By Simon Ebegbulem

Mr Mika Amanokha is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State. In this interview, he insists that the Governor Adams Oshiomhole – led APC in the state will defeat the PDP despite the defection of some APC members to the PDP. The House of Assembly aspirant for Etsako East also explains why he wants  to represent Oshiomhole’s constituency in the House of Assembly.

Excerpts:
Some APC leaders even from your local government left the APC for the PDP. Don’t you think it will affect your party come 2015?
Those who defected from the APC  are spent forces in the area. If you take a good look at their defection, they moved alone; the youths did not move with them, leaders of the party did not go with them. These are people who can no longer win votes and they know that their value has dropped, so they decided to move.

These people are no threat in Edo North. Same thing in other parts of the state. Those who moved are people who want Oshiomhole to do their bidding to the detriment of the state and that did not work out. The defections are actually  face-saving moves for them.

Why is it that some Etsako people who are supposed to support their son Oshiomhole left for the PDP?
That is what  people refer today as stomach infrastructure. But the governor said no because  if he does that it is the people of the state that will suffer. These are people who feel the governor is spending so much money on projects and not on them.

The people of Emei Egba where Momoh comes from have told him that if he left APC for  PDP like he has done now, they would not vote for him. They made it clear and it is on record. He and others left due to their personal ambitions and not the interest of our people and that is why they are going to be punished on the day of election.

They accused Oshiomhole of running a government  in which only the people in his clique are  benefiting.
That is blackmail. If  you want to kill a dog, you give the dog a bad name first. Oshiomhole is answerable to the people and not anybody. These same people also accused Oshiomhole of being a dictator, at  times they say he over-consults before he takes decisions.

Their headache is that Oshiomhole refused to listen to them, they will turn around and say he is surrounded by a cabal. These people  complaining tried to form a group around him so as to control him for their selfish interests, but that did not work out, that is why they are crying today. What they kept suggesting to the governor is anti-people policies and the man said he came to serve the people, and  not  any group. Oshiomhole does not believe in any group and that is why you see development today in the state.

2015 elections
That elections will be another opportunity for Oshiomhole to  show to the world that his works are appreciated by the people. In Etsako for instance it will be an opportunity to further shut Dan Orbih up, to tell him that the people really value  the infrastructural development in the area. I am sure Orbih will begin to appreciate development rather than his uninformed criticism of  Oshiomhole.2015 will be an  opportunity for us to celebrate victory over the fall of PDP.

Why I want to represent my people?
Hopefully, when the party is ready for primaries, we will tell the people that we intend to create a robust relationship between the state and the legislative arm. We will work with the masses and our youths to find solution to unemployment. We are currently working on a scheme which, by the grace of God, we will activate when I  get to  the House of Assembly. It will dwell on artisanship and, once they are through with the training we will establish for them. With that they will be transformed from being unemployed to employers of labour.

Some people are not  comfortable that some Oshiomhole’s aides like you are gunning for elective positions in 2015?
One way you can assess a leader is when he is able to lead and hand over the mantle of leadership to credible people.  Now,  if most of Oshiomhole’s disciples are running, it is simply because they have gone through the necessary training that can take Edo to the next level. They have acquired the necessary experiences from the Comrade Governor to lead in different  capacities. After all, most of those gunning for elective positions, are they more qualified than Oshiomhole’s aides? So, why the complaint  if Oshiomhole’s aides are running for elective positions? But this is PDP propaganda  just to cause disaffection in the APC, but it will not work.