A former Presidential candidate on the platform of the National Conscience Party, NCP, Martin Onovo has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fair and transparent election in 2027. He also charged the government to allow the electoral body do its job without undue interference.

In an interview with Sunday Sun, Onovo accused the All progressives Congress (APC) of causing insecurity in Nigeria. He also asserted that the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket would defeat President Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in next year’s presidential election. Onovo also pooh-poohed the idea of state police, saying its establishment would worsen the already dire security situation in the country.

What is your assessment of efforts being made by the Federal Government to tackle insecurity?

The Federal government is an APC government. It is clearly known that the APC is the direct sponsor of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria. It is naïve for any citizen to expect the APC to fight their own terrorists. There is no real effort to tackle insecurity. The so called efforts to tackle insecurity are artificial and deceitful. The terrorists were imported by the APC we know that from the confession of Alhaji Kawu Baraje. He is one of the most strategic founding leaders of APC. We know that the regime knows the terrorists from the public positions of Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (rtd) of then Defence Intelligence Services. We know that the Chief of Defence Staff on behalf of his Commander in Chief called the terrorists his brothers. We know that the terrorists are armed by government officials. We know that they are funded by government through welfare and ransom payments. A Dubai court judgment linked the terrorists to people high up in the APC government. So, the APC is the direct sponsor of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria. The APC will not fight the terrorists because the same APC is the direct sponsor of the terrorists. APC brought terrorists and kidnappers including bandits into Nigeria because they were desperate to win the 2015 general elections. APC brought Nigeria into this insecurity mess.

State police has been adopted as part of efforts being made by the Federal Government to tackle insecurity. What is your reaction to that?

The State Police idea is a bad idea at this time. The adoption of State Police is part of the artificial and deceitful schemes of the APC government to try to cover their sponsorship of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria. There are State Police commands in every state in Nigeria. If they lack men, we can recruit more men. If they are poorly trained, we can retrain them. If they are poorly equipped, we can equip them adequately. If they are poorly motivated, we can motivate them properly. The idea of a State Police is a very bad idea at this time for many reasons; it is clearly a wasteful duplication of police services. The fear of abuse especially for the persecution of political opponents is clearly valid. The killing of an NBA branch chairman in Anambra State some years ago was by a state policing organisation. The likelihood of conflicts with federal security agencies is very high especially with the current ethical ambience in Nigeria. The threat to members of the public by a poorly disciplined state police organisation is very high. The danger of retaliation against members of the public if state governments owe the men is very high. State Police will introduce additional 37 different policing standards in the 36 States and the FCT. Travelling in Nigeria will require compliance with the different policing standards in all the different states. The leading ethical security experts in Nigeria have opposed the idea.

Also, it is illogical to expect that a poorly funded, less trained, less equipped and less experienced State Police can perform better than the better funded, better trained, better equipped and more experienced Nigeria Police Force.

Some Nigerians have expressed concerns that some state governors may turn state police into instruments of oppression against their political opponents. Do you also harbour such a fear?

That is very correct. We have seen the Benue State government use thugs to obstruct the movement of Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the NDC. We can infer that if they had a state police, they would use the state police to claim that Mr. Peter Obi had no police permit. We cannot trust intolerant, insecure, failed, corrupt and tyrannical governors with State Police. I restate that, the killing of an NBA branch chairman in Anambra State some years ago, was by a state policing organisation. I say No to state police.

What is your candid assessment of the economic policies of the Federal Government?

Tinubu’s government has no economic policies. What they have are deliberately destructive and extortion policies. The destruction is catastrophic. Our GDP was mismanaged from the highest in Africa to the fourth. GDP per capita crashed to the sixth poorest in the world. Over eight million more Nigerians were pushed into multi-dimensional poverty. Unemployment is unprecedented under this administration. Inflation is unprecedented. Poverty is unprecedented. Tinubu”s government is clearly the worst regime in Nigerian history.

G-100 , a gathering of some politicians acrossthe country have been meeting to present one presidential candidate to challenge President Tinubu in 2027. What is your take on that?

