Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Senator Matthew Urhoghide has declared that only the people of Edo State will decide who governs them after the expiration of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s tenure in 2024. He debunked insinuations over his alleged governorship ambition saying he never told anybody that he was interested in the 2024 governorship race.
Senator Urhoghide who’s the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts in this interview on the John Mayaki Show said as a Senator, he does not take bribe and will never encourage anyone to take bribes. He also narrated why and how thugs attacked him at the Benin Airport and why he doesn’t keep thugs as a politician.
He said the problem of the PDP today in Edo state, to a large extent, was the coming of Governor Godwin Obaseki to the party and that if he had played the politics the way it ought to have been played or the way others play it, Obaseki wouldn’t have been governor.
Senator Urhoghide said the greatest decision he ever made in his life and the totality of his success today was his obedience to his father on choice of career.
Excerpts:
Question: When growing up, did you prepare for this assignment; this legislative business?
Answer: Well, maybe I was too young to know what I was going to become. You know, for my past up to my early stages in life, but I can say it is what God designed for me and of course as time went, I could see challenges all around me and of course, I decided, too, to confront those challenges by offering myself for service.
Question: What prepared you for this? You are a Pharmacist. At what point did you discover you want to contest elections?
Answer: Well, let me say it actually started in my university days, when I was at the University of Benin where I studied Pharmacy; precisely around 1979. For the first time, somehow, my very good friend, His Excellency Ambassador Adamu Emozozo ran for President Student Union government and I can still remember we were having some time in our reading room around the Hall 1 Common Room, where they were having a meeting and they rush to say come and support me, come and vote for me so that I can get the nomination of my party the Students Action Party and the other party, Progressive Grand Movement and he came and said please come and join me. I said which one is your party, he said Students Action Party. So we went in there to vote for him to get the nomination. As I got there, the other students that were there said the office of the Treasurer was vacant, why don’t you just take it. That was how it happened. I was now nominated to run for the office of treasurer of the Student Union. That was in 1979. Eventually we had a contest after the nomination and I won and unfortunately my friend Adamu Emozozo did not win. That is how it started and at the end of the tenure in 1980, usually when a tenure ends, the university sets up an Audit Committee to look into our financial transactions and any one that was guilty was sent to the university disciplinary committee that was headed by the then Librarian of the university. It happened that after that one year in office, we all faced the Audit Committee of the university and I was absolved of all perceived malpractices in the office. That was how it happened in 1980. Some of us too, for wrong doing were rusticated for various times and periods and we left like that and the students that succeeded us in office, that was 1980 to 1981 had problems.
In fact, in one year we had three presidents. Permit me at this time not to mention their names because they are now dignified persons in our society. For various misconducts and all of that, they were removed from office and the office of the President of the Students Union Government became very turbulent and we had a few of our teachers who were lecturers in the university who were watching what was going on with students’ unionism in the university. Because, I think in their own times as students they were involved in students’ politics or campus politics. So, one of them was Dr Nosa Osifo then, he was my lecturer in Pharmacology in the Faculty of Pharmacy University of Benin. He had known me from when I was young because he was a friend with my late brother. He too Osifo is late and was my elder brother’s class mate. So, himself and one Doctor Aghenta of the Faculty of Education, that one is late too now; I think they were robbing minds on what was going on, what was happening to the office of the President of the student Union of the University of Benin and of course that time, I was finishing my third year. I was doing industrial attachment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
So he (Osifo) called me that I should see him in his office. The faculty of Pharmacy was very close to UBTH. I was in the Pharmacy department doing my Industrial attachment. So, I went to see him. He told me they have watched with dismay what is happening to the office of the president of students’ union and what was happening was becoming a bit shameful. How come you are bringing a president of a student union without enough integrity to be able to keep the office in the dignity that it was supposed to carry? That they have looked at the records, why don’t I restore dignity to the office by contesting it? But they said they are very sure of what they have seen, my academic background; I could bring dignity to that office. I had not known Dr Aghenta that time, the wife was in the department of Pharmacy, a pharmacist. Coincidentally she was one of my Bosses in the place and they said why don’t you do it? They didn’t even give me the chance to refuse or think. They just said I should. That it was matter of great interest to them. I said okay, I was going to think about it. As I came out, from the Faculty heading back to my office at the UBTH, I came across a friend of mine, now Dr. Paul, a senior pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I said to him, look at the discussion I just had. He said why not? I said eh! A student union president? No! My academics will suffer, I had to go to lectures very early in the morning 8 o’clock, when I finish at 2 o’clock I barely have time to go and eat. Then rush back to the Lab and I will be in the Lab till 7pm. That is what we do every day as Pharmacy students. He said no, that he was aspiring to becoming Rector of Comic club that he can imagine me be the president of student union. The president is the Umbrella over all the other social clubs. I said well, I am going to think about it.
The other next person I met after I left him was Nduka Obaigbena who coincidentally was a student with us and he was a cartoonist at the Nigerian Observer then. We call him Lekeleke at that time. I told Nduka and he said why not I will print your posters “Matho for president”. It was actually Nduka that came up with what has become my pseudo name today; Matho Matho. Before I could know it, he said I should bring money, he will print my posters for me. I thought it was a joke. That is how the thing started spreading and they paid me allowance for three months, which was Ninety naira, because they pay me thirty naira per month. They gave it to me, I gave it to Nduka. He printed all my posters but of course at a discount. We were all students. The money we thought we could have used to drink beer and all of that, we used to print posters. That was how it happened.
Sonner I went into the race, many others came. We became seven. The race was very hot. It was a hot contest and eventually to the Glory of God, I won. That was 1981/1982. So I became president of student union of the University of Benin. After we finished that, at the NANS level, the Senate too I became the president. The President of the Senate. That is president of presidents. So we continued like that. I think that was what stimulated my interest. But thank God I had my record time, all my fears that I had because of the busy schedule in the faculty of Pharmacy, I was able to go through it and in fact that year I won their merit award at the faculty and I graduated without any hiccups. No reseat, nothing. Five years, I went through it. I was able to combine unionism and academics. That was how I left.
