• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

Chief Martin Onovo, a seasoned politician is the 2015 presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP). Engr. Onovo, a petroleum sector player, now Head, Policy Positions, Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), in this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he discusses current issues in the polity, including the results of the recent controversial Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council elections, President Bola Tinubu's recent Executive Order 9, imminent implosion in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) among other issues. Excerpt: What is your view on the recently held Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council elections? Do you think the All Progressives Congress (APC) deserved its electoral victory bearing in mind that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used to hold sway in the FCT elections in the past? What was held in the FCT were not council elections. It was another charade. It was an outrageous sham. With the failure to transmit results electronically in real time, intimidation of voters and alteration of results, it was a rehearsal of the charade that is being arranged for 2027. The foundation for the 2027 charade was completed with the undemocratic electoral act of 2026. Mr. Joash Amupitan, the current INEC Chairman will surely be worse than Mahmood Yakubu. Amupitan must go! The African Democratic Congress (ADC) won only one Chairmanship seat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council polls. Would you say that the opposition parties could have got better results in the elections? What would you say accounted for their failure? We cannot discuss winning and failure in a charade. It was another charade, a rehearsal of the charade that is being arranged for 2027 by the very incompetent, corrupt, lawless and unpopular ruling party. With the defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and going by the crises being witnessed so far in its State and Local Government Congresses, do you foresee the party running into major difficulties before and after the primaries for the 2027 general elections? The ruling party is not democratic. It has failed catastrophically in government and Jagaban Tinubu dominates the party. Consequently, many of their members are displeased with the situation. Very many of their members have left them, including their former National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun-Odigie, former ministers and former governors. Many more will leave them as we approach the elections. You are known to be a major supporter of Gov Alex Otti of Abia State. Would you say that with his performance so far, he will easily get his second term despite the influence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Leaders of the state origin? The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders from his state are very unpopular. Their face, Orji Kalu failed woefully in office. He spent some time in Kuje Prison for corruption and was recently declared 'persona non grata' by the youths of his own area. I do not know tomorrow, but it seems very clear that Gov. Alex Otti will win a free and fair election if it is held today in Abia State. People have accused Gov Alex Otti of high handedness and injustice in the way he has been handling the Abia International Airport project, taking away the ancestral lands of the host communities without resettlement and full compensation. What can be done for the seamless completion of the Abia Airport City project? Apparently, the governor is in a hurry to complete the project. Though the governor holds all lands in a state in trust for the people, he needs to discuss and agree with the host communities before taking control of their lands. It is not too late for the government to meet with the representatives of the host communities to resolve all the issues amicably. What is your take on the recent attack on Mr. Peter Obi and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leaders in Benin City? Do you think the Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, should be held responsible for the attack, having in recent times threatened Peter Obi that he, the governor, should not be held responsible for his security if he visits his state without first getting a clearance from him? The position of Mr. Okpebholo against any visit to Edo State by Mr. Peter Obi without clearance from his office is incompetent, undemocratic, unlawful and hostile. We condemn it. Mr. Okpebholo is also the Chief Security Officer of Edo State. So, with the attack, Mr. Okpebholo failed in his duty as the Chief Security Officer when he was unable to provide adequate security to prevent such an attack on high profile politicians. The attack also continued at the home of Chief John Oyegun, a former governor of the state. Clearly, as the Chief Security Officer, Mr. Okpebholo has responsibility for all acts of insecurity in Edo State. As a player in the nation's oil and gas sector, how do you see the recent use of Executive Orders 9 by the Tinubu administrations to overturn the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), especially as it concerns remittance of funds? It is another lawless flip-flop of the incompetent, corrupt and dysfunctional Tinubu regime. The original purpose of the PIA was to get a comprehensive and consistent law for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. The Buhari regime of this same ruling party then used the opportunity to impose parochial provisions and got it passed as law. The problem of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has always been political interference and corruption. Since the rulers would not indict themselves for political interference and corruption, they used the opportunity of the PIA to distract Nigerians. Now that the consequences of their incompetence and corruption have affected the economy again, the Tinubu regime lawlessly issued an Executive Order that violates the PIA. There is no way an Executive Order can override an Act of parliament. To the extent that the Executive Order violates the PIA, it is null and void. How do you see the recent call by Ohanaeze Ndigbo on South Easterners to arm themselves in readiness for any imminent terrorist attacks? Ohanaeze is right. All Nigerians must arm themselves in readiness for any terrorist attack. These terrorists that started in the North-East region have spread widely across all the regions of Nigeria. Again, all Nigerians must arm themselves in readiness for any terrorist attacks. This is similar to the advice of the Department of State Service (DSS) Chief that communities can arm some of their members as a first line of defence. What is your take on the recent resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as former Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the appointment of former AIG Tunji Disu by President Bola Tinubu as a replacement? The former IGP, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, was already over 60-years-old and had remained as IGP contrary to the Public Service Rules. Some publications indicated that he resigned as a result of ill health. With his resignation, the appointment of another IGP became necessary and Mr. Tunji Disu was appointed. Mr. Tunji Disu has only a few months to attain the compulsory retirement age of 60. We wish Mr. Tunji Disu well in his new position. Source: https://independent.ng/ohanaeze-right-in-advising-south-easterners-to-arm-themselves-onovo/