Senator representing Edo South in the National Assembly, Matthew Urhoghide, speaks with BEN OGBEMUDIA on the unending crisis in the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other sundry issues

Did it ever occur to you as a young man while growing up that you will be a lawmaker in your life?

Well, maybe I was too young to know what I was going to become. But I can say whatever I have become is what God designed for me and of course as time went on, I could see challenges all around me, and of course, I decided too to confront those challenges by offering myself for service.

Given your background as a pharmacist what prepared you for service as a politician?

Well, let me say it started in my university days when I was at the University of Benin where I studied Pharmacy; precisely around 1979. For the first time, my very good friend, His Excellency Ambassador Adamu Emozozo ran for the position of President Student Union government. And I can still remember we were having some time in our reading room around the Hall 1 Common Room, where they were having a meeting and they rushed to say “come and support me, come, and vote for me so that I can get the nomination of my party the Students Action Party and the other party, Progressive Grand Movement and he came and said please come and join me. I said which one is your party, he said Students Action Party”. So, we went in there to vote for him to be nominated. As I got there, the other students that were there said the office of the treasurer was vacant, “why don’t you just take it”. That is how it happened. I was now nominated to run for the office of treasurer of the Student Union. That was in 1979. Eventually, we had a contest after the nomination, and I won unfortunately my friend Adamu Emozozo did not win. That is how it started and at the end of the tenure in 1980, usually, when a tenure ends, the university sets up an Audit Committee to investigate our financial transactions and anyone guilty was sent to the university disciplinary committee headed by the then Liberian of the university. It happened that after that one year in office, we all faced the Audit Committee of the university, and I was absolved of all perceived malpractices in the office. That is how it happened in 1980.

At what point did you venture into politics?

You see, at that time there were controversies. We had students in Parliament; congress and as president of the student union government, you needed to be there. We had the speaker, most of the time we were having our speaker from the religious community. The SUs or CUs (Scripture or Christian Unions). We had Alabi that time who had first graduated from Amadu Bello University. They didn’t have tolerance for any form of abuse of office, particularly financial transactions that were shady. If you are asking for one naira to do something, you should be able to account for it. How much was even this money at that time? So, I saw the need to provide leadership and be accountable to the people. I saw it and by the time I left the university, most of the students were happy; “Matho you are president, you have done well”. These remarks made by my colleagues registered in my mind. So, if I had been indicted or misbehaved like others, if I had done one thing that probably brought bad memories to me, I wouldn’t have thought of it. By the time I even got to Lagos, after youth service I was now working with my colleagues, and my friends, we were all moving, socialising together in our different joints. The Olisa Agbakobas, the Emekas, all of us were always together at that time. Most times when we were together somebody would just recall “Matho was our president, oh! You are our president here. Matho for president, President Matho”. That one translated from school to when I came to Lagos. After I finished my youth service at the Nigeria Air force, I started working. I worked briefly with a private pharmaceutical company, and I started my own in 1985. So, as I was doing that, I settled down early. By 1985 I was married, I graduated in 1983 and I was not very young because I came from the University of Lagos to start all over again from the University of Benin, to read pharmacy with the instruction of my father. When I graduated from the University of Benin I was almost 28 years old or 27 plus. So, relatively I was not young. So, as I finished, I did my internship at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. When I was at the University of Lagos, I went to read Geology. My father said no.

What is the correlation between Geology and Pharmacy?

That was the greatest decision. The obedience I showed to my father, I can tell you, is the totality of my success today. My father said, “Don’t worry, I see your star in Pharmacy”. He said your elder brother is a medical doctor, and my younger brother was to read dentistry, “Why don’t you read Pharmacy?” I said I didn’t do Physics, and my father said it doesn’t matter. He said go and start all over. Because I didn’t do Physics, I had to start my pre-degree again. Do you know what? My practice for over 30 years and something that I had, blossomed. My success today is not on the representation, but I thank God I was able to represent people. My success is my practice. My Pharmacy practices. God gave it to me. I found favour. I was in the general practice. I was favoured everywhere I went. In those days, you couldn’t imagine 1985 up to 2000, about 20 years. There was no supplier, drugs, or equipment, let me say drugs to NNPC that were bigger than me. The same thing, the Nigeria Railway Corporation had their medical outfit, their hospital, because all the agencies under the Ministry of Transport, I was one of their biggest suppliers.

Which was the first election you contested for?

It was Senate in 1992 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). I won it after 23 years.

When did you join the ACN?
I joined the ACN in 2006.

Did you contest in ACN?

