By Uruemu Ododofor

Sir Richard Odibo

I read with great delight, a piece on ‘’Who steps into Ewherido’s Big Shoes’’ by our own amazon, Annabel Ogheneganre, in which she singled out Sir Richard Odibo as a man of unassailable integrity viz: ‘’His integrity as an untainted public figure is his major selling point’’. I agree with this remark totally because integrity is just lacking in the Nigeria political environment and when we find one who can be reliable in matters of public trust, such a person should be supported as much as possible.

It is now public knowledge that Sir Richard Odibo is primed to be our next Senator, God willing. The awesome election of the DPP which he helped to build as the Executive Director of the Great Ogboru Campaign Organisation is reportedly on the field for him and that is something of serious significance in a bye-election in which some a wealthy aspirant thought to be a great great Urhobo son has been clearly identified as a “saboteur” by the Urhobo leadership establishment. Such is life when you team men refuse to work on the path of integrity which truly great leaders like Sir Odibo chose as the only way of life.

Sir Odibo was in Asaba, the Delta state capital on Tuesday August 6, 2013 for serious talks with leaders of the DPP. He interacted with the leaders on the need to remain focused and maintain the discipline which Chief Great Ogboru is known for. He thanked for their sacrifices over the years from the “SSRC days”. The State Chairman also used the opportunity to brief him on INEC’s processes, modalities and procedures for the forthcoming bye-election. Showing his usual calm spirit, Sir Odibo promised the party leaders that because the bye-election is not ordinary but one mixed with mourning due to the loss of a prominent Urhobo son, he would advise all aspirants across party lines to apply restraint, follow the rules and respect the cultural values of our people in pursuit of his or her goal, while maintaing that, “no one should be in doubt at all that we, DPP, will retain our seat”. Sir Odibo’s visit came on the heels of a very successful State meeting of the Party which took place at Abraka on Sunday, August 4, 2013. A meeting that proved beyond any doubt that Chief Great Ogboru, the leader of the party, is still overwhelmingly loved by the people. A meeting that must have sent clear signals to those planning to contest the bye-election on a platform other than DPP.

I do not intend to stray from purpose of this piece, though I am truly tempted to write about the amazing things that happened at Abraka on Sunday, August 4, 2013 at the DPP meeting. This piece is essentially to correct certain negative impressions being peddled by some persons – persons mainly troubled by the Odibo factor – in the build up to the coming elections.

First on the card is the question of the possibility of having the House of Representatives member for Udu/Ughelli federal constituency from the same LGA as the Senator. As far as this election is concerned, that is not a deterrent for anybody to go for the vacant seat from Udu LGA simply because Chief Austine Ogbaburhon is from there. Something that must be understood is that the present scenario is quite an unusual situation in which a replacement is being sought to complete the tenure of the late Senator Pius Ewherido. Therefore, the question of distribution of offices does not arise here. Somebody is needed urgently to fill the seat till 2015, a man who would naturally be less ambitious, someone who can be persuaded, if the need arises, to step aside and make for slight adjustments in the interest of the party and the Urhobo nation. Urhobo needs somebody who would fill the vacancy with slim possibility of running again in 2015. Urhobo needs a dedicated hand. Urhobo needs a loyal person. Urhobo needs an untainted person. Urhobos needs a leaders who integrity account is without blemish.

We know some of the characters that are pushing on to occupy the seat. There are some who, even if the entire Urhobo decide to ask them to step aside for some unforeseen considerations, will never accede to such demand. Sir Odibo is a highly contented man, who can easily buy into a superior argument to let Urhobo have her way if the need arises. We need a man who can continue beyond 2015, but such a man must be prepared to also listen to Urhobo to jettison the idea if a better alternative is sought by the people. Sir Odibo is a man who can listen to such advice. Let Urhobo examine all the aspirants and see the merit in this argument.

Besides the reason being argued for or against Richard Odibo above, it should not be lost on us that even in the National Assembly, there are instances of a brother and sister, children of the same parents, serving presently in the senate and House of Representatives. Senator Victor Lar, a senator from Plateau State has his younger sister, Hon Beni lar, serving in the House of Representatives. This is not a question of people from one Local Government Area but children of the same parents. What could be closer than that? The brother and sister were voted at the same time in the 2011 polls and the heavens did not fall. If Odibo is the man the people want, let him be.

Another instance is the case of Senator Bukola Saraki, who until now was Governor of Kwara State for 8 years. For the 8 years Bukola served as Governor, his sister, Gbemisola, was a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria. Their father, Olusola Saraki, was Senate Leader in the second Republic during the Shehu Shagari days. Bukola, after 8 years as Governor is now a senator. It should also be noted that while Bukola was Governor and Gbemisola was in the senate, one of their younger brothers was in the Kwara State House of Assembly. There are many other instances across Nigeria where children of the same parents are serving as elected officials in our democracy, even presently.

