Chief Evans Ivwurie is contesting the Delta State House of Assembly seat for Ethiope East constituency on the platform of Labour Party, LP. In this interview, Ivwurie expresses optimism that he would defeat other aspirants for the seat in the election to claim the seat. Excerpts:

By Dapo Akinrefon & Charles Kumolu

What informed your decision to want to represent Ethiope East?

I was greatly inspired by the living standard of the people, I have seen my people live the kind of life that I survived, which is poverty. I have seen my people live in excruciating and chronic poverty in the midst of so much. I have seen in the last 16 years of democracy in Nigeria, that Delta State even if one of the richest states in Nigeria, but we have absolutely nothing to show for it in terms of infrastructure, economy. Growth, is stifled. In terms of growth, there is no growth and development. I have seen the yearning and aspiration of our people on a daily basis.

I have seen the poorest of representation for Ethiope East. In the last 16 years, Ethiope has sent two people to represent them in the Delta State House of Assembly and I believe these people failed them woefully.

I am a student of leadership and I am an expert of leadership and I am a strong student of economic development and I also know that I have struggled all of my life to escape poverty, so I know what it means to manage wealth.

I know too very well that I have the intellect and wisdom to provide very effective leadership but the reason I am aspiring to go to the Delta State House of Assembly is not to acquire power, it is not to acquire fame, it is not to acquire wealth.

•Ivwurie: People are drifting to Labour

The singular reason I am aspiring, which is the minimum, is because it is the position I can use to drive and enforce very good laws that will protect the future of Ethiope East and the generality of the people of Delta State. I know that I can initiate good laws to bring about development into Ethiope East. I know that I can use this position to let Nigerians and Deltans especially know that you can get the best out of government.

Do you have the needed structure to actualise this your aspiration and how is it like?

I have a very effective party structure. The Labour Party in Delta is a very effective structure led by Chief Great Ogboru. It is the same structure that metamorphosed from the Rainbow Coalition to the Alliance for Democracy, to the Democratic Peoples Party and presently to Labour Party.

It is a structure that is anchored on the will of the people of Delta State. When a people are determined to make a change, there is nothing that is going to stop them. This is the machinery that we are using which is the Labour Party.

I have been opportune to live the life of a politician, I reach out to everybody. I am using the party to access power and when I have that power,  I will provide qualitative life to everybody, I have been reaching out to everybody irrespective of the party they belong to, provided they are from Ethiope East .

I can assure you that it is going to be rewarding because I have seen groups embracing what we are doing, I have seen women contribute to our campaign organisation just because they want to be part of a thing that is bigger than them. They see me winning this elections and they are going to partake from the reward that comes out of the election.

You are running against an incumbent, whose party is strongly rooted in that constituency, where does that put your chances?

The candidate if the People’s Democratic Party is not an incumbent, in fact, he did not participate in the primaries.

Participation in primaries

That provided us the people of Ethiope East to make a choice between a political neophyte, who does not have the capacity to provide leadership and that is where I have the biggest advantage because I am able to provide leadership.

I am able to drive development, I am able to represent the people of Ethiope East robustly. The people also know that I am with them in the grassroots, if I win, they win. These are the things the people of Ethiope East are looking for, they are not looking for an arrogant PDP candidate for the House of Assembly. I see my party as the light for the state and Ethiope East.

Can one know the chances of your party in winning the governorship election?

The candidate if our party, is overwhelmingly loved by Deltans. He has a ratio of over 95 per cent acceptance in Delta State. I can assure you that in the 2015 the stakes are high, our people have come to know the the level of injustice leveled against him, Chief Ogboru. This is an election that matters most for them. It is going to be a clear victory for Chief Ogboru because he is a grassroots man.