Mr Peter Obi, the immediate past governor of Anambra State, is a honorary adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan. Obi shares his perspective on the 2015 polls in this interview with Vanguard Nigeria.

We overheard the Vice President introduce you as the Deputy Director General (South), comprising the South West, South East and South South of the presidential campaign organisation, which is why you are here as part of the reconciliation team of the PDP for Lagos. Are you satisfied with the outcome of the reconciliation meeting? 

Yes I am. I thank Vice President Namadi Sambo, who led the peace talks and also thank and congratulate the people of the state for their maturity. Mr Vice Vice President spoke to the party members like a father, and everybody in the PDP family agreed with him on the need to close ranks and work together.

What is your reaction to the the statement of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the Director General of Gen Buhari’s campaign, that the APC supports mutiny?

The statement, if it is true, is unfortunate and least expected of a public officer of his status. I have always maintained that leaders in corporate and public life should strive to maintain exemplary character and behaviour that is worthy of emulation. Their pronouncements and disposition must be responsible, devoid of abusive, or inciting words that could undermine the moral fabric of the society.

On this same issue of security in particular, lives have been lost by the civilian populace and military personnel. That is why public figures must be sensitive to these things and show signs of serious social responsibility at all times. We are expected to speak with restraint and decorum, knowing that we can make or mar society.   At all times and in all climes, issues of security are left in the hands of security agents and we must show utmost understanding of the dynamics of security.

Do you agree that Buhari has the capacity to stop Boko Haram if elected?

Gen. Buhari, as a respected, retired general and as an elder statesman, does not need an invitation, an appointment or an elective office to intervene on any national issue, especially issues of national security like the one facing the country at the moment. Elder statesmen all over the world do not wait to be invited before they step forward on matters of grave concern to their fatherland.

President Jonathan is running round sleeplessly and working with security agencies, in addition to forging bilateral ties to solve these problems. He will certainly be very glad to receive any suggestions from Buhari and I can assure you that Nigerians will be glad if he

helps solve the problem as an elder statesman. He has said that he will summon a meeting of serving and retired generals to help solve the problem if elected, but he does not need to be elected to do so.

But some people are saying that he can deal with Boko Haram, the way he dealt with the Maitatsine unrest decades ago.

I have read in some places where the APC said that because Buhari stopped Maitaitsine in the 80s, he will also stop Boko today. I disagree entirely with this claim, because the stable global environment of the 80s cannot be compared with the volatile and terror-enveloped global environment of today. The socio-religious realities that threw up the Maitaisine group are different from the realities that threw up Boko Haram.

In the 80s, most countries were stable, but today the global instability, cutting across nations like Iraq, Syria and the Middle East, has created a labyrinth of terror. This is in addition to our African neighbours, , like Libya, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Tunisia and others, which are all facing various forms of instability and terrorist activities. The level of sophistication in technology and military hardware is also totally different today.  No one would have ever imagined in the 80s that terrorists would go into the US and bomb the World Trade Centre, or attack   the Pentagon. But   we all saw it happen.

These are realities that need to shape our understanding of the world of today. What is happening has a global coloration, because the ISIS flag is the flag you see with Alshaba in Somalia and Boko Haram in Nigeria. You can now see why we cannot compare yesterday with what we are seeing today. Who would have thought that Nigerians would turn into suicide bombers?

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