I contested for Senate in 2003 with a comrade but unfortunately, I didn’t want to join Comrade. I didn’t want to join the comrade in ACN. Before we got to ACN I was still in ANPP, Comrade wanted to join the ANPP, and I was in the National Executive of ANPP 2005. I was the only one from our state. We had the caretaker committee national at that time, the governor of Bornu Ali Modu-Sheriff was the chairman. Yari was governor of Zamfara. He was part of us. So, we were all executive members. Today, Emmanuel Unuku, who is the deputy chairman of APC (South) today was with me. It happened Oshiomhole wanted to join us. He was still president of the Nigeria Labour Congress. When I celebrated my 50th birthday in 2005, the first time Oshiomhole came to my house. He came to my house in Benin, he was brought in by Isekhure of Benin. He introduced him to me that this was Labour Party president. I said yes, I know him. When I was in Abiola Campaign in 1993 Kayode Komolafe was my assistant director.
How did you actualise your dream of becoming a Senator, and on what platform?

This is what happened. After 2006/2007 I have undecided about the party to go to. One night, Captain Hosa, Chief Lucky Igbinedion who was still governor, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, came to my house. I was thinking because Dr Samuel Ogbemudia also wanted me to join the PDP. I had the first meeting with Ogbemudia, he provided me with good food and everything; that I should come to the party. This time too, the late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, had left the ANPP to go back to the PDP. He (Ogbemudia) gave me 3,000 cards, “take go and re-establish PDP in Edo South in Edo State for us”. So that night when these my friends came, they said, “don’t join PDP you will join us. We want to have a new creation in Edo state, Action Congress. Please Mathew you have not played politics with us before. We want you to join us now”.

Who are you referring to as “they?”
Captain Hosa, Lucky Igbinedion and Osagie Ize-Iyamu

In the Action Congress?

Yes, it was Action Congress, because it was something in the works for then.

But you were in PDP then?
This is what played out, they couldn’t come out. So, they were the ones. Osagie Ize-Iyamu was the engine room. He was Secretary to Government. Though Lucky Igbinedion was still PDP governor. Captain was there who the bridge between us and them was. So, after they finished, they said they were going to bring Comrade. Comrade again? I said No, No, No. I said I don’t have anything to do with him. He was the one that scattered the ANPP. They talk and talk to me, begged me, and begged me that I should please join them. I said I will not join you. I rather go to PDP instead of another division. But because of Captain, I joined them. Then they came up, we want you to run for the Senate. Galvanize Edo South for us. You wanted to be Senator 1992, you wanted to be governor 2003, and now we want you to be the Senator for Edo South. We want you to put it together. Because we can see that you have a structure. I told them never. Captain Hosa did everything. He picked the form, gave it to Chief Frank Erewele, that one was in Captain Hosa Okunbo’s house, that I should come and sign, they have paid for everything for the Senate. I said I don’t want. It was Gentleman Amagor who had the ticket. Captain took it. Captain now became the candidate and said I am ready to give him, and Captain said Okay, gave it to Revered Ogbe Oviasu and from there he said, no! We are waiting for Mathew to come. We have paid everything, Captain begged me, don’t worry we will do everything. We want you to be on this ticket. I said before I take it, let me go and meet Uzamere he is my friend because he wants to run. He had come to tell me he wanted to run. Uzamere helped me to post posters in 1992.

War against terrorism: Subtle attempt to muzzle press

Ozamere won?
Yes, the PDP won. Just like Oshiomhole lost.

Is it true that the late Chief Tony Anenih gave you the ticket to the Senate?

Yes, he was alive and he supported it. My nomination, he was very particular about it.

Who contested against you in PDP at that time?
Samson Osagie in the APC. But in the PDP for nomination, West Idahosa, Isaiah Osifo, and Victor Edos Ebomoyi. After I got the nomination, we went for the election, and I won. Comrade encouraged Samson Osagie to go to court, to go to the Election Petition Tribunal, he lost he went to appeal court, and he lost.

Will you consider leaving the PDP for another party?
No, at my age. In August, I will be 67 years, but I thought that I was not going to run for any election again, but circumstances again, made it that I assumed a deeper role in the PDP, particularly bringing Godwin Obaseki into the PDP. If I had played the politics, it ought to have been played or the way they played it, Obaseki wouldn’t have been governor.

Do you intend to contest for the governorship position?
The problem of PDP today in Edo State, to a large extent, was the coming of Obaseki to this party, which I supported against the wish of the original PDP family.

Did he promise you a return ticket to the senate?

Let us forget about that.

It was rumoured that he gave you a lot of money and supported you against Matthew Iduoriyekemwen…

I didn’t get one kobo from him. I was not looking forward to getting one naira from him. I didn’t get it. I have heard about that rubbish. It is not true.