The concern of the Urhobo nation is how to get a very credible person, who will work with UPU and the people to move Urhobo forward, build on the huge legacies of the late Senator Pius Ewherido and make the people laugh again. We need a man who is truly humble yet firm in demanding for what is due him and his people.

Nobody should make the mistake of thinking that Sir Odibo does not have the kind of money required for this race.Some of us have probed into his financial standing and can state with pride that this man, probably has more cash to play with in this race than many people can think of. Sir Odibo may not be a money bag but he certainly has enough to do Urhobo proud in this matter. His name is gold-mine of some sort. The Church is solidly behind him and we know what that means. The oil and gas industry is behind him and that his huge. He is a personal friend of Chief Great Ogboru and we sure know what it would mean if he were to emerge as DPP’s candidate (from credible primaries) and Chief Ogboru says, “This is my brother and friend in whom I am well pleased”. Just forget the issue of money. It will flow when it will flow. The man appears even happy that his financial capability is being under-rated. He will certainly spring surprises because he is in this business to win.

Another issue being raised by some persons is that DPP, having been depleted by the exit of a faction Ewherido’s “political family” may not be strong enough to stand the PDP and APC in the coming polls. But he assurance from INEC in a letter dated August 1, 2013 is that there has never been any faction in DPP. For instance, that there are disgruntled elements in the PDP does not suggest the presence of factions in the party. INEC has made it clear that only three party vix: ACN, CPC and ANPP are in the merger that formed APC. Those who have been fighting to tear DPP apart lost out in the merger plans. They are not in APC and unfortunately for them, they too are no more in DPP. They are floating in the APC where they may or may not find a comfortable haven to prosecute their plans against the DPP. They are only in APC on posters! Maybe, that is why some of them are now thinking of burning their APC posters and printing new ones bearing UNDP! Talking of inconsistency. The point being made here is that DPP is intact. The true DPP members are standing tall and would continue on the winning streaks. When the need arises to merge with any other party before 2015, it shall be done with Chief Great Ogboru leading the way and the Senator to be elected, Chief Austine Ogbaburhon and loyal DPP House of Assembly members moving en-bloc for a glorious dawn of healthy cohesive politicking in Delta State. Chief Ogboru is not allergic to merger. But the way and manner the Ewherido group went about it was what DPP was opposed to. A tenant cannot crudely hold a landlord by the nose and assume the landlordship of the house without due regards for morality and fair play. It is a big shame that those who were rehabilated by the grace of God through the benevolence and kindness of Chief Ogboru’s DPP thought they could undo Ogboru politically. Let men learn to fear God!

Another point that must be addressed here is that APC in Delta State is not strong yet. The ACN, which is the largest party in the party in Delta State has no elected official. In fact it received just about 7,000 votes in the last election even with Tinubu, Ribadu and all the powers that be  in ACN coming to dignify a traitor by way of unproductive campaigns. CPC and ANPP are only political parties on paper as far as Delta State is concerned. The buck of the opposition in the State is still with the DPP. Political parties are built with human beings and not the name of the party. DPP remains the backbone of the opposition in the State. The fortunes of APC will be determined by DPP in due course if the party eventually decides to pitch tent with the new party. They must pray very hard. If Chief Ogboru and his DPP were to consummate some miraculous merger deal but not APC, then APC would be dead permanently. Newspapers tigers like Moses Odiri and all gangs of saboteurs will make their media noise but such noise will not become votes on election day. Until APC is able to successfully address well-founded reported concerns that the APC is not prepared to serve our peoples’ interest well, then APC is not a threat of any significance in Delta and the Niger-Delta as a whole. The APC in Delta State has to prove beyond doubt that Tinubu has not ceded total control of the party to a London prisoner because of their several joint business interests in our oil and gas industry amongst others. APC has a lot to prove to be trusted. It seems it is only Chief Ogboru who can help them with that much needed trust with the people. Surely, APC is not just there yet as far as Delta State is concerned. For now, APC is a joker in Delta and must be taken only as such.

AS things stand, DPP has rebound and on a fast lane to greater glory. Sir Richard Odibo, the oldest and most consistent DPP member among all those gunning for the party’s ticket should certainly be the toast of party members. He has never wavered neither ever considered any form of disloyalty or backstabbing on ground of principle and what the SSRC-AD-DPP opposition truly stands for. He will surely do Urhobo proud if voted to replace Senator Ewherido in the Senate.

Mr Uruemu Ododofor, a consultant and public affairs analyst is based in Asaba.