Emilia Ezeude ran for the Lagos State House of Assembly to represent Ajeromi-Ifelodun Constituency II on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015. The entrepreneur and activist speaks with Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, on the performance of the All Progressives Party (APC), plans to re-position PDP and her mission in politics, among other issues.
Critics say the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a better alternative to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which they allege ran the country aground.
Not at all. It is always easier to criticise from the outside. We can see what is happening. It is clear to everybody that the APC is feasting Nigerians with propaganda. What can you point at that they have achieved so far? When President Goodluck Jonathan was there, they were always criticising; but now they are in power and all that they still do is find funny excuses. Nigerians are tired of their excuses. They said they had the magic wand; so let’s start seeing their miracles. You can see that they have nothing to offer. Even Babatunde Fashola then as governor of Lagos State said there was no reason power should not be fixed within six months by any serious government in power. But here is Fashola as Minister of Power and nothing has improved. All that we hear is tariff increase, but where is the light? Nothing has improved and you can see that we are even nosediving on a daily basis.
Governance is not an easy thing; it is not for the boys. Nigerians now know the truth. Jonathan had very good programmes for the country, but he was sabotaged and we are seeing the result. I had been in a meeting with Jonathan and could see that he was a man that was driving the country with great focus and a bigger picture. Today, we are trapped and you can see the hardship in the land. Because of bad politics, they muzzled Jonathan out and today the people that promised us change; that the United States dollar would come down to one naira within one month, that Boko Haram would cease within two months, that power would be restored within three months, that our children would be given free meals, that all the youths would get employed, that fuel would sell for N40 per litre etc, are seen with empty promises. But trust Nigerians; they will wait for them (APC leaders) in the next election because they now know that APC has no truth in its promise.
What is the Lagos PDP leadership doing to re-position the party to return to winning ways, particularly in the governorship poll?
Factions and crises are synonymous with political parties, there is no party that will not have one crisis or another. I can tell you that a lot of consultations have been made and fences mended. Everybody is on the drawing table to work. We are one large family. The party is coming out with a united force in the next election and you will see the impact when the time comes. PDP will bounce back, I assure you.
What is your mission in politics?
My mission and passion for politics are all about helping people. When you have a kind of ministry for help, a zeal to assist others to be better and live a more meaningful life, you cannot really be satisfied with what you are doing because there is a limit to what you can do with your personal money. The more you assist, you will find out that more people still need the help. So one’s personal income cannot do as much as one would want, to help out. The next thing you may want to do, like in my own case, is to see if you can get government instrument to touch the lives of more people. A lot of people are suffering, especially the women and children. And my heart always goes out to them.
So far, would you say there is a level-playing ground politically with your male counterparts?
I know a lot of women talk about marginalisation and that they were not given a level-playing ground to showcase the stuff they’re made of. But I would not say I am marginalised. I see it as a competition and I do not want to be bothered by the excuse of unequal playing ground. I believe if you are willing and serious about what you are doing, one day victory will be yours. I will continue to battle it out until I win. What gives me joy is that I have all it takes to deliver the service if given the opportunity to represent my people.
Are you satisfied with women’s participation in politics?
I don’t think I am satisfied so far. But I want to see it as something that will take a gradual process. This is because women in our clime are just coming up, unlike in the Western world where women have been (in politics) for years, and some even becoming presidents. But you see, in those places, even the men give them a sense of confidence, encouragement and platform to showcase their capability. But here in Africa, perhaps because of our culture, traditions and some other inhibitions, women going into politics are being looked at with a kind of perception. We see politics here basically as a man’s affair; so when a woman wants to venture into the political field, most people are not comfortable with such moves, as they look at the woman as if she is biting more than she can chew. I think it is a problem of wrong perception, and this discourages most women who intend to present themselves for political positions, even when they are qualified and can deliver even more than their male counterparts. For me, somebody has to take the lead. I am not satisfied because the number of women in politics as well as in government are still very low. But Rome was not built in one day. We will continue to push, and by God’s grace we will get there one day.
Even in Lagos here, they remind you that you are not Yoruba. But I have been in Lagos for over 30 years running my business and with close to 100 staff that I pay; so I am entitled to run for political position here. I am poised to make a mark in politics and to run for higher offices at the right time.
It is believed that your financial muscle must be solid for you to run for elections in Nigeria. How strong are you financially?
Politics here is all about spending money; so you have to be comfortable to a reasonable extent. In fact, you don’t even venture into politics if you have not gotten money. You can’t make it without money and that, to me, is another bad aspect of our politics in Nigeria. You need money to sustain yourself, to purchase your form, print posters, for advertorials, to rent office, arrange for meetings etc. Even if you are the people’s choice, you still need money to do certain things before it would get to the stage the people will vote for you. I think part of the problem is the level of poverty in the land. Hence voters expect ‘something’ from you before they vote for you.
What are some of the things you intend to do if you eventually win?
At the moment, I have a non-governmental organisation, Emily Foundation, that caters for the less-privileged, particularly women and children. But when I get there, I will first ensure that good laws are made. If I am doing all that I am doing now with personal finance, of course I will redouble efforts to do more if I am in public office. In sum, I will improve upon what I am doing now in terms of empowerment and assistance to people.