Veteran actor Emeka Ike has opened up about his decision to contest the Abuja Bwari/AMAC Federal Constituency seat.
Speaking in a viral video obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, the actor disclosed that he would run under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
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This isn’t Mr Ike’s first shot at politics. In 2018, he contested for the same seat under the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in Imo State’s Ideato South constituency.
He lost to Paschal Obi of the Action Alliance (AA).
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Ike, who’s now contesting in a new constituency, said his desire to serve the people and contribute to national development inspired his political ambition.
Rationale
The 59-year-old said, “I’m running for the Federal House of Representatives, under the Bwari/AMAC Federal Constituency in Abuja. And we want to make a federal statement. Have I made you happy as Nigerians? For me, yes. If I’ve made you happy as Nigerians, I want to step into the real thing right now. Let’s see how we bring dividends close to you.
“We want to stop. Let’s block those boys who think they are the ones who have power. They’re not the ones who have power. They’re not getting anything. If we stand, they will run. So let’s stand up, take power, and rearrange our country. We don’t, we don’t deserve to be begging.”
Lack of structure
Furthermore, Mr Ike, who made his major feature film debut in “Deadly Affair” in 1994, criticised the Nigerian government over what he described as “a lack of structure and an organised system.”
He also urged Nigerians to unite and prevent politicians from destroying the country.
“I travel overseas a lot. And when I look around, all I see is structure. All I see is a systemised, organised system where everything works. So you don’t even need to see the president. You don’t even need to know your mayor. Your mayor enters the same bus as you.
“Everybody’s walking through because everything has been arranged for the citizens to feel comfortable. But here, they seize it, put it in their pockets, and then you can’t get it unless you play their game. So what I’m saying is, let’s get involved in this game now”, he said.
Carelessness
Additionally, the actor stated that Nigerian politicians had shown little concern for citizens’ welfare.
According to him, despite the conduct of the political class, many Nigerians had yet to realise their reality fully.
He said, “I’m actually angry. And I’m angry because of you, Nigerians, honestly, not for the politicians. They (politicians) have shown us that they don’t respect us. They’ve shown us that we’re not worth anything to them. And they have a caucus and a code they use against us. We sit back behind the keypads, online, we yell, we cry, we make noise, yet we don’t make any impact.
“All we do is say, ‘Oh, we curse them out, their father, their mother.’ Is that what we’re going to do forever? Now, why don’t you, as a Nigerian, go and pick your PVC? That’s all the noise you need to make. Stop making noise. Pick your PVC. If there is a ground slide victory, nobody can change it.”
Thugs
Furthermore, he said the shortest “coup” Nigerians could stage without facing arrest was to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote for their preferred candidates.
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Ike noted that staying at home on election day or engaging in other activities would not solve the country’s problems.
“If it’s 2,000 there and it’s only 17 people here, you can’t rig it. But when you go see your girlfriend on election day, or you play football on an empty road, put, you know, the goalposts around the roads, express that it is free for you. And you play football and go to sleep. Or you want to go and see your boyfriend on that day.
“You have done Nigeria a great disservice. Thugs will come over. Thugs are the ones ruling and leading Nigerians. I mean, T-H-U-G-S. They are the ones ruling you. We are the elites. We are well-read Nigerians. We are the responsible Nigerians. You are all hiding behind. You are not living for them. The church will say, ” This world is not our own. All of us live everything.”
He urged Nigerians to secure a party ticket and contest under any political platform to drive change in the country.
“We have the right to change the narratives. We have the right to tell Nigeria where it should go on the trajectory. We shouldn’t sit back and be saying, ‘Ah, it is them I don’t know. Who are they?”
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