Gabriel Bravo Oluohu (JP) is one of the stakeholders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nyanya Ward. In this interview with Nigeria Project, he speaks on the forthcoming FCT polls and why his party, APC will win not only in Nyanya Ward but in the entire six local councils.
By Chris Agada
How do you think you can deliver Nyanya Ward for APC?
Nyanya is not new to me. I understand the politics of Nyanya very well because I have been on ground for almost three decades. All Progressives Congress (APC) has not been doing badly as far as Nyanya Ward politics is concerned. We have been winning elections in Nyanya Ward. For instance, in 2016, honourable Tahiru won. But honourable Matthew, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who won twice, was as a result of the candidates we fielded. The one we fielded in 2019 – Kemi, a Yoruba woman, didn’t fly. The electorates decided to vote for individual, that was how Matthew won. In 2022, when Nura was our candidate, there was division among us – we had the Candido camp and Yakubu Karshi camp. We went into the election as divided house, which led to our loss.
But now, we are very united and more formidable. We also have some guys who have been instrumental to PDP’s triumphant at the polls that have joined our party (APC). They have decamped to APC courtesy of the AMAC Chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, we have two supervisory councilors in APC. We have advisers, senior special assistants and so on. If we combine these guys with our formidable team who have been doing well in past elections in Nyanya Ward; by the special grace of God, by 1pm that day, if you put a call across to me, I will tell you that we have delivered.
In 2023, Obi political tsunami consumed both PDP and APC in FCT. Do you think it will not cause your party another setback?
That is not a challenge to us. When we get to the bridge, we will cross it. This time around, it wouldn’t work for them. As at today, we don’t know whether Obi is going to be on the ballot as presidential candidate or vice presidential candidate. Be it at it may, I can assure you that we will win the poll. Even during the past administration of former President Muhammed Buhari, who was not supporting our party (APC) in FCT – as their policies then was against the party; you still remember the issue of the cashless policy, which I was also a victim. I was producing at least 200 crates of eggs in my farm every day. I fed those birds without any buyer coming. After one or two weeks, we would threw them away. It got to a point that we didn’t have a space to keep those eggs again. That was how bad Buhari and Emefiele policy was in 2023. Then, we had a minister of FCT that you can’t differentiate him as a minister or councilor. There was no motivation, no coordination and so many things. The president was not there for the party also with his minister. So, I can say what happened to APC in 2023 in FCT was self-inflicted injury. If not for the love I have for the party (APC), I would have left the party. But I stayed because I believe in the party.
Thank God for today. We have the president that is a party man as well as the minister of FCT though a PDP man but doing excellent work to promote APC in FCT. His Excellency, barrister Nyesom Wike has turned things around in the areas of infrastructural development. We also have an indigene which is a Minister of Special Duties. In the last general election, all these things were not there which was why you talked about the Obi movement.
I can tell you for free that, with the calibre of men we have in FCT APC today, the next Area Council polls is just a work-over for us. APC is going to win the entire six local councils. The Minister of FCT has made our campaign so easy. There is nothing to worry about, APC will coast home to victory in all the elective positions in the coming FCT polls.
Rural areas have been in abject poverty. What does your party have for the electorates in Nyanya Ward, if your party wins the election?
By the special grace of God, I have been given several political appointments – I have been a supervisory councilor, environment, budget and so on. Even if I’m not on the ballot, I’m a stakeholder as far as APC Nyanya Ward is concerned. I’m one of the leaders in Nyanya Ward. As stakeholders, we make sure that the right person gets the ticket. For instance, our councillorship candidate, Jonathan Idi (Tito); we know him very well. He is a young man that loves people and the people also love him. He grew up there and knows the electorates very well. I have been in Nyanya for 30 years. I know those that are reliable – and Tito is one of them. Tito loves people and have proved severally to be dependable. Tito will bring dividends of democracy to Nyanya Ward. I’m no longer a kid, if I see a vehicle that can only take me from Abuja to Lokoja, I know. The one that can take me from Abuja to Lagos, I equally know. Tito will do well and I know he wouldn’t disappoint us.
If opportunity comes for you to be at the ballot, will you grab at it?
You see, my brother, all of us cannot be on the ballot. I have held several political appointments; but I feel right now, I should concentrate on my businesses. Recently, I was called upon to take an appointment in my state, but I declined. You don’t need to be in government before you make money. The richest men in my state are not politicians, but businessmen. For now, I don’t want to be on the ballot, I want to concentrate on my businesses. I will continue to support my party (APC) and to be a part of leadership process in my ward. This is because we need the right people in leadership positions.
What advice do you have for the youths?
If you say one government is bad, and another one comes, you will complain more. For instance, during the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, people said the government was bad, Buhari came, what happened? People said Jonathan was better. That is how it has been; even if you bring someone from the moon to rule Nigeria, people will still complain.
But what I have come to realise and have been telling youths that come my way is to diversify. You need to go into more than one string of income, in order to put food on your table. Don’t only depend on politics. Politics has season – maybe every four years, or two years as the case maybe. Develop yourself to have legitimate means of income.
For instance, like myself, I’m into few businesses including agriculture. Youths shouldn’t fold their hands and continue to complain of government, they should rather engage themselves in legitimate ventures that can put food on their table. Don’t depend on one source of income, get strings of income – if this one doesn’t bring money, the other one will do. This is essence of having more than one source of income. As far as I’m concerned, that is the way to go. Lamentation or complaints doesn’t change things.
