Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe.

The good people of Delta State are very much concerned about who takes over the mantle of leadership of the state from Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, come May 29, 2015.  The political atmosphere in the state is heated and the war of words is between the Urhobos of Delta Central and folks of Anioma-Ukwani axis of Delta North. The Urhobos are not taking things low. The umbrella body of the ethnic nationality –Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) has since declared its readiness to make good use of the population strength of their people to install the next Governor of the oil rich state. Their brothers and sisters in the northern part of the State are also scheming through party lines and other political connections to ensure that power shifts to that axis next year. Therefore, the battle line is drawn and where the pendulum will swing is better imagined.

Some political analysts say that the temporary absence of Chief James Ibori from the political horizon of Delta State has accounted for the cracked wall and fragmentation in the state politics. The ex-governor, they say, use to be the rallying point of all political discuss and permutations. With a stroke of the pen, the dreaded wealthy political mogul would ordinarily pencil down the likely candidate or candidates and so be it. But right now, some loyalists of the ex-governor who did not benefit from the Uduaghan’s administration are threatening to go their own way politically, present their own candidate for the governorship election under another political party should the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) both at the state and national levels decides to present a Delta North gubernatorial candidate for the 2015 elections. Frankly speaking, this is not a joking matter. The state is currently in a political dilemma.

Those clamouring for Urhobo Governor in 2015 are hell bent in actualizing their objectives under the UPU umbrella. Their total resolve is anchored on the many sins of Governor Uduaghan which they say includes; deliberate neglect of the Urhobo ethic nationalities in state and federal governments appointments alleged to have been cornered for the minority group of Delta North. They say, the Finance Minister and supervising minister of the economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the incoming Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and many more state and federal appointees are from Delta North.

They are angry that Governor Uduaghan had little or no respect for the leadership of the UPU and therefore did not reckon with them throughout his nearly eight years in office. The Urhobos, according to the leaders of the group, did not see any significant infrastructural developments in Delta Central and other parts of the Urhobo axis during the governor’s tenure due to terminate next year.  They painted a picture of absolute hatred for the Urhobo nation by the governor. The deliberate neglect and gross underdevelopment of the area experienced under his Excellency must be restored through the installation of one of their own as the next executive governor of the state. There are other defects accredited to the Uduaghan’s administration which has pitched the government against some key leaders of the Urhobo nation.

For real, Governor Uduaghan does not deserve some of the media attacks he is currently receiving from a section of the Urhobo ethnic nationality. It is obvious that the governor has transformed the health and educational sector, and spread development and appointment across the three senatorial districts. It is on record that some of the leaders in some constituencies and senatorial districts that short-changed their people. They cornered contracts for themselves and their loyalist and never executed the people oriented programmes after collecting funds from the state government.

His youth and woman empowerment programmes has helped thousands of Deltans to become breed winners for themselves and their immediate families. The catalogue of his performances can be downloaded from the state government official website. The peace being enjoyed today in the state is as a result of the candid efforts of the governor who used all know result oriented methodology to strike peace with the restive youths who were agitating for the overall development of the oil rich state which has been neglected by successive governments at the federal level. For me, Governor Uduahan is a distinguished leader and prudent public servant who should be encouraged and appreciated for his good works.

The numerous awards bestowed on Governor Uduaghan both at home and abroad at clear testimony to his good governance. Not too long ago, his Excellency and other prominent Nigerians bagged the Personality and Leadership Award from one of the most highly respected print media, the Vanguard. The Vanguard Man of the Year Award received encomium from Nigerians for the transparent manner the winner emerged. The uncountable blames heaped at the door step of Governor Uduaghan is uncalled for and it can best be described as anti-people, anti-progress and anti-development in all ramifications.

However, there is a school of thought in Urhobo nation that do not attach relevance to the demand of the UPU. They are of the opinion that their fellow folks in Delta North should be allowed to govern the state for eight years; so as to ensure equity, peace, solid fraternal relationship and good conscience in accordance with sound democratic principles. They strongly believe that it will be a big risk to place the resources of Delta state in the hands of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Buhari, Atiku, Tambuwal and El-Rufai if the opposition candidate is voted into power by Urhobo ethnic nationality simply because it presented Urhobo governorship candidate. This group has advised the UPU leadership not to be tempted to do what Governor Amaechi did in Rivers State, for giving out the oil rich state to Asiwaju Tinubu and the APC in anger due to his political conflict with the leadership of PDP and the presidency.