So I was a very popular student on campus. Everybody knew me. Go and ask them Mathew Urhoghide. Many people didn’t know me as Mathew Urhoghide but Matho, Matho all over. So I had a few friends till today who are prominent in the national politics, governors, that were there who saw my own involvement in student unionism as inspiration. When I see them today Oh! Matho our president, for instance if I see James Ibori, he will say you were the one that gave us inspiration on campus because we were seeing you and the people we helped that time who were young men who came to campus campaigning for me, people like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Hon West Idahosa they were just coming on Campus. So they were younger men who joined me and I gave them inspiration and in fact after that time, West Idahosa too became PRO of students’ union. Nduka actually contested for the PRO of students’ union that time, unfortunately he didn’t make it. So it was an Umbrella, socially, politically and all of that, we were all together. That was where it really started. I saw it as a very big privilege for me to lead a community of students that have about the same intellect with me. I didn’t take it for granted. I learnt a lot of things from that. I was respected. Prof Adamu was a Vice Chancellor who respected me, B.O. Kokumo who was Registrar, they all respected me and by the time I left office, all the courtesies were still accorded to me. I was alone in a room, the University said don’t pay school fees because your tenure was most peaceful, you provided very responsible leadership and that was where I was able to break the jinx. I was the first president to graduate in very record time. And after me Obakhaviaye Yusuf succeeded me as President student union, we call him popular A.A.
Question: Do you mean Presidents don’t graduate?
Answer: They were having problems before me. Like I said, I don’t want to mention names. All the presidents had problems. Number one, there was accountability and your conduct on campus needed to be faultless. That is why today, I don’t keep thugs, and I don’t have tolerance for people like that. That is why you see the wilder society politics take me for granted. I don’t need to force you to give me any support. You do what you want to do, I just walk away and that is what is still happening.
Question: At what point did that transmuted into politics?
Answer: You see, at that time there were controversies. We had Students Parliament Congress and as president of student union government, you needed to be there. We had the Speaker, most of the time, we were having our Speakers from the religious community. The SUs or CUs (Scripture or Christian Unions). We had Alabi that time who had first graduated from Ahmadu Bello University. They didn’t have tolerance for any form of abuse of office, particularly financial transactions that were shady. If you are asking for one naira to do something, you will be able to account for it. How much was even this money as that time? So I could really feel the admiration and respect around me for providing leadership and being accountable. I saw it and by the time I left the university, most of the students were happy; Matho you were president, you are our president, so providing leadership, responsible leadership at that time, kept me on and I needed to continue.
So, if I had misbehaved, if I had done one thing that probably brought bad memories to me, I wouldn’t have thought of it. By the time I even got to Lagos after youth service, I was now working with my colleagues, my friends, we all move, socializing together in our different joints, the Olisa Agbakoba, the Emeka, all of us together that time. When we sat down, it happened somebody came out, Matho was our president, oh! You are our president here. Matho for president, President Matho. That one translated from school to when I came to Lagos.
After I finished my youth service at the Nigeria Airforce, I started to work. I worked briefly with private pharmaceutical company, and I started my own from 1985. I started business myself. So as I was doing that, I settled early.
By 1985 I was married, I graduated 1983 and I was not very young because I came from the University of Lagos to come and start all over again at the University of Benin to read pharmacy with the instruction of my father. When I graduated from the University of Benin, I was almost 28 years old or 27 plus. So relatively I was not young. So as I finished, I did my internship at the University Teaching Hospital. When I was at the University of Lagos, I went to read Geology but my father said no.
Question: Do you see the wisdom behind the decision now; making the switch from Geology to Pharmacy?
Answer: That was the greatest decision. The obedience I showed to my father, I can tell you, is the totality of my success today. My father said don’t worry, I see your star in Pharmacy. He said your elder brother is a Medical Doctor, my younger brother was to read Dentistry, why don’t you read Pharmacy?
I said I didn’t do Physics, my father said it doesn’t matter. He said go and start all over. Because I didn’t do Physics I had to start Pre-degree again. Do you know what? My practice for over 30 years and something that I had, blossomed. My success today is not on the representation but I thank God I was able to represent people. My success is my practice – my Pharmaceutical practice. God gave it to me. I found favour. I was in the general practice. I was favoured everywhere I went.
In those days, you couldn’t imagine 1985 up to 2000, about 20 years, there was no supplier of drugs and equipment to NNPC that was bigger than me. The same thing, the Nigeria Railway Corporation had their own medical outfit, their hospital, because all the agencies under the Ministry of Transport, I was one of their biggest suppliers. So, whether it was laboratory reagents, chemistry equipment, drugs; that was my area. So I did it for years and I made a whole lot from it. So I used my profit very well. The houses I own today; they were from those things. When my mates to the glory of God did not even have it, I had it. When I was to run election in 1992, I ran all my elections from my purse. I did not owe anybody anything. I knew for me to go into partisan politics, I needed to have financial independence or some level of economic independence and of course some intellectual independence.
Question: What was the first election you contested in mainstream politics?
Answer: Senate in 1992 under SDP. I won it after 23 years.
Question? So what factors stopped you from winning?
Answer: In 1992 I ran. Seven (7) of us ran that race. Senator Sunday Iyahen who incidentally was my teacher at the university, Prof. Iyahen ran. If you remembered in 1983 he was elected to the Senate and because of the military coup, three months, all our political structures were disbanded and so he came back in 1992 but at this time I was running.
Okay! Tony Iyen, Dr. Agbokhina all of us ran that race in the senate; Edo South. Oyegun was just governor in about a year or less than a year. I ran for the Senate, seven of us ran that race, I came second to Senator Iyahen and after that time, in 1993 I moved to Abiola campaign organization. I was Director of Administration lobbying for MKO for president. So Senator Zwingina was the Director and we worked with him. So after the nomination we put the political structure in place. We prosecuted it; I was the one at the secretariat. So we did all that till 1994 when the regime of Abacha took him away and eventually until 1998 we lost him. That was when we all started thinking of what to do.
