Why Edo ‘ll vote APC, by Obende
Read Time:10 Minute, 5 Second
Senator Domingo Obende is the Chairman of the Publicity and Media Committee of the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council. In this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, he speaks about the issues that will shape the governorship election.
When the election was shifted, people said your party manipulated the process because it was afraid of being defeated. Is this true?
I want you to understand that, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is an independent body. INEC is not answerable to the Presidency, let alone to the governor of a state. So, we have nothing to do with that and you also understand that even the governor referred to as the chief security officer of the state, I don’t know whether they have men they control in terms of security. We know that the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. For us, the election was shifted on several grounds, but there are two of the issues that I will take very seriously. Our children were going to write the West Africa Examination Council’s (WAEC) exams, which is a regional examination. This is beyond national examination. So, the children were not displaced, but were allowed to write the same examination as its holds in other countries simultaneously. I am happy about that.
If for the security reason and to avert chaos, that were reported by the State Security Service (SSS) and the Department of State Security (DSS) it was shifted, I am equally happy. That the election was shifted has given the security agencies and the INEC time for proper preparation. So, whatever strategy left they had left behind, they will obviously work on them and improve on areas of shortcomings. For me, at least I am happy because Edo as you know it, people will shout to high heaven on the coming doom, but by the time the election comes and goes, you will hardly record any casualty. That is the spirit of Edo. The peace and tranquility that has always existed in Edo is what we want to continue. So, my party has nothing to do with that. We don’t control the security or INEC. It is purely their decision and their decision for me pays off.
What do you think will make the people vote for the APC?
I am sure you came through the Ore-Ugbowo-Benin Road when you were coming for this interview or by flight. So, if you were here eight years ago, you obviously open your eyes to the differences that are now in existence compared to what we have before the last eight year, we will understand we have made remarkable progress. On the federal roads, you find out that you have eight links which was never so before the APC came. The comrade governor created additional two lanes. And if you also took flight, the Airport Road was a single lane before. Today, you have about eight lanes. When you enter the town, you will find decency, you could see well rejuvenated specialist hospitals, the road networking and the lighting system very superb. The state now provides places where people can earn their living. For me we have a lot on ground, that we can showcase compared to previous governments.
In the absence of the Ogbemudia, who did well for Edo State, there is no other government that you can use as a basis for comparism to that of Oshiomhole’s government. Let me say happy birthday to Ogbemudia who clocked 84 recently.
The view is that the inability of your party to provide the desired change at the national level will affect the outcome of Edo election. What is your take?
Well, I must tell you clearly that Nigerians are very reasonable human beings, they are not fools. So, you cannot talk about the present situation without making reference to the causation of what happened. Somebody says why are you blaming the past?
But, I honestly can’t understand the statement because the past represents the history, the present represents our future. The past was that the previous government mismanaged the whole economy. If you go into your archive former President Olusegun Obasanjo in November 2014 warned President Goodluck Jonathan about the recession. He said what was going on in his government was going to bring about recession the Nigerian will not be able to cope with. People have forgotten that statement. Do your research and you will understand what I am talking about. So, nobody is going to come here and tell us that we cannot talk about the past.
The President Muhammadu Buhari that we know who people say he is old and that the body language is dying. I don’t think that body language dies. He has not changed from the person whom he is. There are different human beings and species in the world. There are people that are very aggressive, some strategic, some calculative. You cannot take Mr. A character and give to Mr. B. Buhari is Buhari and his slow and steady will take us to the promise land. The government is battling corruption and people are facing the music. Lots of recoveries are being made, that of course, is a good one. In the place of insecurity, we have achieved a lot. Before now, most of the local governments in the Northeast, were under the hands of Boko Haram, today, I don’t think there is a single local government that is in the hands of Boko Haram. Boko Haram is being confronted frontally. People talk about the Chibok girls. I really feel particular about them, and they ought to have been released. But, let me tell you, even though I am not a security man, if a madman is keeping your money, you have to be very logical before you can get the money out of him or otherwise, in your presence he will tear the money into shreds. And we don’t want these children to be killed. I believe that the security department is logically approaching the situation. They want to box them into a corner and you will find out that most of them will now come out on their own. So, is the election going to be affected by the happening at the centre? The answer for me is no because Edo have never lived its economy on what happens at the centre. We live our economy here in what happened in Edo. The important thing is that our governor has performed and the party is up with the performance. They should look at the performance of the governor that is in place and, of course, the performance at the centre is not also misplaced because the centre has not started sleeping, neither will it sleep. There are lots of strategies being put in place to aggressively attack the recession. Six months from now, the recession will be history in this country.
