How Okonjo-Iweala stopped me from ‘Japa’ after Atiku’s 2019 electoral defeat – Osita Chidoka
Former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka has revealed that the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, persuaded him not to leave Nigeria following the outcome of the 2019 general election.
Chidoka disclosed this on Wednesday while reflecting on his remarks at the presentation of a book by Paul Nwabuikwu, saying the conversation with Okonjo-Iweala changed the course of his life.
According to the former minister, he became emotionally drained after playing prominent roles in the 2019 elections, including helping to reconcile former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, managing the Atiku/Obi campaign Situation Room, and serving as the Peoples Democratic Party’s principal witness at the Presidential Election Tribunal.
He said the election outcome, followed by a judicial decision on a governorship election in early 2020, left him disillusioned and considering relocating abroad.
Chidoka explained that after travelling to the United States, where his wife had begun a PhD programme, he considered accepting an international appointment or returning to ExxonMobil, where he had previously worked before joining public service.
Seeking advice, he met Okonjo-Iweala at her office in Washington, D.C., where she encouraged him to remain in Nigeria despite the setbacks.
Recalling her words, Chidoka quoted the former finance minister as saying: “Nigeria needs people like you. Do not allow life’s inevitable setbacks to define your choices. Go back to Nigeria. Stay in the trenches. Don’t give up.”
He said although it was not the advice he expected, it was exactly what he needed to hear.