The politics of that time during Abacha from 1994 to 1998, I did not participate in it. That was when the post annulment struggle started. The action committee on June 12 was formed. I was still the secretary of the action committee of June 12. The campaign Headquarters at No 4. Allen Avenue. That was where the campaign held. We were still doing all of that till it metamorphosed into NADECO. The meeting started holding in Ibadan and people started tribalizing the issues. So that is why Dr. Zwingina and I gave it up and we opted to back out to our businesses. So that was what happened. That is why 1998 to 1999, I was not too involved in partisan politics; we were just watching. But I had my sympathy for the APP in 1999. The reason was not far-fetched because of my friend the late Sam Iredia who wanted to be governor but was shortchanged too somehow and we continued like that until 2000. I saw what was going on and I decided to run on the platform of ANPP because late Admiral Aikhomu and the rest; we were all together in ANPP. I convened a group that time, AGG -Agitation for Good Governance and Productive Leadership. When I saw what was going on and I was not too happy, I convened it, all the good people who could see reasons, who were from Edo origin started coming every other week to Benin to have meetings. We were holding the meetings in my house. The first Protem chairman of the committee was Imadu Bello (SAN) the first Protem Secretary was Mathew Akhionbare.
So that was where we started but somehow, because they saw the thing was getting formidable, Matthew was appointed Secretary to government. So he jumped out. Imadu Bello too wanted to be SAN, the wife too went to be a Judge. Some of them had to pursue some personal interests. No fault of theirs anyway. Because everybody was still growing and they really wanted it, left their political involvement with me. No one hindered them, so they left. I continued and because of what I had seen at that time, what the group did was note the issues around the quality of governance in place to proffer solutions. And we proffered solutions and documented them in a book. What we did was not to despise the governor.
Question: Who was the Governor then?
Answer: Lucky Igbinedion was the governor and he was still in his first term. Maybe as young people, we saw it too that since we were not so in the immediate political family, many of us were not involved in the PDP. We were not involved in ANPP per say. We were still watching from the side. So we needed to dispassionately proffer solutions to good governance. That was what we did. But to a large extent, many people misconstrued it, they said we were trying to provide alternative government and had come to challenge Lucky Igbinedion’s government. But I said that was not it. Somehow, they succeeded in creating a division and many of them ran away and left. But for me, I was undaunted, I picked up some of them and we carried the thing to the end.
All these Orobosa Omo Ojo, Nicholas Isaac, Ajayi, Enger, the Etomis, Ogunche, Edo Osagie, Osato and all of them, they were part of it. We were all together in AGG. Somehow, some people went out trying to discredit me and my motives. I said well, for me it was really nothing. The house I have in Benin was built in 1994. Though I had some level of independence. As a matter of fact, I told them I was not going to run for any election. But when it came to the point that it appeared that as a (political) threat, somebody began to express cowardice, I said no and declared that I wanted to run for governor. I ran for governor. I did.
Question: To challenge who? Under what party?
Answer: ANPP; myself, Lucky Imasuen, Dan Orbih and Senator Roland Owie. Senator Owie decamped from PDP and came to ANPP. Our leader was Admiral Aikhomu. So I challenged them. We were all in the race and at the end of the day, the exercise ended in a fiasco. No candidate emerged because that day, at Image Garden, gun shots and everything ended it because they said that somebody brought in extra ballot papers. But somehow, they took the thing and submitted a name and said it was Senator Owie. Three of us, myself, Lucky Imasuen and Orbih came to Abuja and protested but somehow Aikhomu who was very high up there as the BOT chairman of the party, overruled us – that was how we lost out.
Then on our way back we got to Auchi, the late Chief Inu Umoru was in Dan Orbih father’s place and said we should join them in PDP. Dan Orbih and Imasuen joined PDP and I didn’t join and I stayed because personally on a note of principle, I took exception to the party at that time because I knew and I saw it, there was nothing really there that will deliver this country. That is the truth and I didn’t join the PDP until 2011 when circumstantially I had to leave the ACN.
Question: When did you join the ACN?
Answer: I joined the ACN in 2006.
Question: Did you contest on the ACN platform?
I contested for Senate in 2003 with Comrade but unfortunately I didn’t want to join Comrade. I didn’t want to join the Comrade in ACN. In fact, before we got to ACN, I was still in ANPP, Comrade wanted to join the ANPP, I was in the National Executive of ANPP 2005. I was the only one from our state. We had the caretaker committee National at that time, the governor of Bornu Ali Modu Sherrif was the chairman. Yari was Governor in Zamfara. He was part of us. So we were all in the Executive.
In fact, today, the deputy chairman of APC South today was with me. It happened Oshiomhole wanted to join us. He was still president of the Nigeria Labour Congress. As a matter of fact, when I celebrated my 50th Birthday in 2005, it was the first time Oshiomhole came to my house. He came to my house in Benin, he was brought in by Isekhure of Benin. He introduced him to me, that this is Labour President. I said yes, I know him. When I was in Abiola Campaign in 1993 Kayode Komolafe was my Assistant Director. So Kayode Komolafe was working with me. So he brought him. He said Oba gha to kpere, he is from your state. I said hello how are you? That is how I came to know Comrade. I knew him when I was in Abiola Campaign Organization. Paschal Mathew was the President and of course he wanted to be Vice president. So they were all coming to the Secretariat to meet with us. Because we were the immediate body to the presidential candidate Abiola, they were coming to my office at that time. That is how I got to know him.
So when he wanted to join the party, he was still a Labour President, I told him we were holding Convention at Eagle Square, come and attend it. So he made an appearance and he ran away. He didn’t join us. I told him you see and he was trying with some people in Edo state at that time, I don’t want to say some of those ugly things that happened that time, they were pushing him. In fact, let me say this, the greatest support Comrade ever had as far as politics is concerned was the support Chief Oyegun gave to him in the state. That was what caused my quarrel with Chief Oyegun. Chief Oyegun because he was a former Governor, was our leader but I was the one in the National Executive. Because they wanted him, Godwin Erahor did everything for him to come into the party. Not even Comrade, Erhahon. Erhahon was the PRO of the party but it was Chief Oyegun, the former Governor that was very rational, he said look, if Governor Lucky Igbinedion had been governor for this time, it’s just proper for somebody from Edo North to take it. But some of us didn’t see it that way. That is PDP we are ANPP. So why will I defer because of the wider reasoning they had that time. So he supported Comrade and he caused the cleavage in ANPP. Some of us left.
