- Says: ‘A Tenure’s Enough For Me To Make A Difference‘
IN THIS no-holds-barred interview with Iduh Onah & Victor Itodo Abuh, founder of Metro International School, Abuja, Apa College of Education, and a man who admits he already owns what most politicians chase – Dr Raphael Odoh Otobo – reveals why he is voluntarily stepping into Nigeria’s political arena. With raw honesty, Dr Otobo explores the dynamics of Nigeria’s election politics, ponders why incumbents fear grassroots connection, and drops a bombshell: he’s offering voters a binding contract for just one term. “Four years is enough to make a difference,” he declares, challenging a system where politicians sell houses to win seats only to loot treasury. With conviction, Otobo argues that Nigeria has never experienced true governance – and he’s betting his 30-year reputation as an educationist and pastor to prove it is possible. Excerpts:
National Record (NR): Can you tell us who Raphael Odoh is?
Raphael Odoh Otobo: Thank so much for having me. Raphael Odoh Otobo is from the village called Aidogodo in Okpoga, born on the 24th of February 1968, actually, yesterday was my birthday, I am 58 years now. That is simply who I am.
NR: Can you give us some insight on your childhood, your upbringing, including your early childhood education?
Otobo: As I told you, I was born on the 24th of February, 1968 and went to primary school in my immediate community of Aidogodo.
NR: What about your secondary and tertiary education?
Otobo: After primary education, I proceeded to Saint Francis College, Otukpo in 1980 from where I attained my West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1985.
All this time, I lived and grew up in the village. In fact, from the village I went to school, return for holidays. My parents were farmers, so farming was a big part of our lives. Whenever school was on break, I would go back to the village and joined my family to farm. We literally did everything together.
That was how it was until I graduated from secondary school in 1985. That upbringing shaped me — it taught me discipline, hard work and resilience.
NR: What about your tertiary education; what inspired you to press on, what course did you study and what may have inspired you to go for the course?
Otobo: Yes, my tertiary education was actually what, emm…, how can I put it? I wanted to read Medicine, MBBS; so, I started with Remedial Studies at the University of Jos. While doing remedials, my intention was to study Medicine. But along the line, while I was doing remedial studies, I wrote JAMB and was offered admission to study B.Sc Economics at the University of Jos. So, I decided to go for Economics.
Unfortunately, when I resumed, I was told it was already late for me to join the Economics Department. After a lot of pressure and discussions, I was moved to Economics Education. That was how I found myself studying Education, coincidentally; and that’s what I am today; I became a teacher.
NR: That’s interesting; so, Education was not in your original plan?
Otobo: No, it wasn’t. I ended up in Economics Education. When I got to Economics Department for registration, they said it was late, that they were already filled up. So, I ended up in Economics Education, as I said, coincidentally. I later went for my Masters in Educational Administration and Planning, that was in 2004. I went back 2002 to Jos and graduated 2004 from University of Jos.
NR: When did you finish your first degree?
Otobo: We graduated’97; youth service, ’98, finished service ’99, and I came to Abuja 2000 to search for job. After my Master’s degree, I thought it necessary to make impact so I went for my PhD at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, where I completed PhD in Educational Admin and Planning in 2016. So, that’s the much about my tertiary education experience.
NR: Okay, let’s look at your success in the education industry. What is the story behind your becoming hugely successful in education entrepreneurship? From what you’re saying, it was not what you wanted to study that you ended doing…
Otobo: (…cuts in) No, it was coincidental. I think it was actually what contributed to the large success I have had in education. You will now discover that this was where I was meant to be, and you tried to run away from it. At a point, I wanted to read Law; I wrote JAMB to read Law, no; I wanted to read Medicine and ended up in the teaching line, and when I got into it, I discovered it was actually my area; it is what I enjoy; it is what I have passion for – teaching. That was actually what contributed to what you called the huge success I have today in the educational industry.
NR: Let’s step back a bit. You were passionate about Medicine.
Otobo: No, I wasn’t really passionate about Medicine; no, I wasn’t passionate. Going to Medicine was for commercial purpose… (general laughter).
We felt that that was where people made success out of life; do you understand; especially my background, and from my family; almost all the successful men read Medicine; those we see, or those who read Law. So, the dominant thinking was that, if you want to be successful…
NR: (… cuts in) What I am driving at is that Medicine and Law are poles apart; for Medicine, you must be good in science and for Law, you must be good in arts subjects; so, this meant that you were good in both arts and sciences?
