SENATOR Matthew Urhoghide is the Director General of the Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu Campaign Organization. In this interview ahead of Wednesday governorship election in Edo State, he insists that the PDP, barring rigging and manipulation by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies and the All Progressives Congress, APC, the ruling party at the federal level, his party will win the election. He also speaks on the postponement of the election, blaming INEC for allowing itself to be manipulated by security agencies.

Governor Adams  Oshiomhole said the PDP planned to import militants to Edo State from neighbouring South-South states. How correct is this?

It is an  accusation that has no foundation. Oshiomhole is known for false accusations and the accusations often depict  what he is planning. He does it to distract people. I want to say that the governors of Rivers or Delta states are not involved in movement of militants into Edo to help the PDP. The fear of Oshiomhole and his party is  that defeat is staring them in the face ahead of the governorship election on Wednesday. The people are set to pay them back for their misrule in the last eight years. They were thinking that they could continue to deceive Edo people with their sing-song of 10 years of PDP this, 10 years of PDP that. The people were expecting that after crying for so many years, their own eight years would bring succour to them, but they have found out that they are in a worse condition. So, Oshiomhole is just crying wolf.

Matthew Urhoghide

He brought 10 APC governors to their rally, but does not want PDP governors in the other South-South states to visit Edo. Has Oshiomhole declared the form of support the APC governors are giving him?  Edo people are the ultimate decider of who wins the election and Oshiomhole’s noise cannot save him and his party. The order day, one of Oshiomhole’s Special Advisers said PDP recruited fake palace chiefs to spread falsehood in the villages. The truth is that such is their stock in trade; that is what they do. No matter the accusation they level against the PDP, defeat will be their lot on Wednesday.

What has changed between now and 2012 that makes you so certain of victory on Wednesday?

Edo people have discovered many of the lies of Oshiomhole and the APC. For instance, they have discovered that the federal government under the PDP contributed 60 per cent of so-called ‘Red Roof’ in the public schools. Do you know that Edo public schools are nowhere among the 50 best ranked schools in terms of WAEC examinations? So, what are they flaunting about education? There are no teachers in the schools and no science laboratories. Edo people know that what matters is not the colour of the roof of the classrooms but the quality of the education. Look at a critical area such as agriculture, Edo is nowhere.  Edo is not even comparable to riverine states such as Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa. No industry has been established by Oshiomhole’s government in the last eight years. So, there is nothing the APC people can pride themselves of. The truth is that if anyone is on the side of the Edo people, it is natural for such person to support the PDP and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to become the next governor of Edo.

What are some of his qualities that make you rate him so highly?

He has great experience in governance and understands the terrain and challenges of Edo very well. He is also a politician and a party man. He knows ‘who is who’ across the political parties. There is no other person that fits the position of the governor of Edo more than this man. Whatever Charles Idahosa or Adams Oshiomhole has to say is immaterial at this point in time.

What do you make out of the reasons adduced for the postponement of the election?

There is no one in Edo who does not know the real people who postponed the election and why they did it.  Imagine the money that was wasted the last time by the INEC, the political parties, the Edo people, the media and other stakeholders involved in the election. It was no doubt a wicked act. This is a state owing local government workers and they have been making denials all over the place. They are wasting taxpayers’ money by bending the rules of engagement so as to win an election in a foul way.  As for INEC, its  inconsistencies simply show that it is a supposedly independent body that is being manipulated by the federal government. It did not happen during the Jonathan administration. If the PDP had manipulated INEC, APC will not be in power today. The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, was arm-twisted to fall in line. They used the security agencies against him.

What could the INEC  Chairman have done at that point in time?

There was nothing he could have done since they had already informed him that they were not going to provide security. The APC in Edo and Abuja colluded with security agencies to arm-twist INEC into changing the date. They are like a bull in the China shop; they don’t care about anything. You can imagine a governorship election on a Wednesday. The midweek is supposed to be one of the busiest days in the week. This simply tells you how unmindful and anti-people these people are. The APC in Edo and their collaborators should hide their heads in shame. At the end of the day, they will see that God is mightier than them.

What leverage do you think the postponement gives the ruling party, the APC?

You can see that the pit that the APC has fallen into is getting deeper by the day. Edo people are angrier with the APC now because they were ready for the election on September 10. Do you know the number of people that came from overseas and different parts of the country to participate in the election? These people are indigenes of this place and registered here. They simply wanted to come and perform their civic duty. How do you quantify how much they spent? Many of these people left as they could not abandon their jobs and means of livelihood. They have, however, vowed to punish the APC for their injustice. Some of them will return to use their votes to punish the APC.

What is PDP’s message to the Edo people?

Edo people should just be calm. The PDP has learnt its lessons. You can see the performance of the PDP lawmakers in the National Assembly. We have being very selfless because we know that Edo people are suffering. That is why we are focusing on activities that can help the people. Since I became senator, I have rolled out an empowerment programme. I have also awarded scholarships to students. I promised that I will dedicate my allowances for the uplift of our people and I have been doing just that. That is what the PDP governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, is prepared to do. I want to assure Edo people that we will defend their votes and ensure that the results are announced right there in front of everybody. The moment the PDP wins the election, it simply means that a new dawn has berthed in Edo State.