Question: On Comrade Oshiomhole; did he ever join the ANPP?
Answer: Eventually Yes! He was coming. When he now found out that we left, he too left. He went to Labour. So we were now trying to put the AC together. It was first AC to ACN, they were now waiting for some of us to please come. I came into it because Captain Hosa appealed to me. I told him No! With Comrade he divided our party. He came in and created a problem for us. We went to break the secretariat at 3rd Circular for us to enter it. So that time it was problem for us. That was how I now left. I told them, that 2005 I decided to leave the ANPP, I didn’t join any party. So we were like that. When they now came with AC/ACN, we were now dragging it till 2006/2007. If you could remember, I came to the press center. The first time I went there, I had a press conference when I told them I was leaving the ANPP. I left. Then I said, if Comrade wants to enter this party, he should go and enter this party in his ward in Etsako West. That is the constitution of the ANPP. They said okay, good.
I was the National officer of the party. It was my right to preserve the content of our constitution or the provisions of the party’s constitution. That is why they wanted to give preference to him. But somehow I knew what was going on. I knew because Comrade was coming into the party, each time we met at the party secretariat and we were making donations, Comrade Godwin Erhahon will say, I am coming. If I make donation of N50,000 or N100,000, he will come back and make donation of N250,000. So I started smelling it that he was being sponsored. That is how I linked him to government house. So you can imagine we were in ANPP the PDP government in government house were sponsoring him. Mind you in 2001/2002 when we were running for governorship in ANPP, this time Dan Orbih had left, Imaseun had left, I was the only one left; I ran for governorship.
Question: Did you get the ticket?
Answer: I didn’t get the ticket, it was Senator Roland Owie that got the ticket. That is how Senator Oweh ran against Lucky Igbinedion in 2003 and he lost. So in 2002/2003 January, that was when we had our primaries, so after the primaries, the other two guys left; I was the only one that was left. I campaigned with Senator Owie. I stood by him. So in 2005, I was the one that now went to the National. Mind you, after Owie lost he left. I was the only one that was left in the party; then they were now bringing Comrade in.
Question: At what point did you win Senatorial contest? And in which political party?
Answer: 2015, PDP. Now let me tell you what now happened. After 2006/2007, I was undecided over the party to go to. One night, Captain Hosa, Chief Luky Igbinedion in his final months as Governor and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, they came to my house. I was thinking because, Dr Ogbemudia wanted me to join the PDP. I had the first meeting with Dr. Ogbemudia, he provided me good food and everything; that I should come into the party. This time too Admiral Akhumu had left the ANPP to go back to the PDP. As a matter of fact, he (Dr. Ogbemudia) gave me 3,000 cards; he said, “take go and re-establish PDP in Edo South in Edo state for us”. So that night when these my friends came, they said don’t join PDP you will join us. We want to have a new creation in Edo sate; Action Congress. Please Mathew you have not played politics with us before. We want you to join us now.
Question: Who are they?
Answer: Captain Hosa, Lucky Igbinedion and Osagie Ize-Iyamu
Question: Action Congress?
Answer: Action Congress. Because it was something in the works for them.
Question: But you were in PDP then.
Answer: That is how the thing was happening, they couldn’t really come out. So they were the ones. Osagie Ize-Iyamu was the engine room. He was Secretary to Government. Though Lucky Igbinedion was still PDP Governor. Captain was there as the bridge between us and them. So after they finished, they said they were going to bring Comrade. Comrade again? I said No, No, No. I said I don’t have anything to do with him. He was the one that scattered the ANPP. They talk and talk to me, begged me and begged me that I should please join them. I said I will not join you, I rather go to PDP instead of another division. But because of Captain I joined them.
Then they came up, we want you to run for the Senate; galvanize Edo South for us. You wanted to be Senator in 1992, you wanted to be Governor in 2003, now we want you to be the Senator for Edo South. We want you to put it together because we can see that you have a structure. I told them never. Captain Hosa did everything. He picked the form, gave it to Chief Frank Erewele, that one was in Captain Hosa house, that I should come and sign, they have paid for everything for the Senate. I said I don’t want. It was Gentleman Amagor who had the ticket. Captain took it. Captain now became the candidate and said I am ready to give him and Captain said Okay, give it to Reverend Oviasu and from there he said, no! We are waiting for Mathew to come. We have paid everything, Captain begged me, don’t worry we will do everything. We want you to be on this ticket. I said before I take it, let me go and meet Uzamere, he is my friend, because he wants to run. He had come to tell me he wanted to run. Uzamere helped me in 1992. So I went to Uzamere, look at what is going on. I don’t want to contest against you. You are my friend; you are my brother. Uzamere said no Mathew! I said you are the only problem that I have, he said he was happy I came to see him and told me to go ahead. I said are you sure I should go ahead? I came back to Captain, I said I have gone to meet Uzamere he has asked me to go ahead, I didn’t want to run any race against him. Captain said okay. If you want me to join you, good. That was 2007. I went into that contest I didn’t win, Uzamere won. We went to court.
Question: Uzamere won?
Answer: Yes! The PDP won.
Question: But he (Uzamere) told you to contest…
Answer: Yes! He was still PDP candidate. I didn’t want to run against him. That was why I went to meet him.
Question: But he eventually ran against you.
Answer: Yes! Because my friends, Captain said I should. Captain said they were going to break the PDP down in the state. That is how I came in. So January 2011, that is how I came to PDP but ACN, I joined them in 2007. I didn’t go to PDP again. We won 8 seats House of Assembly, 6 seats came from Edo South. Peter, the late Peter Aliu and Philip were the only ones we produced from the Edo North. We got 6 from Edo South. After I ran in 2007, we went to court, at the Election Petition Tribunal, the thing was cancelled that we should go back, that was when I started seeing the game.
From December 2008, that 2008 after Oshiomhole was sworn in, he assumed office in November, I could see the paper that was prepared for them to share rice, cow and money for the Christmas. I saw it. Where he was sending a cow to Uzamere and N500,000. But me, he put all of us together; Abubakar Momoh, myself, the one in Edo central, all of us put together he said they should share four Million (4,000,000) to us. They brought one hundred thirty thousand or one hundred and twenty thousand to me. We spent our money for the election. It was me that brought Barrister Ken Mozia. Those were my friends. It was me that brought him in to defend the National Assembly candidates in court. After then, we went to appeal court, we lost. That thing protracted from 2007 to 2009. It was now 2010 for us to do nomination, that was when it started.
