In this exclusive interview with The Guardian, Senator Neda Imasuen, who recently defected from the Labour Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), opened up on the internal crises within his former party, the ideological limits of Nigerian politics, his expectations for constitutional reform, and the broader implications of the constant electioneering cycle on national development. He also addressed concerns about the fear of a one-party state and the future of representative democracy.
Senator, Nigerians are curious about your defection. What exactly led to your exit from the Labour Party?
Well, again, thank you so very much for that question. You talk about the politics of ideology. It’s very interesting because, in Nigerian politics, I deposit that question on locality. In other words, the politics of ideology for me is the politics that is local to you. As a politician, what should be uppermost in your mind is the welfare of your constituents. So you go all out to work and fight for that welfare, irrespective of the ideology you hold. It’s not for personal reasons.
I always talk about why I’m in politics. The overarching reason I am in politics — let me speak for myself — is to represent the people. And to represent the people means bringing their share of the national cake. You cannot do that if you don’t partake in the baking and sharing of it. To be close to that cake, I believe you should be a member of the ruling party.
Labour Party was the platform that brought me to prominence. It’s the party under which I ran, won, and became a senator. That I will always be grateful for. I will never take it for granted. But today, that same Labour Party no longer exists. There is fire in the house of the Labour Party. The longer you stay, the more it will burn you. As we speak, it is engulfing everyone already.
I’m not even sure if His Excellency, Peter Obi, can say for certain that he will run under the platform of the Labour Party. The last time I read or saw on television, he’s part of a coalition. That means he might not even run under the Labour Party. If you go to the only governor the Labour Party has — His Excellency Otti — he conducted his local government election, and who won? ZLP. He is LP, not ZLP. What is happening is that everyone is looking for where they can actualize their dreams or help their constituents best. You need a platform to do that. If you don’t have one, you can’t.
It’s like playing football. You need to be on the field, among the 11 players, to score a goal. If you’re a bystander, you can’t contribute to whether a goal is scored or not. That’s how I see it. I don’t take it personally, and I don’t think it’s about ideology. My ideology is: what can I do to help my people?
With your defection from Labour Party to APC—alongside a wave of defections from PDP and ongoing crises in parties like the SDP—some observers fear the rise of a one-party state allegedly engineered by the Presidency. Are you concerned that the APC might implode under the weight of these influxes and internal tensions?
First, let me take the questions one after the other. Whether we are tottering toward a one-party state — I don’t think we can ever be a one-party state in this country. The plurality of Nigerians will never allow that. It’s not going to happen.
When PDP was at the helm, there was this same fear. At one point, PDP controlled more governors than APC does today. They even boasted that they would rule for 60 years. But what happened? They lost out. Who took them out? Another party. That’s what happens — unless a party stays strong with the people and continues doing what the people want, it will fizzle out.
Now, whether the President is fomenting problems in other parties, I don’t agree at all. Everyone should be able to protect their own. If I have a home with my wife and children, and I’m the head of that home, and there’s a problem — why should I blame my neighbour? I should call my wife and children to order. If I can’t, then I’ve lost control. That’s my problem, not my neighbour’s.
So I will not blame the President or anyone else for what is happening in these other parties. Take them one by one. Is it the President who orchestrated Sam Anyanwu to become the party secretary? No. As a matter of fact, these problems didn’t start today or even with President Tinubu. The Labour Party’s problem is not caused by anybody outside. It’s a problem caused by those who believe they own the party and will not reconcile, even if it means losing the election. These are people who have never run elections before. The first time they did, they went to the Labour Party. If they leave, they’ll go back to being transactional. So I don’t blame the President.
Now to your other question: are you not afraid of implosion? Someone contested before and lost, and now you’re coming in. Governors are also coming in. Won’t that cause internal strife?
That’s an issue for party primaries. But I don’t believe it will lead to implosion. Why? Because APC has better internal mechanisms to deal with such matters. I believe when these issues arise, APC will handle them. Besides, the Nigerian Constitution allows free association with any political party. The only requirement is that when you join a party, play by its rules. Don’t go there to change them.
It seems our democracy is constantly fixated on elections—barely after the 2023 polls ended, conversations about 2027 began. Doesn’t this endless election cycle leave little room for actual governance? What does this mean for the ordinary Nigerians you were elected to serve?
That’s a good question. Some advocate for a five-year tenure instead of four. The reason is what you’ve said. At least you’d get three clear years to work without political interruptions. With four years, you only really get two years to work — your first year could be spent in court defending your mandate, and by the end of the third year, politicking begins.
The so-called ‘Mosquitos campaign’ starts even if INEC hasn’t announced it. If it were a five-year tenure, you’d have one year in court, one year for campaigning, and three full years to deliver. But this is where we are — and we must manage it.
As a senator and a lawyer, what do you think is the way forward on constitutional reform and regional agitation?
Through constitutional amendment. That’s the only option. We are not a military regime where laws can be imposed by fiat. The Constitutional Review Committee is working. My hope is that we complete the work in this 10th Senate. If we don’t, it becomes a bad carryover.
That means the new National Assembly would have to start afresh — unless we find a way to ensure continuity. This is why some of us support a Constitutional Conference that is not time-bound. It can transcend administrations. Four years isn’t enough to conclude a full review. Even if the same government returns, it’s up to them to continue or start over.
So, either we do a selective amendment, a holistic amendment, or we come up with a new constitution. That’s what most Nigerians want. Because the current Constitution begins with “We the people,” but we know it wasn’t really from us — it was from the military. Nigerians want a constitution they can call their own.
How did your people react to your move to APC? How do you know they are with you?
In Edo State, my constituency accounts for a minimum of 60% of the votes and 63% of the land size. It’s a large, urbanized constituency — Benin City and surrounding towns. So opinions vary. Some welcomed the move, others did not. But I can authoritatively say those who welcomed it are the majority.
Some people are still thinking about remaining with Labour Party. But once they realize that Labour Party is no longer viable — especially if Peter Obi leaves — they’ll understand that Senator Neda didn’t do anything wrong. So far, the majority are with me.
I don’t know if I should call your former boss your benefactor, Let’s talk about him, I mean Senator Mathew Urhoghide,. Was your move to APC in line with his wishes?
He’s a leader in APC, absolutely. He wishes me well. The governor is my colleague in the 10th Senate. We were sworn in the same day. We’re from the same state. Senator Monday Okpebholo, Adams Oshiomhole, and I — we’re all from Edo State. We’ve collaborated in the past, and we’re still collaborating. Our relationship is even stronger now because we are in the same party.
When I wasn’t in APC, we had limited interaction — political meetings, visits, decisions — I wasn’t part of those. Now all that has changed. One reason I defected was because of my relationship with him and to support him. He needs our support, and we’ll work for him and for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
You are the Chairman of the Ethics and Privileges Committee. Now that you are in APC, you may not continue. What will you miss?
That is the prerogative of the Senate President. We haven’t gotten there yet. But if I have to leave, I will miss the committee. It gave me the opportunity to serve Nigerians.
For example, we held a hearing on the communal clash in Rivers State. My aim is to bring peace there, and by the grace of God, we will. These are things we do that people don’t always see. But I’m grateful to God that I’ve had the chance to serve.
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