 | Rev. Chris Okotie, set man of The Household of God, Oregun Lagos, is a presidential aspirant under the platform of the newly registered Fresh Democratic Party. He speaks on why he is going for the presidency, INEC and elections, FDP's plan for national reach, Niger-Delta, power shift and other issues. |
Recently Gov. Abdullahi Kure of Niger State was quoted as saying
South-South has no serious presidential material. As a presidential aspirant from that zone, what is your reaction to this? I think he has modified that statement and I am holding him there. He has come out to clearly state that he was not well represented in the things he said. He had modified that and we respect his Excellency and to that extent we want to allow sleeping dogs to lie.
Now you talk of generational shift, are you saying the older generation has failed the nation and has nothing more to contribute to the country's development? Absolutely, unequivocally, we have said that very clearly, without any shadow of ambiguity they have done what they can do. Our president is a good man, he has given his best to this nation and his problem has been his political party and that is why I believe that nobody should come out of the PDP to say they have anything to do because president Obasanjo as strong and dogged as he is had to fight his party throughout his tenure. I don't see anybody else, nobody can take that kind of responsibility because President Obasanjo is a very unique man.
Many people wonder why you choose to go for the presidency straight especially when you don't have previous political experience, they ask why you don't start either as a senator or governor first before going that high?Well, that is my calling. I have often said that it is a divine mandate. And number two, I believe I have the capacity to do it. There are a lot of them who are governors, who have been governors for almost eight years who have never been in the corridors of power, nobody said anything about that. Looking at them now you will find out that it wasn't because they did not have the opportunities to do great things to their nation or to their people but because they lack the necessary compassion. And Okotie is a compassionate person, a servant of God. He is capable intellectually and these are the credentials that Nigerians need for a president.
How would you react to the fears in some quarters that you don't have the necessary political experience to pilot the ship of the nation as the president? I do not think that those who are saying so understand there has been no political history, democratically speaking. Most of the people we are talking about have been soldiers and the military interregnum is nothing to compare to a democratic dispensation.
So there is really nobody you can say have that experience. Vice President Atiku Abubakar has never been in government in a democratic setting, but he went straight from whatever job he was doing to become the vice-president. So, I am saying that when they make such statements, it doesn't have enough empirical information to substantiate their position.
 | "...Vice President Atiku Abubakar has never been in government in a democratic setting, but he went straight from whatever job he was doing to become the
vice-president. So, .. when they make such statements, it doesn't have enough empirical information to substantiate their position..." |
What would you say are the problems of the older generation of politicians, why do they seem to be getting it wrong all the time? The truth is that we need a new generation of politicians. I believe that the present generation of politicians is jaundiced, prejudiced and incapacitated by too many social aberrations that have become their impediments.
If you look at the word of God, you find that when God wants to make a change, it is always tied to a new generation and that is exactly what Nigeria needs now, another generation. A generation that will understand that Nigeria has become a pariah nation and that our destiny is tied to the destiny of our nation and will be thinking of Nigeria as an entity, not themselves. I believe that is what Rev. Okotie epitomizes and that is why I believe come 2007, Okotie is the viable alternative.
PDP is just talking of reconciliation after the demise of the third term project, do you see any sincerity in this gesture? Well, they are a political party, they must always go back to reappraise their position as a tactical withdrawal or retreat to reassess what damage had been done. I think they are doing damage control.
But the truth of the matter is that Nigerians have rejected PDP and no matter what shenanigans they have up their sleeve, they would fail again.
Their best bet is to capitulate to the Nigerian People; join forces with any progressive young man of another generation that can bring change and forget party biases. Because what we are looking for today is beyond party affiliations. We are looking for a man that would represent the Nigerian people, who would take Nigerians forward and that is where Rev. Okotie comes in.
