By Francis Sadhere
Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has formally declared his intention to contest the gubernatorial election in the 2015 general election, just as Chief Great Ogboru of Labour Party, has declared for Delta State Guber race again.
Making the declaration to the APC leadership at the party’s secretariat in Asaba, recently, he said; “My legs are strong enough and I know with your support, it is possible. The APC is the only alternative party that can bring the desired change and so I enjoin all Deltans to embrace the APC.
Emerhor urged well meaning Deltans to reject mushroom parties which cannot secure their votes in the forthcoming election, lamenting that the parties and their candidates were trusted in the past and given all assistance within human capacities but later turned out to be political profiteers and entrepreneurs.
“This is the time to embrace an alternative party with a national outlook and doggedness,” he said.
Bemoaning the sorry and pitiable state which he said Delta State has been plunged into by successive government within the ruling party in the past 16 years, he said; “from Patani to Koko, from Agbor to Asaba, from Burutu to Iselu-Uku, from Kwale to Obiaruku, it is all the same story – the story of want and deprivations; the story of infrastructural neglect and unemployment; the cry of marginalization and abandonment; the wailings of the aged and the widows and fear of insecurity and official victimizations.
“I have a good heart for you Deltans. I am not going to be an Urhobo governor but a governor of all Deltans. Irrespective of our ethnic creeds and affiliations we are one. I share your pains and I hear your cry. I have looked around for a candidate I can support within the APC but, I find none. I have decided to chest out because God has favoured me to take my people to the Promised Land. Support me with all you have and I shall not fail you.”
While pleading with all aggrieved APC leaders to sheath their swords and work with the party leadership, he noted that leadership is “turn by turn.” He advised the party executives at all levels to cooperate and work as a team.
He noted that the real enemies are the masquerades, the cabals and the political insignia whom he said have held the state at a jugular vein and without respite. He said he has much love for the APC hence he has within his limited resources given out his best to support the party.
Emerhor promised that his government would be rooted on a social contract with the people, assuring that needed assessments would be conducted all over the state to avoid misplaced priorities.
He added that outside huge infrastructural development, he shall focus on massive industrialization of the state to create jobs for the teaming unemployed youths.
He listed construction of quality roads, drainages, free maternal care, allowances for the aged, employment opportunities, stable economy that will enable artisans to make a living investments in agriculture, free and compulsory education for Deltans, skill acquisition centers and free medical care as some of the project he will embark on.
H applauded the efforts of the Delta Progressives Change forum, (DPCF), a political pressure group at the vanguard of the crusade for his gubernatorial quest, dismissing insinuation that the forum is a parallel body to the APC leadership.
He explained that the DPCF was mooted to mobilize and complement the efforts of the APC for the dream change to be better realized. He promised the maximum cooperation of the DPCF with APC, emphasizing that the battle ahead needs collective efforts.
In a related development, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru of LP, who has contested and lost the governorship election of Delta state for about four consecutive times now is at it again, this time, very hopeful if, according to him, the UPU would back him up.
Making his intention known to the executive of the Urhobo progress Union (UPU) led by the acting President, Chief Joseph Omene, in his country home in Mosogar, Chief Ogboru who is contesting on the platform of the labour party this time around, noted that the Urhobo have suffered for the past eight years and cannot afford to suffer for another such length of time, adding that he was offering himself to stand in the gap to deliver the people of Delta Central from perpetual oppression.
It would be recalled that Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru in 2003, contested the governorship election on the platform of the Advanced Party, AD, against Chief Onanefe Ibori of the PDP who was aspiring for the second term in office as governor. Ogboru attempted the governorship again in 2007 against Governor Uduaghan and also lost. He however proceeded to the Election tribunal alleging a rigged election and had the election annulled by the Appeal Court in Benin in October 200. In a rerun election ordered by the court and conducted in January 20, Ogboru also lost but however joined the governorship race on the platform of the DPP in the March 20 election and still could not make it. Chief Ogboru this time around is contesting on the platform of the LP as such a time when the only Governor Mimiko of the Ondo state, the only political figure of the party in the country has crossed over to the PDP.
Responding to his declaration for the governorship race, the UPU Acting president General, Chief Omene, who was favourably disposed towards any Urhobo candidate either in PDP or APC, however changed his position, assuring that whichever party that gives its governorship ticket to an Urhobo would enjoy the support of the union.
Chief Omene added that the UPU was preparing to pay a visit to President Jonathan to declare Urhobo’s position to him, adding that the UPU would support would support any party that gives the governorship ticket to an Urhobo son or daughter and that the Urhobo would also support President Jonathan for a second term.
The UPU Acting President General however disclosed that emphasis would be made to mobilize Urhobo women to support any Urhobo governorship candidate, adding that the men and youths have shown great tendency to compromise in previous elections.
Fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the visit, Chief Ogboru who was accompanied by a large crowd of supporters to the president General’s residence in Mosogar, said that the circumstances that made him join the governorship race of the state since 203 has not changed, noting that the change which the people of Delta State have been clamouring for has not come.
In his words; “The circumstances that brought us into the race have not changed. We do not believe that Delta state has changed substantially, and the change that the people of Delta State are yearning for has not come. And we believe that when we come into government, we will change the status quo and unite the people together and make them understand that Delta is one.