Comrade said they didn’t want me. They went to go and bring Uzamere from PDP to ACN to take my seat. He said he was under pressure to bring Uzamere in. I have been with you for years, spent all my money, after Comrade’s vehicle mine was next, Odubu was sitting by my left in my car 2007/2008. So they brought him in. All of them, Captain, they supported him over an argument on who will be the next governor after Comrade. That meeting was held at Captain Hosa’s house that night. Myself, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Odubu, Razak Bello Osagie, all of us were there. Odubu said it was too early, we just started, let us see what it is. But because we did not say that day it must be Pastor Osazie Ize-Iyamu, Captain took offense. That time, we go out together, supporting Odubu, he said I was the one masterminding it.
Question: Were you interested in the Governorship?
Answer: No! I was not interested. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu was brought forward. It was Odubu who now said they should wait; I was not interested. Odubu was the Deputy Governor then. Captain said Odubu, you don get your own now, Mathew you are in court over your Senate, Razak you are going to House of Reps, what of Osagie? That we should all agree now that Osagie will be the next Governor after Comrade. Odubu now said it’s too early. Let us wait. I now told them that I may not support them ooh! So the best thing to do is, they started the game. Comrade said that I should go and contest against Uzamere. I said okay, I started my campaign again. When they just declared the results of Oredo, I won, Razak won. I won 9 Wards, and Razak won 8 Wards. Ovia North East I won. Comrade then said they should stop it. He sent Ogie to the party Secretariat on Airport road to go and bring the results. That was how they stopped it. Till today, that result was not released. He said Uzamere was who he wanted. I said Comrade, you are just wicked. That is how I left and I went to PDP in January 2011. He came later and said he was sorry. I said keep it to yourself. To err is human but to forgive is divine. Till today, Comrade has approached me three times, what he did to me, you couldn’t do it to a bastard. I left him, no quarrel. That is how I came to PDP. When I got to PDP, I was ready to take everything. Maybe the big man I thought I was, all that garb, I had to drop it. When I got there, Chief Tony Anenih wanted me to be the Publicity Secretary of the party under Dan Orbih and I remembered our days, myself and Orbih. Much younger people and all of that. I took the Publicity Secretary. I fought for Senate for four years before I got the nomination in 2015. All those people who felt bad in ACN because of what Comrade did, they all joined. That is how I won that election. That is how I came to the Senate in 2015.
QuestionL Late Chief Tony Anenih gave you the ticket with which you came to the Senate.
Answer: Yes! He was alive and he supported it. My nomination, he was very particular about it.
Question: Who contested against you in PDP that time?
Answer: Samson Osagie in the APC. But in the PDP for nomination, West Idahosa, Isaiah Osifo and Victor Edos Ebomoyi. After I got the nomination, we went for the election and I won. Comrade encouraged Samson Osagie to go to court; to go to the Election Petition Tribunal, he lost; he went to appeal court, he lost.
Question: That was how you came to the Senate and for your second tenure?
Answer: The second tenure; Yes! Patrick Obahiagbon was their candidate in the APC and he lost. That one just conceded, he didn’t go to court.
Question: Will you ever consider leaving the PDP for another party?
Answer: No. At my age? In August, I am going to be 67years. I actually thought that I was not going to run for any election again, but circumstances again made it that I assumed a deeper role in the PDP. Particularly bringing Obaseki into the PDP. If I had played the politics the way it ought to have been played or the way they played it, Obaseki wouldn’t have been governor.
Question: Were you going to contest for the Governorship seat?
The problem of the PDP today in Edo state, to a large extent, was the coming of Obaseki to this party. Which I supported against the original PDP family.
Question: He promised you a third term? Did he deliver it?
Answer: Let us forget about that.
Question: There are insinuations that he gave you a lot of support against Mathew Iduoriyekemwen …
Answer: I didn’t get one Kobo from him. I was not looking forward to getting one naira from him. I didn’t get. I have heard about those rubbish. It is not true.
Question: Why did you not take the Labour Party’s Ticket?
Answer: I didn’t want to be seen to be desperate. That is why I didn’t take it.
Question: But it’s all about service to the people?
Answer: Yes but not with sheer desperation and not to be seen as unbecoming of me. Is it not service? Maybe other people can give you service better. But I didn’t want to be seen to be too desperate. If I was going to come back to the senate there is no way I would have done more than four years. Four years. I have done 8 years. Doing fourth term again? There is no way I could have done fourth term. Why would I now want to sacrifice everything I have labored, everything I have done on the altar of desperation? Why? Those who orchestrated it, I want to prove a point to them that my life is not dependent on this; I have other things to do.
Question: People say the more the better. The more legislative experience you get, the higher you go, the more dividend of Democracy you get for the people.
Answer: That is the truth but our people don’t know that yet. Maybe because of representation at the level of parliament or the National Assembly, that is why we have the adage in Benin “that you will be doing something with new, new things because there is no profit in it”. What I wanted before, I thought we were working as a family with clear understanding. Mind you, a lot of the people who are playing this political game in our environment, they don’t understand it deeply. They don’t know what it is. Many people misconstrued you to be making money; what about service? If they knew this, the quality of representation we have been getting; I am not sounding immodest, I have over 300 projects in Edo South Senatorial District. So, if what I have done is anything to go by, they will probably plead with me to continue. They say; we are looking at the immediate future, we want you to be governor, we want you to be this, they don’t understand me. It’s a most miserable assumption on their part and I want to tell you, no matter what anybody says, I never told anybody that I wanted governorship. As a matter of fact, I have a right to it. If I want to struggle for it, I will struggle for it. The people will be the ultimate deciders, not any individual.
Question: But the people say it should go to Edo Central.
Answer: Who? I am not telling you I want to go. If it has to go to Central, let it go to Central. Let it go to Edo North; I am not against anyone. It can go to Edo South. But not one person will decide that anymore. The people will decide that.