Otobo: I actually did science in secondary school but when I came out and I saw I had a flair for Law, I went back and wrote Government. All I needed was just Government, I had Literature already, I had CRK, and the other relevant subjects; so, I wrote Government and I passed, and qualified to read Law, but my major background was in sciences, those that qualified me to read medicine.
But like I said, the only reason for that was commercial purposes, not out of passion. For passion, it was teaching. Even right at the university, I was organising extramural lessons; that was where I loved to be, but then when you look at the background of an average teacher as at then, and even now, nobody would want to be there.
My school today, it is a career day; so, we arranged all the children to declare their career in life. I was just coming from the school and I said where are the teachers? Almost 90% of the children chose medicine, law, nursing, accounting, engineering. So, I asked my headmistress, is there nobody for teachers? Very few of them.
So, you know, that is the background of teaching, teachers’ education in Nigeria. So even when you know it is your passion, it is difficult for you. Recently, a lady, a lawyer, very brilliant lawyer, came to me and said she wanted to come and teach. She brought her application. Very brilliant. She has worked in so many legal firms, Dangote Group, etc.; she came to Kubwa with the husband and resigned. She told her husband plainly, ‘I want to teach’.
NR: Your school, Metro International…?
Otobo: (…Cuts in) Metro International School. (One of the reporters exclaims he did his Junior secondary school at Metro International School).
NR: Metro International School is one of the best schools in Abuja. How did you start it? I mean; what is the magic? I am asking because when you go there, the huge infrastructure, facilities and employees. With all that, one will begin to wonder who is behind the school. One may even think that whoever is behind this must be a multi-millionaire to have built it. How did you start it?
Otobo: Yes, you are right. When people come there up till today, they still find it difficult to believe that I am the owner. Parents often ask, ‘who is the owner?’ You know, one of the parents came to the school and asked me: “My children have been here; who is the owner of this school?” The man said: ‘I’m sure it is one politician that has stolen money. But then, it’s not like that. Metro started very small; very, very small!
When I came to Abuja, I was doing lessons here and there. And then, like I told you, teaching was what got me some small money. I saw one small plot of land and I bought it. We were lecturing, doing part-time lecturing in the University of Jos. Got small money and I built a two-bedroom flat. I saw a small space at the back. I did one bedroom there for rent. That was 2000. A thought came to me and I said I can turn this thing to a school. I said yes, I can turn it to a school. So instead of renting out, I just brought a carpenter and he partitioned the apartments and we got six rooms. Nursery 1, nursery 2. And the school started in September 2000.
It started like a child’s play. I was so surprised that within the first term we had over 100 children and we moved on. That was how Metro International School came to be established. It was a small place.
Immediately we got a bigger land, and then at that point, we were ready to be stable. Got a bigger land and built a storey building with very large classes.
Then, there was a major setback, a major setback in 2004 when [Nasir] el-Rufai [then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)] came to demolish. It was a major setback. Then I was already planning to build a private polytechnic, Capital City Polytechnic, in 2005.
I got a land for Capital City Polytechnic, with David Adulugba and other prominent people. We bought a big land in Gwagwalada, but we didn’t go there; we wanted to take off from Kubwa, so all these structures for the school was put in place for the polytechnic and suddenly they came and demolished Metro.
By then Metro was already a big school. So, I had to transfer all the children and shelfed the idea of the polytechnic. So, when I got stabilised for the polytechnic, I decided to go and build a college of education in my village, Aidogodo. Yeah, that was how Apa College of Education came to be.
NR: When can we say you began to nurse the idea of entering into partisan politics?
Otobo: Well, politics was actually not in my agenda. I was so busy with school business, I coordinated Benue Polytechnic outreach here in Abuja for 12 years. From there I shifted emphasis to Apa College of Education because Metro was already fully established. I also have a secondary school in my community; Aidogodo Community Secondary School, it is mine. We are using it now as demonstration secondary school for the Apa College of Education. So, you can see I was so busy, my hands were full to talk about entering politics.
I told them that four years is enough for me. They were surprised. They said no. I said four years is enough for me to make a difference. If I can’t do what people want after four years…; if the people want you to go back, they will be the one to even come and tell you; not this one that after four years, you want to go for another four years, and after another four years, you still discover that you want to go again because they have nothing to fall back.
