Comrade (Dr) Jeffrey A. Scott-Emuakpor, the Labour Party Chairman of Ikpoba Okha local government is not unknown to the world, and in Labour Party, Nigeria.
ACS: We have been following you on Media and physically, you have been the man of your words and your commitment in Labour Party is unexplainable.
We would like to talk about Labour Party in Edo State and as a whole, following the Edo 2024 governorship election and I want us to start from the Labour Party itself.
In the previous Governorship Election, the major party in Edo State are P.D.P and A.P.C but now that Labour Party has come to participate in this year election, as the party looks like a buffer zone among the two giant party, although, Labour Party also cannot be classified as a small party, it is one of the national top-three party.
ACS: MR JEFF, HOW CAN YOU DESCRIBE LABOUR PARTY AS AT NOW IN EDO STATE?
JEFF: Thank you very much ,this is a very rare opportunity, Labour Party as a party who emerged as the hope of the common man as the Frontline of the hopes of workers in Nigeria. L.P emerged and has this concern for equity and social justice. For Edo state, It is more than a political party, it is the hope of the common man. We are now in town to give hope and change in narrative to good governance and the system of leadership as a whole, people are already tired of these other political parties. Labour Party as the new party wants to truly give hope to the common man and as a Party we know the structure of other political parties is also what we truly have and there is no doubt about that, we believe that the other political party are infringing into us because they feel we are an alternate party. We are very hopeful, these other national parties feel they have been in the system for years but we have been able to prove that during the 2023 election that we are best. They never believe that we could get to the senatorial seats, House of Representatives, House of Assembly and many of these seats were stolen away from us, from a minority party we were, having more than eight to Nine senators and about thirty-something members in the House of Representatives, more than 100 in the House of Assembly.
For the governorship, we know that we have only one governor but we are believing in God that Labour party will be the alternate party that will take Edo state to the next level.
Thank you very much sir,I want to take it up from the things you mentioned, you mentioned 2023 and how Labour Party excelled among other parties and to be candid Labour Party emergence was not up to one year to hold that national power and we have been hearing the relationship between P.D.P and Labour Party, we know that Mr Peter Obi was from P.D.P as the Vice Presidential candidate before he became Labour Party Presidential candidate.
We have been hearing about a merger between L.P and PDP, I don't know if it's rumour because Labour Party has indirectly rejected it that they are not really into it. The question that was directed to Mr. Peter Obi but he said that it was just a talk but it has not been confirmed.
Labour Party is the hope of a common man but it's not using a common language, saying that "we are just talking to someone but we are not with the person" sounds confusing, how will this treat people's mental as common men? The answer of Mr. Peter Obi was like "we are just together but we are not together" it's just kind of an expensive communication for the common men to be understand.
ACS: WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO THIS SIR?
JEFF: I think about this issues, it's more or less in a national perspective that we all understand at the local level that this issue of partys' merger, we should understand that there is always political romance whether you like it or not, every aspirant or candidate was once in a political party.
The emergence of A.C.N to A.P.C of today have mergers with other parties and today it's more or less like a movement that wanted power that's how they were able to bring Buhari as their Frontline Candidate, it took them time before they could get power and speaking for the party at the national level as a local government chairman, I will work on the information within my power for such merger but it will be within the party and to the generality of the parties and it's primary own objective which I know that Peter Obi and his leadership goals wouldn't want to make any mistake. The pivoltal part is the interest of having good governance to the people. So if it's really for the interst of the common man for us to have the merger will be for the society for us to have a good goal because there is no communication as far as this subject matter is concerned am just looking at in my own perspective that it's a welcome idea but not to the local government detrimental or that of the party aims and objectives as well, with the numenclature, structure and goals of the party .We would continue to engage in the local, state and national level and by the time we would also get our own goals, I believe it will be for the special interest of the society and country.
ACS: You have already spoken well, can we say that the merger coming up between Labor Party and P.D.P has something to do with the rumors merger we hear between Governor Godwin Obaseki and one of the aspirant in Labour Party and Olumide Apata?
JEFF: The merger stuff is still an embryo like I said there is no formal declaration, or documentation as we speak. Back to your question on that of the Edo state between senatorial aspirant and Governor of the state, the rumors if not carefully studied happens to be a rumor at true currency of the day, before it was also a motion in the general public that the candidate were sent by the governor until the elections, some were true and some were false. Saying this I want to make it clear, you can be my friend and as a friend, you can't deny me that am no longer your friend because of politics, so the case of Olumide Apata and Obaseki is within our disposal that he has never denied his Excellency Governor Obaseki as a friend, brother and business associate and distant cousin. He has always clear the air that he has no matrimony with the governor of Edo state as far as this is concerned. I believe the merger has nothing to do with as far as that is concerned.
ACS: Talking about Ikpoba Okha Local Government of the Labour Party, we have seen the strength and downfall, we heard a lot of positive things about Ikpoba Okha and we can see that it's not the easy, to govern two people is hard not to talk of crowd of people under the Local Government, so how did you manage to do it ?
JEFF: Thank you for that question, as a local government, it takes a lot of determination, hard work, resilience and for it to be able to do this, we as the leaders of the local government, your person quality and attributes is usually one of the fundamentals needed and make sure we are closer to the people and as well get the people's views. I also go extra miles to do so, everyone is given his /her due respect and due space to function and as at that of L.G.A chairman does not stop anyone from operating within their space. Administratively, it's part of the development world and the European union from the Development world and European union, international organization , handling serious organisation and as activist, we understand the fundamentals of Human Rights and working for development in our social space for social justice, we must make sure people enjoy their freedom and their basic rights.
