From The Gleaner newspaper.17th Nov. 2014
For both Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan as well as
Delta State, this is not only a fight of epic proportions; it equally signifies
a tragedy of epic proportions.
While the energetic build up to the emergence of gubernatorial
candidates in other states of the Federation is tapering to cohesive end, the
opposite is the case in Delta State. Last week the little-heard rumblings that
had been going on underground erupted fully into the public glare when the
major gubernatorial aspirants from the state signed a communiqué after a
meeting, throwing away their normal differences and inter-personal competition
(as would be expected), to agree on one very salient point; that Gov. Uduaghan
should not, single-handedly, IMPOSE a governor on the state come 2015.
That Uduaghan should not have seen such a
development coming would surprise most political pundits. Yet, beyond that,
what remains most surprising is that the Governor could have ever given his
worst political enemy the grounds to make such an allegation. Unfortunately for
Uduaghan and Delta State, most of those who deliberated at a meeting before
making the allegations in that Communique of Tuesday 11th November,
2014, could under normal circumstances be said to belong to the “Uduaghan Camp”.
That the likes of Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, David Edebvie, Clement Ofuani, Ovie
Omo-Agege, etc, could have appended their signatures to that public statement,
shows that they believed that only something as drastic as what they did –
taking a public stance so that other stakeholders would also get involved and
thereby call Gov. Uduaghan to order before his actions could set the volatile
state afire – would suffice.
Leaving no one in doubt about their pedigrees, public
personas, public and private authority and interests and stakes on the matter,
the communiqué began: “we the undersigned governorship aspirants, having bought
the Governorship Nomination and the Expression of Interest Forms of our great
party, the PDP, and having followed the unfolding political developments in
Delta State over the last two months, met at the home of our national leader,
Chief E. K. Clark, CON, on Tuesday, 11th November, 2014, to review the state of
affairs in our party in Delta State”.
In that very first paragraph, the group showed
clearly that issue before them was decidedly beyond the crass politics of who
would emerge Delta state’s PDP gubernatorial candidate and reaches on the
salient point of the soul of democracy; the sanctity of primaries, the role of
intra-party voters as well as stakeholders in the emergence of a state’s chief
executive. Beyond that, that the group met in the home of a none aspirant, the
highly respected and remarkably authoritative Chief E. K. Clark, showed that
the group meant serious business. To add to the bad news for Uduaghan, E. K Clark is not only a dogged fighter whose
interest and role in public affairs not only stretch from the 1970s, once he
joins a fight, he remains in it till the very end.
The communiqué continued: After extensive deliberations,
we resolved as follows:
·
That the unfolding events in our great party, (the PDP) in Delta State,
in the run-up to the 2015 elections are not satisfactory.
·
That we reject in its entirety, moves by the Governor of Delta State to
single handedly pick his successor by manipulating the processes.
·
We further reject attempts by the Governor to use State machinery and
resources to intimidate and harass public officials and political leaders who
have refused to support his preferred candidate.
·
That we also reject moves by an out-going Governor to single handedly
pick candidates for State and National Assemblies in Delta State.
·
That an out-going Governor who won his re-election with less than 10,000
votes cannot alone, deliver Delta State for Mr. President’s re-election bid
without the support of all stakeholders in the party. In fact, PDP will loose
Delta State because of the Governor’s conduct and behaviour, unless the
National Working Committee intervenes urgently to arrest the drift in the
party.
That last three paragraphs really rubbed it in; it
reminded Uduaghan and the PDP national leaders that
·
That the raging battle between Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and his cousin,
Chief James Ibori for the control of the soul of our great party (PDP) in Delta
State, is weakening our electoral chances.
·
That the affairs of our party, the PDP, in Delta State, must not be
reduced to a family patrimony. Delta State is too big and critical a State for
this to happen.
·
We therefore, call on the National Working Committee of our party to act
decisively in order to avert serious electoral crisis.
Significantly, the signatories included Barr. Ovie
Omo-Agege, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Hon. Victor Ochei,Hon, Ndudi Elumelu, Prof.
Sylvester Monye,Chief David Edevbie, Sen. Ifeany Okowa, Hon Prince Sam Obi,
Dame Dr. Esther Uduehi, Chief Clement Ofuani, Chief Samson Opone, Amb. Chief
Gabriel Chukwuma Oyibodo, Chief Godswill Obielum, Chief Emma Okocha.
The signatories not only come from various parts of
the state, they include those any reasonable person would expect to belong
firmly in the Uduaghan camp. For starters, Okowa, Edebvie, Omo-Agege, Ofuani,
not only make up what was the core Ibori group, which should have naturally
morphed into an Uduaghan group, but they were Uduaghan’s colleagues as top players in the 1991 – 2007
James Onanefe Ibori administration.
