By Joseph Erunke
Erstwhile member of the House of Representatives Engr. Doris Uboh (Ika Federal Constituency) is one of the aspirants for the Delta North Senatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Uboh in this interview articulates her purpose and mission. Excerpts:

Are there things you are now regretting that you did not accomplish while representing your people at the National Assembly?

Of course, there are quite a few things that one would have liked to bring to a logical conclusion before leaving the House but we were tenured and when your time is up, you just have to leave and go for re-election.

Uboh: Uduaghan did not manipulate delegate election

I would have loved the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, to have come into practice by not only signing into law but actually for it start having effect on the welfare on the citizens of Nigeria. But it is unfortunate that discussions are still going on it. It is one of those things that I would have wished that we concluded before I left.

You sought election to return to the House of Representatives in the 2011 poll, what happened that you couldn’t make it back?

Well, I sought re-election and it wasn’t that I did not campaign hard or that my people didn’t want me but you know as election goes, it’s in different folds and sometimes, things happen that don’t really augur well in the eyes of the law and there is nothing you can do about it. I did win my petition at the election tribunal but at the court of appeal I lost out.

When you look at the National Assembly today and that which you were a member, would you said it has been the same?

It is difficult to compare because each House is guided by the signs of time as at that time. For instance, at that time, we had our own issues in the House of Representatives that made it very vibrant-we had the Etteh issue, we had the Bankola issue and we had other different issues.

I suppose that this time around, they have different issues too, they have the insurgency issue, they have the current speaker issue, so each House is guided by the issue affecting the nation, so it’s difficult for me to compare both Houses.

I still have colleagues who were with me in the 6th Assembly and they are still members of the 7th Assembly. I think only they can assess both Houses because they would have a full picture, having been members of both Houses. They will have better picture than I could. But I think they are doing the best they can judging from the issues affecting the nation today but it’s quite rocky.

How was the delegate election in Delta State?                

On your question on the delegate issue, I can’t speak for other states on what happened but in my own state, I don’t think you have heard anything about delegate issue in Delta State. I think my governor has handled it very well. We did exactly what we were supposed to do and we have our delegates in place.

But some have accused the governor of manipulating the process?

Really?

Yes.

Well, those are two different issues. Imposing a candidate is one issue, delegates, whether or not we are all happy with the way we conducted the election is another issue. So there are two questions. The delegate matter in Delta State, have you heard anybody complain? I don’t think so. I was in the state and everybody participated and nobody, nobody complained. Every aspirant, whether State House of Assembly, House of representatives, Senate or governorship were all given the chance to participate in the delegate election and why would anybody complain? So I doubt that. But on the issue of imposition, I don’t think my governor is imposing anyone on anybody. I am not a governorship aspirant but whoever you have over thirty aspirants for one position, everybody would try to seek favour of the sitting governor. They will seek to curry favaour from him and I think that is what is going on but that one person is being imposed, since I am not a governorship aspirant, I don’t think it’s fair for me to comment on that. But I don’t think anybody is being imposed.

You are coming out for Senate, why Senate?

Yes, I am coming out for Senate, I just felt I should go for the Upper House after seeking the face of God. Believe it or not, I prayed over it this time around. I didn’t want to go into election the way I did in 2011. I wanted to be directed, they said when something happen to you, you become more prayerful and I guess my faith has grown over the years and I decided to let God direct me in whichever way He wanted me to go.

Even if He didn’t want me to go for an elective position, He should tell me and at the end of the day, my faith directed me towards Senate and that is harder because I need nine local governments whereas in my federal constituency, I needed only two. So you can imagine that I am giving myself a huge headache already by choosing a bigger constituency. But that is where God wants me and that what I am going to do.