Blessing Nwagba is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Abia South senatorial election. She is facing Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). In this interview, she speaks on why she is confident of victory

How are you going to defeat Gov. Ikpeazu and Senator Abaribe who many have said are the two major contenders in the Abia South senatorial election?

The question should be why do I want to go to the Senate to represent my people?

Abia South senatorial zone is an area that I have a vast knowledge of. When I was the state vice chairman and the zonal chairman of the PDP in Abia South, it was at that time that we elected Senator Adolphus Wabara. We worked and he went to the Senate. Abia South is an area where I have played politics and I know our problems. The essence of going to represent the people is to be able to identify and possibly solve their problems. I know the problems and answers to each of the six local government areas — Aba North, Aba South, Obingwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West — respectively if given the opportunity.

Aba as a city has two local government areas; Aba North and South. And you may wish to know that Aba has not represented this senatorial district all through life; Obingwa has done 16 years which Abaribe did. Ukwa did eight years through Senator Adolphus Wabara.

Aba has the largest concentration of economic activities. It has the highest voting population. Aba, as we speak, has the highest voting population, the only thing is that the residents don’t cast votes. Aba, the goose that lays the golden egg needs to be represented. We can make Aba truly, the Japan of Africa. We can draw development plans that can turn things around not just in the state, but the country as a whole. You are aware that people are leaving Aba because of several issues. We can turn things around in Aba to generate enough internally generated revenue (IGR) so that the state can have more money even to develop Aba. You can attract international investors to develop Aba and Aba will become the true Japan of Africa. We can develop the Azumini Blue River to enable the Aba business community to have a port closer to them. Through the port, they can move imports and export.

The economy of Aba can be turned around with the right leaders at the National Assembly. When a leader uses his or her position to attract development for the people, life will be better for the people.

It is a question of having ideas because when you have clueless leaders, it frustrates an economy. I am going to the senate to create opportunities for the young ones to thrive. They can only thrive when they have access to Information Technology, stable light, steady power and among others so that they can create wealth for themselves and become employers of labour also. Today, people work from their rooms with their laptops, and we must think of how to engage our youths in useful ventures and help them to improve themselves. By that, you will reduce insecurity. It is the society that impacts more than the biological background. I am going to the Senate to ensure that I push for those laws that will impact positively the good people of Abia South senatorial zone and follow them up on the executive to see that those things are implemented. I have done eight years of legislation in the state which is equally the same process in the Senate. Lawmaking, representation and oversight are the three cardinal duties of a lawmaker that I have done for eight years.

People are worried that four years after you vied for the governorship seat on the platform of the SDP, you defected to the APC to run for the Senate, instead of re-contesting for the governorship seat again…

As we speak, I am the only female senatorial candidate in Abia South Senatorial District. Going to the senate even shows consistency, given the number of years that I have done as a legislator. It is an area that I know I have had experience in. Yes, I had wanted to contest for the governorship; I haven’t worked as an executive before, but I knew that I could do it. But, this one is what I have had experience in and of course, I know that I am going to do it better. I am not in any way bothered about the other two persons who are contesting in their various political parties. Others are also contesting in other smaller parties. I am not bothered because BVAS is going to play its role and Nwagba is a household name and one that people have seen that she is going to empathise with them; who understands their problem, feel their pulses and speak to those their pulses and problems and not representing the whole Nigeria.

We are talking about someone who will speak about matters of Abia South and not matters of the whole of Nigeria. We should elect the people who are going to show concern and see that the economy of Aba is improved. What legislation is the person bringing on board that will ease things for Aba residents? We should be concerned about the person that will go to Abuja and push the federal government to build roads and do projects that will touch the lives of the people of Ukwa. If the person has not done it for so many years, what is our hope that it is going to be done? Allow us who are new entrants into the business of the Senate to go to the Senate and those things that you have failed to do several years of being there.

Why did you choose to contest the forthcoming election on the platform of the APC, rather than that of the SDP?

