‘I Represent Face Of Equity’ 

Peter Nwaoboshi, the immediate past Delta State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the party’s senatorial aspirant for in Delta North, speaks on his aspirations and controversies trailing his candidature. 

HOW far is your campaign going?

  The senatorial race is very much on course. I am confident that I will win in a free and fair contest, because Delta State and Delta North are PDP state and a PDP area, respectively, and we have never lost elections since 1998, apart from the time Senator Patrick Osakwe went to the senate, but we all know what led to that.

  Such situation doesn’t exist in Delta North anymore, so we are confident and working very hard and we have consulted extensively.

But that scenario appears to be playing out again, with Mr. Victor Ochei, who was a PDP member, moving to Accord Party? 

  The situation is not playing out again, because it was the PDP that voted in Osakwe, who was imposed on the people by certain powerful forces and the government and the PDP people were not prepared for that; hence Mrs. Ali lost (PDP candidate). The PDP won all other elections apart from that one. But the situation here is not the same. 

  One, I won overwhelmingly in the seven councils in the primary that was counted in the full glare of everybody. 

  I have been around for a long time. I have been the state chairman of the party for seven years. I was its first state secretary. I have been a commissioner in this state, a special adviser and chairman of federal boards.

  So, I have been around; it is not like somebody coming from the wind and just being imposed on the people.

Why do you want to go to the senate?

  As the state secretary of the party, I was the engine-room of the party; I was the returning officer. After I wrote (Chief James) Ibori’s first speech, I was later appointed his political adviser, because he needed me to help him stabilise the polity; hence he did not make me a commissioner. 

  When it was time for a civilian-to-civilian transition, Ibori needed an experienced hand to be in Abuja to handle the politics of that time during his second term in office, so he made me the commissioner for Special Duties in charge of Abuja. The question is where was Ochei in all this process?

  I have a better political background and experience than Victor Ochei. He is not my match!

What really happened in the primary, because there was a controversy, and how was it sorted out?

  In the primary, we had finished the seventh council and entered the eight, which was Oshimili South, when the panel decided to leave the venue.

  The state chairman, who is, of course, by the party’s constitution, rules and guidelines, is also a member of the panel and chairman of any congress of the party held in the state, as the panel only comes to conduct, directed that they should count the result of the seven councils that had been completed and in the full glare of the world. They counted the result and the result was declared and entered. 

  When we got to Abuja, the NEC (National Executive Committee) said the panel discovered the mistake they had made, because the state chairman had directed and they entered the result, as declared. They had no other option, but to declare it as the result. 

  Based on what was declared in the full glare of world and the press by the panel, the panel had no reason not to accept the result, so they entered it and issued a certificate of return.   

  Also, we had done over 80 per cent of Ukwuani, so even if you added the votes from the last one, which was about 79 votes, I would have still won.

  The NEC, in its wisdom, said even if we add this vote to any of them, I would have still won. In any case, these areas- Ukwuani and Oshimili-South- are my very strong areas. 

  I have the support of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, who is the highest political office holder in Oshimili-South, and the support of the highest political office holder in Ukwuani. All the chairmen from these two areas are supporting me. 

  That was how it was resolved and the NEC declared me the winner of the primary.

But your main challenger, Ochei, has moved to the Accord Party. Don’t you foresee anti-party activities?  

  If you are a member of an association, you are a member and agree by the rules governing the association. 

  Before the election, you sign an undertaking that you will abide by the decisions of the panel or the NEC and not to do anything that will affect the image of the party. 

  So, what is unfair of it if you decide on your own to pull out of the party or to do anti-party activity? There are provisions for people who do anti-party activities, which is expulsion. 

  If you decide to do so, you should face the consequence. What the party has to do is to discipline you. It doesn’t make it unfair; it is only unfair if we are contesting elections within the same party. 

Why did you oppose the Anioma Congress’ screening of aspirants?

  I am a member of Anioma Congress; I moved the motion for its name. 

  What happened was that I am always careful about ethnic groups endorsing political aspirants. That was the basis of my disagreement with the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) and Isoko Development Union (IDU), because I said they couldn’t give us candidates

   As the state chairman of the party, I know I have to play a middle course, but that does not mean that I am not a member of the Anioma Congress. 

  Having been around for a long time and knowing the power game at that time, it was important for us to tread with caution. 

  If I had allowed it, when Okowa emerged, they would have seen him as a candidate of the Anioma Congress.