Why did you not take the Labour Party’s ticket?
I didn’t want to be seen to be desperate. That is why I didn’t take it.
But contrary to your view, people say the more time you spend in the parliament, the better you become as a lawmaker. What is your take on this?

That is the truth, our people don’t know that yet. Maybe because of representation at the level of parliament or the National Assembly, that is why we have the adage in Benin “that you will be doing something with new, new things because there is no profit in it”. What I wanted before, I thought we were working as a family with a clear understanding. Mind you, a lot of the people who are playing this political game in our environment, don’t understand it deeply. They don’t know what it’s. Many people misconstrue you, thinking you are making money; what about service? If they knew this, the quality of representation we have been getting, I am not sounding immodest. I have over 300 projects in Edo South senatorial district. So, if what I have done is anything to go by, they will probably plead with me to continue.
Is it true you proised Ogbede Ihama that when you are leaving for this second tenure, you will support him to come to Senate?
I never promised him that, I never. I told him anytime I leave. Why will I not support him? Anytime, not for him to tell me when. He didn’t bring me here. I was hearing of those things. Oh! Must you rush me? Must you tell me when to come in; when to go out? Akpatason is doing his third term in the House of Representatives. He is coming for the fourth term. He is a deputy leader. What Akpatason has in this budget, all of us put together we don’t have it. That is what goes to the principal officers’ positions. Why will he too not try to make a third term there and climb? If you come to the Senate, can you be Senate President? No. If the position I have now, can you have it, possibly not? So, I was not driving this thing because I was not helping somebody. I will prefer somebody when I am leaving, somebody who has the legislative experience to take over, not a question of you must do it now. I found that very offensive.

Vol. 3 Edition 100

The dangerous scenario is that your party may not field any candidates in the forthcoming election in Edo.
They are used to it. They are used to failure. They are used to crises. They have often lost power. It happened before. Forgotten? A group and B group. How it started, they fought themselves. There was no reason until they fell into the ditch. When I was busy trying to bring about reconciliation, between Dan Orbih and the governor’s group, that was what caused me this. Why don’t you join us carrying cutlass to kill the other one? I told them I cannot. If they want to fight, they can fight themselves. Because when I was telling them that time, they thought I was protecting my third term agenda. I don’t want the third term again. If they offered me a ticket somewhere else, with my popularity, I would have won but I want to show them I am not desperate. I would have taken that ticket; I would have gone ahead. I said I don’t want it. Give to whoever is interested. Those who are interested have taken it. I stepped back. Is now I want to come and tell them about reconciliation? Until one of them will go down, are they going to bring two candidates from PDP to Edo? One of them will go down. When one goes down, maybe he will still be dragging the other one until all of them go down. At the end of the day, it will be a loss to everybody. Then, that is when probably they will realize, why are we fighting? Look at both sides, particularly those of us who are the old PDP before the governor came. We needed to show a lot of tolerance. I am still saying it, politics is not about how many people you were able to destroy, it is how many people you can win to your side.

But you supported him…

Look, the whole idea was not to support the governor blindly. I never told him for instance the issue of removing people from their party’s position. I never supported it. You can only do it when those persons voluntarily give up their positions and you put them in your government. That is what I said. Today, I don’t have anybody appointed in the PDP government in Edo. None. I have to say it, no particular interest. I have not been paid and I have not been given one naira by this government. I don’t have SSA, SA; I don’t have. I don’t have one councillor from my senatorial district nominated by Senator Urhoghide. If that is the issue I needed every other person at the party to understand. Let’s tolerate it.

Did you bring Governor Obaseki into the PDP?
That is what they were saying. I am still saying it now, they will say, I brought him. I stopped Ogbeide Ihama from winning the governorship.

You appear too soft as a politician

Not really. I am too principled. You see my life is not dependent on it. I told people if you have intellectual independence and economic independence, I can tell anybody; the last house I built at Etete was 1999/2000. 15 years before I became a senator.

If you leave the senate, what will you be doing?

I am watching. I am just watching, as long as God gives me life. I will still serve my people. I may not be in a political office. I have been doing it. When it matters most in those days, in 1992, 1993, and 1994 most of the communities there, didn’t have water. I sank my borehole and was giving everybody water. The road by the side of my house, where my brother’s house is to Sapele road I was the one that was doing the road. I have been with our people. There is no way you see darkness around Etete now. I have lit up the whole place. The roads I was able to make.

He (Ogbemudia) gave me 3,000 cards, “take go and re-establish PDP in Edo South in Edo State for us”. So that night when these my friends came, they said, “don’t join PDP you will join us. We want to have a new creation in Edo state, Action Congress. Please Mathew you have not played politics with us before. We want you to join us now”.