Honourable Alex Mascot Ikwechegh has stated that politics is not a business of poor men and advised the electorate to elect candidates who have excelled in businesses and generated wealth and not those in politics to loot the money meant for poor masses.
Hon. Ikwechegh made this assertion while declaring to run for the office of the Aba North and South Federal Constituency under the aegis of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, on Saturday at the APGA office in Umuahia.
“One of the bills I will raise is to appropriate more money for education and reduce unnecessary allowances to politicians including lawmakers. Politics is not a business of poor men. You must have worked hard, excelled in your area of business, and generated wealth before delving into politics. The bills I will introduce will be a reduction of allowances for Governors, Senators, Lawmakers and appropriation of more funds for Education, infrastructure, health care and others.”
When asked if he will leave the party if free and fair primaries are conducted and he does not win?
Chief Alex made it clear that he was a party man and that elections are not a do or die affair. He revealed that he will support the flag bearer of the party in the proper election.
“There’s no need to do that. I’m a party man and I know how the system works. Before now, I was in a different party and was asked to step down. It was a decision of the Party and I believe in such decisions because they are supreme. If you call yourself a Party man and the primaries are conducted fairly which you won, the best thing to do is to congratulate your opponent. It’s a friendly contest. Anybody who runs against you for a political office is not your enemy but you put your vision forward for the people to know what you have in mind to do for them. If they feel your opponent, who is also a member of the family has more valid points, then they elect the person but if they feel you have more valid points and elect you as the flag bearer of the party then you can proceed to the proper election. If eventually, I do not get the Party ticket, I will push my structure to the man who has become the flag bearer of the Party and the man is elected. I know that APGA will save the day.”
What do you think that the new Electoral Act will do as people seem reluctant to vote in the upcoming general election due to marginalization?
“You will not fault those who have become reluctant and discouraged from participating in the electoral process. It has been an overtime an electoral fraud that has existed for over four to five decades but this electoral act that we have been clamouring and pushing for the President to sign, you can recall that during the END SARS protest where there was a lot of violence in Aba, I did an open video to encourage everyone to ensure that they register to vote. I also appealed to the President to sign the Electoral Act which allows for individuals to be legitimately elected into office. This time around, there are no more the antiquated ways of doing things that allow people to sit in the confines of their homes to decide who gets what, which has become entirely eradicated and diminished.
It has now fallen on us, the politicians, to intimate and disseminate information to the electorates that do not participate fully in politics but come out to vote for them to be aware that it’s no more business as usual. Today, the signed Electoral Act has made it available for Nigeria to grow. If President Muhammadu Buhari has not done anything in the past eight years, he has done a lot in signing the Electoral Acts for it has solved 65% of Nigeria’s impracticable problems.
We have to make our families, religious leaders, traditional rulers and everyone know that Nigeria is on a path of progress. So everyone should come out to register and vote when the time comes.”
Speaking on the marginalization of Igbos in the country, Chief Ikwechegh made it clear that Igbos have to take the bull by the horn and join APGA to grow it. He revealed that Igbos will keep being political orphans until the five Eastern States are governed by APGA.
He called on Igbos all over the countries to join hands to build the home party which is APGA as other regions have done while urging the people to remain focused and trust in the vision of the party.
“APGA stands for honesty and sincerity and we are going to do things in fairness to all and allow aspirants to test their popularity,” he concluded.
