Prince Efe Duku is the Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on Legislative and Plenary Matters. In this exclusive interview with Pleasure Onohwakpo, just few days after the APC National Convention in Abuja, Efe Duku vowed that the party will take Delta State from the PDP in 2023. He also urged different groups who are clamouring for Ove Omo-Agege to declare his governorship ambition in 2023, to be patient, stating that the Deputy President of the Senate will make a statement regarding the matter soon.
Excerpts:
The APC National Convention has come and gone. What next are we expecting from the party?
First, it is important to note that the convention was a huge success. And we are able to say so against the backdrop of the predictions that were made by so many people about what they thought to be an Armageddon, that the party will crumble and that there was going to be an implosion as they often said. But quite commendably, Mr. President in his wisdom, stamped feet and authority on the convention by ensuring that there was consensus across the board. The few positions that were contested, those who won and those who lost, accepted the outcome because it reflected the will of the people. But generally speaking, a lot of credit goes to Mr. President who came out noticeably to ensure that APC remains a party in this country. And to that extent, the leaders and members of the party alike are happy about the outcome of the convention.
And just to add that too, for us in Delta State, the leadership of the party as headed by the Deputy President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has always given indication as to where the pendulum is swinging. If your leader is able to lead you in the right direction, that solidifies the leadership the more. You would recall that it was the Deputy President of the Senate who commissioned the Campaign Office of the new national chairman of the party. By merely commissioning the headquarters of the chairman campaign, it sent clear signal as to the direction the party was moving. And that is heart-warming. It makes our people to have confidence in him as somebody who understands where to take people to. That is leadership.
*The Executive of the APC in Delta State is now in place. What are we expecting from the party now?*
Look, the APC, without mincing words, means business, like never before, in Delta State. You can take it to the bank that the APC will make an impact in the politics of Delta State and that impact will be best felt when the governorship of the State comes into the column of APC in 2023. Look, these are not issues that require excessive talk; these are issues of conviction; these are issues of facts; these are issues of control of process – by control of process, I mean, being able to take charge of your house – ensuring that your house is in order to be able to make the impact that you desire, being able to match whatever the PDP will put in place and exceed their expectations.
Now, with the leadership of the party that we have today that is pragmatic; leadership that respects reality; leadership that does not take anything for granted; leadership that is galvanizing people into the party and not seeing people who want to come into the party as usurpers, but as comrades-in-arm that you must work with to set this State free from the shackles of the PDP, there is no question about it that APC will take Delta State and will take it without apology. The people of this State will vote and their votes will count. Those who think periwinkles will vote, they are now seeing the signals. They are feeling the signals now that that is no longer something that is fashionable. But suffice it to say to you that the APC will take Delta State from PDP and we will not blink in doing so.
*Few days before the APC Convention, the opposition party PDP approached the court to declare the convention illegal and unconstitutional for running the executive of the party with only 13 members. Many were of the view that the PDP was in apprehension of the APC. Now that the convention has come and gone, how would you assess the strength of the party vis a vis the opposition complaint?*
You see, many commentators who are more qualified than myself had made statements regarding the rascality of the PDP; their meddlesomeness in our affairs and rightly described as meddlesome interlopers as the late Gani Fawenhinmi of blessed memory would say. Look, they are not members of our party; they are not to tell us how we should conduct our affairs. We did not tell them how they conducted their affairs. They predicted implosion. The whole strategy of the PDP is that APC will crumble so that they can win. That is no opposition. You must go and prepare for an election; convince the Nigerian people that you are a better alternative. In the absence of that, we must wait patiently to meet the party at the place of the ballot box. And the PDP has no scintilla of credibility to convince the Nigerian people about the way forward for the country. They held the country hostage for sixteen years.
PDP destroyed everything that is anything in this country. In our own Delta State here, they forget to talk about the harm they have caused this State but they take a flight of fancy whenever they like to President Muhammadu Buhari who has not withheld one kobo from Delta State. Let them tell us what they have done with our money in this state; let them tell us why our children sit at home; let them tell us why our schools are in shamble; let them tell us why our hospitals are in shamble; let them tell us why our infrastructures are in shamble; let them tell us why our people cannot go to farm whereas there is a governor sitting there who is taking security votes and not giving account for anything; let them tell us why we have a House of Assembly that is so pliant and useless that will approve any loan for the governor without caring what the loan is to be used for. Let them tell us why not being accountable to the people is an achievement that they want to convince our people to let them remain in office and continue to destroy this State and our future generation.