By 2014, I had the opportunity of meeting with Chief Audu Ogbe. He came to my school and he was surprised by what he saw. He appealed to me saying, ‘please come, let us form APC at home. Then, our place was predominantly PDP; it was during the President Jonathan era. He said Jonathan will not win the next [2015] election and that I should come and join him. I joined him. That was how I got into politics.
I joined APC, we established APC at home in Benue, with Engr Benson Abounu; I joined Benson, I went to meet with him. That was how I got into politics. I found myself ‘accidentally’ in partisan politics.
NR: So, can we say Chief Audu Ogbe was your political mentor?
Otobo: Yes, actually. Until his death, painfully.
NR: So how did you take his death?
Otobo: Yeah, it was actually a blow. Before his death, I met him. He talked so much, so passionately, about Idoma nation. Then I saw he was not doing much, I mean, he didn’t have much grip of the political dynamics at home. Not only him, so many Idoma politicians; they lack that required grip and therefore couldn’t exert the required influence that much.
The reason was simple! I think many of them do not have the grassroots cache at home. That was actually the major challenge for many of them. Many of them are too engaged in Abuja; perhaps too metropolitan in their political activities to have the requisite impact in their home base.
However, there are two serious politicians who have that grasp, the political diligence to have depth in Benue. Senator Abba Moro is the only one from Idoma land that you can see at home every time; he has the grassroots connection. That is why he remains relevant. You can’t take that from him. Even with his shortcomings, in terms of what people perceive or say about him. Abba is always there – burials today or tomorrow, Abba will always be there. Do you understand? During Christmas, Abba Moro will sit down with all the widows. If Abba doesn’t have money, he will look for money.
I think I admire this aspect of his political strategy. I told him this; I said I admire his connection with the people, and I think that has been his winning magic. Every baby-naming ceremony you see happen, every burial, you will see him. For this, he has that grassroots magnet. I like that and I think it is worth it politically.
I told him; ‘we know the trick you are using; the trick is that you get hold of the grassroots.’ Any other insinuations people peddle about him are far from reality. That is why he has remained relevant for so long.
Then, look at Senator George Akume, the SGF. He’s always at home with his people. Akume has a big house in his village. The grassroots connection is also his political miracle. I know his house in Wannune. As people are eating in his house in Makurdi, others are eating in his house in the village; they’re eating in his house in Maitama-Abuja. Can you point to any of our politicians like that? I think it is only in Abba Moro’s house that you will always see a crowd.
For many of our politicians, they go home on just few occasions or majorly during elections. That way, you can’t have an enduring or sustainable grassroots followership. Yes, Chief Ogbe actually did a lot of things, but when compared in the area of servicing the grassroots, Senator Moro and Chief Ogbe are poles apart. Abba Moro has a high level of accommodation; his doors are always open. I like that attitude.
In my village, up till today, my house is not fenced. I think in our local communities, people should be able to see or have free access to their political elite. That is one aspect to connect politically; right from the house, people should be able to easily connect with you socially.
For a long time, I’ve never spent Christmas in Abuja. Not only me, my whole family, my wife and my children for the past 25 years. We must spend two weeks for Christmas in my ancestral home; two weeks. So, that is relating with the grassroots. I have a widow’s project that holds its ceremony every 24th December. I’ve been doing that for the past 20 years, when I never even imagined of going into partisan politics. It is what I feel from the depth of my heart.
What really moved me into politics was that, though I’ve done so much for my community – I singlehandedly brought electricity to my village, I built schools, I brought a lot of development initiatives. But there are things I can’t do, or be allowed to do as a private citizen. I can’t tar or pave their roads. Do you understand?
NR: I understand that sometimes when one wants to do some projects as a private citizen, government officials or politicians will read political meaning into it and tell you not to do it.
Otobo: Yes, they will say it is not your road. But if I am in government, such development initiatives can be done. I had a recent meeting with some youths from Edumoga who told me: ‘Please, Ralph, we know you are going to do this road – Ekeh-Ojigo-Ojapo road. Stephen Ola, who led them, told me categorically clear: “We know you’re good. When you win; please, do that road from Ekeh-Olengbecho Village to Ojapo for us. There is no reason why that road has not been tarred. That is a major road in Edumoga that has defied development.”
He also told me that that road should no longer be left undone. Those are the type of things I said I cannot do as a private citizen, but which I think if I go into elective position, I should make a difference; I should. If I can’t make a difference, I will leave.