Why has the campaign of hate subsisted among the parties?
In a political situation, people want to market their products and in trying to market your product, you must show reasons. It is normal in a world of competition; people must try to run others down. They believe that when they run somebody down, the world will start to listen to them. But, for me I do not come into that school of thought. I believe the truth must be told and reality must prevail. I do not see any sense in running people down. I have always told my people that we must do things rightly; we must disseminate information rightly, so that people are not caught in the web of confession. For Edo, whatever you hear from us is the truth. People might not like it, but that is the truth. Has the comrade governor performed? The answer is yes. The person he is bringing in, will he perform? The answer is yes, being the chairman of his economic team. So, if his being in the system since comrade started and he understands the working of government, managing one sector to the other, I think he is just about the best person to occupy the position.
Can your party pull weight in Edo Central during the election because of the weight of Chief Tony Anenih?
I want to draw your mind back to 2012, when comrade was seeking a re-election. They have the centre which had former Jonathan in control and Anenih was there; all the people that you have today were all there. What happened? Comrade scored 18 over 18. We captured Esan land with our votes, what do you now think will change the equation right now? Now that comrade had done more work than we imagined. I think we are going to have more votes there.
The comrade governor has been accused of stepping on toes, which some people are holding against him?
The comrade had been a labour man, he was a man who was struggling to fight everybody. He has been fighting people, there was a time he fought the whole Nigeria and he did not get consume in the fight. He fought for the rights of Nigerian workers and ensured that the people were not shortchanged. So, how is he going to get consumed in an Edo fight now? Comrade confronts his challenges, he does not navigate around them, he does not lament over his challenges. When he sees a trailer and believes that with his strength and might he can stop the trailer, he will face the trailer head long. We have never heard that any trailer crushed him, for me, I think we should drop all these social indices of the comrade. Every human being has his weakness and strength. If his social indices are what is making people to hate him, on his behalf, we apologise. On Edo, we should focus on the development of Edo. The continuation of the development of Edo is the issue. Many people want to come to Edo to work, to be relevant but when we are fighting, they will not come. Some of them will choose to stay in Lagos or Abuja. I do not think that the personal quarrel between Adams and other people should be a determiner factor for us to vote in a credible candidate that will take us to the next level.
What are the issues that will determine the outcome of the election?
The performance of Governor Oshiomhole is a determining factor that will bring about the result of the election. For the mere fact that we have a President that is fighting corruption that is putting everybody on their toes is another determining factor that brings about the election and result. And again, the freedom of the people of Edo from the hand of God fatherism is another factor that will bring about the result that we are going to get in this election.
Well, some people said comrade is imposing Obasaki on the people of Edo, so he is also practicing godfatherism. I do not think so because everybody has a right to support a candidate. Comrade never cowed anybody to support Obaseki, rather we went all over the place to campaign for his candidate. And everybody campaign for their candidates, it is the stronger campaign power that takes the victory in any election. I believe that what is going on in Edo today will in totality bring about the victory of APC in the election.
You could not return to the Senate, any regret?
For those who know me very well, I am a child of God. Whatever that happens to me is always a glory to God. My God says to me, in all things I should give him thanks. The National Assembly that we have today, everybody can see the quality, may be if I had gone there I would have been caught in the web too. For me, I give glory to God, God time is the best, I am waiting for the best time.
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