Question: What are your star projects? The major projects that underscore your achievements as Senator?
Answer: Now, you must understand it from the background of what my own statutory functions are as senator elected as representative of the people; what I am supposed to do. If you go to the Constitution, it will tell you what I am supposed to do – make laws for the good governance of this country, which I have done; particularly as it affects our own environment. I have done that and many people can testify to that.
The legal frame work for the establishment of Federal College of Education, Ekiadolor, it was me. I sponsored the Bill. I didn’t ask anybody for anything. The public hearing cost me over three million naira. What I spent on that Bill is over five million naira. Nobody gave me one naira from the state. I didn’t ask for it. When you tell people or people tell you they sponsor Bills, do you know what it cost? So not just that, they are too many that we have done. The president signed that; the institution is there.
You cannot operate such institution without a legal frame work which I have provided. National Institute of Tourism; when I was the Chairman of the Committee in the 8th Senate, in my first two years I sponsored the Bill. National Institute for Tourism has existed since 1978 without legal framework. Federal Government spends over 3.5 billion naira paying salaries in the Institute every year. Personnel cost without legal framework. Couldn’t be sued neither can it sued but having over eleven campuses across the country. I sponsored the Bill and it was just signed by the President to law. So many things.
So I have made laws for the good governance of this country and the story is there. So if you want to talk of anybody from Edo, maybe Senator Domingo who sponsored the Bill against same sex marriage, that was signed into law. So anywhere in the National Assembly check it, my records are there.
Then two, oversight functions; today from 2017, I was first Chairman Senate committee on Culture and Tourism after that, in 2017 I was made Chairman Senate Committee on Public accounts. I am not an Accountant; I am a Pharmacist. But I learnt on the job and I have done it very well. I superintended over 797 agencies of government and their financial transactions. People out there say things like “oh they are making money there”. You have been here now; did you see anybody bringing “Ghana Must Go” bag to my office? I don’t accept bribe. I don’t take it. I am not a contractor. I don’t encourage anybody. Over 797 agencies of government I have superintended. I have kept my integrity intact, the integrity of my Public Accounts committee, the integrity of the Senate and I am glad I have done so. My committee room before you go, I will walk you round there, there is a plaque there, and it’s going to be there for life. I reformed my hearing room. My plaque is there; Senator Mathew Urhoghide. It was unveiled by the Senate President who incidentally too was the Chairman of the Public accounts committee before. So I put it there – my mark is there.
For the first time, Audit Report; Auditor General’s Report that comes to the National Assembly since 1999 was never considered. No Committee submitted a report to Senate at plenary. I have broken the jinx. So 2015 is there. I have reviewed 2016-2018 and I will finish it before I take my bow in June. So if it’s oversight, I have been able to do it beyond all measures. I did not take it too common. For me, when one Senate President is going away, another is appointing me. It’s because of my integrity, what I did. Saraki appointed me; Senator Ahmed Lawan renewed it.
Question: But you are in the opposition PDP, the Senate President Ahmed Lawan is in the APC…
Question: Yes. It’s for opposition. The position is for the opposition party. Then of course, the third statutory function is for me to attract projects to my constituency. I have 77 wards, there is no ward where I don’t have a project; at least one. There is no local government that I don’t have at least twenty projects.
In Oredo, I have 98 projects but by the time I finish my tenure I will have about 130 projects. Go anywhere. Go to Evhareke, all the lights you see there, I brought the NDDC to put all the lights. Go to Uwelu market, I put on the lights there. Uselu that you see, I built the Town Hall for the people. What are they going to say? Eghosa Grammer School, I have done all I needed to do there. Everywhere you see a solar street light, look at the pole, my name is on it. In Orhionmwon the same. In Uhunmwode the same. In Ikpoba Okha I brought solar boreholes to every community. Go and check, transformers, I brought them and the one that is dearest to my heart, I have offered 364 scholarships to children of the poor from my pocket. Go and check. I have trained over 6000 people in over three and half years – graduates and unemployed youths. These are the people I have given scholarships to. Their pictures are there for verification. I have trained so many in different fields and they are documented in a magazine. Is it ticketing, tour guide, culture, tourism, I have trained people. Over 6000 graduates; I trained them and many of them have been empowered. I train some, I give them my money. So what else?
I was thinking before that if I could do these as a Senator on the floor of the Senate, if I was able to make it to the Chair as Senate President, or Deputy Senate President, I will do times hundred of what I have done now for our constituency. That was what was motivating me. I came to ask questions. Are we ready for this in Edo South? All of them saw it and said yes. This is the Senate Standing Rule, if you check here, it is very clear that for you to do anything, it’s by seniority. For you to be Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Principal Officer; Senate Leaders and all, it’s by ranking.
Ranking is the number of time you are re-elected and not the number of times you are elected; number of times you are re-elected. I needed to ask my constituent, do we want it, where now my constituency projects is two hundred million (200,000,000.00), if I was made Senate President, I probably have in Excess of 50 billion or 80 billion naira. I don’t want to quote figures. What I have in 2022 budget for solar street lights in whole Edo South Senatorial district, 7 local governments is ten million. I know Presiding officers that have over five Billion naira. It’s for the people to understand these things. It is not about me. How can he go three times? You see a lot of ignorance. Ahmed Lawan is bowing out now, after 24 years, Gbajabiamila is still there, he came 2003. There are people here in the Senate that have been here since 2003, they are coming back. So you have gone to conspire to say no. They kept sending people and that is what kept us back. So it is not my ambition.
Question: Is it true you promised Ogbeide Ihama that when you are leaving after your second tenure, you will support him to come to Senate?
Answer: I never promised him that, I never. I told him anytime I leave. Why will I not support him? Anytime, not for him to tell me when. He didn’t bring me here. I was hearing of those things. Oh! Must you rush me? Must you tell me when to come in; when to go out? Akpatason is doing third term in the House of Representatives. In fact, he is coming for the fourth term. He is a Deputy Leader. What Akpatason has in this Budget, all of us put together we don’t have it. That is what goes to the principal officers’ positions. Why will he too not try to make a third term there and climb? If you come to the Senate, can you be Senate President? NO. If you come in, the position I have now, can you get it? Possibly no. So, I was not driving this thing because I was not helping somebody. I will prefer somebody when I am leaving, somebody who has legislative experience to take over, not question of you must do it now. I found that very offensive.
