How Can An Individual Collapse A Registered Political Party and Move it to Another Political Party, Where is The Electoral Authority in Nigeria? -Zik Gbemre
By Ovie Edomi
Zik Gbemre is a courageous critic, patriot, nationalist and property manager that enjoys a long standing reputation for using his vast knowledge to advocate for good governance and public morality. As such, he continuously caution leaders to learn from history and promote reforms or policies that will regenerate the country and at least for people to live a normal life.
In this interview he bares his mind on Delta politics and burning national issues such as how 60% of Delta state money will be spent to fund the 2027 presidential election among others. Excerpt.
You said in one of your recent statements that the Governor of Delta state, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori has neither resigned yet from PDP, nor has he picked the APC membership form from his ward. Do you still maintain that position?
Yes l still stand by that statement. As far as l am concerned, he has not resigned from the PDP. You can not be a member of a political party by mere open declaration. Oborevwori votes in Osubi while Okowa votes in Owa. Have you seen them gone to their wards to pick the APC membership form or formally resigned their membership of PDP at the ward level?
Do you think that as we approach 2027,the Governor of Delta state can win the APC governorship ticket considering the fact that Delta state APC before now is under the control of DSP Ovie Omo-Agege and Festus Keyamo?
I pity Ovie Omo-Agege, former Deputy Senate President because he actually built the APC to win election in 2019 and 2023 but I see that the party is about to be hijacked from him. But more disturbing is the fact that people are already endorsing President Tinubu in 2025 for an election that will hold over two years from now. In Delta state the APC and PDP have endorsed Tinubu. In Anambra state, APGA has endorsed President Tinubu. Again how can an individual collapse a political party and move it to another political party and the electoral authority of the Country is not saying anything. Anyway, I can not say what will happen in the APC 2027 Governorship.
In Lagos State, former Governor Akinwumi Ambode was denied a second tenure despite his perceived good performance. Do you see that happening in Delta state?
Have you not seen that despite the fact that Delta state has so many Professors, PhD holders and Lawyers nobody is talking except me? So what do you expect to happen in Delta state come 2027. One thing that can not happen is that what happened in Lagos to former Governor Ambode. It can not happen in Delta state
You once said that Governor Oborevwori is under pressure to open Delta vaults for PDP share the money to APC share the money. Do you still hold this view?
Yes. Do you know that former Vice President Atiku in 2023 chose Okowa because of Delta state money? 2027 elections are coming again, 60 per cent of Delta state money will be used to fund the presidential election because Delta state is the highest producer of oil in Nigeria.
Despite your sound views on different issues the leadership seemed not bothered by your views and criticism? What does that portend?
(Laughs). It shows that we have wicked leaders and it demonstrates that we are still highly under developed. But ask yourself, in the next 100 years how many of us alive today will still be on this earth? If they like let them listen. Where is Okotie Eboh today despite his great works? Where are the great Olorogun Michael Ibru, Dr Clarkson Majomi, Chief Salubi, Chief Bolokor, Chief James Edewor, Gamaliel Onosode and so on from Delta state? Let’s remember how posterity will judge us and let us provide exemplary leadership
More importantly, under a democracy the voices of the people including critics must be held and respected
What in your opinion is the solution to the insecurity and high level of corruption in our country?
Addressing insecurity is a complex matter. For instance, a man leaves East Africa and enters Nigeria, the first thing is that the Northerners will see him as a brother. How do you stop that? To worsen the situation, during election year someone goes to bring them in their hundreds of thousands and use them to vote so as to increase votes and win election or in extreme cases use them for violence, how do you handle that?
You can see why we are where we are.
A certain tribe is now found in every section of the country and there are rumours that they want to over run many parts of the country and occupy our ancestral homes like it happened in Lebanon. Does this not worry you?
It is very worrisome but we are our problem. Now let me ask you: if you want to engage someone as a gateman, gardener, Keke ridder, and so on who are you most likely to find ready to do such jobs certainly they are people from the Northern part of Nigeria or Togolese, Beninese and so on. Our young adults prefer to do Yahoo Yahoo and rituals. Of course in capitalizing on the situation many of these Northerners and foreigners also engage in kidnapping, terrorism, ritual killings etc but if our people were prepared to do menial jobs like in our days when we were young adults, we won’t have this big problem in our hands.
Let me shock you the more. Arabs are all over the world. They owned all the corner shops in the United Kingdom. In France they are so many. That is why President Trump is taking tough decisions against them to save the people of America.
In Nigeria, it is for the President to confront the situation like President Trump and in doing so, use the Army, Immigration, Police, the National Identity Card Commission and other agencies including local government officials and traditional rulers to stop as well as control their mass exodus into Nigeria