Eterhisan Oputu is a lawyer and chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). He has held a couple of party positions and he is currently the Udu local government area Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council, working to deliver President Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP candidates in the March 28 and April 11 elections. In this interview he speaks on a wide range of salient issues. Excerpts:

Objective of the Presidential campaign council?

It is basically political. The aim of our work is to sale our presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan for his re-election in March 28 and all to deliver other PDP candidates in the different positions right from the National Assembly to governorship and State Houses of Assembly. So we are working to sell all our candidates and ensure that they win landslides in the general election. We have our strategies; and we were brought in to put things right before and into the elections. This is the first time that this kind of structure is being put up and it was done for a tactical reason.

What’s your level of success?

We have done a lot of work and what we have done so far exceeds what we did in previous elections. We have overtaken the opposition parties in our local government. We have gone round a couple of communities and we have been on this campaign for days now. We have visited all the 10 wards, we have met with leaders and clusters of persons, market people, non indigenes, some religious leaders and opinion leaders in our local government that is, locally.

Senatorial and state levels

Then as a body and umbrella of PDP, we have also done a lot of work outside the local government, at the senatorial and state levels, all in a bid to sensitize our people and gather votes for our party. It is an ongoing job; a daily job and we will keep doing that till the umpire says stop.
Then the response we have gotten so far is positive. For instance; my local government, Udu is pretty contentious because the people are highly opinionated. They are not people you can push around but with what we have done so far; we’ve been able to galvanize our people making them know of the need to play the needful and stop swimming against the tide.

At the presidential level, we have sold our candidate, President Jonathan with numerous projects that he has done in Niger Delta, the Amnesty programme, East-west road, schools have been put in plays, more universities have been approved, empowerment and many others.
So there are a lot of things that we have done and shown records of them to our people to ensure that they all vote for PDP in all the positions. So with what is on ground; I am very sure that PDP win because there is no other presidential candidate that has cover much ground like we have done.
We know that he is love by the generality of our people. The complain of security are almost sorted out as we speak.

Now, talking locally, the governorship candidate of Delta state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa will also win because PDP has been on ground since 1999 and nothing is going to change it.

There is no other candidate today that can match PDP in the governorship level; and the same thing will happen in the House of Representatives, senate and house of assembly have looked at the candidates of Labour Party and APC; considering our wide spread across the areas, I am also sure we will sweep them.

The candidate we brought forward in the house of assembly, Udu constituency is miles ahead of the other candidates because he has the experience as a lawyer since 1978 and was once commissioner and managed several ministries in the state. He is better positioned in terms of networking.

How many states will the President Campaign Council in PDP deliver?

The presidential election is executive election; in addition to the quantum of votes, you also need spread to win the presidential election. If you break Nigeria into six geopolitical zones; bulk of the votes from South-South and South East is for Jonathan; APC appears to have some sware in the South West but if you look at what is happening today, even in Lagos state, you will see that South West is also voting for Jonathan; now the North East is a beat trickish with security issues and voting in certain pattern; but in the middle belt, I am very sure we have upper hand in Kogi, Kwara Benue and Plateau. Our vice presidential candidate is also from the core North and he is not sleeping, there are governors, senators and other strong members in PDP that are working for us.

It’s like PDP’s calculation as regards APC failed?

I am pragmatic in thinking because I don’t believe in monopoly. If you look at it technically, PDP was aware of all the move of the opposition that is now called APC; but there was no need to stop them because we are in democracy and there is freedom of association, politically, religiously and otherwise. PDP brought candidates that are marketable with brilliant antecedents so it is no worry to us that there is opposition. You can see the national assembly was some of our PDP members went to APC but but when they didn’t get what they want, they came back to PDP. PDP is still an umbrella that is better for Nigeria and Nigerians.

What is your massage for Nigerians?

I will plead with them that this is another opportunity for them as electorate to ensure that people don’t deceive them; and vote wisely because mistakes have been made in the past especially my local government. Delta state is emerging with so many investment coming to the areas like Gas city project, EGTL and what have you; let us not truncate those programme because in shift away from the main stream will get us into coupe’de’sac. I am a PDP member and I speak with authority knowing full well the programmes like up for transformation.

clevvermind:
Jonathan till apc will regain their senses.