Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, speaks with BEN OGBEMUDIA and JOY MOSES on the issue of a joint-Muslim ticket and others relating to the 2023 general elections

You joined politics at an early age, what motivated you?

Well, some people will say God’s gift in you, and you find it around the things that you do daily. While growing up I never lived alone, I always had my friends around me and I have always been at the forefront for them to follow. I am a transparent person, I do not believe I should have everything alone. My life is let’s live. What I have, I believe every other person should have. My coming into politics is like the lifestyle that I have evolved. It is community-based, and I want to reach out to people I want to see the environment where I am where everyone is happy and where everyone gets at least enough to be self-sufficient. I entered politics because of the drive to serve, the drive to bring governance right to the people so that they all feel the impact of government.

Could this be the reason why you defeated a sitting Senator?

God gave me that victory and I also worked hard. When I pursue anything I don’t believe is impossible to achieve, I keep pushing. The results may not come but this time around I was convinced that it was my time. So, I walked out and reached out to the statutory delegates, the ad-hoc delegates. The way Nigeria is today money plays a part in politics but you know that obviously money doesn’t decide everything. People will still take your money and do whatever they want to do because nobody’s happy with the state of the country right now. I just feel people want a change and in 2023 there’s going to be a new president. So, the narratives will change. Being a senate for two terms, working with the president of this country as it is today and they have seen the best of this government and the best of this government has not appealed to them sufficiently enough to make them want anybody along that line to continue.

Akeredolu endorses use of CCTV in public, private institutions

What will you do differently if elected?

I will make my kind of legislation for the people. I don’t see why, for instance, I’ll be sitting Senator from Edo south and then people are complaining about a daily basis about federal roads in Edo south and I won’t talk about it. I won’t be comfortable seating in Abuja to get my allowances, then come only once in a while, buy things to give people in the name of empowerment. I don’t think it is the right way to build capacity. I believe you can build capacity by getting more federal presence in our senatorial district. If the federal institutions here are developed, they will build up the people. I believe that capacity building is more important than infrastructural provision because when you build capacity and intellect, it is a natural flow that infrastructures will get improved upon and it will be better maintained. In any riot today, the first thing they do is to look at physical infrastructure and start destroying them, it means nothing to them because they are hungry, but if they are not hungry they see no impact in destroying properties. By the grace of God, if we get to the Senate, we want to make the government look at those areas that will directly affect the lives of those people and not make a bogus policy statement that transmits nothing.

There is the insinuation that a legislature should be given the mandate to return several times to the National Assembly, do you subscribe to that belief?

Well, I do not subscribe to that. For me, there is nothing in this last National Assembly that has appealed to me that will make me want them to be reinforced to continue office. The quality of life of the ordinary citizen of Nigeria has gone down and they blame the past administration, of course, the past administration was bad but you knew you will come to make a change and solve that problem but you came and continued in the same way the past administration did. The new executive for 2023 will need new brains to bring in fresh ideas on how to move this country forward.

You were popular when you were the majority leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, how did you achieve that popularity?

The office doesn’t make the man, the man makes the office. I was the majority leader and being the leader of the house, I was interacting with everyone and by the grace of God in 2023 when I get to the senatorial district don’t be surprised if I’m being called distinguished because of my lifestyle. I will still relate with people I relate with and I will still go to the places I go. There is no difference in my lifestyle, I am still the same person.

You have bought land and cars for your constituents in the past, don’t you think politics is an expensive venture?

I don’t regret being in politics. Whatever I do in life I see it as a calling. If I acquire all the wealth in this world and I lock it in this house if I die tomorrow none will follow me to the grave. So while I am alive I rather share it with people around me to improve their lives and make them comfortable.

You have opponents in other political parties do you feel you’ll be defeated?

If I cannot defeat the other opponent in the other parties then why am I in the race? I don’t even see opponents anyways. The Edo south people know me as one of their political champions, so let us go out there and tell the people why they should vote for us and allow them to decide. When God has made up his mind to do something, people will always fall into place. You win an election because people see you as the person and not because you spent the most money.

What are the issues you want to campaign with?

Coming from 2015 till today, will you tell me that the Nigeria of 2022 is better than the Nigeria of 2015? The answer is no. In 2015 a bag of rice was less than 10,000 naira but in 2022 a bag of rice is more than 20,000 naira. I know the price of petrol as of then but today the price has increased. Is that the kind of thing you want to continue? The only way you can bring the government back to its responsibilities is through proper legislation and oversight and that is the duty of the members of the national assembly.

Akeredolu endorses use of CCTV in public, private institutions

Do you think a Muslim-Muslim ticket will sell in present-day Nigeria?

That is the biggest insult to us as a nation. That is being insensitive to others that exist in this country. I am not a religious fanatic but I also believe everyone should be carried along. What if it was a Christian- Christian ticket? They want competence and capacity but are you telling me you can’t find that in a Christian aspirant? Show me one Muslim that has the capacity and I’ll show you many Christians that have the capacity too. I know this country many can govern us for 2022. Former President Goodluck Jonathan governed us, didn’t he have the capacity as a Christian? I think this country as a plural society must make everyone have a sense of belonging.

Your party has presented the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, was that the best choice?

A man who is a medical doctor which means he has intellectual capacity. You must pass JAMB before going to the university and he did that phase, he entered politics and has been a secretary to local government; a local government chairman; a commissioner in three different ministries in Delta; secretary to the state government, represented Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly and he has been a governor twice, and he is doing well as a governor in Delta State for seven years. I see in Okowa a very silent achiever. I see him as a vice-president who will subordinate himself to the President and work with him and at the same time add value to the system.

Do you see Okowa bringing the votes of the South-South and South-East?

Of course

Does Okowa represent the South-East?

He represents the whole South. We do not need someone that is an ethnic champion, but a proper Nigerian that is a Nigerian. Nigeria lacks leadership and amongst the aspirants who do you see that has the qualities of a leader.

So, do you think Atiku can bring the country back on track?

Yes, Atiku a Muslim but as far as I am concerned, he is not a fanatical Muslim, he is the only one that has the national spread across the whole country. The country should be governed by merit and capacity and not by where you are from.