LAGOS SEPTEMBER 4TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Fred Majemite, the Political Adviser of Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan is one of the strong voices of Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) and a stalwart of People’s Democratic Party (PDP). An aspirant of Delta Central Senatorial bye-election, he told newsmen including Senior Reporter Anthonia Soyingbe in Lagos recently why he is in the race and why he stepped down in previous elections. Excerpts:
You are a successful lawyer who has also made his mark in the politics of Delta State, why are you in this contest?
The sudden death of Senator Pius Ewhèrido, a highly respected gentleman politician and very kind-hearted man created a vacuum. Though the vacancy is yet to be declared by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but my people comprising the elders and youths called me and asked me to represent them. And as a grassroots man and a politician I believe that if the people are asking me to represent them, they certainly are convinced that I possess the intellectual capacity, the charisma and all it takes to represent them. Personally, as a PDP member, I know that given the structure I have built over the years I can win the PDP primaries in Delta Central. Besides, you will recall that I was one of the top contenders for the senatorial seat for Delta Central in 2003 until the UPU leadership under the late Chief Benjamin Okumagba, the leadership of the PDP family, prevailed on me to step down for Olorogun Felix Ibru, and I did in deference to them.

Some wonder why you did so if you believed you had what it takes to represent the party?
I did so knowing I wasn’t going to represent myself but the good people of Delta Central. Since then, I have been very steadfast with our party, PDP. If 10 years ago, I thought I was qualified to be in the Senate, now I am even more qualified because I have had a lot of experience in government. I have held political offices, inclusive of being a cabinet member in the last six years. My present office as a Political Adviser has made me traverse the entire Delta Central, and now know the needs of our people. I believe the time is ripe for me to contest. I want to go there to make laws that will bring development to our people, create jobs for our teeming youths and so on. As a lawyer, I know law making process; I am going there to position the Urhobo in the main stream of Nigerian politics and to give us a voice both at the Senate and different facets of our national life.

Can we expect you to step down this time around as in the past?
The state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and his deputy, Prof Amos Utuama, who are leaders of the party in the state, have said that all aspirants should go and slug it out in the open by convincing the people of their programmes. And at the end, anybody elected at the party primaries will get its support. So why should l step down? I have never given a thought to that and believe me, there is no stepping down this time around. Instead, they should step down for me, since I have done so before, in deference to UPU and our party, PDP.
Do you think you have the financial muscle to win the PDP primaries considering that some of the aspirants are very wealthy?
What you fail to realise is that our party members are very enlightened. Besides, the average Urhobo man even if you think he has no money, has his senses intact. Our people are very industrious, hardworking and would not depend on anybody’s wealth. So if anybody thinks it is wealth that will earn him/her the senatorial seat, he or she is dreaming. Our people want changes, they want dividends of democracy. Our party will give the ticket to a person with a clear vision of what he wants to do at the Senate, a grassroots man, who will be able to get the votes for the party based on his popularity, contributions and antecedents. Even at that, I have all it takes to make a successful Senate bid.

Do you believe PDP can wrest power from DPP or even the newly registered APC?
Any PDP candidate that emerges from the party’s primaries will defeat any of the candidates that will emerge from DPP or APC. I can assure you that Delta Central Senatorial seat will go to PDP by the grace of God. The Urhobo can no longer be in opposition, as we don’t want to be marginalised again. It is time for us to occupy our rightful place in Delta and Nigerian politics.
Source: Daily Independent