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APC has been a united family in Edo, in fact, other states envied the state, but suddenly, the party found itself in crisis. What exactly went wrong in the unity to the extent that you now have Edo People’s Movement on one side and others also contending on the side for the governor?
Well, thank you so much. For me, the united house that was built over the years has become a big house and, of course, in a big family, there can be ripples, there can be misunderstanding and there can be amendment and progress. I want to say that a professor that taught me at school, B.I.C Ijeomah, said after every conflict the society improves. Now, my understanding of that is on various perspectives. First of all, as it were, we now have a father to cry to unlike when the former governor was here, he was our father, governor, leader. Today, we are even blessed that we have a national leader to even cry to when we have issues that we feel bother us and maybe Mr. Governor has not resolved to our satisfaction. It ought to be a privilege . I want to say that from the party’s perspective, when I said they are of various perspectives, generally, the governor is doing fundamentally well. He is opening institutions, he is engaged in various projects, building facilities to ensure that we become a vibrant state. Deeper in the political role as a large family, there is this quest by party faithful to be carried along. I think it is legitimate that they should be carried along in terms of government projects. In other words, for instance, I am from Ikpoba-Okha, if you are intent on executing project in Ikpoba-Okha, as the honourable member, I ought to know so that my leaders and others will also know what government is doing. I want to say that it is within their rights. If I sell, for instance, wood and I want government to patronize me and I am a member of the party, in a fair market price, I will cry out to say please, I sell wood and I am a member of this party if I can be patronized. It is a normal thing. The element of corruption must be removed. In other words, I should not be favoured at an exorbitant price just because I am a party man or what is not reasonable should be done for me because I am a party man. In terms of empowerment, it is legitimate for members to agitate. It kicks the mind of the governor to respond to his own people and I believe that since all these agitations came up the governor has been devising measures to ensure that party faithful are carried along. He has so made it public that things will not be the way as it were before. For instance, the area of revenue collections, you will see many people agitating that they should be given the right to be collecting it. He said that cannot be as it was. For instance, the model that is being executed in successful states like Lagos, even Port Harcourt, where things are done in a more refined way, where government revenue is captured in a more digital way instead of filtering under the fingers of persons. Those models are being developed and followed in Edo State. When these changes occurred, there is likely to be objection because of the people who used to profit from those loose ends. For those that are legitimate, I have heard the governor said in many fora that they should key into the new way things are being done. Some have keyed in, some are still hoping that it is the way it used to be, but I believe that they should key in so that the state will be able to do better because the responsibilities of the state is increasing bit by bit. And as someone who is in government I know that the pensions are going up everyday, salaries are going up and other commitments of government. So, government needs the revenue to meet up with these responsibilities and, therefore, they may not be able to open things the way they used to be and should rather key in and follow the way things are being done today than yesterday.
Has there been any effort by the governor to call stakeholders’ meeting to resolve the crisis rocking the party?
On the issue of coming together, you will know that even before elections, you will know that some of these divisions surfaced, but thankfully to all party leaders, including those who are upset, they covered the ranks and everybody delivered the elections. The majority who are upset today worked for the party in addition to the way Mr. Governor worked and that is why you did not see that division at that point because they own us, they felt they own these candidates and they cannot disgrace them. Every vote we got in Edo State we fought for it whether in the presidential or in the subsequent assembly elections. It may not have shown in the presidential the way it was, but if you know that if not for the way we fought for votes the result would have been fundamentally different, but we will say today we did better than the past in both elections. Now, on the part of government reaching out, I want to say this, to the best of my own knowledge, Mr. Governor has kept his door open and reaching out has been happening quietly and there is one funny thing that I saw. Some people seemed to say okay they want to make the national chairman a symbol of their own struggle against Mr. Governor. I want to say that the national chairman, for me, he is our father. And we will continue to respect him even the discipline and the strength of the party you talked about, he built it. He brought us together. That unity you were saying, he made it possible. I still believe that in the fullness of time he will play the fatherly role to bring us together because united we stand, divided we fall. The governor too, in the time I spoke with him I have always encouraged him to reach out more. I will continue to do so. Even those who claimed they are against him, you never know, they too can work for him fundamentally because all that is needed is a united house even after victory. Assuming governorship election comes tomorrow, he wins, as we hope and pray. I am saying and I believe that he still needs a united house to execute his policies. That is the position. We need a united political family to continue to soar to the next level. This national chairman, for example, we all own him. He does not belong to those who are belligerent only, he belongs to all of us, he is our father.
Will you share in the view that Oshiomhole has a role in this crisis?