Ikpoba Okha happens to be the largest local government and it has 641 units, that is the largest as far as Nigeria and Africa is concerned and it's also the local government that has intellectuals, political gladiators and Major commissioner from this local government. The real gladiators of Edo politics, I can say 70% are from Ikpoba Okha, the term now is that we have never had any type of clash from any aspect, even if I am in party A and you are from Party B, we have mutual respect for each other.
The challenges as Labour Party, in every eggs there must be bad eggs and we have tried within our leadership mechanism to be able to sieve out some of this bad bloods because it really affected our last elections. Some spiced our political party because of the vengeance of Peter Obi coming to Labour Party so a lot of this people came from P.D.P and A.P.C coming with their bad bloods to infect Labour Party but we have been able to at least discard some of them to an extent.
We have also dealt with issues of leadership tussle, and some other issues which we have been able to tackle to a great extent. I have suffered issue of tribal discrimination but we thank God and it's a thing of the past which is not in our constitution that be you an Hausa, Irobo, Benin or Yoruba, Labour party is for all Nigeraians in which does not segregate the issue of religion and others.
Some individuals wanted to bring those things to play but I cannot hide my paternity as a Deltan but state Maternally am Edo, I suffered that, it was a very big challenge, most of them were not too happy that how can a Delta man be rulling them in Edo state.Yes we are humans but it's inside our constitution, some people are tribal rigourist but we are able to harmonize those issues, we are working together as one family in the local government, I go at extra mile sleeping for only 3 hours at night thinking of the progress of the party in this local government but what I get in return is petitions and issue of battery, there is a saying that a fruitful tree is what people throws stone at, I have come to understand that in life.
I think in Labour Party, I am the most performing L.G.A chairman in Edo state, it make some stronger, guides me and make me more focused. I tell people most times that people are not always happy with your agenda when you are investing something serious in their life, change is constant. In leadership you must learn to carry the good and bad, at the end people will notice your changes and love to work in hand with you.
This is how we have been making Ikpoba Okha stronger and greater. By God's grace, I am praying that by the time the congress from the state anybody can take over from us and to take the Ikpoba Okha to greater and stronger.
ACS: Thank you very much sir but before we go to the challenges in ward 6, as the governorship aspirant, is there any governorship aspirant from Ikpoba Okha?
JEFF: It seems you are more interested in that ward six alone but the largest ward in Ikpoba Okha and even Edo state has 95 units.We are happy, we can say categorically a sister, Dr. Angela.
Her membership in ward 6 Ikpoba Okha, her paternal membership is from Esan North East because paternal side is more stronger when it comes to politics, she cannot claim the maternal side more, we can say Ikpoba Okha produced her because she is very proud to say that anytime any day she is from ward 6.
Dr. Angela is the only person we can say for now we are also very hopeful that she is one of the aspirants that has gotten nomination from and we wish her well in her ambition, by God's grace on the 23rd of this month there would be primaries I think that would be a plus and a very good one for us.
ACS: Talking to my people, I called the former chairman of the ward 6 and was told he has left the position because he gave some excuses, getting to the P.R.O also, he said he is going to look at what I can do in the ward and he also left but since then I just didn't know how to see people in charge of the ward 6.
I just want to know what really happened that the ward is going forth an back in terms of standing.
JEFF: The case in ward 6, you are quite pathetic to note that Festus Ijoko the former chairman of ward 6 happens to be one of the founding members of the ward. Along the line, there was an issue that came up, it's an internal party issue although, I am not supposed to escalate out but talking about the last council election in September, we had an issue with our chairmanship candidate in person of Marchido which we tried to handle internally but as a man of Personality, he decided to honorably resign from his office of which he was trying to protect his offices issues. The issue affected the ward no doubt to a great extent, some of his exco were more apologetic to him and decided to go with him with the structure on ground, immediately his vice in person of Mr Ebeto immediately resumed office and that didn't go down well with some quarters they were trying to resist that. That was what caused the back and front with some person's but we have resolved all these issues and today the ward is bouncing back very stronger and by God's grace, the former chairman is very useful and supportive to the ward and as Ex chairman he has that zeal to serve as adviser to the party at that level, he has really done well for ward 6, we cannot forget his contributions and support, it's just that in every organization or structure, as this is a political party, there are rules and regulations governing us and which he was involved.
In our constitution there is an inquiring committe but he does not wants to face, that was why he resigned. That's the situation at hand and I think whatever you have heard from the leadership as the L.G.A chairman, this is the true version and I set up the the inquiring committe and follow through all these processes. Festus Ijoko is still with us and still one of us, still having a very high esteem and we appreciate all his support. I think ward 6 is strong and we are hopeful that the party is coming out stronger.
ACS: Thank you sir, is there any word for Edo state in general towards the ward before governorship election?
ACS: It's just to say that the Edo populace are looking up to Labour Party as the party that's gonna give hope to the teenage and Youths as well as very other persons, Labour Party is ready to stand for the best and truth and vote for the eligible candidate that can win election for us. We don't want to go back to 2023, what we passed through in those elections when we don't even have money to buy even common pure water at the polling unit where we were beaten and chased out by the other political parties, we want the candidate that can secure elections for us so we can get that victory done. I always say let's win election in 2024.