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Senator Emmanuel Bwacha represents Taraba South senatorial district on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He entered the Senate following a stint in the House of Representatives. In this interview with journalists he responds to issues in the polity including the 2015 presidency contest and the slant of the opposition in the country. Excerpts:

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

What is your assessment of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan?

I am from a region that believes that the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan is charting a new road map for Nigeria. Why? Because we are beginning to look at the country like one that belongs to all of us. The reason is if Jonathan who is from the minority South-South can become president of Nigeria, apparently in the nearest future a citizen of Taraba State can also be president of the country. Secondly, it has also given us hope that power is divinely given, nobody can call the shot, only the living God decides who becomes the leader.

Food for thought
This also goes to teach us some lessons that we as human begin should not be laying claims to certain things that don’t belongs to us. Somebody will say it is only he who will decide whether somebody becomes this or that. I think this is a food for thought. People appear to be forgetting certain aspects about the bold steps President Jonathan is taking to touch the lives of people but some Nigerians are more concerned about the turbulence we are facing in the area of security.

Emmanuel Bwacha

It is one of those challenges and some certain individuals are capitalizing on that to discredit the regime but I also know that it is a trial moment and the president has proven that he is up to the task and also has the ability to address the issue. You know, we can be very sure that all is well and Nigeria is working. We are very happy and I am particularly consoled by the fact that we have commenced our journey to greater Nigeria.

So, would you want Jonathan to continue in 2015?
Well of course, Jonathan has served one term. Like I said he is coming from the South-south and if the South-South would have got its second term after 2015 then any other region can have that opportunity. It is not strictly on the basis that the entire south brings one side and the entire North brings one side, we are looking at Nigeria from the perspective of region, of course, if it goes to the North, it will either be to my own region or the North West.

If it moves to the South, it is either to the South West or the East or South-South. Now the South-South has taken its first term and it is going to take another term in 2015, we believe Nigerians should give him that opportunity so that all of us will have that sense of belonging.

How do you see the threat of opposition against the re-election of Jonathan?

Well, opposition is good because it will put the government on its toes but I can assure you it is not a threat. I see the opposition as strange bedfellows.  The build up of the opposition is good for our democracy because it puts the party in government on its toes but I am not looking at it as a threat that is capable of unseating the PDP government in 2015.

But the argument is that Jonathan is not doing enough…

These are individual opinions. But irrespective of whatever anybody is saying, I am a Northerner and I can tell you the preponderance of opinions, that an average northern minority wants Jonathan to continue in 2015.