“I want to go back to the senate because the people of Abia Central have missed quality and effective representation within the last four years.”
Dickson Okafor
Senator Nkechi Nwaogu represented Abia Central Senatorial District for three consecutive terms on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), until June 7, 2015 when she announced her defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
She wants to return to the senate on the account that the area has missed quality and effective representation in the last four years.
How have you been able to combine marriage with active politics?
The secret of a successful marital life is knowing and having the fear of God. I have always and still have the fear of God. I was submissive to my husband as the head of the house because my bible tells me so. Which means as a woman you must accept this simple divine fact. I was proud of my husband and I loved him. My husband was my friend because we grew up together, therefore, I accepted him as the head of my family and what I was in the society today did not influence me or took my responsibility as a housewife. I had a successful married life and I believed in my husband’s leadership hence whatever I was and I am, my late husband contributed immensely to it which made me what I am today.
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How, where and when did you meet your husband and what attracted him to you?
I met my husband here in Aba when we were both young and what attracted me to him was that, he was an embodiment of intelligence. His character was also a major factor. He was the Senior Prefect of his secondary school because he was an articulate and intelligent young man and these were the characteristics he had that attracted me to him. He was my sources of inspiration.
At what stage in your marriage did you show interest in politics and what was his response?
He actually drafted me into politics. He was the one in the political frontline and I was just supporting him. I always accompany him to some political events especially when he was contesting. So, I accompanied him to campaigns and gradually I got the instinct for politics.
Was he supportive of your political ambition until his death?
Absolutely, my husband was very supportive of my political activities. He was my mentor, director and adviser. He groomed me and he was my all in politics until his death.
There is reduction in the number of women in the 8th National Assembly compare to the 6th and 7th Assembly which you were a member, what would you say is responsible for low women participation in politics?
There are many factors that could be responsible for visible reduction of women participation in politics and this include, what I call cultural barriers, financial difficulties or high cost of politics. The intrigues that are in politics and above all the violence that has become the order of the day in the nation’s politics are some of the factors that have contributed to the massive reduction or gradual reduction of women participation in politics.
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What is your take on the recent resignation of Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun over alleged NYSC certificate forgery?
That was a good step in the right direction and an example of a good leader worthy of emulation. Even though there must be something that must have prompted her to take the part of honour apart from the certificate issue. But like I said earlier, I don’t know much of what happened and the acceptance of her resignation by President Muhammadu Buhari. However, there must have been reasons which made her take the part of honour and that is exactly what she did. I commend her for her courage to do so.
You were among the few legislators whose voices were heard in the 6th and 7th Senate and you people have been described by most Nigerians as the best we have had, do you share the same view?
I cannot praise myself or members of the senate I was part of, but if that is how majority of Nigerians described the 6th and 7th Senate, then to God be the glory for Nigerians to recognise and appreciate good work and effective representation.
When did you leave PDP and why did you defect to the ruling party?
I left PDP in 2015 on the floor of the senate when I was still a serving Senator until I decided to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on June 7, 2015.
On why I left the opposition party, the 16 years of PDP administration in Nigeria to a large extent was a continued learning and never growing up. I will also say that it was abysmal and a process of non accountability, hence the reason we had the change in 2015. I hope they will allow this change which is a process and not event to take place and to enable us laid the foundation of a development state with process and policies which will help develop the nation.
Why do you want to return to the senate and what will you attract to your constituency?
I want to go back to the senate because the people of Abia Central Senatorial District have missed quality and effective representation within the last four years. They missed expected accessibility to their representative, they missed the dividend of democracy and federal presence in terms of infrastructure development as a result of what they term misfit as their representative. That is why they are urging me to go back to the senate in 2019 to initiate a restoration exercise. It is not by accident that Nigeria has 109 Senatorial Districts and if a district is empty and devoid of anything qualitative, then that Senatorial District would have missed out. There is no representative from another Senatorial District that can overlap that non performing representative. The only option is for the people to vote him out and replace him with the person they want. That is what is good about democracy.