I WON'T LET OUT OUR JOKER FOR 2011 – EZEOGO EMEKA ONUOHA(PPA CHAIRMAN)

Looking at the political situation of Abia State, what do you consider as the impediments and chances of PPA in the 2011 elections?

Thank you. It depends on the angle from which you are looking at it. PPA has golden and clear chances of winning elections any day, anytime in Abia State.

In a complex political situation as you have here, what are your strategies to launch back to power next year?

There is a saying that what you are wearing on your hand does not require you to go and check in the mirror to know if it fits you. By every assessment, Chief T.A.Orji has excelled. He is flying the banner of PPA. We are putting everything in place to ensure the boat is not rocked and we win again.

The promises we made to the electorate when we were campaigning, we are keeping them. Abia State is a state you can come and see for yourself. We don't believe in blowing trumpet or going to media houses. We ask people to come and interact with the people to get first hand information on the situation of things. That is the confidence we have.

We are doing everything possible, including mobilizing even the intending members that are joining us. I will not let out the secret. It is the joker, we are having. But those things we promised the masses like I earlier said, those dividends of democracy, we are giving them, despite the lean resources we are getting from the Federal Government, despite the legal battle we have been having with our opponents and detractors. These were distractions. So, that is our confidence.

Do you believe the opposition in the state is very vicious as many say?

There is nothing like viciousness here. We accept criticisms in good faith, if it is objective. It is a fundamental political process. It will even strengthen us. You are holding the mandate of the people; you have to do those things you promised them, and that is what we are doing. So, our opponents or detractors can't even match us. That is what we are saying. We are not afraid, we have the masses with us.

In specific terms, what do you think actually qualifies the PPA government for re-election?

Like I said, in governance, if you don't give dividends of democracy, you don't have any business being in governance. Like I said, we have PPA manifesto. We talk with the masses, we preach to them, we tell them what we will be able to do if they give us opportunity to govern and in their good wisdom, they were able to do that. I am telling you authoritatively that Chief T.A.Orji is doing wonderfully well. Abia State gets the least allocation from the Federal Government. But that does not deter us from putting it into use judiciously and prudently. Talk about infrastructure, even the ones the Federal Government is supposed to do, we are doing them.

When you go to war, there is what is called battle cry. Similarly, when you go to the polls in 2011, what will be your battle cry?

I won't say that it is all rosy. There are expectations. What people are expecting from us is enormous. Rome was not built in a day. At least we will start from where we stopped. We can't let the masses down, and they know we are not letting them down.

We have a winning team. So, we will put all our efforts together to make sure that those things we are unable to do in this tenure, we will do them in the next tenure especially if the current lean financial situation from the Federal Government improves. We have been in court for more than 2 years now. It is a distraction. So you can see with me. We intend to have full concentration, if these distractions are no longer there. We will dish out dividends of democracy because it is a business we know how to do and the masses are on our side, and we will not let them down.

Obviously, PDP is your most formidable opponent. What can you say about them?

This is politics. Everybody is qualified to vie or contest election. But this is Abia. It is one big family. Our brothers in PDP should quickly come in because our doors are open. They should quickly as a matter of urgency do that. Our boat is still anchored. So they should come on board. We extend the hand of fellowship to them to work with them, because in PDP we play politics of inclusion. They are our brothers and sisters. Let them come on board, so that together we take Abia to greater heights.