Yeah, very good questions. Number one; for clarity, I didn’t leave Labour Party, no, we didn’t leave Labour Party. What happened in the constituency is that we collapsed the Labour Party structure into ADC. Okay? That is what is known as coalition, I don’t know if you understand. You know, PDP had a faction too. They have two factions. One of the factions also collapsed its structure, yes. You know, there is the Mad Lion’s fashion and the Benson Abounu’s faction. Senator David Mark also had his own faction. They collapsed their own too; and all are one now, and they have collapsed their own too into ADC. That is why ADC is very strong in Idoma axis. Do you understand?
I told them that four years is enough for me. They were surprised. They said no. I said four years is enough for me to make a difference. If I can’t do what people want after four years…; if the people want you to go back, they will be the one to even come and tell you; not this one that after four years, you want to go for another four years, and after another four years, you still discover that you want to go again because they have nothing to fall back.
So, me even leaving my business for four years is a great risk for me. I know what it is. Metro school is the biggest school in Kubwa. About 1,500 children, we manage 250 staff. Apa College of Education has 150 staff; the Community Secondary School has 45 staff. If I am paying all this salary, what am I going to do in the National Assembly? What do I need from National Assembly that I don’t have? I built one of my biggest houses in Gwarinpa and I have a lot of housing estates. The Hilux they will give me, I have a Hilux, The Prado they will give me, I have a Prado. So, what am I going to do?
NR: Certainly, the dynamics of our politics is much more about the money. I mean the focus; the popular focus is on what politicians get from their position rather than what they contribute. This dimension you are bringing about, what you want to bring on board, I mean service to your people, is really appealing. But how would you pass that message to the people to believe you, especially people beyond your immediate community where you are not too known?
Otobo: Actually, one of my friends told me about the challenges of governance. You know, Nigeria as a nation, we have never experienced good governance. We don’t even know what good governance is. If we know what good governance is, as we have never experienced good governance, elected public officers can’t misbehave. The society you drive, will not allow you.
If you go to Morocco and you drive a distance from there to Marrakech; like from here [Abuja] to Lagos by road, and you see how the road is; if you see the smoothness of the road, it will take you within four hours. But here you have to spend two days or one day on the road.
We have never enjoyed good governance here, and my lamentation to God is, I wish that we enjoy good governance just for two years. The whole people will know; the people will become enlightened. They will clamour for good governance.
In Europe that they have been enjoying good governance, nobody can turn the situation; no individual can hold anybody to ramson. The senator’s son and his driver’s son are in the same school. They are treated equally; the medical facility; I mean, if we know what good governance is, my brother; it will be difficult for an individual.
I saw the lamentation of my sister, Senator Ireti Kingibe. She got there [Senate]; the thing was difficult for her, because the Senate is like a cult. See the way they are maltreating Natasha. You know, one Senator had raised alarm, saying that if you see the money they are paying us; it is too much, and they suspended him. They told him, if you don’t know what to do with money, you are on your own, but we, we sold our houses…
I have a different dimension to politics. I want to say that if I am not in government and I can do so much for my community; my secondary school is like a free school. I told the principal, don’t send anybody home from school because of school fees. I nearly missed school because of school fees. So, there is no child in Metro that cannot be in school. Do you understand? So that is the dimension in my politics. The dimension of looking at the interest of the people and provide the basic necessities of life. If I can’t do it for a whole Idoma nation, I should be able to do it within the Enone [Idoma West] constituency.
If you do a tour of my federal constituency, if you travel to Igumale, it’s hard to travel; the roads anywhere you travel to; they are terrible. Well, I don’t blame them [politicians] because in the first place, they are not in the villages. They came from somewhere and bought the district. So, they don’t even go home.
The present House of Representatives member, the incumbent, if he goes home, it is only to go and do burial and they will go with loads of security personnel. The road is terribly bad. We went to Igumale; it was terrible.
You are in the House of Representatives with a lot of unofficial expenses. For me, my money is going to go into development. Even if it is a 4-kilometre road that I’m able to make; these things are not as difficult as they make it to look. When David Umahi did it in Ebonyi, they were wondering how he did it. When he came to power; Ebonyi was the second poorest state. Today, Ebonyi is the third fastest growing state in the whole country.
