Get your PVC ready.

“The right to vote is the basic right without which all other rights are meaningless and baseless. It gives people, people as individuals control over their own destinies”. ~ Lyndon B. Johnson (Former President of the United States). 

The drum rolls for the 2023 elections, everyone is all charged up and ready for the elections; both those contesting for offices and the electorates willing to exercise their franchise.

So far, only nine persons have openly indicated interest and publicly declared their intentions to contest for the highest seat in the land. More people are definitely going to raise their hands to show interest in the presidential bid subsequently but as of today, we have only nine contestants who have held press conferences declaring their interests to grab the presidential seat.

Some of the aspirants claimed that becoming the president of Nigeria is their destinies and their life time dreams which they must fulfill while some took it to the spiritual and faith dimension; claiming that it has been prophesied that they are the ones that have been anointed by God himself to take the Nation to the promise land and it must come to pass as it has been prophesied just like in the days of Elijah. 

The people that have made their presidential intentions known to the public are: Bola Tinubu; the former Governor of Lagos state and All progressive Congress National leader, Anyim Pius Anyim; the former Secretary General of the federation, Dave Umahi; the incumbent governor of Ebonyi state, Yaya Bello; the current governor of Kogi state, Dele Momudu; the Chairman of the Ovation media, Kingsley Moghalu; Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yul Edochie; the Nollywood actor, Orji Uzor Kalu; former Governor of Abia state and Khadijah Okunnu- Lamidi; Media Entrepreneur.

Political analysts and spectators are speculating that the numbers of those interested in the presidential seat will increase in the coming days. There are speculations that the former president, Goodluck Jonathan is also interested to get back to power and also the incumbent Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo May also be “under pressure” to join the ring for the Aso rock king’s seat, also the former Vice President and a regular in the presidential election contest, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will definitely be interested this time again but he’s yet to make his intentions public. 

Citizens of Nigeria should know that it all boils down to them, the electorates who are willing to exercise their right to vote, they are the deciders of who gets on to power come 2023 and this is the reason why every citizen who is eligible to vote and have the interest of the nation at heart should get his or her permanent voters card (pvc) ready and make sure he or she exercises his fundamental human right to vote as provided in s.40 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Before the All Progressives Congress (APC) of Nigeria would be drenched in the foreseen downpour, I thought it wise as a concerned onlooker and citizen to set the record straight for the ruling party.

I was not unhappy when the APC graciously emerged in 2013. The said mood was not unconnected with the notion that its existence in Nigeria’s political terrain would tremendously help to usher in a wholesome opposition, thereby balancing the pedestal on which the country’s polity stands.

The above candid belief was actually what angered my temperament when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – then led by Prof. Attahiru Jega – was ostensibly denying the APC the right to officially register as a political party, citing incoherent merging. The unfortunate response of the electoral umpire, which resulted in a delayed registration, seriously instigated my venom.

Anyone who was keenly observing my reaction as at then might insinuate I was one of the individuals that collapsed into the merger party. But my reaction, on the contrary, was solely as a result of my long nurtured quest to witness a Nigeria where the opposition would be reliable, viable, indefatigable and formidable.

Consequently, the APC’s proposed registration eventually received a nod from the INEC. After its registration, it was obviously seen by all concerned that, truly, the long-awaited rival to the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had surfaced to the delight of patriotic Nigerians.

Owing to its unparalleled popularity coupled with overwhelming change mantra, the APC conspicuously ousted the PDP from Nigeria’s seat of power via keenly contested polls.

Though since the APC came on board as a ruling party, there has been a series of ups and downs towards ushering in the exact governance it promised the electorate prior to its emergence, the people had apparently chosen to remain patient and optimistic pending when their overall desire would be duly attended to.

The APC had thus far refused to be marred by the unending criticisms and condemnations from the opposition occasioned by perceived bad governance. It is, however, shocking to note that internal politics is a factor that’s likely to mar the ruling party.

Within the past few weeks, the members of the APC in various quarters have publicly showcased that if apt measure isn’t taken, the party might soon be headed for extinction. Emergence of this eyesore smacks of danger for not just the party but anyone who genuinely means well for the Nigerian State.

The downpour foreseen with the aid of my panoramic view, which is liable to set in due to the apparent lack of internal democracy that recently ensued in the APC, may end up consuming the party if its leadership refused to put its acts together for the overall good of the organization.

