Mr. Peter Eloka Okocha is a businessman of repute and philanthropist from  Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.

In this interview with Journalists in Lagos, he spoke on what informed his decision to join politics, power rotation in Delta state and problems confronting Nigeria. He also talked about what he called the “gentlemanly understanding” among the  three senatorial zones in Delta state to give Delta North a chance to govern Delta State in 2015. Excerpts:

BY GBENGA OKE

What informed your decision to join politics and to eye the governorship seat of Delta State?

I believe I have something to offer. It is not enough to sit on the fence and complain. Of course, I made an attempt in 2007, I was excluded because I am a friend to the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

They said I was corrupt. The El-Rufai White-paper said I was corrupt. But interestingly, since I was born, I have never worked for anybody.

So, who corrupted me? The case went to court. By the time it was over, the elections were over. Then, we started going to court over exclusion. The present governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, won the appeal but the good thing is that he has succeeded in completing his eight years term.

What of the issue of power rotation that some people are talking about in Delta State as politicians get ready for the 2015 elections?

In Delta State, we have what we call “gentlemanly understanding” that is also hoisted on us by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is that power would rotate from one senatorial district to the other.

Gentlemanly understanding

The Delta Central has served under James Ibori for eight years. The Delta South also produced Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan who will by 2015 complete his eight years.

If the gentlemanly understanding is respected, the Delta North has to produce the next PDP candidate. It is an understanding, not an agreement, because any agreement will be unconstitutional. It is only an understanding in PDP. No other political party has that kind of understanding.

The people that are abreast of political development in Delta State would have read what the state PDP chairman said, what the secretary to the government said and what the governor has not said. The governor has kept quiet on it. But the truth of the matter is that there is a gentlemanly understanding. There is no agreement. We hope and pray that they would respect that gentlemanly understanding.

If our brothers from the Delta Central and Delta South respect that gentlemanly understanding, it means that all the candidates that will emerge for screening and for primaries will be from the Delta North. But I am not averse to competition. I believe that a country can only grow if the best and brightest is chosen.

Do you have any fear that PDP may not respect that gentlemanly agreement?

It is not an agreement because an agreement is something you sign and seal and you are waiting to deliver. I call it gentlemanly understanding. The various senatorial districts that have enjoyed that understanding should respect it.

However, there is no law that stops anybody from those districts from contesting. But we are hoping that the governor will in time lend his voice to the gentlemanly understanding. I hope that, even the governor’s opinion will be respected, because if he says it, it is still unconstitutional.

What would you do if the gentlemanly understanding is not respected and people from the Delta South and Delta Central decide to run?

I am not one of those who believe in power allocation. The best and the brightest should be given a chance. Unfortunately, the Nigerian media and various organisations are also to be blamed for us coming up with half-baked leadership. Most of them have not been put to test.

I am glad that the chairman of the governor’s forum once said that 50 per cent of the politicians are people that don’t have anything to do. Most people come into politics because they could not find employment. They are not educated or literate to write…may be providence smiles on them, they become local government chairmen.

Anybody who dares to say he wants to become local government chairman becomes an enemy. We the citizens of Nigeria have fundamental human rights. We can recall a non-performing legislator. We have not tried it to see whether it will work or not. So, the power that is latent in us, given to us by the constitution, has not somehow been tested.

However, I am not averse if it is thrown open, I will go the whole hog and I believe that I will get it. I believe that I have what it takes to be the next governor of Delta State.

Do you have a structure on ground that can attain that for you?

I am not a green horn in politics. Since the inception of Social Democratic Party (SDP), I have always made the councilors in my local government.

Interest in politics

I am a businessman and I am always interested in politics. I did not just move my factory from Lagos to Ibusa, Asaba Road, for the sake of it; though there is market. I moved it to empower my people as one of my contributions. Today, it stands as one of the viable industries in Delta State. It was not by chance. It was planned.

Yes, I have the structure and I have the infrastructure. I have men and materials on ground. I have actually started consultation with various opinion leaders, gentlemen and chiefs to sell my ambition and what I stand for before the whistle on the campaign is blown. The consultation has gone wide. I am one of the founding fathers of PDP in Delta State.

What is your take on the agitation of the people of Anioma that it is their turn to produce the next governor?

Sincerely speaking, we should not actually be clamouring, because we have more local governments. There are 25 local government areas in Delta State; nine are Igbo, eight are Urhobo and out of that eight, three are Iteskiri, three are Ijaw and two are Isoko. If we play smart politics, we can take our nine and just poach from there.