You know how bad Abia State was before 2020. Recently, I went to Abia, Umuahia, I couldn’t believe this is Umuahia. We kept asking the governor; where are you getting money? He was a technocrat like us. In most of Europe and America, for you to be in government, you must have been tested that you can handle a private Enterprise. If you are not successful in business, they won’t trust you with public fund. When they tell you that elected senators in US serve for 25 years, 30 years; they don’t touch the money in the Senate for personal use. They have their own businesses. The people only beg them, please continue, because many are not interested in contesting. But here, we have never experienced good governance, my brother.
My only heart’s desire is that before I die, if we can experience good governance for four years, three years. Once good governance comes, it’s difficult to turn it away. Just like bad governance, it’s difficult to remove. I don’t know if you understand. It’s difficult to overthrow bad governance. So also, when good governance comes and everybody is enjoying it, you can’t turn the hand back. So, my desire is that my children will see good governance.
Yeah, very good questions. Number one; for clarity, I didn’t leave Labour Party, no, we didn’t leave Labour Party. What happened in the constituency is that we collapsed the Labour Party structure into ADC. Okay? That is what is known as coalition, I don’t know if you understand. You know, PDP had a faction too. They have two factions. One of the factions also collapsed its structure, yes. You know, there is the Mad Lion’s fashion and the Benson Abounu’s faction. Senator David Mark also had his own faction. They collapsed their own too; and all are one now, and they have collapsed their own too into ADC. That is why ADC is very strong in Idoma axis. Do you understand?
Martin Luther King cried that cry in prayer. Then Jesse Johnson and their children saw civil rights in US. And everybody is enjoying civil rights; everybody is enjoying it now. But as it is now, look at Enone [Idoma West]. Look at the House of Representatives members who have been coming up. How many of them will go, after representation in the House, go and live in the constituency? They were not living there in the first place. I know the current one; I know the one before him. All the elections we’ve been handling, it is only me that is a candidate that lives in the midst of his people, and I have office in Apa College of Education.
Well, I must admit that it’s not going to be so easy; you know, in the last election, I ran my campaign without taking a loan from anywhere. I have the resources to run my campaign. When politicians have to borrow money, you can guess what they will do if elected. Some politicians have to sell their houses or property, so, when they go there what do you expect them to do?
NR: The question is why are you going for House of Representatives, why not Local Government chairman? Why not states House of Assembly or even Senate?
Otobo: Well, that actually depends on where you are going and where you are looking at. Local government? Yes; it’s a good place to start from; you understand? It’s a good place. It’s a place you can touch your people; but you will be touching only one local government; is that not so? State Assembly? You will also be touching only one local government. House of Reps? I will be touching three local governments. I wish I had gone for the Senate, but because of certain strategic considerations in relation to political realignment; do you understand?
You must also note that while coming with the experience from the private sector is a big advantage for me, but politically, that might also become a burden or challenge; some may accuse me of being too ambitious. If not so, I would have gone for higher office. So, I think based on my experience, my best option, the best place for me to start is the House of Representatives where I’ll impact on three local governments.
I have what it takes to contest. I have the educational requirement. In fact, the last time we went for screening, and I brought out my credentials, the panel was impressed. Some aspirants, I gathered, don’t possess the type of educational qualification that I have. Some others, I learnt are only riding on their incumbency and the fact that they had travelled abroad and made money, made so much money.
Hon. Philip Agbese, the incumbent Member Representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in the House of Reps told me he spent about 2 billion naira to clinch the ticket in the 2023 election. That’s a whopping money, and you know, he has to recover this, and he may have done so.
NR: Since you know him, his financial capacity, you know the challenge you are facing this time, the contest this time is not just going to be about personality; it’s also going to be about financial muscle and the capacity to communicate your agenda. How are you going to do this without running into some crises?
Otobo: I told one of my political associates, a close friend, that it is the incumbent that I am praying for to win the ticket from his party. You know we had battled it out before; he knows that I am contesting again this time; he knows that Ralph is the one on ground. He is aware; he is aware that Ralph has a peculiar way, a kind of politics.
After the last election [2023], he sent somebody to me with 10 million naira, pleading with me not to go to the court. I know I will be able to beat him.
NR: We gathered that the difference in his victory against you in the 2023 election was 75 votes; that is why I am asking you now about the sort of message, let me say, creative campaign, that you will engage in to win majority of your constituents to your side.
