Our Weekend Pointer Guest, Comrade Nnamdi Okwufulueze Ofonye, is is an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain. He is aspiring to the chairmanship position of the party in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
He is a dominant figure on social media as many can attest to.
At present, he is the National President of Anioma Youth Forum Worldwide. He spoke extensively to Oye Chijioke on his aspiration to pilot the affairs of the APC in Aniocha North and sundry issues.
EXCERPTS …
Tell us more about yourself
I’m Comrade Nnamdi Okwufulueze Ofonye, from Ezi community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. I’m presently the National President of Anioma Youth Forum Worldwide (AYF-W). I’m cool headed, humble, a goal getter and I love challenges, I don’t like the easy route, I like fighting for what I believe in, a natural advocate for good governance and I have respect for humanity and loves God.
What spurred your aspiration for the party Chairmanship in your LGA?
Presently, I’m a member of the State Executive Committee and sometime last year, between July and August, I started getting calls from members of our dear party in Aniocha North, chairmen of wards and the party exco members coming together to say that I should contest for the party’s LGA chairmanship.
They said they want some fresh air, a turnaround and new things for the party, so I was nominated as the only person with the capacity to be the chairman of the party in the LGA. the people need fresh ideas and innovation, such that I can bring my experience to ber on the leadership of the party in the LGA, but then I turned it down because I had my own plans and I was focused on it. They remained persistent, they put calls across to me, after which, I gave it deeper thought, especially after burying my mother sometime ago.
So if your people call on you to render leadership, you cannot turn them down, that’s selfishness, so I decided to yield to their calls after consulting with my family, they blessed me and I realized that everybody in Aniocha North Local Government Area wants me to come and be chairman of the party.
What about factions in the local government area chapter?
This is one area that my campaign is built on. I am a liberal politician; I do not believe in factions in the party. I was in ACN that metamorphosed into APC, just few months after the party in Aniocha North, I contested for a councillorship position. So I found myself as the foundation member of the party and since then I have supported every chairman of the party, irrespective of who brought who. People might have their interests and are aggrieved, that does not mean factions even though they exist. I am one person that mingles with everybody, I am not an extremist in whatever I do, the only place I practice extremism is when it comes to achieving positive goals. I am also a team player, I navigate everywhere, I reach out to leaders, I work with them, I try to produce results for the party. I am already working on the factions, If you follow my consultations, you will see that I am leaving no stone unturned. I have been able to access everybody, including old APC members and the new members who defected from PDP. Therefore, I do not believe in factions; we are all one people, when we emerge, the local government will have the biggest party structure in the state.
How do you intend to sustain the APC structure in the local government area?
One thing that makes a political party not interesting is when people are disenchanted because in leadership of the party, when you do not respect people’s desires, aspirations, when the chairman becomes overly superior, that’s when crisis emerge, but under my leadership, party functionaries will be extremely happy. There would be 100 percent inclusiveness, I have plans to organize workshops and seminars to train and retrain members and all the exco members to make them see reasons to be dedicated and committed, there will also be accountability, both our assets and liabilities will be in the public domain, whatever that comes to the party will be publicly known. They will know that this is our party, leaders and followers will be happy. We will entrench trust within the party; lack of trust entails suspicions here and there, kills political parties, but I will bring discipline to the party, I will not be scared to say the truth, everybody will be treated equally, if you are a leader, you must be ready to lead, if you are a follower, you must be ready to follow happily and we will collectively produce the highest votes ever.
What do you have for the women?
If you check my campaign team, each time I go out, you will see women, youths all around me. Everybody’s place must be respected; the women, men, elders, youths will have their place, so as to avoid crisis. I have gathered experience from my leadership of Anioma Youths, I will do better in APC.
How will you assess Emma Chinye’s administration in Aniocha North?
Our local government area chairman has done so well. He has shown that the council administration can offer the people something, at least there are projects executed by Hon. Emma Chinye both in infrastructure and human capital development. He has also demonstrated capacity. Therefore, he is doing well.
What of our dear Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, any comment?
Our Governor is doing wonderfully well; he has breathed more life into APC in Delta State and at the national level.
The MORE Agenda is working and we appreciate him for joining the APC. With his achievements that are visible in all parts of the state, his second tenure is assured because Deltans are happy. I urge all Deltans to support him so that he can achieve more for the state.
Your take on the ongoing voters’ registration
My message is simple. People should take the voters’ registration exercise seriously, the era of voter apathy is gone, everybody is interested in our elections now and if you believe that the system is working for you, the only way to sustain power is to have your voter’s card, power change is by voting, not lamenting, so, I am calling on the people to register and get their PVCs ready, it is their civic responsibility.
What is your advice to APC members in Aniocha North?
The party faithful should stay focused, remain loyal to the party. I have never changed party. I urged the people to remain loyal, better days are ahead. Anioma people are respected people, everybody must know their roles and I will treat each equally, nobody will be imposed on anybody, the will of the people will stand.
There are other contenders, do you feel threatened?
Not at all. I do not feel threatened, I enjoy massive goodwill in Aniocha North Local Government Area as far as the congress is concerned, I am not threatened, even my opponents know that I am the man they need, I have always said, that if we must get it right in 2027 elections, the leaders will have to put aside every sentiments and settle for the best among equals, the first among equals should be allowed, even in the class, 70 to 100 is A category, so students who scored ‘A’ are equals but the teachers know the best among all, I have massive support and I have been there from the beginning and have no bad records.
Are you comfortable with election by delegates or entire party members?
When it comes to the party’s congress, it is election by delegates, it is only the ward election that all card carrying members participate but local government election is by delegates. I am very much comfortable with that because the delegates are from the area and leaders agreed on it, so the target is to get a credible leader that would enhance our chances, so that we can get all the votes during elections, when a young mind comes in, things will change, I should be able to present their yearnings to the government.