The state has produced three executive governors namely; Chief Felix Ibru (an Urhobo), Chief James Ibori (an Urhobo) and the incumbent governor, Dr. Emmanuel Iweta Uduaghan (an Itsekiri).  These three personalities have done their bits and it is a truism that the Urhobo ethnic nationality may have benefited one way or the other from the two past Urhobo Governors in the person of Chief Ibori and Chief Ibru. This is not to say that the Urhobos do not deserve Governor Uduaghan’s attention and patronage. But again, leadership credibility and performance in office is individual based and not necessarily the ethnic nationality. That Governor Uduaghan did not reasonably satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the Urhobo ethnic nationality (as they claim) does not mean that the next Governor will not do better irrespective of the senatorial district he or she hails from.

Delta north has credible candidates who should not be disenfranchised in the next election. There are some of the aspirants who have for decades blended well politically with their Urhobo associates across board. As it is today, Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, Honourable Godwin Ndudi Elumelu and Mrs. Ngozi  Olejeme are quality materials for the governorship race. Also, the Urhobo axis has credible candidates which includes; Godspower Orubebe, Chief Great Ogboru and a few others. These aspirants have equal rights to present themselves before the good people of Delta State. The political parties are fielding candidates for the governorship election, especially PDP, APC and the Labour Party.

It is strongly rumoured that PDP may present a Delta North governorship candidate while the other two political parties will definitely present Urhobo candidates to fragment the votes. Mid-way, the two Urhobo candidates may form political alliance to defeat the PDP candidate so as to produce an Urhobo governor in 2015. As good as this permutation may sound; it has its defects which are that the Urhobos will be seen as a people using their numerical strength to oppress the minority in the State. This should not be. UPU should meet with Governor Uduaghan to negotiate and to reach amicable settlement so as to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition of power in the state.

However, some political observers’ say that if an accord is not reached between UPU, PDP and Governor Uduaghan, the UPU insistence on Urhobo Governor in 2015 may hit the rocks because of the might of the ruling party and the class of politicians who have benefited from the Ibori and Uduaghan’s administration in Delta Central and other parts of the state. The league of past and present lawmakers at  both state and national assembly levels, past and present Commissioners in Ibori and Uduaghan’s administration as well as other political appointees are likely to back up the decision of Governor Uduaghan and PDP to frustrate the intentions of the UPU, its leadership and those yearning for an Urhobo governor, come 2015.

I have always said that politics is an integral part of the “devil’s blue sea”, you never see the bottom of it. The more you look, the less you see in politics. Too many sophisticated meetings and crafty caucus deliberations in politics such that what men say in the day is not what they say at night. Therefore, the battle for the soul of government house, Asaba, must be done through proper collaboration by key stakeholders. It is not out of place if an Urhobo man becomes the next Governor of Delta and it is not also out of place if a qualified and capable Delta north brother or sister occupies the government house in 2015. Therefore, the two contending groups, Delta Central and Delta North should reason together and negotiate power sharing in terms of portfolio allocation and developmental plans that would spread across the state. I believe that tribal sentiments should not be the basis of politicking in the twenty first century. Tribalism, nepotism and egotism belong to the Stone Age.

We should discuss potentials and capabilities rather than ethnic nationality or tribalism. An Okowa or an Elumelu or an Olejeme is reasonable and perfect to occupy the seat of governor in our dear state. In the same token, an Ogboru, an Orubebe, a Keyamo, a Dafinone is cool to be the governor. The focus should be; can he or she deliver? What is the past performance record of these candidates? Does any of them showed trait of tribalism and nepotism in the past? Is there any of the candidates that truly flows well with other ethnic nationalities in the state? Who among the candidates is a progressive with good track records in governance or public administration? Who among them is likely not going to promote corruption and looting of our treasury?

The above hypothetical questions and many more deliberate yardsticks should be developed as template to measure, select and elect the next governor of Delta State.  Let us therefore be guided by the precious doctrines of equity, good conscience and sound democratic principles as we nominate and elect the fourth executive governor of the oil rich Delta State of Nigeria. Tribalism, sectionalism, nepotism and egotism are repugnant to equity, good conscience and natural justice and therefore should be relegated to the dust-bin of political irrelevance and adopt the twenty first century progressive principles of constitutional democracy.

Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, is a Public Affairs and Political Commentator. He is also the National President of the Green White Green Vanguard, a Socio-Economic and Political Advocacy Group based in Lagos.