Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen is the Senatorial Candidate Of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo South and former Majority Leader in the State House of Assembly, as well as erstwhile Commissioner representing Edo state in Board Of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). In this interview, he Spoke with IKHILI EBALU of The Nigeria Post On current issues in his party Edo state.
Congratulations on your emergence as Edo South PDP Senatorial candidate. So far, how has it been as a senatorial candidate?
Like you said that you’re congratulating me for emerging the Edo South PDP Senatorial candidate, as a matter of fact you were all witnesses of the primary through which I emerged as the candidate of the party, but because of the divisions and intra party disagreements, we have to undergo processes of litigations and to the glory of God the courts have also agreed with us that it is the National Executive Committee of the party that can conduct primaries, not the state chapters of the party. It’s just that some valuable time one would have used to focus on the opponents of the other political parties is wasted on trying to fight among ourselves, the same family. But I think that is history now.
Like I will say, everything that is good doesn’t come easy; so you have to go through series of rough roads to usually get to your destination. Even when you fly in an aircraft and go through turbulence, it doesn’t stop you from getting to your destination. By the grace of God, we’re Senate bound, I believe Edo South people are all fully ready to cast their votes to ensure that they have quality representation in the next Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
There is no doubt that you are a strong stakeholder in the PDP and the fact that your party has been in and out of courts before we got to where we’re now.
What effort is being made to ensure there is peaceful reconciliation so that you people can go into the battle as one family?
Well, there are two sides to making peace, somebody offers peace and the other person will accept the offer. Right here in Edo State PDP, not let a personality of Chief Lucky Igbinedion has been made the chairman of the reconciliation committee to reconcile every member of the party. I don’t want to jump the gun. I believe the committee is still doing all they’re and they are reaching out to everybody. On our own, in my personal capacity am also reaching out to members of the party on both sides to ensure that we all come together and face the common enemy, which is the other political parties contesting the same election. We are not going to rest on our oars. While we continue to make efforts at bringing our people, everybody on board, we will not also be unmindful of the fact that it’s not everybody that is reconcilable. The reason is that some persons have their personal grieviances which as far as I am consigned, am not ready push people beyond their political interest to resolve issues that I see as very personal issues; while some persons too who feel that their loyalty is for some persons outside of our state, who they feel that until that person falls in line they are not ready to be appeased or talked to, to join us in the campaign to win the 2923 general elections. But like I have said, the genuine and committed party members, very many of them, have started reaching out to me on their own and for these ones; I appreciate their that this is a party that has been in opposition in Edo State for a very long time and now that God has shown us mercy and granted us favour by giving us a second chance to be in government again in this state, we’ll not make any mistake to throw that away.
You are aware of the issues confronting Edo State, for instance the issue of roads, all the Federal roads have completely failed across the three Senatorial districts.
How’re you going to convince your constituents that you’ll be able to do something to alliviate their plight when you get there?
Well, it is not a matter of convincing my constituents, my past records are there. I was in Edo State House of Assembly for about eight years and I was also privileged to represent the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and for those and for those periods that I was in government everybody knows the ways that I agitated for things to be done in my constituency. When I also had the opportunity to reach out by lobbying other arms of government to look to look at the things that readily affect us and how to resolve it, I know how to do my lobbying.
You know the business of legislature goes beyond law making. Outside of law making, you must also learn how to parley with other arms of government and also get the executive arm of government to see the issues that are with your people beside just talking in paliament and doing your over sight functions as they may come your way.
You must have to use that position you find yourself to reach out to ensure that even when you do things and get things appropriated for your constituency, the executive arm of government must see the need to ensure that these things are done by your constant parley and relationship with the other arms of government.
Your party, the PDP is in power in Edo State and of recent the sitting Governor, Godwin Obaseki in your Senatorial district has been demolishing some houses and people seem not to be happy with that. Don’t you think this will affect the election come 2023?
I don’t think it will affect the election come 2023. The reason is very clear. First what the government is doing, am not in government anyway; what the government is doing I also read that it, I read the statements issued by the Commissioner for Communication on behalf of government that persons have been warned through various medium that this land have been acquired by government and people should not go to develop, but these people choose to dare government and started selling off plots. Every society like I tell everybody is organised. If you buy a piece of land for instance, before you start developing that piece of land; what are you supposed to do in a civilised society? You go to the Ministry of Physical Planning or Ministry of Land, depending on which ministry is land to seek approval. By the time you put structures without the requisite approval and all that, you know that from the first day you’ve already violated the laid down procedure. So, if you violate the laid down procedure and the arm of the law law catches up with you, don’t blame government. I don’t think because one is looking for votes we should leave the right thing that you are supposed to do and pretend about. A man should be known for who he is at every point in time.
Your campaign will soon start. How prepared are you?
Am fully ready, if not for the little in-house distractions leading to litigations, one would have started campaigns since, but thank God the PDP officially flagged off campaigns yesterday in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. In Edo State, the campaign council is being constituted now. So, hopefully by next week we’ll be out in the street sensitising our people on the need to vote the PDP and her candidates in the forth coming elections.