Politics
We Should Go Back To Option A4 – Prince Benebo
Hon Prince Benebo
With months of prepara
tion and concentration of efforts and resources to conduct the governorship election in the least populated state in Nigeria, many did not envisage any issues around adequacy in availability and functionality of materials for that election. But it is now history that the card readers again failed in that election thereby raising concerns and questions about this device that is intended to tame the evil of electoral fraud in Nigeria.
In this interview with Opaka Dokubo, Hon. Prince Benebo, one time local government chairman and governorship aspirant in Rivers State proffers a way forward in our electoral process among other issue, in the polity. Excerpts.
What do you make of the fight against corruption at the federal level?
Fighting against corruption is good for the overall good of the country. If the problem of corruption is objectively addressed, it will indeed help this country considerably. Having said that, I believe that the fight against corruption is not the only promise made by the president during his electioneering campaigns.
The president, we are told, is a man of integrity and the test of integrity is the ability to keep to your word. Therefore, keeping to his promises to the Nigerian electorate by fighting corruption and also creating jobs, as well as addressing the security challenges will go a long way to show to the entire nation that indeed he is a man of integrity. If he does that, he will be a role model to young men and women as well as young politicians in this country.
Are You Impressed by the way the fight against corruption has gone so far?
Well, he has started the fight against corruption but we also hear some politicians who are crying that the fight is one sided, that its only PDP members that are being witch-haunted. I believe that party affinity does not limit corruption. Every human being has that tendency to be corrupt, including party, government and so on. Therefore the fight against corruption should be holistic. In other words, irrespective of party leanings, if somebody is reported to be corrupt the government should take necessary steps to investigate and prosecute that person and recover the money. For us to assess the success or otherwise of Mr. President’s fight against corruption, we need to see the facts we will be given. For instance, number of persons arrested, amount of money recovered, number of persons prosecuted and how effectively corruption has been prevented. Indeed the fight against corruption must include the prevention of corruption.
When these facts are made available, we will be in a position to say yes there is fight against corruption. It is not enough for party faithful to shout that they are fighting against corruption.
Is the political atmosphere in Rivers State conducive for development?
Well, as one who does not belong to either of the two dominat parties, my own objective assessment of issues is that when there is instability, it breeds further instability and adversely affects economic growth and development generally.
Election was conducted and somebody was declared winners by INEC. Others said there was no election. All of them went to the tribunal, presented their facts, the tribunal looked at those facts and looked at the law and took a decision which nullified the governorship election and some other legislative elections. Now the governor has gone on appeal.
The practice in Nigeria is that there is a stay of execution of judgement. If it were a place like the United States, the governor will be out of office until a superior court overturns that decision of the lower court. But the reverse is the case in Nigeria and that’s what is keeping the governor in office. Now that the case continues, all of them or the other. In the face of such situation, there can be no stable development.
What do you make of the black Monday by the APC and white Friday by the PDP in Rivers State?
This is tied to the issue of political instability in the state. Yes, in a democratic society people are free to air their views, people are free to embark on peaceful protests. But that protest should not degenerate to create crisis or to cause a breakdown of law and order in the society. At the same time, I want to say that Rivers State is bigger than PDP or APC. Parties come and go. In the 1960s, we saw the NCNC, Action Group, NPC. They are gone. Nigeria remains. We also saw the NPN, UPN, NPP< GNPP, PRP.
They have all come and gone. We also saw the SDP and the NRC. They have all come and gone. Now we are in this era. The truth is that in terms of membership, the PDP and the APC probably have more members but it time will come and we will not see them.
They can lawfully do whatever they intend to do but it has to be according to law.
Your feeling about Bayelsa elections
Well, I do not have personal preference for either candidate since I have not got details about them, both in character and manifesto. But even if I have personal preference, the ultimate decision lies with the people of Beyelsa. That is democracy. Sovereignty lies with the people and it is they that can surrender their sovereignty through the social contract, through the election and say we give you four years to govern us. Which ever way they decide, to me they have made their wise decision.
The election is already on and I think the people should vote not against their conscience and they should know the candidates and not for them to regret after they have made the choice my advice to the candidates first and foremost, and indeed the parties, is that once the election is conducted, and also seen to be credible, free and fair, they should be courageous enough to congratulate your opponent. It is about service, every one wants to serve that state.
On the other hand, if any one has reason to dispute the outcome of the election, there are legal processes.
I will advise all of them to follow the due process of law and not to take the law into their hands in the interest of peace, progress and development of Beyelsa.
The overall interest of that state and the people should override individual ambitions.
Your thoughts on the performance of the card reader machines in Bayelsa
My own thought about this is that, in Nigeria, there are people who are obstacles to doing the right thing.
The late president Yar’Adau set up a committee to review the electoral process and to make recommendations on the way forward. That committee was headed by retired Chief Justice Uwais and there were other notable members like Prof Bolaji Akinyemi. Even Prof. Atahiru Jega was a member and part of their recommendation was the Option A4, open ballot system for Nigeria. We tested it under the SDP and NRC era and it clearly reflected the true voting pattern of the people.
President Jonathan submitted that recommendation to the National Assembly but the National Assembly deleted that recommendation.
Jega and his team brought in card readers and we’re all living witnesses to what we’re experiencing. Even in the last general elections, so much crisis was created.
The election has been won and lost, agreed but those problems are still there with us. If in a state election that they have used so many months to plan is having this type of problem where the name of a former president is disappearing, then what hope has the common man in that electoral system that they’re applying?
I remember watching a television program where a legislator was making the point that he could not understand how a peaceful state like Kogi could record only 40% PVC distribution while Borno that was in crisis achieved over 90% distribution rate.
And even though many people had moved to other states, Borno returned up to one million votes in the election. There are indeed a lot of questionable issues in the way that election was conducted. It has come and gone but if this issue is not addressed, perhaps one day it might lead to something else.
My take on this is that if INEC knows that their machine is not working, they should remove those machines. My recommendation is that we should go back to Option A4, Open Ballot system. I don’t know what we are afraid of. It is your inalienable right to vote for who you want and not to vote for who you don’t want. I think it is a lot easier to rig election in the system in place than under the Option A4.
Is your ambition still alive to be Governor of Rivers State?
With every sense of humility my desire is to serve the people of Rivers State in the capacity as governor and I believe that I will serve them right. That desire is alive and well. I believe that Rivers people need a very committed, honest, pragmatic person to serve them. Service needs humility. You need humility to serve people and so having gone round this state, and seen the people, they themselves recognise that fact. But it is this lack of internal democracy in the parties that has been the problem.
Yes, I am still ready to go into contest for the position of governor of Rivers State.
Do you have a time frame?
The time frame depends on what I’m working on and at the appropriate time it will be made known to the people. I know that time will come and the people will recognise who indeed is ready, willing and humble enough to serve Rivers State in the capacity of governor. As long as god fathers are installing people and not the people themselves, as long as there is no internal democracy in the parties and manipulation is going on, any governor who emerges will not be able to sincerely committedly, humbly serve this state.
I know that is only in this part of the world that people only one who has amassed wealth that can go in for governor. In being a governor you’re not going in to do business, you’re going in there to serve people. It is the people who are supposed the candidate to go in so they can own the government and make that government accountable to them.
Is this realistic here?
We might say it’s not realistic but, believe me, time is coming for that because those who say they will not make available their five naira or two hundred naira to support a candidate even when they know that this candidate is going in for what is good for them, when those candidates who are imposed by godfathers and money bags come into those offices, they pay more through the education system, the healthcare system roads and all kinds of ways.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.