Otobo: That is what I’m trying to tell you. The reason he won that election was because of Hon. Francis Ottah. You see, when they disqualified Ottah, the Ado people, his main base, picked offense. They were angry that they disqualified their own son. So, they went and pleaded with Ottah to mobilise his own structure to support Agbese since he is also from Ado. As a result of this, the whole of Ado local government now voted en block; do you understand? So, while I won Ogbadibo, I won Okpokwu, all my votes from Ado couldn’t match that of Agbese’s because it was a block vote.
But this time around, I assure you it is not going to be like that. This is because, barely a few months after his victory, he fell out with Ottah. And as you might be aware, he has fallen out with Governor Alia; so, where will he get the votes from?
NR: There is an ongoing rumour that Agbese is heading to ADC. According to the rumour, Agbese will be denied the APC ticket by the governor because he is on the Akume faction of the APC that is generally believed will be floored by the Alia faction and as a result, he is heading to the ADC to pick its ticket. Now you are no longer in the Labour Party, you are in ADC. The question now is; why did you leave the Labour Party for ADC instead of staying there to consolidate? Secondly, if Agbese moves to ADC, how do you figure the battle will look like?
Otobo: Yeah, very good questions. Number one; for clarity, I didn’t leave Labour Party, no, we didn’t leave Labour Party. What happened in the constituency is that we collapsed the Labour Party structure into ADC. Okay? That is what is known as coalition, I don’t know if you understand. You know, PDP had a faction too. They have two factions. One of the factions also collapsed its structure, yes. You know, there is the Mad Lion’s fashion and the Benson Abounu’s faction. Senator David Mark also had his own faction. They collapsed their own too; and all are one now, and they have collapsed their own too into ADC. That is why ADC is very strong in Idoma axis. Do you understand?
Mad Lion controlling Ogbadibo; Benson Abonu controlling Otukpo; David Mark has Oju; David Olofu, the Senatorial candidate, has Apa and Agatu. Do you understand? So, I didn’t leave Labour, we brought Labour into the coalition. I hope it is now clear?
Many who contested with me; they didn’t get the votes that I had, and they are cultists. I say you people are cultists and you didn’t win the election. It is the way they will tell us that this thing [politics] is not for Christians? Some of the things they told us was just to scare us.
Now, let’s look at the issue of his [Agbese] intended migration to ADC. The rumour is a strong rumour. But then, there is a proverb in my village that goes like this: “One shouldn’t, out of excitement of going to swim in the river, undress while on the way to the river.” Do you understand? You must reach the river before you pull your clothes. Do you understand?
I told somebody that if I had heeded to that rumour, I would have chickened out since. But I have a principle; when I get to the bridge, I will know how to cross it. Do you understand? If he [Agbese] comes [to ADC]; but eventually, they told me he’s not coming. I understand he has gone to the party leadership and was told that positions are not for sale or reservation for anybody. I heard he even promised he would buy it for 700 million.
The rumour notwithstanding, I learnt he has resolved to fight it out in APC; he wants to remain in APC and battle it. There will be a lot of such struggles that will go on until the final hours. They might give it to him in APC. He actually preferred APC. But, of course, it’s not illegal to move to ADC; but for us, we prefer ADC, we are looking forward to building the structure of the party; but it seems some people want to win at all cost. But for me, I have not reached that level of desperation; no, never.
NR: What are your campaign messages in the past dispensation vis-à-vis the current campaign? What do you intend to do differently in terms of your campaign messages?
Like I told you, we didn’t do badly in the last election. We didn’t do badly. It’s only when you did badly that you now talk about strategy change. I didn’t do badly. The difference was just 75 votes. That is what I’m saying. And remember my background; I’m coming from Labour Party. The three of us who contested, all of us had unique advantages and disadvantages. The incumbent was coming from a ruling party. You know what the ruling party is? The woman from Ogbadibo, Ayida Nath, was coming from a senator, Abba Moro was the one who presented her; and Abba is not a small Senator; he’s always a grassroots man. And me, I was coming from Labour Party; the wave of the Labour Party then was also huge. And then my own personal popularity on ground.
