Am Ready For My Senatorial Campaigns - Iduoriyekemwen

By Lucky Isibor

The former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly and Ex-Edo State Representative at the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen has said that he is fully ready to carry his campaign for the Edo South Senatorial District in his bid to represent the district in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

           Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen

Iduoriyekemwen who stated this in an interview with journalists in Benin City, said he would have started his Senatorial campaigns before now, but for the litigations that ensued after his emergence as the People's Democratic Party, PDP candidate for Edo South Senatorial District, pointing out that the issues have been laid to rest after the courts agreed with them that the powers to conduct party primaries rest with the National Executive Committee of political parties and that state chapters of parties lack such powers.

According to him, "am fully ready, if not for the little in-house distractions leading to litigations, one would have started campaigns since, but thank God the PDP officially flagged off campaigns yesterday in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. In Edo State, the campaign council is being constituted now. So, hopefully by next week we'll be out in the street sensitising our people on the need to vote the PDP and her candidates in the forth coming elections.

"As a matter of fact, you were all witnesses of the primary through which I emerged as the candidate of the party, but because of the divisions and intra party disagreements, we have to undergo processes of litigations and to the glory of God the courts have also agreed with us that it is the National Executive Committee of the party that can conduct primaries, not the state chapters of the party. It's just that some valuable time one would have used to focus on the opponents of the other political parties is wasted on trying to fight among ourselves, the same family. But I think that is history now.

While noting that his past records in the Edo State House of Assembly and his stinct at the NDDC as the Commissioner representing Edo State are to speak for him, Iduoriyekemwen assured that he has what it takes to parley with his colleagues in the Senate to appropriate projects to his constituency and how to parley the Executive to execute the projects so appropriated to his constituency.

"My past records are there. I was in Edo State House of Assembly for about eight years and I was also privileged to represent the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and for those periods that I was in government everybody knows the ways that I agitated for things to be done in my constituency. When I also had the opportunity to reach out by lobbying other arms of government to look to look at the things that readily affect us and how to resolve it, I know how to do my manovourings. 

"You know the business of legislature goes beyond law making. Outside of law making, you must also learn how to parley with other arms of government and also get the executive arm of government to see the issues that are with your people beside just talking in paliament and doing your over sight functions as they may come your way.

"You must have to use that position you find yourself to reach out to ensure that even when you do things and get things appropriated for your constituency, the executive arm of government must see the need to ensure that these things are done by your constant parley and relationship with the other arms of government."

On efforts being made to reconcile aggrieved members of the PDP in Edo State, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen assured that he's reaching out to party leaders in the state while the reconciliation committee chaired by Edo State former Governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion is reaching out to leaders on a larger scale.

"There are two sides to making peace, somebody offers peace and the other person will accept the offer. Right here in Edo State PDP, not less a personality of Chief Lucky Igbinedion has been made the chairman of the reconciliation committee to reconcile every member of the party. I don't want to jump the gun. I believe the committee is still doing all they're and they are reaching out to everybody. On our own, in my personal capacity am also reaching out to members of the party on both sides to ensure that we all come together and face the common enemy, which is the other political parties contesting the same election. We are not going to rest on our oars. While we continue to make efforts at bringing our people, everybody on board, we will not also be unmindful of the fact that it's not everybody that is reconcilable. The reason is that some persons have their personal grieviances which as far as I am consigned, am not ready push people beyond their political interest to resolve issues that I see as very personal issues; while some persons too who feel that their loyalty is for some persons outside of our state, who they feel that until that person falls in line they are not ready to be appeased or talked to, to join us in the campaign to win the 2923 general elections. But like I have said, the genuine and committed party members, very many of them, have started reaching out to me on their own and for these ones; I appreciate their that this is a party that has been in opposition in Edo State for a very long time and now that God has shown us mercy and granted us favour by giving us a second chance to be in government again in this state, we'll not make any mistake to throw that away."