50 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012
We 've withdrawn PDP from Edo State — Sen Uzamere SENATOR Ehigie Uzamere, ACN, Edo South is the first senator from his senatorial district to return to the Senate having defeated his predecessor, Senator Daisy Danjuma who flew the PDP ticket in the 2011 polls. As the most ranking political office holder from Edo South, Senator Uzamere was caught in the akward position of leading the ACN assault against his cousin, Gen. Charles Airhavbere, the PDP candidate in the recent gubernatorial election in Edo State. In this interview he reviews the result of the election and gives reasons why the PDP suffered the embarrassing defeat in the election. Excerpts:
*Uzamere: Oshiomole is as popular as Coca-cola BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE
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HAT does this breakthrough mean for Edo South and you as a person? For me, I am fulfilled in this regard because right from 2007, I have been crying out aloud that we were being short-changed. Not financially, but in human resources. The Binis have been shortchanged on who decides at the
Oshiomole, who has turned our city into a goldmine, where everyone of us can be. Oshiomole is as popular as Coca-cola. Where I voted in my own village, the old men and women were coming to ask ‘where is Oshiomole party?’ So that is to show that Oshiomole is as popular as Coca-cola. We presented him because he has done well. We presented him because we have seen that he will lead us to the Promised Land, which he has done today.
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PDP rejected me at a particular time, not because I did not do well in the Senate, not that I am not popular in my Senatorial District, but because I refused to do what they wanted me to do federal level. The rejection by the Edo people is a signal to those who control PDP that we cannot be humiliated to the background. The PDP presented a Bini man but the ACN opposed the Bini man, so how does this mean independence for Bini man? Well, the man that ACN presented is Governor Adams
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The issue is not whether it is a Biini man, the issue is ‘who can deliver us from this bondage that we found ourselves?’ So to us, Oshiomole is a Benin man. When you talked about ‘deliverance from bondage’ what bondage do you mean? Political bondage! Back in 2007, if you looked at the number of
our people on the federal level, in terms of ministerial appointments, you will find that the Edo South had been shortchanged. I do not have power to nominate who gets what at the federal level but I have power to stop anyone that is sent to the Senate; and I have done so. When we (Edo South) had minister towards the end of the four years of former President Yar’ Adua, it was the Minister of State. This is because that Minister of State was mainly recommended by a particular person from this State; he was given Minister of State. Now, in terms of population, who is supposed to get a full Minister? Even when we had a minister in 2007, who recommended the minister? It was not our choice. So these are the things we are saying. So now, the only way we can convince the PDP F e d e r a l Government is to withdraw their party at the State level. Besides this political bondage, what other factors made you people to support Oshiomole in this election? Like I said, Oshiomole is like a wind. He came from the Labour Movement and some p e o p l e
thought he could not do well. But it is a very good tomato that sells itself in the market. So Oshiomole is a good product, he sold himself to the hearts of the Benin people. At least majority of us never believed he could do very well because we thought there was no money in the state. We have seen what he has done with the little resources. If you look at the development in Akwa-Ibom and that of Edo, and compare the two allocations, Edo State is more developed to Akwa-Ibom comparatively. So this shows that Oshiomole is doing well and we pray that he is going to do more for us. The PDP candidate is your nephew and you led the campaign against him, how do you feel campaigning against your blood relation? As a human being, I felt bad initially. But what happened? PDP rejected me at a particular time, not because I did not do well in the Senate, not that I am
not popular in my Senatorial District, but because I refused to do what they wanted me to do. Just because I did not respond to the wishes of the godfather and I was rejected because of that. At the point of PDP rejecting me, Governor Oshiomole, whose party is ACN accepted me. That is when my senior brother, I will use the word ‘senior brother’ (Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, the PDP candidate) was still a serving General in the Army. So PDP rejected me, not because I am not popular, but because I did what my conscience asked me to do, against the wishes of the godfather. I thought they debased me for not doing their wishes, rather they rejected me. Governor Oshiomole came to my rescue, when the PDP rejected me in the market place. It is only fair and a matter of integrity for me to stand with Oshiomole, stand with him, fall with him and rise with him and I will continue to follow him. What then is your wish to the PDP candidate? To me, he is my senior brother and very closed friend, so I will advise him to accept it as a game. I wish him well in his future endeavours.