Let's work hard so insecurity doesn't disrupt campaigns, 2023 elections, says Gbor

Nigerians vote for values, a platform, not a party

Major General John Gbor, the 2019 presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is a former Commander of the Nigerian Army Education Corps. In this interview with Leo Sobechi, Gbor discussed the issue of declining military morale and the challenges posed by insecurity for the 2023 general elections.

There have been suggestions for the national unity government by people who have found flaws in the Constitution, with some calling for a restructuring or a referendum. Do you think the election will hold despite the security situation? The way people are being kidnapped in all parts of the federation, especially the South East, South West, North West and also in the North East, it will be difficult to campaign effectively. If we go by plane from one city to another, it will be very expensive in the countryside. If we take buses, take vehicles to cross the road, you are not sure to get there, because you may be ambushed. Some of you may be killed, some of you will be kidnapped and they will start demanding ransom. So there is so much uncertainty that we cannot say with certainty whether the election will take place. And, if the election cannot take place, one thing I know is that effective campaigning can be difficult. The campaign will go smoothly, okay, but for people to go from house to house, from village to village, from city to city, it's going to be a problem. It's up to the government to make a decision and I'm not in the government so I don't know. It is up to the government to decide if an election will be held or if it will come out with some other arrangement or if an extraordinary law will be made to ask the president to continue or whatever. But it is up to Nigerians, the president and the government to make that decision. Over the past seven years, does the National Assembly inspire confidence that it knows what it takes to stabilize this country? When I ran for President of Nigeria in 2019, I made it clear to Nigerians that when I become President, any Nigerian who is killed inside the country or even abroad, in a foreign country; there must be consequences, there must be consequences for any Nigerian who is killed.

If it is overseas, that country must be held accountable and we will get detailed information on how and why the Nigerian was killed and if we are not satisfied there will be consequences. I said we won't invade foreign countries, but there are consequences. There are things we need to do to express our displeasure with this country, because we have foreigners here and we protect them and we will continue to protect them. So, I want my fellow citizens in all countries of the world to protect my own fellow citizens. Then, inside the country, any Nigerian who is killed, whoever kills, wherever he goes, we have to catch him and deal with him. Now after the elections a lot of people have been killed and I don't hear much from the National Assembly and Nigerians are being killed in the east, in the north central, in the west, in the north -east, northwest, everywhere. We hardly hear them talk about it, it happens from time to time that someone comes out to the National Assembly and shouts. But, I expect the National Assembly to come out unanimously to protest or do something to stop these killings. It is only when bandits or terrorists threatened to attack President Buhari and (Governor Nasir) el-Rufai and started attacking some senators that we hear them coming out to say they are going to impeach Buhari. The idea of ​​deposing Buhari should not have come. From the start, they should have intervened to ensure that these murders did not take place. They should have worked hand in hand with the president to make sure these killings stop; even if it means bringing in foreign mercenaries or foreign troops to help them. Our own troops have gone all over the world, even to the Congo, all over the world to help other countries. So if we need help, we might as well ask, but they were silent. So, in a way, I am disappointed with the National Assembly, especially on the issue of insecurity. They should have come more vehemently, not at the late hour, and started asking the president to leave. They should have come from the beginning to help the president, if the president did something wrong they should have let him know and they will work together - the legislature, the judiciary, the executive - should come together to work to save this nation. Sadly, they did nothing and people are talking about dividing this country, out of frustration, not that Nigerians don't love their country. Nigerians love their country very much. People talk about...