Question: The country as it is now, especially from the South to the East, it is the same scenario; second tenure, third tenure is a difficult thing? When you go to the North they enjoy it. What do you think is the problem between the North and South?
Answer: They probably have a better understanding in the North. They have less competitive spirit. For us here, it’s the issue of envy and jealousy. That is what we always see here. A lot of backstabbing, backbiting.
Question: Could it be due to a need for reorientation, education and enlightenment?
But a lot of our people are elites were the ones against it – they are elites. For me, God has already put me on a sound footing. My feet were already in the sand of time. The way God has blessed me, if you see me like this as a student, ask people in the University of Benin, they will tell you Matho has always dressed like this. That is me, it’s my style. You cannot kill me for my style. You cannot envy me for my style. You can only take yourself and go to hade.
Question: There’s the possibility your party may not field candidates for this election. It’s a serious issue in your party. Does this border you?
Answer: They are used to it. They are used to failure. They are used to crisis. They have often lost power. It happened before. Forgotten? Group A and Group B. How it started, they fought themselves. There was no reasoning until they fell into the ditch. When I was busy trying to bring about reconciliation between Dan Orbih and the Governor’s group, that was what caused me this. Why don’t you join us to carry cutlass to kill the other one? I told them I cannot. It now became a case of neither/nor and I have no regrets. If they want to fight, they can fight themselves because when I was telling them that time, they thought I was protecting my third term agenda. I don’t want the third term again. If they offered me ticket somewhere else, with my popularity, I would have won but I want to show to them I am not desperate. I would have taken that ticket; I would have gone ahead. I said I don’t want it. Give to whoever is interested. Those who are interested have taken it. I stepped back. It is now I want to come and tell them about reconciliation? Until one of them will go down; are they going to bring two candidates from PDP in Edo? One of them will go down. When one goes down, maybe he will still be dragging the other one until all of them go down. At the end of the day, it will be a loss to everybody. Then, that is when probably they will realize, why were we fighting? Look at both sides, particularly those of us who were the old PDP before the governor came. We needed to show a lot of tolerance. I am still saying it, politics is not about how many people you were able to destroy, it is how many people you are able to win to your side. Let’s manage this situation, it will soon end. If you want to do anything that time, you can do what you like but let’s manage the situation. Yes! Dan Orbih’s position was; we have won let’s share this power, let’s share positions correct and the Governor said no let’s go to the party, let us do it this way with new innovations, which to some extent many of us were still thinking with time.
Question: But you supported him.
Answer: Look, the whole idea was not to support the governor blindly. I never told him for instance the issue of removing people from their party’s position. I never supported it. You can only do it when those persons voluntarily give up their positions and you put them in your government. That is what I said. Today, I don’t have anybody appointed in PDP government in Edo. None. I have to say it, no particular interest. I have not been paid and I have not been given one naira by this government. I don’t have SSA, SA; I don’t have. I don’t have one councilor from my senatorial district nominated by Senator Urhoghide. If that is the issue I needed every other person in the party to understand. Let’s tolerate it.
If the governor wants everything, give everything to him. His tenure is four years; he has two years to go. Let’s bear it. That is my grouse against them. We should have tolerated it. They want to pull the whole thing down. When his tenure is ending, we are going to get another governor. We will use our strength, our power that time to say this is what we want. Abi? You see once upon a time, we had this PDP government in place, we said let’s make peace, we didn’t make. Give us this, he didn’t give, but now we are going to put one that is all inclusive. Everybody will be happy. Let’s wait till then, they say never. Oh! You brought him. Urhoghide, you were the one that brought him. I became their enemy.
Question: You brought the Governor into the PDP.
Answer: That is what they were saying. I am still saying it now, they will say I brought him and that I stopped Ogbeide Ihama from winning the Governorship.
Question: Did you?
Answer: I didn’t.
Question: Was he going to win?
Answer: I don’t know.
Question: Are you happy that the Governor is in the PDP?
Answer: But we wanted power. We had struggled for 12 years; we didn’t get it. Even for me to support the devil for PDP to get it, I would have done it then and we did it. It might not be the best of times, he might not be the best of persons, when we get power like this you share it, it didn’t happen. Is that why I should kill person?
Now, the 10th Senate, Urhoghide, there is no miracle, I am not coming, so I must kill myself? I must comport myself inside that existence. If it took me 23 years, is it only four years that is left that I want to kill myself for? I have better things to do with my time and by the grace of God, I am going to make more money if it’s all about money; because I have all my time to myself. I am not an idle person. I’ll make more money, create more comfort. I have enough time to be with my wife and children. Enough time to be with my family members.
Question: There was this time you were attacked at the Benin Airport. What actually led to it. What happened?
Answer: The same ignorance. Some persons were overzealous. Mind you, there were events that were happening that time. They were going to have the national convention of the APC. When Adams Oshiomole was going to come in as Chairman in replacement of Chief Odigie Oyegun. We were just minding our business in the National Assembly in the 8th Senate. I was a member of the Appropriation Committee of the Senate and the same time Chairman of Public Accounts. The president was desirous of buying two Tucano Aircraft for the country to meet with the challenges of insurgency and all these other things in the North East as that time. Very good and noble intention. But the constitution is very clear that you cannot spend money without appropriation.
In the Appropriation Committee there wasn’t request that was sent by Mr. President for the senate to approve the money for the purchase of Tucano Aircraft. We invited the Minister of Defense that time, he came and said usually when you put a request to the President, you carry the budget with it and you mark, this is where it is. We asked the Minister, the Minister said there was no such thing. They ill-advised the president. Anyway you belong to the Executive arm of government, you are an appointee of Mr. President; spending money is a violation of our constitution, section 80 and 81. If that one has happened are we going to say no?
In the House, the matter came up, the Speaker called the Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon Chida, talk on this matter. They did their own and of course Chida rose and said that it’s a violation of the constitution. If the president commits such infraction, what do you do? You go to section 143 of the constitution; that is the one that pertains to his conducts or infractions by the President or the Vice President.
