Matthew Oye Oyerinmade, a philanthropist and entrepreneur, who is aspiring to pick the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ondo South senatorial district in the 2023 election, in this Interview with Kunle Oderemi, bares his mind on the uncertainty over the amended Electoral Act 2021 and other issues. Excepts:
Ondo State boasts of high profile politicians, how do you see your chances in the buildup to the general election?
Judging from my profile, you would realise that I have been operating in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria since my National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) days which I did with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in Port Harcourt. However, during my undergraduate studies at the Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (OSUA), now Ekiti State University, (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, I was actively involved in students’ union politics, where I emerged as the Speaker, Students’ Representative Council (SRC). My role as the speaker exposed me to national politics during the political transition programme of former military president, Gen Ibrahim Babangida. Nigerian politics then was coalesced around two political traditions deriving from the country’s pre and post independent periods: the progressive and the conservative. General Babangida created two parties: the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) under which the 1993 presidential election was held. My belief in the ideology of the progressive made me then to join the youth wing of the SDP, and later recruited to advocate for the emergence of the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola as the presidential candidate of the SDP in the 1993 election. The annulment of that most free and fair election in the history of Nigeria by the military government made me to join the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate. That was the beginning of my political engagements. At the return to democratic rule in 1999, I was still in active service of Shell Petroleum, but I was passively participating in politics both in my home state, Ondo, as well as in Rivers, where I worked. I supported one of my friends, who went into politics, both morally and financially. And since I retired into a private practice, those politician friends and associates have continued to troop to my residence in Oke-Igbo in Ondo State and Port Harcourt, urging me to seek an elective position in the National Assembly in 2023. I am only heeding to their calls to serve my people as their representative at the Red Chambers.
You will be contesting as a green horn on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ondo State. Don’t you envisage a difficult task?
Part of the task I am taking now is to come home to heed the calls of my people who have long before now, been persuading me to come and seek elective position to complement what I have been doing for them on my private capacity. As a good listener who is ready to serve his people at any time, I started to engage my family, friends and close associates in my new venture. It was after their positive responses and encouragement that I went deep to meet my people at the grassroots, to meet my party elders, leaders, and local government areas executive committee members, past and present political appointees and party faithful in all the wards that make up the Ondo South senatorial district. I may be a green horn in the race, but my early entrance into the race, coupled with my pre-degree, highest standard of patriotism, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, generosity of spirit, loyalty and maturity that I am bringing on board, I can boldly say that I stand tall and soar higher and well above my closest rival, in my party, APC or any other political party for that matter. The acceptance of my aspiration and ambition by party faithful in the southern senatorial district within these few months of making my intention public is massive and overwhelming, even beyond human comprehension. That is why this project is tagged Iyanu Olorun (God’s mercy).
As the 2023 general election is fast approaching, one of the major concerns of stakeholders and aspirants is the Electoral Act amendment bill, especially the provision on direct mode of primary election as suggested by the National Assembly. What’s your position on the issue that is gradually heating up the political space?
For me, I believe that the exercise (amendment) is till work in progress, and it also needs the full and genuine contributions of all of us, first as patriotic Nigerians before our political affiliations and interests. From all sides, both the National Assembly and the governors’forum are right within their purview, but we must all allow the overall interest of the country guide our deed and not personal or sectional gain. In all honesty, those clamouring for the direct mode of primary as the most democratic system of electing party candidates are right in their own rights because the system will give power to all card-carrying members of a political to have influence on who is going to emerge on the platform, unlike the indirect mode, where only selected and privileged few are to elect the party candidates. But we cannot shy away from the fact that the direct mode will also come with its own difficulties such as huge election budget and authenticity of the membership of the party. Therefore, despite possible shortcomings, the direct primary is better than the indirect and consensus modes. With it, contestants will learn to recognise and respect the people as the ultimate lords and masters in politics. Also, it will ensure diligence, fairness, equality, stability and sanity as public officials will now see the need to be accountable to the people. Again, it will guarantee that it is only people of character, competence and capacity are allowed access to public offices. More importantly, it will engender wider participation and inclusiveness in our democracy especially in favour of the youths and women, including the physically challenged. Be that as it may, I can assure you that even if it is not achievable right now, it’s just a matter of time.
What are you going to do different if eventually, you are elected as a Senator of the Federal Republic?
My vision, as I have been telling my people, first is to be a voice for the voiceless and a defender of the cause of the less privileged through Legislative Advocacy. I assure my people of commitment to ensuring that Constituency Projects and Intervention Programs nominated across my Senatorial District are duly executed and delivered according to specifications and within the specified period. I shall prioritise the welfare and well-being of the generality of the people in the senatorial district, to the extent that a new lease of life and rekindle hope shall replace their present predicament. The kind of youths and women empowerment initiatives that will be put in place will transect the traditional way of sharing motor bikes, sewing machines, clippers and the rest to a selected few; but a well-researched, formulated and executed policy that will totally eradicate poverty and lift the people into financial independent and breakthrough.
and then