Chief Charles Ahize is the founder and leader of OBIGBO. The businessman is also a prominent Ibo leader and mobilizer in Lagos State. He has been fighting for the Ibos’ interest for years. He spoke to Ejiro Roman-Adigbo why Ibos should vote for APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode as governor of Lagos State.
What has been happening to Charles Ahize?
What has been happening to me so far is that the Lord has been strengthening me and also; ‘I sit down dey look for de politics of Nigeria’. Moreso, I am struggling to position my children.
In this political dispensation, we didn’t hear anything about OBIGBO, what exactly is happening?
My brother, Mechanic atimes would not allow us know a mad man from a normal person. So, in other not for me to be seen as one, and again pussy cat said he knows that the grass is sweet but he doesn’t want anyone to call him goat, that is why he doesn’t eat grass.
We want to know the party that you support
My brother, support is just a general word, I belong to candidate. I chose to belong to candidate because I have attained the position of statesman in Nigeria. As a statesman, you must see beyond political parties. Right now, every Nigerian who wants the peaceful existence and success of this country should see beyond political party. So, in this political dispensation, I belong to integrity, character and proven track record. These three are my political parties and from this election I believe that Nigerians voted for integrity, character and tested leader, and that defines my position.
Recently, you have been a regular visitor to the home of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What is your relationship with him?
Bola Tinubu is a political enigma, you know they say success is infectious. Honestly, the man has turn from a politician to a magician. So, what you saw there is admiration and an overwhelming conviction for a political magician. So, I went there to tap current and anointing. Because according to pigin English; ‘dis kind thing I neva see am before’.
As one of the Igbo leaders who are championing the course of the Ibo people, where exactly does the Ibos stand in Nigeria?
‘Ibos dey sleep inside bedroom’, we just woke up. If you eventually woke and see people running, you will have to join them by running probably when you run midway you can now ask what exactly is happening, that is actually what is happening right now to Ibo people.
So, where does the Ibos stand?
We are sleeping, but we woke up and saw that the country is moving forward. So, we want to follow the country and move forward.
Some people are doing political permutation that ideally the Ibos are supposed to produce the next Senate President, but from the look of things they do not even have any tangible senator that can go for the position, not even from PDP or APC. So, what are Ibo leaders doing to ensure that Ibos do not lose out completely?
Well, I don’t know if the senate presidency will be zoned to the South-East, if it is zoned to the South-East, an Ibo man can be senate president.
What do you want Buhari to do for Ibo people?
Ibo man has always been a survival. What Nigerians are clamouring from Buhari is to come and create a level playing ground for everybody. The government of my ethnic, my religious group. Anybody that comes to play it at the national leadership will fail woefully like the last man. So, what people now want is a united Nigeria; a Nigeria that is not based on ethnicity, Nigeria that is not based on religious belief, Nigeria that is not based on favouritism. But a Nigeria that will affect lives of the citizen, that is the only thing that can still put Nigeria through. But if you still want to do government of where I come from, me and my family, me and my religion. The same thing that happened in this election will still happen in 2019.
As a political tactician why do you think President Goodluck Jonathan lose?
He didn’t understand what presidency means, he didn’t understand what he had, he didn’t understand the seat he is sitting on. He thought it was a joke because he didn’t work for it. He didn’t campaign to be vice president, he didn’t have sleepless night, he didn’t buy form and at the convention they just took him and made him the vice president, from there unfortunately and fortunately the president died and he took over. Then in 2011, he cried to Nigerians that he is a child that never wore shoes so with that passion and pity, in addition to his background we felt that he will change the course of leadership in Nigeria. Everybody voted him in, he just went in there and tried to tell us that… his message then was just a political message, he was not passionate and Nigerians begin to doubt him.
Now, a lot of people have been commending him for accepting defeat honourably, what is your take on this?
What he did was the best he could have done. He does not have the ability do anything else.
Now that he has contested and lose the election, what advise do you have for him?
My advice for him is to tell his children/kinsmen and political allies that leadership is not a pot of porridge, leadership is not for me and my cronies, leadership is for you to take charge and be decisive, leadership is for you to create policies that will touch the lives of Nigerians. Leadership is not all about propaganda, leadership is not about when somebody coaxed you into propaganda and you think you can fool your followers.
What advice do you have for the incoming president, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari?
The advice I have for him is that he should please know that he won the primaries of APC on his account as a credible man, a man that is capable, a man that has good intentions, a man that is above corruption and nepotism, a man that will create level playing ground, a man that cannot fall for propaganda, a man that cannot be hijacked, a man that will not be inaccessible, a man that will open the door and makes sure Nigerians feel him and he feels Nigeria.
Millions of Ibos live in Lagos. Now the governorship election is coming up on April 11. So, between Akinwunmi Ambode and Jimi Agbaje who do you want the Ibos to support?
Come on… you don’t change a winning team now. Are you not enjoying Lagos and the governance in Lagos? Didn’t you see the Lekki link bridge, didn’t you see what the government of Lagos State is doing. We can’t leave the known for the unknown. There is no Ibo man in terms of governorship election that will leave Akinwunmi Ambode and vote for Jimi Agbaje because this is government of continuity, this is a government we know. I want you to know something, APC government from the day of AD, has listening ears to non-indigenes. Bola Tinubu’s government… infact the vice-president elect was the Attorney General of Bola Tinubu when Orji Kalu and I went to beg Tinubu over Trade Fair Complex that he should please make a concession to make Lagos State Government and Balogun market traders to settle out of court and Bola Tinubu obliged us without any condition. Again, Alaba market road was impassable, and I went to Bola Tinubu. I begged him as regards the road and he went and did the road. This is a government we know has character and vision for leadership.
What is your advice for Ibo people as we move into a new government?
My advice is that wherever you find yourself, whoever is your neighbour is your brother. I come from Orlu but I live in Lagos. Out of 365 days, I spend 340 days in Lagos and if I am ill or have emergency in the night when I shout, it is my next neighbour that will come to my rescue and my neighbour might not even be an Ibo man.
Can you give us a feel of being a grandfather?
I come to concur with people that say age is about number, by the grace of God I will be 56years by November and I don’t feel the numbers, in my mind I see when I was 19, 20years. Moreover, the most exciting thing is that when I see my grandson, he plays with me, my younger children and I feel that my name will soon enter into Guinness book of records.
Tells us about your daughter’s wedding and where is it happening?
It is happening in America, Florida on the 19th of June, 2015
What is your daughter’s name and the husband?
My daughter’s name is Onyekachi Vivian nee Ahize now Umeh. My son’s inlaw name is Phillip Umeh Junior, he is a barrister.