When we went to Ado, I saw hundreds of graduates who graduated from Apa College of Education. They came to receive us. So, the school helped me so much. The popularity was awesome. Ogbadibo, Ayida Nath hails from Ogbadibo; her father is from Otukpa, the mother is from Orokam. She lost the election there. She lost her election because Ogbadibo people were very, very concerned. They want zoning. And they say it was not the turn of Ogbadibo in the last election; that it was for Ado. So, Ado got it. It is now Okpokwu’s turn. So, people coming out now from Ogbadibo should note; we can’t give Ogbadibo.
So, my campaign in this dispensation is the same with the last dispensation. I still believe it. I kept telling everybody, I said look, Nigeria has enough money for the citizens. But the wastage has been so huge. Look at all the constituency projects; what can you say?
NR: ICPC said it is verifying them, but they have not indicted anybody.
Otobo: They have not and they will not. They don’t indict government people; they only indict when you move to opposition… [General laughter].
That is what is happening. They only indict when you move to the opposition. They will quickly come. That is the summary of it, my brother.
Essentially, we’ve never enjoyed good governance. In good governance; once you enjoy good governance, one of the major attributes of it is merit. People are appointed on merit. We call it meritocracy. What we are operating in Nigeria is nepotism. Look at the appointment of the Acting IGP, and several other appointments before that. I just pray that me and you, before we die, that we should enjoy good governance. It’s so nice. It’s awesome. You will not see any bad road, insecurity. What are the causes of insecurity in Nigeria? I’m so surprised that government doesn’t know what are the causes of insecurity.
I’m so surprised that they are not ready to tackle it. They are not what we are even looking at; the major cause is there in the open staring us in the eyes. When people are not going to school. When public institutions crumble like they have in Nigeria. You see children on the streets. You need to travel to the North-East. You go to the motor parks; swarms of children are out of school. As they grow, they recruit them.
In the US and in Europe, you will not see a single child out of school. The day school resumes, if your son is not in the school and they see any child outside, they will know something is wrong. You know, their governments spend so much on education.do you know the reason? Do you know why? If that child is left out of school, tomorrow he will become trouble to the society. Check all the Boko Haram boys they are arresting; when you see them, they are small, small boys who didn’t finish primary school. You will not see any graduate who will go and be taken part.
NR: How do you plan to ensure that your constituents feel the impact of your representation beyond Abuja politics?
Otobo: I’m sure I answered that earlier. I said the major challenge was because most of them don’t even go home in the first place. Do you understand? I have office, I have office in Apa College of Education. So, in a normal time, even without politics, I used to go there. I was in office last week. Next week I’ll be there.
I know everything about the various components of my constituency. I know their needs. I don’t need to wait for election to meet their needs; I’m always home; I’m a homeboy. But these guys we are talking about they don’t go home; they only go home when they want to bury their uncle or they want to bury their in-law or they want to bury their father, and they will make it a campaign, wedding of a party stalwart’s son or daughter.
But one thing about politics, you need three things to make impact, especially for young people. One is courage; your level of courage and boldness. Do you understand? Number two, you need resources. If you don’t have money, you’ll be a rug to the politicians. If you have money and you have courage, you will stand on your own. And the third one is your acceptability, your own personal popularity and relationship. Those are the three things you need.
I know one man; he is one of the richest in Idoma and he has never won any election. I wonder why this man never won election until I tracked his antecedent. This man will never win election; every election cycle, he will come with so much money, he has a big house in Otukpo. He doesn’t go to his village; he will now send to people from his village to come and see him in Otukpo. I watched one day when old men came to see him on bike travelling through a very bad, dusty road of about 30-40km. This man has enough money to make five times of that road.
NR: This question is a bit personal; personal because at the University of Jos, you were a deeply dedicated, committed member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Ministries. You used to preach, very vibrant in evangelism. So, my question is, are you still the evangelist that you were on campus?
Otobo: Thank you for that question; it’s actually personal. If you follow my trajectory, like my family people; they said what has made me who I am, different from every other person is because of my belief, my belief in God.
I’m a pastor in CRM. I’m still in the Charismatic Renewal Ministry up to today. 30 years! I’ve not changed church, do you understand? And my wife and every one of us. But as we grow matured, we begin to look at things differently.
I’ll send you the speech that [former Vice President] Osinbajo made sometimes last year when he spoke to Christians. You see, our Christianity is what turned the Europeans’ culture to a culture of decency. People in Europe, they don’t go to church; they don’t tell lies. Do you understand? They don’t go to church; they don’t touch anybody’s thing.
