No division in Ondo APC —Senator Omogunwa

Senator Yele Omogunwa, the lawmaker representing Ondo South Senatorial district in this interview with Hakeem Gbadamosi, speaks on the crisis within his party, The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo state, his return to the Senate and other issues.

Don’t you think the crisis within your party will affect your chances of returning to the National Assembly?

To me, there is no division in Ondo APC, though some people are aggrieved but we are determined to explore all internal mechanism to intercede in order to move on; it is a family affair and I am sure it will not affect the chances of the party in the general election. We love Nigeria and we would all come together and make sure that all the candidates presented by the APC win their various elections and I am sure about that.  I don’t see any division in the party; we are one because we are in the same political boat and I am not a newcomer in politics. I have come to realise that those who win elections might not be those who have the big names. People with big names have no relevance again. So, we know how to relate with the electorates and I am sure I will win.

You seem confident about returning to the Assembly while some people are still aggrieved with your candidature and claims that you’re not on the same page with the state Governor, don’t you see this as an impediment?

I am hearing this for the first time that I am not in the good books of the governor which I don’t know.  I still consider the governor as the father figure of everyone in the party and as a father, you don’t discriminate against any of your children so, I don’t believe I am not in his good book because morally one good turns deserve another.

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I contested in 2015 in PDP and I won my election contrary to public opinion, I was the underdog and those who were considered as political giants lost to me and I am assuring you that I will win this coming election the same way I won the 2015 election. I don’t believe the governor has anything against me, I am supposed to be his friend and I still believe I am his friend except he doesn’t count me worthy. I left the PDP because of him before his election in 2016 because I believe in him and his leadership and I left my party and clearly stated that I am defecting from PDP to APC in order to come and work for Rotimi Akeredolu to win the election which I did and he won. To the Glory of God, he is the governor of the state today, so I cannot fathom the fact that I am not in his good book.

As the Senatorial candidate for the party, what efforts have you made to reach out to other aspirants who lost out to you ahead of the 2019 general election.

I told you earlier that I am not new in politics and from my little experience, many aspirants still believed they can still have their way, but if they still believe they can have their way, for now there is no point pleading or appealing to them until they are sure that they cannot have their way because if somebody is aspiring and still believe that the ticket belongs to him and that he is going to get ticket,  asking for his cooperation to work together will be immaterial at this time but when things take shape,  we can now appeal to them and think of how we can work together. But I have been talking to some party members and this is one of the things I know how to do best. I know how to talk to people either day or night but there is need to talk and appeal to other aspirants in the race too and settle our differences as good democrats.

The people you represent have complained that they never felt your representation at the Senate, do you think they will return you to the Hallowed Chamber?

To the best of my knowledge I have done so much for my people but people will always complain about their representatives, even the governor, so there will always be critics who will complain. Meanwhile, law making is different from the expectation of everyone, people need education, lawmaking is different from being a member of the executive, I am not a minister and I don’t give out contracts. People talk about Senators and that they earn N36 million monthly. No Senator earns N15 million in Nigeria but some people said this out of their ignorance. They expect that when the Senator comes home, he should be moving around the street to give out money to the people. Probably that is the type of the dividends of democracy they are talking about.

I understand there are expectations from people but I want to correct some impression that senators are not in charge of roads and cannot construct road but people would always expect you to come and construct every bad road in their community. Can a senator do that when you are not the Minister for work? So the expectations are usually high from the people, they do not realise that we are elected to make laws.

By 2019, if you win what should your people be expecting from you?

If I go back again which I am sure I would win in 2019, and when I return, I would be a ranking senator and would have known so many people and use such influence to attract development to the people of my constituency and I know our light would have been fixed and also restored. In the House of Senate, we have first class Senators but everybody feels while we are not. So, there would be a lot of improvements by the grace of God when I return.