Engineer Christopher Ekpenyong was a deputy governor in Akwa Ibom State under the administration of former Governor Victor Attah. In this interview with JACKSON UDOM, he speaks on the activities of the PDP Reform Forum, the zoning controversy, his senatorial ambition and the politics in Akwa Ibom State among other issues. Excerpts:

You were a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reform Forum, why did you people embark on a reform at the time you did?
Reformation is a continuous process, just as life and politics are dynamic. Life is dynamic because of its reformation. If you are fond of committing sins every time, you will ask yourself one day, why do I have to continue like this? So, the same thing applies to the party. We decided to form a team to suggest best solutions to the problems of the party. There was indeed the need for us to realign ourselves to winning elections through the people rather than capturing political offices. Because the party is a mass movement and the people gave us the mandate to serve in 1999, we proceeded to 2003 and 2007. But we acknowledged that there were faults in some decisions that brought certain people into power. So, we attempted to review our political and electoral processes and the objectives as a party, to see if we had actually given our best. That was why we formed the PDP Reform Forum. Of course, you must have noticed that there were loopholes in some areas.

As noble and good as the idea was, a lot of knocks came and you people were suspended from the party and later pardoned. What led to your suspension and reinstatement?
Incidentally, I was suspended without appropriate mechanism and information. I was also surprised when I got the letter lifting the suspension. I never got a letter to the effect of the suspension. They were asking me to realign myself with the provisions of the party’s constitution. I don’t know what they were driving at. But I believe that when you talk about the dividends of democracy, it is the ability to sit and exchange ideas and opinion.

The move of your group was rather suspicious because it came shortly after the death of former President Umar Yar’ Adua and that is why some people were said to have moved against your reform. What is your take on this?
It was unfortunate and also a coincidence that the emergence of the group came after the demise of the former president. Because it had all along been in the pipeline. But by the time we initiated the motion, our president took ill which led to death, so, it was not our making, we never knew he was going to die, we are not spirits.

It was highly rumoured then that you people were being encouraged by the incumbent president. Is it true?
No, he never encouraged us in anyway, probably he must have noted our observation that we were in conformity with the thinking of the former president. May be he kept quiet when he realised that our actions were not contrary to what he was thinking, with the objectives of how a party or a government is supposed to function. That may have been the reason he kept mute over the issue.

Are you saying it was not the president that gave you the backing?
No. Not at all.

But prior to your coming together, the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and former Speaker were sighted in Aso Rock?
Every citizen of Nigeria has the right to visit Aso Rock because they put the president there. In America, every American can go to the White House to meet their president. I won’t hold brief for Ken Nnamani neither will I hold for Masari,  I also have the right to visit there, because I have my contemporaries in the Villa, because nature demands that there should be windows of relationship.

An issue is about tearing the PDP apart, and that is zoning, was there anything like that in 1999?
My goodness, if you look at the PDP constitution, it does not suggest any zoning arrangement. But there was a sort of understanding. Few days ago, former Speaker Masari called my attention and said, Your Excellency, I saw your signature as one of those who endorsed zoning in 2002. I said yes, then I had a privilege of representing former governor Victor Attah at a meeting of the party and the issue came and it was agreed that as a founding member of the party, who believes in the oneness of Nigeria, who believes in the objectives of the party, that we were coming to provide genuine government that would change the living standard of our people, our environment, provide employment and remove poverty there was the need to zone political offices at the national level. So, I endorsed and that allowed former President Olusegun Obasanjo to go for a second term. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as the president of Nigeria today, is not of the West neither is he of the North that had been enjoying the political arrangements all these while. So, this is the South-South that we are talking about. We have been the proverbial hen that lays the golden egg and we have never been involved in the eating of the egg. So, if this is what Nigerians will reward the zone with, why not?

And we are not rewarding mediocrity, we are rewarding competence and capability. Because he has the capacity, competence and experience to drive Nigeria to the next level. So, zoning is not in the constitution of Nigeria, it is in the party.

You said Obasanjo was a beneficiary of zoning in 1999 but in 2003, the arrangement was challenged by Northern politicians, why was it so?
In 2003 former chairman of the party, Chief Barnabas Gemade and former governor of old Kano State, late Abubarkar Rimi, both founding members of the PDP, contested the primaries of the PDP against Obasanjo. The zoning issue was supposed to be a gentleman agreement but over a period of time, between the period of change of government in Nigeria, there have always been many people showing interest in that office. If they had won, the issue of zoning would have gone since. Would they have said look Gemade or Rimi, hand over the ticket to Obasanjo? So, it shouldn’t be in this case. I just believe it is an internal issue that will be resolved.

Don’t you think it is capable of dividing the country?
It cannot divide the country. I am very much involved in the PDP and I can tell you that it is not capable of breaking the party. I think justice will come to play. I believe what is good for the goose is good for the gander. The North has ruled Nigeria for quite sometime now, some part of the South has also ruled, so, I am not even bargaining for four years, what is on the front burner is eight years.

So you are throwing your weight behind President Jonathan in 2011?
Yes, he has my absolute backing.

The way your party appoints and removes its chairmen is a sore point in party administration in the country, as no chairman ever served out his tenure. Why is this so?
Apart from being a member of the PDP, you know I am a reformer and I call my self a reformer because of my belief in the doctrine of democracy; which is the government of the people by the people and for the people. I strongly believe in the electoral process. I strongly believe in you submitting yourself to the people, so that you can be given the instrument to talk on their behalf. I was 28 years old when I became a member of the House of Assembly in the old Cross River State, and I belong to the political system that cherishes feelings, that believes in discipline, honesty and purposeful leadership. I will not say that the PDP is an indisciplined party.  But what I am saying is that we have derailed from the concept as to what we wanted to do. They were the leaders of the party tand hey had surrendered their sovereignty, the right of the leadership of the party to somebody else

Let’s come down to Akwa Ibom, you were a former deputy governor and one would have expected you to want to be the governor, why are you settling for the Senate?
I offered my self for the governorship seat in 2007 after we had fought the battle of power shift. In 2007, I had a desire and road map, and I presented my desire and road map. I had in mind the desire to join forces together with some people who shared the vision that the political system and the environment, have not been stabilised so as  to have those who have the capacity and knowledge to move the system to the right level. But it was surprising that my brother, Governor Godswill Akpabio emerged. By and large, the man has done well and I don’t think it will be appropriate for me to backstab him. He should be encouraged for a second term so that he could drive the state to the next level. He has done tremendously well in the state, but there is still room for improvement.

Are you saying that you are not contesting the governorship election because of his performance in the state?
Yes. I am not interested because of his achievements in the state. Providing road network in the state is a landmark achievement that should be encouraged. I support his good work and I know that if he’s given more time to perform, he will do more.  I hope he will extend the development to all the local governments in the state including my local government because it is the only council he has not touched.

Why are you going to the Senate?
I want to go there to give voice and appropriate representation to the state and my immediate senatorial district.

Are you saying your senatorial district is currently being underrepresented?
It is indeed or let me say yes that is it.