If you live your phone a whole year in London, and you come back; you will see it. They don’t go to church. Something happened; something must have happened to the people, and it was religion, it was Christianity. That is why they were surprised at our own brand of Christianity. See in Nigeria on Sunday the whole church is filled up. On Monday in the office, everybody become bureaucrats. I don’t know if you understand. Christianity now; we left things for government.
There were things we didn’t know. As we are getting matured, I preside over the church. I still preach in the church. I preach in my church. I preach in so many organisations. NIFEs, FCS; they call me. They prefer my preaching because if I preach to the church, I still give them money again instead of the other way round… [General laughter]
If you go to church, the church will be struggling to give you honorarium. When I preach, I still give you envelope to maintain your church, because my business is helping the church. I just got a big land for my village to expand our Charismatic church. We helped in all those areas.
Some people told me when I wanted to go into politics, they said, will you be able to. I said, what happened? They said you can’t win election except you are a cultist. They told me clearly, some of my friends, they said all these boys are cultists. I said let me try.
Many who contested with me; they didn’t get the votes that I had, and they are cultists. I say you people are cultists and you didn’t win the election. It is the way they will tell us that this thing [politics] is not for Christians? Some of the things they told us was just to scare us.
But one thing about politics, you need three things to make impact, especially for young people. One is courage; your level of courage and boldness. Do you understand? Number two, you need resources. If you don’t have money, you’ll be a rug to the politicians. If you have money and you have courage, you will stand on your own. And the third one is your acceptability, your own personal popularity and relationship. Those are the three things you need.
Everything about leadership is boldness and courage. Yes, I can do it. Yes, you can do it. Look at people who were young and became governors. Suswam was a governor at the age of forty-something, you know. Suswam graduated with Law. When he came to Abuja, he didn’t even have work. Do you understand? It was his senior brother that got a nomination for House of Reps, and he said, me, I’m working in Radio Benue, let my brother, who is not working, go. That was how Suswam found himself in the House of Reps at a tender age. Finished 8 years, came to Benue and became a governor.
So, my brother, I’m still a pastor. I work very hard in politics. My church prays for me every time; every time they see me at home. At Christmas. I preach in the crusade. It has really helped me.
My Christian background gave me boldness. It gave me humility; and that humility has helped me to build relationship with so many people. That boldness, that humility, the Bible has taught me clearly: what do you have that’s not God that has given it to you?
I kept repeating that until you begin to see inside my heart, because I don’t hide anything. What do you have that’s not God that has given it to you? If it is God, why are you misbehaving?
My greatest challenge with some politicians is arrogance. The level of arrogance of some of them is to an extreme. They look down on everybody; everybody.
But everybody I come across; I give them the benefit that they can make it. It’s that Christianity that gave me that background. My children, if you see my children. Everything I told my children is issue of humility and build relationships.
Bill Clinton grew up in his foster father’s house. He called the man his father as he was growing up; the man called him and said, Bill, look up to the people that others look down on. Bill Clinton is one of the humblest human beings on earth and see how he rose. If there is a third tenure in American presidency, they would have given him because of his level of humility. There is nowhere humility cannot take you.
So, when I seek for anything…, my family people, they kept saying it’s because of your Christian background that you are whom you are. In my house, we are not less than 16, 17; my house is a full house. Meanwhile, I have three children.
I have three kids. My first daughter is a pharmacist. The boy is a lawyer. The third one will read engineering. That one is the only one remaining to go to university. My house is full because I need to pick other children. Each time the school resumes, we have about 10-12 going to the university from my house. And that is my calling; that is reaching out to people, especially in education. That is why I know I’m a teacher. The teacher’s passion is education. I look at the crisis in education as the main cause of all the problems we have in the country. Education has been bastardised. In Europe, education is the best thing to happen to them; it is to any nation.
In England, and other European countries, they can employ a foreigner for any job, but not as a teacher. Nobody will employ; they don’t joke with their teachers – especially primary and secondary levels.
In America, they say you can’t entrust the destiny of a child of America to a foreigner to teach. The way they value it.
Private schools in London, like my own, the government pays all the teachers; they pay all the teachers. So, all the teachers are equal. And then the government also tells us how much to charge for schools so that it’s also at par. Do you understand? So, there is no big man in school and no small man. The whole thing is at par.
NR: Thank you for granting us audience. We hope that as the campaign progresses, we’ll engage again. Have a fruitful campaign.
Otobo: Thank you for having me.