Uduaghan was a Health Commissioner when that administration incepted,
and later became Secretary to the State Government (SSG). When he resigned to
contest the 2007 election, Okowa succeeded him. Okowa also served as Director
of the Uduaghan Campaign Organisation, after
he had and Uduaghan had tied at the PDP primary held at Ogwashi-Uku. The moment
Okowa sacrificed his personal interest for the interest of the Ibori group, stepped
down and asked his supporters to back Uduaghan to the hilt, Obielum’s effort to
upstage Uduaghan on the march to Asaba Government House disappeared like a puff
of smoke. Okowa has yet to recover from
the angst of his Anioma people that he sacrificed their interest to favour
Uduaghan.
Ochei was until recently Speaker of Delta House of
Assembly. When Udughan’s reelection was shot down at the electoral tribunal and
a new election was scheduled, forcing Uduaghan to leave office for a while, the
then Speaker of the House of Assembly, Obi, was not only the Acting Governor,
but worked mightily as a PDP man, to ensure that Uduaghan returned to Asaba
Government House. That all of them, once colleagues and close associates of
Uduaghan would willingly sign such a public statement, would baffle any analyst
and hint at Uduaghan’s ability to act the team player, carry others along, etc.
That such a meeting should have been facilitated by Chief Clark, a man Uduaghan
had always called “my father” and he has variously called Uduaghan “my son”,
would raise the question: “if Clark, whose home has remained constant in the
itinerary of this 2014/15 class of Delta state PDP aspirants, was not consulted
on the choice of the candidate to succeed Uduaghan, then who was?”
Even those who have never been involved in the old
fights in the state and so could be said to have inherited no enemies and
neither have they made enemies on their own, were among the signatories. Among this
group stands out Professor Sylvester Monye, who has lived his life as an
internationally acclaimed academic before returning to Nigeria. Once back home,
he served in the commanding heights of the Abuja establishment. He also signed
the public statement. That should convince anyone that the communiqué could not
be ascribed to crass politics.
Unfortunately, the opposition Uduaghan has reaped
for himself even included the non-politicians too. Ex-militants, especially Tom
Polo, have also taken their stance and stand against him. Tom Polo and others
have been complaining about some unsettled matters before President Goodluck
Jonathan could come for the ground-breaking ceremony of the $16 billion dollar Ogidigben Oil and Gas Industrial . Last week
Uduaghan had cause to state that nobody could stop the President from coming to
Ogidigben to kick- start the park, the poster project in Uduaghan’s much touted
“Delta Beyond Oil” dream. Well, the date came and went and President Jonathan
proved Uduaghan wrong by avoiding Ogidegben and Delta State. That was a victory
for Tom Polo’s side.
Uduaghan has gifted Nigerian politics with a memorable
term: “Finishing Strong”. But not
re-opening the wounds of the past would help the state to finish strong. Uduaghan’s
Medical Doctor’s brain should have reminded him that Delta is the only state
that his it’s former governor in jail in the United Kingdom. That rancorous
fight that invariably contributed to Ibori’s imprisonment, threw up Uduaghan as
Governor. Now, that that fight has not been resolved, but Uduaghan has
apparently added core members of the Ibori group to his enemy list, on this
2015 election issue at least, the fight may erupt afresh and rage on unchecked.
That is sad. A state in which a do or die fight is
enacted every four years, is a shaky one indeed. The PDP, in whose ranks this
fight is taking place cannot also be said to be united and strong enough to
fight off the expected challenge of other parties come 2015 elections. And if
the foundation of the PDP in Delta state is weak, then its chances of winning
comfortably in all strata of elections must be weak indeed.
It is Uduahan’s stated wish that his administration
should finish strongly. But it would take the collective effort of all to do
that. A divided Delta should be a weak Delta indeed. That the Governor has been
embarked on a divisive journey, in his attempt to solely decide who takes over
from him, by his alleged desire impose Tony Obuh as state governor in 2015,
beats the imagination. Last week, Chief E.K. Clark said publicly that it is
unthinkable that Governor Uduaghan should not have an interest in who succeeds
him, but that he alone should not choose a governor for the entire state. That
Uduaghan did not take that message to heart is part of this tragedy that is now
unfolding. Now the fight is giving some publications, such as Sahara Reporters
the chance to make scathing allegations of mismanagement against the Uduaghan
administration. That only compounds this unfolding tragedy and chips away at
Uduaghan’s stature as leader and statesman.
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