Look, we will articulate the issues for our people and our people will see the options before them. Suffices to say again that 2023 is the cut-off date for the PDP in this State. And we are determined to make sure it happens in a grand style. We are determined to go head to head with PDP in this State. There is no way PDP can win the 2023 election in this State. It can never happen. Is it on merit, is it on strategy or is it on planning? Let Okowa come out today and tell us what he has achieved with all the money he has borrowed, the money from the Federation Account, Internally-generated revenue and everything they have constituted themselves are nothing but waste, shenanigan. We will be very tough with PDP.
*The level of cooperation and attendance amongst delegates and non-delegates of Delta State APC during the just-concluded National Convention has been applauded with thanks to the DSP and the State leadership of the party. Going forward, after the National Convention, can there still be more of the process of reconciliation of members with a view to consolidating and galvanizing the position of the party in readiness to do battle in 2023?*
You see, an author wrote a book in this country which he titled: ‘Because I’m Involved’. For me, I’m involved in the affairs of our party at strategic levels to appreciate what happened during the convention, to understand the effort of the DSP, the effort of the new State chairman and the effort of so many well-meaning leaders of the party are yielding positive results. Look, the DSP is open to a total and whole reconciliation of the party. You see, politics is about interest, it is about contest, it is about competing for positions and survival. Naturally, when people lose out in such competitions, anyhow the competitions come, you will always have people who are aggrieved. But winners must be magnanimous in victory, they must be humble in taking victory and reaching out. So, this has been the DSP’s approach to it. So, what you saw, what people witnessed at the Convention, that convergence of people of diverse perspectives was a product of hard work, humility, appealing to people – that you may not have won today does not mean you are a loser. Whatever leadership we have must be trusted for the interest of everybody. We wish to achieve hundred percent. But can we achieve that? No. But I can assure you that those who would not allow themselves to be reconciled will be in the super minority and they will be making a strategic mistake. Our appeal is that we don’t want such mistakes to be made. It is better to remain a united force. But it is what it is. Mind you, you cannot get everything – you win some, you lose some. The ones you win, you maximize your victory. But the DSP’s position is simple. We want a united APC to confront the PDP. In any case, if one or two persons feel that they are bigger than reconciliation, or they will not participate in the reconciliatory process, APC will still win Delta State.
*What effort is the party putting in to ensure potential voters’ get registered to obtain their permanent voters cards, PVC?*
Yesterday, the chairman of INEC spoke to this issue as to why they are not new issuing permanent voters’ cards now. So, it is not as if new PVC are available and people are not collecting. What we are doing at the moment is to encourage people to go and register. There is a lot of work in that regard to get people to go and register. And we believe that will continue because it is what you need to be able to vote. And for your name to be in the voters’ register is a responsibility you cannot run away from.
People were expecting that after the National Convention, the Deputy President of the Senate will declare his intention to contest the 2023 governorship election. When can this be?
Let me say this. It will not be responsible of me to make a declaration on behalf of Senator Omo-Agege. But what I can confirm to you is that the Deputy President of Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege will make a major political statement in this country, and as it relates to our State and the politics of our State, very soon. When I say very soon, I mean very soon. He has alluded to it pretty much the last time that he was in Oghara. And you see, this is not about one man, it is not about the DSP alone. There has to be a broad consultation within the APC family and even without. There are a lot of interest that have to be consulted and there are a lot of positions that have to be filled. You need to build a solid coalition beyond the interest of one man in the name of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. So, when he makes that statement, everybody will now say, yes, this is actually what we want. But for him to just come out and make it in a selfish manner, it will not be the desire of the party. So, I want to urge those people calling him to declare his intention, I would encourage them to be patient. We thank them for the confidence they have for the Deputy President of the Senate.
*Most people who are clamouring for the DSP to come out and declare his intention do so with their conviction borne out of the performances of the Delta Central Senator especially on the numerous projects and empowerment he has attracted to his people. How do you react to that?*
Just to say that record is very important in politics. Aside record, your character also matters. Like some would say in the local parlance, ‘who im help’. You see, the people can relate to his empirical achievements. That is why they say that if in less than eight years in the National Assembly the DSP can achieve these things, we trust him that when he becomes the governor, he will do more. So, like I said before, it is their right to call on him to declare his interest. And we thank them for that. But more importantly, there is now that undaunted confidence by our people that any position which the DSP may decides to contest for, he will win it convincingly. And they are ready to support him.
