‘Women must have equal opportunity in politics’

You cannot have a true democracy if you are excluding some people. So, women must have an equal opportunity to participate in the political space. They don’t have that. Nigeria is a male chauvinistic society, not dominated. Unfortunately, but that is a fa

it should not be seen as anything out of the process, it is part of the process. Even in your own family, do you agree with your wife all the time? Does it mean that you people are not good? So, it’s how Nigerians view this democracy. Each arm has its own responsibilities. So, in trying to carry out such responsibilities, if you have difference of opinions with the other side, it’s not a big deal, its normal. Why would you agree with anybody every time anyway? If you do, that is wonderful, but if you don’t, it just depends on how it is done. We must at all times have mutual respect for each other, that is very important, I should disagree with you respectfully, and you can disagree with me respectfully too, that is the issue. The mode, the manner that it is done, you don’t have agree all the times. In any case, I read about rubber stamp, no arm should be a rubber stamp to the other anyway. But that doesn’t mean that if we agree on a particular issue, that means it is rubber stamp, and that doesn’t mean if I disagree with you we are fighting. So, the issue of rubber stamp shouldn’t even come in just like the issue of fighting shouldn’t come in. You just maintain your own lane, and try to do the work that the constitution gave you to do, that is what it is all about.

DT: You seconded the motion for the nomination of the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila. There are reports that it was contrary to the position of your party, the PDP, why did you do that?

When you say this. I don’t know whether it is against the party or anybody. Let me say this, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila is somebody I have known for years in the House. I know his capacity. When he approached me to come on board with him, I had a conversation with him on his vision for the House which I felt is good. And of course, I decided I was going to support him. The party, I heard, gave a directive on the day of the election. Don’t forget, that campaign and everything started before. So, I didn’t know when the party gave the directive because I didn’t know that there would be a directive on the day of the election. If there was going to be a directive, I would have expected it to come much earlier, not on the day of the election. I wasn’t aware of any directive and I happily seconded his nomination, because I believed he should be our speaker. So I wasn’t really aware of any directive. Don’t forget it was on the day of the election, we were very busy, a lot of people didn’t really know about the directive.

DT: The minority caucus which you belong to has been enmeshed in crisis leading to the existence of parallel minority leaderships, why is this crisis festering?

There is only one minority leadership. We don’t have a parallel one. May be some people might not be happy which is understandable. We can actually understand that this happened and some people are not happy about certain situations. But as it is, we have only one leadership under Ndudi Elumelu. People like situations where there are crises, I don’t know why. Despite the differences we have, we are going to work on it. The PDP is one family.

DT: But why did the PDP openly support the other camp instead of the Elumelu leadership?

Well, it is not for me to answer that, because I am not the person supporting any other person than Elumelu. But I can tell you that we voted for Elumelu and he is the Minority Leader in the House. I can’t speak for any other person on this.

DT: As a cost-cutting measure, there are clamours for the reduction of the number of lawmakers at both chambers, what’s your opinion on this?

Ikpeazu: Let me tell you this, it is not a question of increase or reduction. That is not the issue. The reality is that, if we don’t have representatives, more than 70 percent of Nigerians will not feel federal presence in their areas. I represent two local governments. There are people that represent three local governments, there are people that represent four local governments. The idea is to make people feel that they are part of the federation or the federal system. So, if you say you want to reduce, you will want a situation where one person will represent 12 local governments. How will that work? Like I said for now, the people, of course I am not saying it is not expensive, but the members actually attract federal presence. There is no place you go in Nigeria that there is no federal presence because of the representation of the people they elected.

DT: Indirectly, you are talking about constituency projects which President Muhammadu Buhari had recently labelled a fraud, is it really a fraud?

We’ll I don’t read that, and I will be very surprised if Mr. President made that statement to call it a fraud because obviously, it cannot be. Actually, without those projects that are attracted to the people, most people in Nigeria would not know that there is a government. They will not feel the government at the centre, and that is what caused this agitation in Nigeria because some sections of the country feel that nothing comes to their places. They don’t feel they are part of the centre. So, if they are not part of the centre, they go their way. Because they will say, the federal government has forgotten about us. There is no place in Nigeria which has no federal presence courtesy of constituency projects. I really don’t believe that anybody can fault it. Nobody can fault that. So that is why I don’t believe the president said that. Secondly, if you are talking about implementation, the legislative arm doesn’t implement. Our responsibility is to make laws. It is the executive that executes. So if there is a problem, they have to look towards the executive, because the legislature does not execute. But I stand behind the principle of these projects because I know what they have attracted and I know what members have attracted to their places. It’s actually wrong to jump on the bandwagon. Oh, this thing is bad. It cannot be bad when people are benefiting from it.

DT: How do you survive the plots by men in your constituency to replace you during elections?

I submit absolutely everything to God, because it is God that determines what can come to you. When you know that you are filled with God’s grace, it actually gives you the strength to work, and when I am working in the field, I feel fulfilled. Like I said, I am Lynda. That is why one’s background is very important. My parents taught me the importance of selfworth. That is why we as mothers have a responsibility to teach our kids to appreciate themselves, to know their importance, because you have self-worth. You know that certain challenges that are normal, that you see in life, your attitude towards addressing challenges will be different. You might recall, I think the first time I came out in 1999, one of my opponents said to me: “You better go home”. I said to him, “Don’t worry, after campaign, I will go home, no problem.” They don’t see anything. You understand what I am saying. So, it’s like when you know what you are doing whatever is thrown at you, you know how to address it.

DT: Are you contemplating contesting for Anambra governorship?

DT: What next then?

Next? It’s up to God to determine. I always say like, let God decide for me. But I know for sure there is nothing like that in my mind.

DT: Why, are you afraid or what ?

DT: Your party, the PDP, lost Imo State to the APC at the Supreme Court on Tuesday. As a lawyer, how did you see the judgement?

Let me just say, that was very sad. I am not even looking at it from a partisan point of view, I am looking at it as a Nigerian. That is what I have always advocated, that we should look at issues as Nigerians, not from a partisan point of view. Let’s even face it, our political parties, can you tell me their ideologies? What are the ideologies of our political parties? They only want to win elections, that is the more reason why we should look at issues as Nigerians. So, my concern is not going to be, it is because it is the PDP. That is not even important. As a lawyer, I feel sad. The judgement, I feel sad. Like I said, as a lawyer when I heard about the judgement and of course the reasons, the matter from the trial court and the processes from the Appeal Court to the Supreme Court, it made me sad as a Nigerian, not as PDP member. And I can only hope that things will get better. Because, if we cannot maintain the tripod, (executive, legislature and judiciary), the way it was meant to be, then I shudder to think what kind of democracy we have, then we have to coin another term. So, it wasn’t a good one.

DT: What is your position on the agitation that the Southeast should produce the president in 2023?

I think it is achievable if we draw the right map. Definitely, people from my zone are agitating for the presidency, but they must come together and work towards it. However, they must work with the other zones to achieve it, you must draw a map of what you want to achieve.