It Is a good idea but they could pursue it more strategically.They should devise strategies that will be effective and workable. Tinubu is not invincible. The fact that he is a sitting President does not mean that he can”t be defeated. Members of the group should forge ahead with their plans. They should also sensitise Nigerians especially those who are going to vote on the urgent need to remove this government and APC from our national life via the ballot box. Defeating an Incumbent is doable. Was former President Goodluck Jonathan not defeated as a sitting President? Defeating an incumbent President is not a big deal. But my fear is this, will these people allow a free and fair election? As we are preparing for the 2027 general elections, Nigerians should be vigilant. INEC should be allowed to conduct a credible, free and fair elections.

How would you rate the chances of the former Vice President,Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the former governor of Anambra state Mr Peter Obi against President Tinubu?

The Obi-Kwakwanso team is miles ahead of the Atiku and Tinubu teams. Atiku is very old and Tinubu is even older and does not look fit like somebody that can withstand the rigours and the demands that comes with holding the crucial office of the presidency. Tinubu is the worst of all the 18 presidential candidates for the 2027 elections. He is the oldest, most sickly and he is the least educated. Also, he has the largest corruption baggage of all the candidates. He is not even qualified to participate and there are cases in court to get him disqualified.

The South-East, South-South and Middle-Belt are overwhelmingly for Obi-Kwakwanso. That is three of six regions. In the Northwest, Kwakwanso is the biggest politician currently in the game. That is a fourth region dominated by the Obi-Kwakwanso team. Atiku and Shettima and Makinde will contend strongly in the North-East. Jagaban Tinubu, Makinde and Obi will contend strongly in the South-West. So, The Obi-Kwakwanso team is many miles ahead. It is surely a winning ticket.

Some Nigerians have accused Mr. Peter Obi of betraying the people of the South-East geopolitical zone by agreeing to serve only one term if elected president. What is your reaction to that?

The agreement to serve one term is very right. We must all respect the rotational principle. By 2031, it would be the turn of the North to produce the next President. Obi is being honourable by agreeing to serve only one term. He is showing respect for the Rotation agreement between the North, and the South to alternate the Presidency. In that way, we can unite the country and make progress. It is the turn of the North in 2031.

On Nnamdi Kanu’s case, some Nigerians have canvassed political solutions while others are saying the case should run its course. What is your take?

The Court of Appeal previously discharged Nnamdi Kanu. There was no reason to continue his detention and trial. Nnamdi Kanu is being persecuted for his refusal to support the ruling party.

What is your reaction to the endorsement of President Tinubu by the Charismatic Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, led by Leonard Kawas?

What is Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria? Another set of fake bishops? Were they ordained? Who ordained them? Did they ordain themselves or did the Minister of Information, Alhaji Muhammed Idris ordain them? The Leonard Kawas that is leading them is a questionable character. He introduced himself as a “Government official” on his Facebook account. He presented himself falsely to the public as an FCT senatorial candidate in 2019 for a non-existent party, FJP. On another Facebook account, he introduced himself as, “President- International Communion Of Charismatic Archbioshops, Bishops & Apostles INC (ICCABA)”. These are the characters that have fouled the Nigerian public space with falsehoods and filthy noise. The mass media should not have space for such clowns. It is clear that they are another set of fake bishops including some very ugly women “bishops”. Even their costumes are irregular and dangling. The mass media must stop tolerating falsehoods and fraud. That is surely against the ethics of journalism. Facts are sacred and freedom of the press is the freedom to project the truth. It is the Jagaban Tinubu regime that is promoting fake items and positions in the country from fake certificates to fake election results to fake reports to fake agencies to fake bishops.

The bishop claimed that their endorsement was a result of divine revelation, what is your take on that?

That claim is clearly blasphemous. The second Commandment is, “Thou shall not use the name of the Lord thy God in vain”. I am sorry for them, if they do not repent.

What are your fears about the 2027 general elections?

There is nothing to fear if INEC is allowed to do its job. Politicians should play the game according to the rules. Nigerians must be vigilant to protect their votes. Every vote must count. Any attempt to rig or manipulate the polls must be resisted. (The Sun)