Chief Wonwu

With the March 19,
2016 date fixed for the National and State Assembly rerun elections in Rivers State only a couple of weeks away, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, last week held a crucial meeting with all political parties and candidates for the elections. In this interview with Opaka Dokubo, Chief Isaac Wonwu, an accomplished industrialist cum politician and candidate of the Labour Party in the coming election for Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency reflects on the meeting with the electoral umpire, his impressions and related issues.
Excerpts:
Why Into Politics?
Well, I see politics as an avenue to provide service for our people. We have taken a look at the past sixteen years of our democracy and I’m not sure we have fared well in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. We clearly need more experienced people, technocrats to come into politics and provide solutions in offering service.
What is important and should concern us as Rivers people and Nigerians is the provision of good governance for which I think I should be able to make in put.
What should your constituents expect from your representation?
First and foremost, the primary responsibility of a lawmaker is to make laws. But if I am required to make more contributions, it will be in the areas of youth empowerment and charity service to the less privileged.
But as a representative in the National Assembly, I should make good representation of the people in ensuring that equity prevails and also to ensure that the interest of Rivers people is properly protected.
How do you intend to deal with the challenges of a minority party like the Labour Party?
My view is that we should be looking beyond party politics. We should be looking at candidates. We should be looking at people who can properly represent us or offer services to us and for which I posses the requirements to represent the people of Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency and also represent the good people of Rivers State and Nigeria as a nation. But then, as a minority party, what is important is looking at politics from its general position, not from partisan basis, being fair to ourselves and being fair to the country. And for any position we have to take, we must take that position in the collective interest of the people and not a political party. Once you’re elected, you must reason beyond a political party. We must begin to look at the people first and that’s exactly what I want to look at.
Outcome and impression from meeting with INEC
One is that INEC has promised to conduct the forthcoming rerun elections on the 19th of March, 2016. We raised the issue of the Court of Appeal judgment that stipulated 60 days within which elections should be conducted and that the 19th of March does not fall within that time frame and we feel that that contravenes the court order and could otherwise create legal backlogs and there was need for INEC to address that.
Importantly, there was the assurance that there is a level playing ground for all political parties, irrespective of the money bags which we have witnessed. We also asked INEC to correct the lapses witnessed in 2015 elections which was characterised by a high level of violence, irregularities and particularly what we saw as robbery where declarations and figures were waved aside.
When INEC begins to tell us about free and fair elections today, it creates a lot of doubt in our minds as candidates. However, we must respect the rule of law and Labour Party as a law abiding party, will also want to join in the rerun believing that INEC will ensure that there is a free and fair election.
Giving INEC the benefit of doubt
There is every need to give them the benefit of doubt. There is also every need for Nigerians to look forward to an improved electoral process. It is also important for INEC, based on our experience, to ensure that there is a legislation backing the use of the card reader in order to create more confidence in the electorate and the candidates. But I think we can also do better by enshrining in our constitution an electronic voting process.
Expectations of the coming election
Well, we’re believing that the stakeholders in the electoral process which includes the security agencies and importantly the INEC believe as the umpire have a legal responsibility in doing their work. We want to behave that they will be very fair in conducting a free and fair election. We also want to believe that the security agencies will ensure that there is peace and non-violent electoral process in the state.
Although we have very serious fears considering the violence we have witnessed in recent months in many local governments in Rivers State, we’re believing and hoping that it will be curtailed and the electorate, the good people of Rivers State will exist in peace because violence will not take us anywhere. Indeed, violence does not help the true process of democracy. We must begin to realise that the polls must be open for the right candidates.
How do you assess your chances?
In Ikwerre/Emohua Constituency, I have no doubts about my credibility; I have no doubts about my acceptability; I have no doubt in my ability to bring leadership to the people of Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency. I am confident and I can tell you today that the contest is between Chief Isaac Wonwu and PDP in Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency.
You don’t Reckon With the APC?
Well, I don’t want to look at parties. First and foremost, I want to look at the candidates and I don’t think that the candidate of the APC would want to compare himself to me. Even the candidate of the PDP, I don’t think measures up to me. But I want to look at PDP as a party and as a block. I want to actually challenge them. I had challenged them in the past and I want to say that by the end of 19th of March, 2016, I will get the victory.
Message for the electorate
I am appealing to the good people of Rivers State, the electorate of Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency to say no to violence, to ensure that they take their destiny in their hands, to come out enmass on the 19th of March to exercise their franchise. Vote the right candidate whom they think can offer them the service of representing them effectively and I have no doubt that Chief Isaac Wonwu of the Labour Party will do much much better than any other.
Expectation from security agencies
The security agencies have a responsibility to ensure the security of lives and property of the people. I have no doubts that in recent weeks they are doing their work in ensuring that they smoke out the criminals from various communities and also see how to disarm some of these hoodlums and hooligans.
We want to hope that between now and the next few weeks, they would have been able to do a good job in reducing the level of crime. I think that the security agencies should be able to live up to their expectation in restoring confidence in the good people of Rivers state.
Message to other political parties
We’re appealing to all other respective political parties to advise their supporters to say no to violence, to give necessary understanding and support to the security agencies to do their job in ensuring that they bring about peace and tranquility in Rivers State and report any suspected criminals to the law enforcement agencies for appropriate action in order to pave a more peaceful way for our election. I think that a peaceful, free and fair election will be more beneficial to our people.
Message to the youths
The youths should take their destiny in their hands, defend and protect democracy and say no to violence. Violence in anyway will never pay anybody but we need to put more efforts in ensuring that peace returns to all our communities.
Are you prepared to accept the outcome of the election at the end of the day?
We must begin to see ourselves as sportsmen and women. We must be ready to accept the results provided that INEC is being fair in the process, provided the processes are very clear and fall within the context of the rules of the game. And of course, if we respect all that, litigations will not be necessary particularly with the experiences we have had in the recent tribunal, Appeal Court and Supreme Court judgments. This is the highest number of rerun elections we have witnessed in our sixteen years democratic experience. However, if INEC does much better, I am sure that the issue of litigation will not be necessary. I also hope that if I win the election, the PDP and the APC will congratulate me.