With governorship election in Anambra not done until 2014, former governor of the state, Dr. Chris Ngige has opted to go to the Senate. He wants to represent Anambra Central on the platform of the ACN. he spoke to John Bulus on his aspiration.

There was a rumour you were to be Mallam Nuhu Ribadu running mate in the presidential race?

Yes, a lot people called me, a lot also sent text massages to me, asking if I was nominated as the ACN presidential running mate, because some had gone to the internet, especially Sahara reporters, said so. Some congratulated me; others said they wanted to find out if I was the chosen person, to run with the presidential candidate of our great party, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, I told those who got in touch with me that the situation was not true as painted by Sahara reporters.

The true situation as I speak with you is that my party—ACN, on Monday, submitted a letter of withdrawal of our former senatorial candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa to the INEC, and substituted my name for that position to fly the flag of our great party in the April 2nd senatorial election to represent the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District in the Senate. That is the true situation.

But what had happened earlier in the day on that Monday, which might have informed the source for this false information by Sahara reporters, was the fact that principal officers of the campaign organization of our presidential flag bearer led by Chief Audu Ogbe, Ribadu himself, the Deputy National Chairman of our party, Boss Mustapha, National Secretary and some other principal officers including myself, met at our party headquarters because we are all members of the colloquium committee that held last Wednesday.

Of course the issue of vice presidential slot was also discussed, though it was not the main agenda for the meeting, and when we all finished the meeting and came out, we were all smiling and that gave the impression that the meeting went well. May be it was at this point that the press around, especially the Sahara reporters, concluded that I had been chosen without asking to if that was the reason we met.

Like I said, we did discuss it there, but the consultations and discussions are still ongoing. But for today, I am the nominated ACN flag bearer for Anambra Central Senatorial District and not the Vice Presidential candidate.

Was your name mentioned for the position?

Yes my name came up at the meeting for the position, and discussions are still ongoing.

Was the discussion in your favour?

When we get to the bridge we will cross it, because it is a search that is very broad base, and you should know that the presidential running mate will come from the southern zone, that is South East, South West, and South South and some names from all the zones have been mentioned they way mine was mentioned. But the discussions, like I said are still ongoing and we have between now and 21st to conclude on the discussion when the final choice will be made.

Does it mean that up till now slot of vice presidential candidate is vacant in the party?

A name is there, that is the truth of the matter, but the search is going into it because every political party will want to come out with its best 11. Someone better than the person there now is what the party is looking for because the ability to gather votes for the party, we are looking for votes.

Some people say you belong to an unpopular party in your area. How prepared is your party to wrestle with the ruling party APGA and its candidate Professor Dora Akunyili?

That view is old_fashioned. They have been saying that. In the last governorship election the used it, and with all due respect, the kind of showing ACN in Anambra State, with all the irregularities that attended to that February 6, 2010 election, we gave APGA a run for their money notwithstanding that our statesman, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu_Ojukwu, campaigned vigorously for them day and night.

As a matter of fact, without being immodest, my party which they say is an unpopular party, won in Ojukwu’s ward and his local government area. We took the fight to his domain and his people voted for us. So how can a party that defeated Ojukwu in his area be described as an unpopular party. It is not so. ACN is the most popular party today in Anambra. It is propaganda, if anything, as I have always say to people, the Igbos, especially those in Anambra should realize that ACN is the party that represents the spirit of what our founders, the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief M.I. Okpara did in the former time, when the NCNC aligned with the Action Group in a coalition government.

What are you looking for in the Senate?

In 1999, when I made my debut in partisan politics, I tried to go to the Senate, but I didn’t get the nomination, I went into the party to work. I was in PDP, after the convention, I was elected as the deputy national secretary of the party. In 2003, I went in again to contest for senate; I got the nomination to represent the people Anambra Central in the senate before I veered off to the governorship election and became governor providential.

So, if you look at it critically, you will see that I am a man who believes in the legislature. I did all I did as governor because I was in the federal civil service where I gained 18 years experience before my voluntary retirement. But my first calling by my nature as an independent man and social critic is in the legislature, where I can speak my mind on issues, and make laws for the people. I can tell you today that even the big people in our society are not comfortable; they have their hands in the mouth. First of all there is no security for everybody in the society, no matter the amount of police men you see them going about with.

I am going to the Senate because I have to join of progressives in the senate to change the quality of legislature. There is need for the senate to be lifted from the floor where it is now, so that quality laws can be made for the good of the nation.

The same constitution that created the national assembly, created the executive, the constitution gives the legislature oversight function powers to ensure that the laws made are implemented. Why are we appropriating money for road constructions that are not done and the money fizzles out and nobody asks question about the money.

We can’t blame everything on the executive; it is the duty of the legislature to ensure that money appropriated is used by putting the executive in checks in terms of project execution. So people like me are going there as enforcers.