Dame Ibim Semenitari is a former acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and until recently, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State. In this interview with Southsouth Bureau Chief BISI OLANIYI, the former Commissioner for Information speaks about her return to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), the mass defection from the APC to the PDP in Rivers and other issues.
You resigned from APC on July 10, 2022, and stated that it was for personal reasons. What happened?
The reasons remain personal.
You were alleged to have left the APC because of a disagreement with the former Transportation minister and leader of the APC in Rivers, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. How true is this allegation?
I resigned from the APC for personal reasons.
What is your assessment of the chances of the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers, Siminialayi Fubura, given that there are many other experienced candidates flying the flag of other parties?
Fubara certainly has my support. For many reasons, he (Fubara) is the candidate to beat. The PDP is a party that has deep roots and wide tentacles in Rivers State. It is the incumbent government, and so can leverage on its incumbency. The party has numbers on its side and can point to infrastructure that it has built in the last eight years. Governor Nyesom Wike recently received an award for best performance in infrastructure in Nigeria, from President Muhammdu Buhari, who is the leader of the APC. That speaks volumes.
Many chieftains of the APC in Rivers, including your kinsman, Chris Finebone and former member of the APC Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Sam Sam Jaja have equally resigned from the party and teamed up with Governor Wike in the PDP. What is happening in the APC? Is the Rivers chapter collapsing?
I do not have the statistics of members of the APC in Rivers State. Those of them who do will be in the best position to respond. What I do know is that daily I see mass defections and people joining the PDP in Rivers State. That is certainly heartwarming.
What is your view of the face-off between Governor Wike and the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar?
You need to have all sides of the story to give an informed opinion. I do not. What I do know is that both men are astute politicians, and politics is a game of interest.
You were an acting managing director of the NDDC. As an insider, why are many Niger Deltans accusing the current management of the interventionist agency of poor performance?
It will be unfair to ask me to assess a successor running the agency, where I was a principal actor. I can speak about my stewardship. Should I have views about the performance of my successor, it will be more honourable to share them with the person, if and when the opportunity presents itself.
Campaigns for next year’s general election have started. How do you see the chances of the presidential candidates of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; the APC’s Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; and LP’s Mr Peter Obi; among others?
Mine is a prayer. May Nigeria win.
Do you support the North retaining power next year when President Muhammadu Buhari vacated office on May 29, after completing two terms of eight years?
Would that be equitable or fair? I am a Rotarian, and one of the questions we ask ourselves when we engage in business, work or even advertising is: Is it fair to all concerned?
How will you assess the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari?
Speaking as a Nigerian, I believe that Buhari’s administration has had its ups and downs. It has won some and lost some. Everyone will agree that times are truly tough right now. But, it may be unfair to write off the administration completely.
What is your advice to Nigerian youths ahead of next year’s election?
They should set aside sentiments, double-check every assertion, demand more and interrogate every claim. Each person campaigning has a past. Review past performances and be sure of what the candidate is selling before you buy.