Okay, I want to say that when they say Oshiomhole has a role in this crisis, I started by saying that we now have a father. So, if you feel that your senior brother has not opened up all the apartment doors you can cry to your father and that does not mean that your father is against your senior brother because the governor as it is now, he (Oshiomhole) believes in him more than any other person. That was why he was chosen to take over the helm of affairs in this state. I want to say in November 2015, in a week, I met the then governor three times and all he told me was that go and join hands to deliver Godwin Obaseki. The first meeting was just I and other two. He called other persons and the message was that Godwin Obaseki is the best man for this job. What has changed? I believe that that situation has not changed at all, rather Godwin Obaseki has shown capacity both in terms of infrastructure and intellectual capacity. He has also shown that he is not working for a year or two. He is talking about institutional reforms, he is talking about capacity building, his is talking about even generations yet unborn, how Edo can be a Dubai, an industrial trade hub. So, I have no choice than to key into such a person. It is both sides. I also want to send a message to the governor by saying that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. The Benins say that a leader is like a dustbin where everybody throws their rubbish. For him, he should come, gather us together, visit the houses of those persons who are even casting aspersions on him, reach out to them and bring them together.
The other side is insisting that the governor should not have a second term ticket that they want two things, they are rebuilding the party and shopping for another candidate to replace the sitting governor. What is your view on their position?
Look at the tradition we have had in Edo State in the democratic dispensation. We had Chief Lucky Igbinedion who did eight years even in turbulent circumstances, he got renominated. The leaders of the party as at that time had to say there was no vacancy and that was the language. At the time the comrade governor was here, after one year and a half, they were saying that he promised roads and all that and that he was not doing anything by the second year and third year and the fourth year, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole turned Edo into a construction site, the entire state. We are all living witnesses to it. Today, this governor, hardly did he wait for six months, he started. He can only get better. I am of the view that he deserves by a wide margin a second term. I think, of course, there are areas of improvement. Party faithful should be engaged more even by interactions because it is not everybody that is looking for contract, employment even elective post or appointment. Some just want interaction, being carried along. So, if these are done, which he is beginning to do, he has improved. He even told us in a larger gathering that the reason his first term was a bit apolitical was that he felt that he needed to put his house in order and to the build up to the last elections, he was very much available. Today, he is much more available. So, I feel that he can only get better. I feel that that is the key area he needs to improve on so that we can make progress, reaching out to politicians. I want to say this, I was once a PDP member. Today, I have been in the APC for close to nine, ten years. I spent much time in APC than in PDP. I want to say this, the APC is now a big party and in a big house there must be anxiety and quarrel and the capacity to resolve it, the ingenuity and the genuineness of resolution and the spirit and body language of the key leaders, namely, the governor and his immediate assistants, the deputy governor, the secretary to the government, the chief of staff, those of them at the executive levels. Also, I have always appealed to the national leader, nobody disrespects him, it cannot happen. I will not also subscribe to that and I believe at the fullness of time we will all come together by the grace of God.
Now, you are a Chief Whip of the State House of Assembly, other members are yet to be sworn-in. What effort is currently on to bring them under the same hallowed chamber you are in now?
Now, I want to say that we are leaving no stone unturned. We have reached out and some clearly stated their views especially those ones that are returning who feel that the house should be granted all its respect. For those who are new they should also let us quarrel well, quarrel with modesty because at the end of the day there will be one Speaker. Just like we contended before we became honourable members. In all our constituencies people came out and say they also wanted to occupy these seats that we are all occupying now, but we prevailed at the end of the day. The same thing is happening. In my little over four years as an honourable member I have seen a lot in the house. It is my prayer that the Speaker who we have always encouraged to reach out, that he does so with the spirit. He does so, he calls, reaches out and I think no stone will be left unturned to encourage and invite everybody back to the table.
Will there be a second inauguration? Because some of them are saying that they are not aware that the house has been inaugurated?
There is no second birth for any individual. I want to say this that the house does not apologize. The house has capacity to call a man a woman and a woman a man. I want to say this, this is Edo State House of Assembly we are not a ministry, we are not a subsidiary of the Federal Government. The law must be put in itself. Sometimes when I hear some people talk, except some people want to reduce it to a subsidiary like you know NNPC has its own subsidiary and what have you. We are not a subsidiary. Our position is that we are a house properly constituted and we are moving forward.
Suppose those who are adamant still maintained that the governor must go, what will be the position of the governor and his followers?
Well, it is an open contest. In Benue State in the past, one Rev. Adasu and his wife went for governorship primaries, taking you back and we have even seen two Sarakis, one APC and the other in PDP. I can go to give examples. The point is this, we are in democracy. Democratic contests are legitimate. So, if people want to vie for governorship they are within their rights, but however, my constituency and I are together with Obaseki. We are unwavering in our commitment to ensure that Godwin Obaseki by the grace of God completes this tenure and return to government house to do far better than what he is doing today. That is my position and we are irrevocable. I consult my constituency from time to time and if I show you my phone now you will see their calls and their text messages endorsing my position. If it was the other way I will have also acted differently. I am not a hungry man.
