Hon. Patrick Aisowieren represents Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency, Edo State. In this exclusive chat with our correspondent, ONAZENA ABBEY, Aisowieren, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, talks about his victory at the just concluded general election, perceived electoral lapses and why APC lost Edo State’s presidential election to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and other sundry issues.
Congratulations on your victory at the poll. What should the people of your constituency expect from your second term tenure?
Well, what they will expect will be more than what they expected before; their expectations will be higher. This time around, more constituency projects, more empowerment programmes, job creation and good representation.
Is there any area you did not do well that you want to improve upon this time around?
For me, I did well in all areas; there is no area I did not do well. There are only areas where I will do more in terms of empowerment and project execution. I gave a lot of people jobs, as the Chairman House Committee on Interior. I think as far as Edo State is concerned, I’m still number one in terms of job creation for the youths. But this time around, I look forward to a better committee to be able to create more opportunities for jobs, virtually in every area. I will also improve in my area of legislation. A lot of people believe I’m not always in Abuja, but what really matters is your relationship with your people and this was evident in the just concluded election, which really was a testimony that I have done well for my people and that my people want me.
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Did your victory come to you as a surprise or you envisaged it?
At no time did I see my opponent, as a threat to my second term ambition. There is no way she or anybody who contested against me could have won. I’m a grassroots man; I’m not an Abuja politician; you know I’m always with my people. There are different categories of politicians; you have Abuja politicians and home based politicians. I know what my people want, I am always in Orhionmwon and I know what they want and I know if I contest again I would win.
I have never lost any election because I started from the grassroots and I’m not an Abuja based politician that comes home once in a year and ran away from responsibilities. In my first term, I won the election with about 2,000 plus vote difference, but this time because of my stomach infrastructure, I won both Orhionmwon and Unhumwode local government areas
What was your perception of the presidential election as conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC?
In Edo where I voted, the election was peaceful. The card readers must capture you before voting. I think it is the INEC officials and the court that can tell whether the election was rigged or not. In Edo, we have a sitting governor, most of the members of the House of Assembly, they are all members of APC and if Atiku can still win the state, you should know that the election was one man, one vote.
With the outcome of the presidential/National Assembly elections in the state, would you say Edo is APC state?
I will not say I was not disturbed by the presidential election results in Edo. No good politician who will not be disturbed by what happened. For PDP to be able to win Edo for Atiku Abubakar shows that they are on ground, that is the truth. Nobody will doubt that fact because a loser has no voice. They have two senators and four members of the House of Representatives, while APC has one senator and five House of Representatives and if you put the equation together, it’s like they are still in majority.
Do you allude to the insinuation that PDP is likely to win Edo come next year’s governorship election?
The governorship election is a different ball game. It is different from the presidential election. You remember PDP also won the state during President Jonathan (Goodluck), while Adams Oshiomhole was the governor, but that when it came to the governorship, Governor Obaseki won. Governor Obaseki has done a lot of work in the state that will speak for him. A lot of things are going on for him and I’m sure come 2020, he will return for the second term in office.
We cannot compare presidential and governorship elections. A lot of people voted against APC because of Buhari. Everybody was aggrieved because of the perceived economic hardship. There was a gang up, more so we also have a lot of people from the east. The Peter Obi factor was also there.
Do you envisage the urgent need by the National Assembly to revisit the amendment of the Electoral Act bill arising from the failure of card readers and alleged militarisation of polling units by soldiers?
Based on different complains that trailed the just concluded elections, I’m sure the National Assembly will have to reconsider the Electoral Act bill, which the president had since returned to the House. The issue of allowing card readers in some parts of the country and disallowing same in other parts requires serious attention. It is either we improve on the card readers or completely abort it from the system. On the use of the military, I did not see military throughout the period of the election in Edo State.
The PDP presidential bearer, Atiku has since head for the court to challenge the outcome of the election. What do you say?
My advice is that he should congratulate the president-elect. You know Nigerians don’t easily give up even when there is evidence that you defeat them in a free and fair election just like my opponent has threatened to go to court, even when it was obvious she was beaten hands down. In short, they were even supported by the police and INEC officials. We even complained that police were supporting them. Atiku is doing what he is doing out of shame, but if I were him, I will congratulate the president for the well deserved victory.