It came to the Senate, president called me as chairman of public accounts. Now that it has happened what do we do? I stood up, the nobility of the intention was not in dispute but violation of the constitution, is another thing all together. The president has sent such amount of money to the United States Government for the purchase of the Tucano Aircraft and has violated a section of the constitution. Mind you we have sworn an oath to uphold the provisions of our constitution. Are we going to compromise it? The president has committed an infraction in the provision of the constitution; on the note of nobility of the objective or are we going to say because it’s party A or Party B we should violate the constitution? They said no. Therefore, let us go and look at the provisions of section 143. When this happens, right, do this, invite him, let him explain, call this, call that; eleven provisions, the last being impeachment. After you would have gone through all of these, I said let us refer to section 143 and see how we address what has happened with Mr. President’s transaction. That evening, they said Senators asked for the impeachment of Buhari, they said they should remove Buhari. I said how can? I am not that daft. There are procedures; maybe in the cause of explaining these things, we will see one place to say yes but to keep quiet will not be the best of intention.
They went and started gathering boys in Benin on how to attack me. 6:00am when I was making contact in Benin, somebody called me they are in ring road moving to Edo state of Assembly calling for my recall, this and all that. PDP heard, they started moving people, APC was moving youths. PDP heard that APCs were coming to attack me. But PDP too started moving. I didn’t know. When they called me in the morning that APC was gathering people, I said who? They mentioned the names to me. I said ok. I am coming to Benin. I will still come. I was phoning and they said they were at the airport. Ok. ITV too they were all there. I said I am coming to Benin. I went and entered the plane. I got there. Oh Urhoghide ole, Urhoghide ole. I came out, is it true you asked for the impeachment? I said this is it. This is the greatest expression of ignorance by my people. You don’t know what we do there. You and your sponsors. You have shown so much of ignorance. You better hide your heads in shame. As they were doing that, the Police Commissioner, the Commander, the Air force man said please come back. As I came back to the lounge, the whole place was upside down. Well it’s here that the man died is better than it is here the man entered the bush. It will be cowardice. As we were just there, the Governor came in, maybe the other flight that came in, maybe he was coming from Lagos. My Senator, ah I said, my Governor, he said you said they should remove the president? I said do they remove the president like that? He just said let’s go, we were just joking. He was on my side; the Commissioner of Police was in the middle. One boy just came and push my cap. I said what? The Commissioner of Police said, who is this? He said No. I was just looking at him. As I stood there, the governor entered his vehicle, gave thumbs up for them and left. The Commissioner of Police said, let us go back again. We went back. They were fighting themselves now. The two parties were fighting themselves outside. They brought my car to the Tarmac and pass through the Air force base to go. These same people were the people I rescued from the throes of hell when they were thrown out of APC and my Sin in PDP was that I supported them to come to the party. That I supported them. Why? That is why in PDP, they say, it is Urhoghide that brought Obaseki to this party and I will never forgive him. The way you brought him, why didn’t you control him? But it’s good now they have found out that I am equally a victim. I am equally a victim now. I am a victim eh-eh? And I don’t want to be friendly with them. It’s my choice, the two of them. If politics ends with them, I am not interested and I must be able to keep myself, with some good satisfaction and silence. I want to be quiet over it.
I have found out there is nothing in this world that is too much to upset yourself about and put yourself at risk. On the first of July, after I saw Hon. Jude Idehen lying at the back of his car there, I was the one they called. He stays two houses away from my house. Each time, Epa I am tired oooh, this fight I am tired ooh. I saw he was worried. They have not even buried him now; they are struggling for his ticket now. Struggling for his ticket. I doubt if they have paid condolence to his family. What do you struggle for in life? I saw him poor boy, I took him to the mortuary. That time, this Labour ticket, oga you must take it. That is the day I made up my mind mind; that is the end of life. I told them I don’t need the ticket. They thought they could pressurize me, I said I don’t want it. Even if PDP turns back now, I will say, I don’t want it. That is me.
Question: It seems you are too gentle for politics?
Answer: I am too principled. You see my life is not dependent on it. I have intellectual independence and economic independence; I can tell anybody, the last house I built at Etete was 1999/2000. 15 years before I became a senator.
Question: If you leave the Senate, what will you do?
Answer: I am watching. I am just watching, as long as God gives me life. I will still serve my people. I may not be in a political office. I have been doing it. When it matters most in those days, 1992, 1993, 1994 most of the communities there, they didn’t have water. I sank my borehole and was giving everybody water. The road by the side of my house, where my brother’s house is to Sapele road I was the one that was doing the road. I have been with our people. There is no way you see darkness around Etete now. I have lit up the whole place. The roads I was able to make.
Question: You’re one person who kept his relationship across party divide; even some APC chieftains said you used to support them in Abuja here.
Answer: Anybody that needs help that God lays on my heart, I will help. He doesn’t really mean he should be from my constituent. That has been in my nature. So if I am playing politics with you, you must be very careful not to go outside your principles. If you go outside of it, you are not too big, you cannot be too powerful or too rich, I will walk out on you.
Question: I see a lot of plaques; this is my first time seeing this number of plagues for one person. Is it that people so much love you or signs of your performance?
Answer: It is not a question of people loving me. It’s a question of what people perceive of you when it comes to performance because of your representation. I have always told you, that it’s a privilege to represent people and you must know it too, it’s not unidirectional, it’s both ways. If people don’t benefit from your representation, then it’s not productive. If they benefit, you are productive. What you have seen there, for years running now, by whatever indices I don’t know. They always say, you are the best Senator. You are the best Senator from the South-South states. I don’t know. They go and verify our projects. When they verify, they come back and say we have seen all your projects.
I am not afraid of ICPC. I am not afraid of EFCC. I have not commissioned projects. I have projects in excess of 100 that I have not commissioned in the last one year. I am going to do them; I am still doing them. The things I have in 2022 budget they are still there, I am going to finish them and I am going to finish them well. Even in the 2023 budget, all the things I will do, we are still going to commission them. I will not say because I am not coming back, I will still do them. Whoever my successor is, I will draw their attention to it, this is what is left, please complete them in the interest of our people. Then I will feel fulfilled.