From Joe Effiong, Uyo

Obong Christopher Ekpenyong, the former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State , 1999 -2015, needs little introduction in Nigerian political scene. In this rare interview, he refutes the rumours of his defection to APC, carpets APC as a party of egoists, asks President Muhammadu Buhari to get well quick so that he would come and show how much of change he has brought to Nigeria; hits hard on Jonathan for wasting the golden opportunity the South had to produce president, and expressed his regrets that by the time the Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial ticket shall have been zoned to his Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, he will be too old to contest.                               

You have been a little bit too silent lately. Does this mean you are retiring from active politics?

Well, to say that I have not been very forceful and forthcoming, I will say that is your observation. Other things aside from politics have also preoccupied me but I have not given up on the issue of leadership because leadership is all encompassing. The crisis that rocked the PDP lately is due to the fact that the party has been aloof. I will not say that I am a party to the bastardization of the party but I will say that PDP after the formation of the party in August 1998 by most of us; we went to electioneering and sold the vision of the party to Nigerians and they bought it. By the grace of God, a president emerged from the party’s platform and we formed a national government as well as state governments. Along the line, the party structure was hijacked; there was no separation of powers and the party was completely subdued. The emerging leadership at the executive level that was supposed to implement the policy framework of the party for the betterment of the populace rather took over the leadership of the party as well. There were no checks and balances. That phase of leadership came off. The second one came in 2007 to 2015 and swallowed it all. Any opposing opinion to what they were doing was seen as anti- party. All we could do was to just keep mute and watch.

So, when we went for the convention in Port Harcourt, I told my close allies in the party that the decision that was taken in Port Harcourt was not going to stand. I have gone through all these principles and I know how it works. We could not see the governor until we left that convention. I had envisaged that we had an amalgamated opinion. But you see, anybody that becomes the headship of a state becomes autocratic. Whatever he says is final. Even when we met at Presidential Hotel, I asked my governor what we were doing but there was no discussion whatsoever. We all went there and wandered about like sheep without a shepherd. At the end of the day, they told us that the party had anointed Senator Ahmed Makarfi to be the chairman of the caretaker committee. After I had known the rudiment and what the party was all about, I told my aides that decision will not stand. If Ali Modu Sheriff wanted this party to live, he should have been there to relinquish his position and ask that the party constituted a caretaker. When that was not done, the result was that someone advised Sherrif to go to court to test the sanctity of that decision. Now they are dragging. I am not going to pre-empt the Supreme Court. Let us all wait for the decision of the court. It’s after that the governor of this state will tell me where we are going, because I am his subject. He is the leader of the party and the governor of the state. That is why you think I am lukewarm; I am not.

Your silence has made people assume that you have left the PDP. Have you?

I have not left PDP. I am a very good supporter of the current government in the state. I am a promoter of peace and I am the man who insinuated when I was in office that power should shift from Uyo to Ikot Ekpene and to Eket senatorial districts not minding whether I will gain from it or not. I am also a very strong and committed party member who believes that if it was possible for the party leadership to take turns in senatorial districts, I would support that. When the present governor showed interest to run for the governorship of the state, I had also a material from the same senatorial district in the person of Benjamin Okoko. If it was another party, I would not have won but because he wanted nomination on the same political party which I belong and which governor Udom Emmanuel belongs, I told him that I could only do my best to sell him, but if at the end of the day the result is otherwise, I will still remain in the party. I support whoever emerges, because it’s a family affair. Governor Emmanuel Udom emerged and he has not told me that he is going to another party. If he goes to another party, I will go with him, because I believe in him. I believe that he has to finish what he has started. Every governor since 1999 when I joined then Governor Attah as a deputy governor spent eight years. Governor Akpabio came and spent eight years; we cannot break now, because that would cause distortion in that chain. I believe that PDP will sort themselves out and Udom will still seek his second term on the platform of the PDP. But whatever is the case, he will let us know. I have not left the PDP; I do not know what brought the speculations.

But are you aware of the speculations?

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Well, you have come to me to interview me and I will own up to everything I say here. I am not aware of granting any interview where I said that I would be leaving the party neither have I even discussed with my aides any such plans. I have political experience and from age 28 and I know what politics is all about. Politics is about service. At 62 going to 63, I know I still have the strength to serve but I know it will not come to my place in the next four years. I would rather stay in between to advise whoever comes to serve in Akwa Ibom and in Nigeria. I have written several memos to President Buhari in spite of the fact I am not in his party. I have not seen him implementing any of those memos I have written to him; so I would rather remain in my party and see if we could have a strong material, an intelligent man with wits that will make the real change.

Does this mean that you are not a supporter of the change mantra as propounded by the APC?

I have not seen the change. Have you seen the change? I have not seen any change in power supply that will enable us go into industrialization. Nobody has told me about the availability of steel so that we can start talking of automobiles and I have not seen change in the history of railway, which is supposed to serve as a major medium of communication and transportation of goods and services and personnel. I blame my political party that when we had a chance with our son from the South South for six years, we did not make good use of it. It was six years of wasted service as far as I am concerned.

Are you saying that the six years of President Goodluck Jonathan tenure was a wasted period?

Yes. Where is the road to even his village? Not to talk of other major roads that should have been a priority to him. Today, when people are criticizing Buhari for not looking at us, I laugh. Somebody has to look at where he comes from. That is Nigerian politics for you. We had been clamouring for power change and it came to us and we had the opportunity to reverse the injustices that have been visited on us. But we didn’t do it. I will not blame Gov Emmanuel Udom for any action that he takes because he wants to reinvent the state and take it to greatness by ensuring that we have industries. That’s why I identify with the young man, because he is thinking the way I would have thought. I am not saying that my brother (Sen Godswill Akpabio) did not do anything. He opened roads and built fine Government House but that did not touch the masses because only very few of us can enter the Government House. In my position, I cannot even enter there everyday not to talk of the poor people in the village. The poor person can only enjoy light, good school and good health care system but I have not seen any of those.

So, when they talk of me changing party; why should I leave this one for the one that I do not even see? They have not shown me any sign of what they are going to do. So, I would rather remain here and see how I can influence the one that is on the steering. Most times I go to the governor and say ‘sir, agriculture should be on your front burner. Sir, what do we have for health in our state; define it for us to know’. The other day, I went to the Ibom Specialist Hospital and I spent N207,000 for check-up. How many people would have been able to afford that? I am not saying that I have the money. When I was asked to pay that, I was wondering how one paralyzed lady who was also there would afford that kind of money. We need structured policies that will open opportunities for every citizen in the state. That is the kind of party I want.

The Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, when he visited Akwa Ibom  directed that oil companies should relocate their headquarters to their area of operation. When the issue got to the National Assembly, it was struck down. What is your reaction to this?

When the Vice President came to the state, I was watching on the television because I was in the hospital that day. One of the moves he made that endeared him to me was giving his nod to the Ibom deep seaport because they have politically subjugated us for long. When you look at our deep seaport and how decent it is, you will notice that we will have a lot of clientele than anywhere. Though I have not heard any advancement that we have made towards that, thank God the governor is committed to the project and the Vice President promised that Akwa Ibom will be supported. Right from the days of Governor Attah, he fought for resource control. He had wanted ExxonMobil to relocate its headquarters to Akwa Ibom State. I only laughed at him. I called him and asked who the facilitators of all these multinationals are. I know it’s always painful to see that the oil is gotten from here but the headships of the oil institutions are not from here. That is politics for you. So, the Vice President only made a pronunciation leaving the people involved to decide whether or not to act on it. Let the lawmakers make the law.