Former president of South Africa, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, yesterday paid visit
to the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, to parley with
him over the political future of the nation.
Mbeki
has been on working visit to Nigeria and has had consultations with
major political leaders, including President Goodluck Jonathan, and the
All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari.
At an exclusive interactive with Daily Sun in Abuja
during the visit, Mbeki noted that he actually came to the country for
the Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Foundation where he received a prize.
He
stated: “Having been here already, and after attending the event, I
felt the need to see political leaders in the country over the
forthcoming elections and hear them and possibly put in some word of
advice on the need for the nation to ensure a proper conduct of
elections and never toe the line of violence.
“I am happy with my
discussions with these key leaders because they gave me assurance of
their resolve to make sure the elections are free, fair and acceptable
by the known standards. Election is not war. Therefore, Africans expect
Nigeria to do the proper thing and conduct an election all of us would
be proud of at last.”
Mbeki also gave precise answers to questions in a short interview as follows:
What is this interest of yours in Nigeria that made you spend days meeting major political leaders?
First
of all, you know the reason I came was because the Obafemi Awolowo
Foundation gave me a leadership prize. That is the major reason I came
to Nigeria. I received that prize on March 6. But since I am here
already, you know Nigeria is a second home to me, I thought it was
necessary to see as many leaders as possible. Because you know we are
very interested in the success of Nigeria and now you have got the
presidential and other elections coming at the end of this month and in
April, so I thought that I should talk to the leadership just to get an
idea as to what the Nigerian leadership thinks about the elections.
Fortunately,
I met President Goodluck Jonathan and was also able to see Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and of course, my younger
brother here, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
The mission and concern is
really to get a sense of what is happening, and to wish everybody
success and communicate the message that all of us in the rest of Africa
wish Nigeria well and we really hope that the elections would go very
well and that whatever the outcome that will be announced, everybody
will accept it.
It should be a peaceful election. Elections are
not war; so there is no need for anybody to resort to violence in the
process of conducting a democratic election. Indeed, all of us in
Nigeria should go about it peacefully so that whenever results are
announced, whoever wins, people must accept that peacefully and not
respond in any violent manner.
You used to be close to former President Obasanjo. How well do you relate now?
Yes, we still relate, but I haven’t seen him recently. I had wanted to see him now, but unfortunately he is not in the country.
You
are a former president, and we never heard you bashing your successor.
But your friend Obasanjo makes it a business to attack his successor. Is
that proper?
Well, I have not discussed this with President
Obasanjo at all. Maybe next time I see him, I will discuss it with him
and get more information on that.
The way African leaders come to
Nigeria these days suggest they are apprehensive about Nigeria’s future
after the elections. Would it be right to so assume?
No. Like I
said, since I was in Nigeria, it was important not just to read from
your newspapers but to talk to the actual leaders and to hear from them.
Everybody I met has really assured me that the leadership, political
parties, state institutions, like the police and others, all want
peaceful elections, want free and fair elections and want peace after
the results have been announced. And so I have no apprehension at all. I
am quite sure that this leadership, the political parties, state
institutions and so on are capable of ensuring that the election goes
well.
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