There was a time when different youth groups across the country placed adverts of solidarity with your quest in some national papers, are you still in contact with these different groups and where do they fit in now? They are still there, they are aware of the realities that confront them. Today it is that group that is endangered and if they don't fight for their destiny or take their destiny in their own hands nobody is coming to do it for them. That is why they support Rev. Okotie because they know that I represent truth. I represent a pan-Nigerian philosophy for the good of the people, I represent their yearnings and aspirations, and I represent integrity and hope for the future. That is why they are aligning themselves with me and when the time comes, every man would do what they have to do to make sure that truth is realized.
 | "...Our party at the moment is setting up offices all across the nation. And we believe in the concept of Nigeria as one indivisible people under God. To that extent whether we are in the North or in the South, we see ourselves as Nigerians who are presently in different 'parts of the country." |
What are the plans of your party for national reach? Our party at the moment is setting up offices all across the nation. And we believe in the concept of Nigeria as one indivisible people under God. To that extent whether we are in the North or in the South, we see ourselves as Nigerians who are presently in different 'parts of the country. We are not Northerners, Southerners, Easterners or what have you, we are Nigerians who live in these places.
So we have people in those areas who believe in the same philosophy and will become promoters of the party in their own local environment and operating at these different points is going to cause the spread of our party, be it West, North, East and South.
What is your relationship with the Press like, especially as per your political ambition? The relationship is more cordial and there is a greater understanding now than it was in 2003. Because in 2003 they were still dealing with the subject of novelty, trying to grapple with the novel idea of a minister standing on the political rostrum.
But they have become more conversant with that now. Now they are looking beyond provincialism and looking at the worth of the candidate. And they have come to see intellectual capacity, compassion, spiritual understanding. So, we have a more cordial mutual respect for each other.
If you become the president of this country in 2007, how would you tackle the problem of the Niger-Delta, especially as you are from that region? It is very simple, very, very simple. There are traitors within the system who are perpetrating the present predicament of the Niger-Delta people because it suits them.
All we need to do is to identify them and jettison them from that environment, then we will incorporate, integrate these militant youths into the process of re-building that region.
Once they become a part of re-building that region, it will help them to appreciate the role that they must play. For the time being they are not a part of that. They have middle men and all types of intermediaries that are being used who are further exploiting the people. We will remove all of those encumbrances and ensure that we deal directly with the people in that region and stop appointing organizations that are meant to oversee those projects. I believe that every solution or any solution that involves the young people there themselves will bring better understanding and progress in that region.
What is your take on power shift or rotation?I believe very firmly that power should remain in the South, particularly in the South-South. I believe that power must devolve beyond the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I believe that the PDP at this time must capitulate to the Nigerian people on their failure to establish a government that ought to have enhanced the well-being of the Nigerian people, they failed.
And if they want to show us that they care for Nigeria they must now look beyond party lines and identify a man of another generation who would take Nigeria to the next level. And once you do that, the best name that come to you is Rev. Okotie.
"If you look at the word of God, you find that when God wants to make a change, it is always tied to a new generation and that is exactly what Nigeria needs now, another generation. A generation that will understand that ... our destiny is tied to the destiny of our nation and will be thinking of Nigeria as an entity, not themselves..." |  |
When are you hitting the campaign trail? We have started, we have. But maybe you are talking about holding rallies and all that, we have a programme and we will follow that programme. Before 2007, Fresh Democratic Party will be everywhere in the country.
INEC has come out with the time schedule for 2007 leaving little time for electoral litigations, are you comfortable with that time-table? Well, it is not the best, but it can be managed. In the sense that there are still cases arising from the 2003 elections that are still pending in the courts today. So where is the time limit.
My confidence is in Professor Maurice Iwu because I have had interactions with him. I believe he is a good man, he has the intellectual capacity and the right attitude. And that is what is important in who heads an organization, and to that extent we have to give trust. I believe that the Nigerian people have a greater responsibility than the INEC. If the Nigerian people would stand up for what they believe in and for the people that they vote for, there is nothing INEC can do to nullify their will.
So I believe that the INEC we have in place today can do the job and it is better for us to give them the support that will get the necessary things done.
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