I chose APC because it is a national party. It has a manifesto that if implemented will mean so much for Nigeria. Even as we speak today, apart from the insecurity, APC has impacted into our society more than the PDP. Look at the road infrastructure, social investment programmes, and agricultural development; they have performed better than any other government. The only challenge that I have is insecurity. But insecurity is longer the way it was before in some areas. In the Northeast, it is far better. In the past, we hear about people lacing themselves with bombs and detonating them. Insecurity in many areas has been tackled, while in some areas, it has not been completely tackled. Do we talk about the payment of civil servants? The APC-led federal government has continued to ensure that workers were paid. I am sure that you know how the federal government disbursed the Paris Fund to states. I don’t think that APC nationally has done worse than any other government. APC is a national party and because it is a national party, I believe that we will win I am now going to draw that dividend of democracy to Abia South because we need that to improve Abia South. The budget of Abia State cannot do what I want to do in Abia South. I need to draw the federal government into Abia South to bring about the change that I desire.

How worried are you about the perception of people around here about APC?

APC has not been the government in power around here, but then you can also say that people are disenchanted with the so-government around here. You also know that the government in power in the state has lost favour with the people. APC has not been the government in power around here. You also know that people are disenchanted with the government in power. People are looking for a change. We are talking about bringing the dividend of democracy to our people here and the only way we can do it is to draw it from the national level. Some people have represented us before, we need to now represent them and they will see the difference.

Are you bothered about the emergence of Mr Peter Obi as a potential third force and how this will affect the chances of your party winning the presidential election?

It is God that gives power. Everybody is making moves now. My party and my party’s candidate (Bola Ahmed Tinubu), Peter Obi is making his moves just like every other party is. 24hrs means so much to a candidate. I pray that my party’s candidate wins, but ultimately, I want this country to change and I want Abia South to also benefit from the changes that will come.

What are you telling your members who are still aggrieved as you head into thegeneral elections?

What I am telling them is obvious, that a house that is divided against each other tends falling. There are so many gains in politics when you win; there is no gain when you lose. So, we should reconcile amongst ourselves and forge ahead, support the party to win because when we win, when shall all benefit? So, my plea to them is to calm down and accept the reconciliation move by the party. The national (leadership) has constituted a committee that is trying to reconcile everybody. In the various senatorial districts and wards, meetings of reconciliations are going on so that we can work as a team and win because Abia deserves a change; the people of the state are yearning for change and APC is a very good alternative for that change. We need to embrace this change of reconciliation, modality, and opportunity to progress. We need to embrace the opportunity to provide the dividend of democracy for our people. We need to embrace women’s inclusion which is the trend today all over the world because women have what I call famine intuition that has a way of impacting wherever they are. Women are very versatile people; they are people that can multitask.

Tell the people of Abia South Senatorial District why they should send you to the senate to represent them. Abia South deserves better. Mrs Blessing Nwagba is better than other candidates because I am going to bring concrete legislation that will impact Abia South in areas of economic revitalisation. I have so many agric projects that the legislation I will bring on board will enable Abia South to turn around economically. They should vote for me because I am unhappy that the economy of Abia South doesn’t enable our youths to get engaged meaningfully which has increased the poverty rate. They should vote for me because I am gender sensitive. I care for our men, but I know that our women will be included in governance because they are multitasking. Women are not over ambitious and as such, they are more disposed to utilising whatever that they get for the development of the people. We don’t bother with building houses all over the world. We don’t carry our friends and have parties all over the world over and above our immediate responsibilities of impacting the people that elected us. They should vote for me because I bother with the workers who are not being paid their salaries, pension and gratuities. If you impact your area sufficiently based on the legislation that you are going to make, things will be turned around and the government will be able to pay their workers.

I am also going to see the possibility of bringing legislation at the national level that would compel governors, including Abia State to pay their workers and pensioners. They should vote for me because I see so many opportunities in Abia South. Abia South can be like Dubai in terms of tourism. We have the Blue River and other water resources in Abia South that can be harnessed and developed into a money-spinning project.

They should vote for me because I am their sister who feels their pulse. I understand their feelings. I am married in Aba. I am from Obioma Ngwa; Umuojimaogbu. My greatest joy will be to see that smiles are put on the faces of my people; both old and young. They should vote for me because I will deliver. I am about the happiness and progress of my people of Abia South. (The Nation)