughts on next year’s elections; chances of the opposition if their members work together; and the NNG’s resolve to support credible candidates come 2027.

The political cloud is gathering and realignments are ongoing. Are you running in 2027?

With an apology to anybody who may be offended by my pattern, because I live my life based on how God directs me. It may not be the same with everybody. Since after the primaries in 2022 when I lost, I have been under pressure to change camp even when there was no law to that effect — at a time when one can move from one party to another. I asked God if I should leave and He said don’t leave. While the crisis in the PDP tarried; I have also been praying and asking God if I should leave, but there’s no motivation to leave. Some of my friends in the PDP have left. Some have gone to APC; some have gone to ADC and others are in the SDP. And so even when PDP looked like it had no future, I was still not persuaded to leave. I am still in PDP, and perhaps to see what God would do. Will I run in 2027? That decision will be taken at the appropriate time when that opportunity is open; for now, we just rounded-off congresses to elect party leadership. When we get to the point where openings are thrown up for those who intend to run for different political offices, I would hope to hear from the same voice that spoke to me the last time either to run or not to run. What’s important as I said earlier is not me running; I’m not a mainline politician. You could call people like us technocrats in politics. I came into politics because I felt that things were not going the right way and after I have done a lot of advocacies using different platforms such as the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, etc, I felt I should step in. Now if God does not give me that opportunity, but gives such to other people who have similar vision as mine, then I’m good.

Could you share with Nigerians how you also became the Convener of the New Nigeria Group?

Actually, God has given me a vision which I now call the New Nigeria Group. That vision was given to me in 2009 when I wrote a book titled, “Nigeria at 50: Time for the Evolution of a New Nation.” I shared my thoughts on how Nigeria can be governed to be the kind of country we are all looking for in that book. I liberally gave the book out. I remember giving out three copies to former President Jonathan. I took the first copy to his office, I gave him the second copy when he came to Lagos for an event; and at another event, I gave him the third copy and he looked at it and said Mazi, you gave me this book before. And I said if I see you act towards what I wrote in this book I would know you have read it and he laughed. But in 2019, I had a revelation that what I wrote in that book should not just be for other people, that I should also be part of the system to see it realized. We started talking about the New Nigeria Group in 2019 before it started getting popular among Nigerians.

So, what’s it all about? Briefly tell us what the NNG represents and what it’s up to as the 2027 general elections draw nearer.

First, we said we want to create a nation that would be a developed nation, preferably a first world nation. Secondly, we said we want to create a nation that will work for all — it will work for the Northerner, it will work for the Westerner, it will work for the Southerner. It will work for Christians, it will work for Moslems, it will work for atheists, it will work for boys, it will work for girls, it will work for men and it will work for women, it will work for the poor and it will work for the rich, the abled and the disabled. Those are the two main components of the vision — a productively developed nation. We have been regarded as a third world country since I was born and up till now, we are still regarded as a third world country. And I have been asking myself when are we going to get to the second or even the first world country position. My vision of a New Nigeria is aimed at creating a first world nation; and to become a first world nation it must be a productively-driven nation. GDP must grow, per capita income must grow, education must grow and all the factors of production must grow phenomenally. The second is to promote strong unity in Nigeria – make it a country that everyone would love to belong, a country that people would love to die for. Now who wants to die for this country? Nobody — even soldiers are running away because the nation doesn’t care for them. So, we need a nation that cares for the people, so that in turn we will expect the people to show allegiance to the nation. We need a country where we will be treated fairly irrespective of your religion, tribe, education, creed, age, colour, etc – a country that caters for you from birth, till when you enter school, graduate, get work, through your career, through your retirement and unto death. A country where you have a fair and equitable representation and distribution in all that the government does. This is the New Nigeria we talking about. After my primaries in 2022, we continued. Our desire was to look at the people running and their different manifestos to see those who had the same vision and we aligned with them. As we go back to 2027, the New Nigeria Group is coming back; the tenets are going to be reframed and properly relaunched. Remember the NNG is nonpartisan and it’s made up of politically-minded people. We are a conglomerate of people from different political persuasions. However, when we decide to support a group, we will do that irrespective of our party affiliations because our loyalty is first to Nigerians before party and any other considerations. So, NNG is going to kickstart its activities in May — a kind of gathering you might call a regrouping of the eagles. The eagles are going to regroup. And at that time, we will probably begin to see what the political parties are putting on, who and who have emerged as candidates, and then we can also participate in the critical work of voter education. And we must ask the right questions to the candidates. We will look at their pedigree, where they are coming from, what they have done. This will give an indication as what they can be able to do in future. These and more are what we are going to spend our energy on to support the political system in 2027.

At the People’s Democratic Party National Convention recently, the likes of Governors Seyi Makinde; Bala Muhammed and a former governor of Abia State, T.A. Orji were not seen. Are they still part of the PDP?

At least when people have announced their defection from the party; the assumption is that they are still members of the PDP. At the Convention, I saw many party members I had not seen for a while and I wouldn’t know what their take is on the party dispute. I saw Markafi, I saw Sule Lamido and I saw Dankwanbo, I saw Saraki and former ministers and members of the National Assembly. I didn’t know where they stand. But I believe those that didn’t come for that Convention might be waiting for what might be the final resolution since the other division leadership of the party went to the Supreme Court. They could be waiting. For me, it’s important the Court gives its final decision so that everybody will know that there’s no other place to go. Contestation has a result, today the Appeal has given it verdict and has recognized a functional leadership in the party and we believe in the rule of law. And today that leadership is the one that’s thriving and held the Convention.

With PDP’s Congresses and National Convention over, would you say the party now has leadership?

The affliction of the PDP is that we have not really had a leader since we lost election in 2015. I’m just realizing it. Nobody rallied people around; and nobody with the moral, organizational and financial capacity to weld people together. That was a major issue for the party and that was what brought us to where we are. Well, anybody can say anything about Minister Nyesom Wike; he has shown leadership. That the Convention successfully held, is as a result of leadership on his part.

From what’s happening within the opposition, don’t you think it would be an easy ride for President Tinubu and the APC in next year’s election?

To be sincere, if we begin to look at it in the eyes of man, I mean in a normal situation, you may begin to think that way. This is because the man who is president today came from outside and became president even when he had opposition from within and outside his party. Now he has dug in. All the things that can promote elections are in his hands. And what’s more? Governors of states– about 32 of them, that can influence political outcomes have aggregated. So, on the surface or straight-line review, you would think he’s unassailable. But unfortunately, politics is not a mathematical certainty where you say one plus one gives you two. In politics, that doesn’t necessarily happen, one plus one might give you minus one or plus three. There are so many factors that come to play and this is because of our political dynamism. One, two or three weeks or months can make a difference. The truth is, if the opposition can galvanize itself and assiduously work for and, not against itself, it can give the president a run for his money. It won’t be a walkover for the President. (The Sun)