It seriously beats my psyche when I see or hear the party’s leaders, who are supposed to be concerned about the way forward, indulge themselves in self-deceit.

It’s quite appalling when one realizes that one at the helm of affairs isn’t worried about the misdoings in his territory. It’s indeed a shame to see a group of persons, who were entrusted with certain responsibilities, participate in frivolities.

It’s mind-boggling to observe that when we are required to tell ourselves that all isn’t well, we’re rather busy communicating to the world that nothing actually went wrong.

The last ward, LG and state congresses of the APC were reportedly characterized by irregularities. Afterwards, some of the stalwarts in the party, who were meant to be deeply troubled by the anomaly, were instead seen in different quarters telling the press that the party members had proven to be united, hence ready to retain power at the last general elections held in 2019.

Now, the APC is preparing for yet another national convention despite having experienced various degrees of irregularities in its congresses at the Ward, LG and state levels. A lot has since been said by the party members and concerned observers regarding the awaited convention.

It’s pertinent that, if the needful isn’t done prior to the convention, the national gathering might mark the beginning of the end of the APC. It’s noteworthy that, politically speaking, all isn’t well with the ruling APC as a political party.

It’s not anymore news that the APC already has different factions among the party members. For the anomaly to be critically resolved, the party leadership must be willing to address the issues rather than attacking the personalities that make up the party membership.

Notwithstanding, the party still has chances of putting its house in order. Before it is drenched in the avoidable downpour, I must seize this medium to notify its leaders at various levels that self-deceit has killed millions of individuals than diseases and accidents did, hence the compelling need to squarely face the reality headlong.

As the APC witnesses her elective national convention soonest, it’s therefore inconsequential to reiterate that if the needful isn’t done before the outing, it will still be an exercise in futility.

It would have been splendid and acceptable to ensure that the numerous injuries incurred during the congresses are addressed prior to the conduct of the awaited convention. It would be preposterous to hold a convention while some states are currently recognizing a parallel executive council in various levels.

For the APC to regain its strength, political wise, it’s harmful for its various members to come up with ideas that are in furtherance of their personal interests rather than that of the party. 

Mr Obinna Iyegbu, alias Obi Cubana, the Chairman, Cubana group is again in the web of the Nigerian law enforcement agency. He was again invited by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and questioned for hours for his name in the mouths of those accused and convicted of drug related offenses; they claimed he’s their boss and that the entertainment boss is also a drug kingpin they work for.

It all started right after his mother’s funeral which took place in the month of July 2021. The gist of the funeral trended across the world, it was the talk of the town. The media tagged the funeral  “the money funeral party”. Money rained from the sky, affluence was in full display and was rubbed on peoples faces, monies were literally kicked like football, stepped on as carpet, used as firewood to light fire to keep guests warm. It was insane.

Who is who in the Nigerian entertainment industry graced the occasion. Private jets were rolling over each other at the Asaba international airport tarmac. The airport was so congested with private jets that some jets had no space to land and they had to float around the airpeace for hours. It was a red show of affluence.

This funeral was what really exposed Mr Obi Cubana to the public eyes and made everyone start paying attention to him including the government and law enforcement agencies. His social media followership skyrocketed from few thousands of followers to millions of followers in days and to crown it all, he won the 2021 man of the year award defeating big wigs like Seyi Makinde; the Governor of Oyo state, Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of UBA, Alhaji Abdul Rabiu, the Chairman of BUA group etc to win the award.

After the funeral, people started questioning his source of wealth; at first, he was linked to the Hushpuppi fraud syndicate due to his friendship with DCP Abba Kyari, the suspended super cop who was also linked to having gotten fraud money from Hushpuppi.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Crimes Commission (EFCC) first opened an investigation on him. They invited him and detained him for 3 days in the month of November, 2021 for the offence of money laundering, tax evasion and other related financial crimes.

While he is yet to clear his name in the coven of the EFCC, he was again invited and quizzed by the NDLEA on Thursdays, 13th January, 2022 for him been named as a drug kingpin and his bank accounts receiving money inflows  and wire transfers from those accused and convicted for drug related offences in Malaysia, India and Nigeria.

Some people have accused the 46 years old award winning hospitality mogul of ill gotten wealth and asked him to share the truth about the real source of his wealth that there’s more to it than meets the eye.