By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe
Politics in Delta State is taking a new dimension especially the scheming by gubernatorial aspirants under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Up till recently, Chief Omo Agege and David Edevwe were the most forceful aspirants from Delta Central. While Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Chief (Mrs) Ngozi Olejeme remains the most notable aspirants from Delta North senatorial district. Delta central is insisting that it can no longer wait for another eight years just in case the ruling Peoples Democratic Party decides to zone the governorship ticket to the North.
Delta Central under the auspices of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) recently converged at Uvbiamuge in Ughelli North and declared that it is either an Urhobo governor come 2015 or nothing. The group warned the leadership of the PDP not to make the mistake of zoning the guber ticket to Delta North, if the party still wants to be relevant in the politics of Delta State. Political analysts were of the opinion that PDP will heed this warning and field a candidate from Delta central in 2015. This suspicion became more real as more and more groups continued to endorse some of the aspirants from Delta central.
David Edevwe also followed sooth by visiting party leaders across the length and breath of the state. Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Ndu Elumelu and Ngozi Olejeme also made several consultations with traditional rulers and party faithful. The news at a time was that the powers that be have anointed Senator Okowa to be the crown-prince to Governor Uduathan thereby sending strong signals that the Guber ticket has been released to Delta North. And at another time, gist came that Ovie Omo-Agege has been endorsed by the presidency. But recent developments has shown that of a truth the Delta PDP Guber ticket is heading for Delta North but the candidate does not seem to be either Okowa or Olejeme, as was previously forecasted by political soothsayers.
Delta United for Tony Obuh, is a new political pressure group which is currently parading prominent old time politicians that belongs to the “nucleus caucus” of PDP loyalists in the State. The convener of the group is Chief Ayiri Emami and Chief (Mrs) Faith Majemite who political analyst termed “James Ibori’s political son and daughter.” These two politicians have been joined by other political moguls from the three senatorial districts to prosecute what is now known as “Tony Obuh for Governor 2015” agenda. It all started like a child’s place or film trick but has eventually become a full blown vision that is becoming an unstoppable project. It means that Senator Okowa and Olejeme, will have to bow out of the race in the next couple of weeks to pitch tent with Delta United so as to deliver the Delta North PDP Guber candidate in 2015.
It is obvious that the lot has been casted and it fell on Chief Tony Obuh, a technocrat who was until recently the Permanent Secretary (Government House Protocol). Political astrologers say that Obuh has been in the system before the advent of constitutional democracy in 1999 and some how played into the hearts of successive democratically elected Governors and politicians in Delta State. Obuh, they say, is well connected and does his job with a very high degree of patriotic loyalty. As at the time of writing this piece, he has been endorsed by the entire membership of Delta United to grab PDP Guber ticket in 2015.
It will be unreasonable to say that Obuh will not get the ticket because the Leader of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Monday Igbuya, Rt Hon. Olisa Imegwu (former speaker of DTHA) and over seventy per cent of seating honourable members of the Delta State House of Assembly has keyed into the Delta United for Tony Obuh project. They key players are known PDP core stakeholders who are more or less playing the role of John the Baptist. They have been sent to announce the coming of the next Governor of Delta State, so to speak. These classes of politicians who have gathered under the umbrella of Delta United is a pointer to the fact that Delta North is taking the Guber slot in 2015 and the candidate will certainly be Tony Obuh. It is clear. This ends all kinds of speculations and controversial endorsements.
The choice of Obuh, analysts say, is not unconnected with his long standing relationship with notable politicians across the three senatorial districts. He served during Chief James Ibori’s administration and has been the Permanent Secretary (Government House Protocol) in Uduaghan’s administration. Chief Emami once described Obuh as a “round peg in a round hole” and went further to say that the choice of the technocrat was after due consultations within the PDP state super structure. The last meeting of the group held in Asaba on August 27, attracted various PDP power brokers from the three senatorial districts. Speaker after speaker poured encomium on the principal aspirant. Special Adviser to Governor Uduaghan on Mass Mobilization, Chief (Mrs) Faith Majemite described Obuh as a man of “colourful pedigree, perfect gentleman, highly detribalized and patriotic.”
Political analysts say that once Chief (Mrs) Faith Majemite pitches tent with a guber aspirant, the political implication is that the deal is sealed. By virtue of her official position as Special Adviser to Governor Uduaghan on mass mobilization she will not endorse or work with any candidate that will not scale through the party political scheming. The coast will become clearer in the next couple of weeks when Delta United for Tony Obuh will be flagging off its wider consultation across the length and breath of the state. The caliber of politicians that will hit the roads for pre-party primaries consultation will justify the fact that Tony Obuh is PDP flag bearer for 2015 Guber elections. He hails from Agbor in Ika Local Government Area of Delta State.
It is obvious from the political signals emanating from the power house of Delta United for Tony Obuh that Delta central will not produce PDP guber candidate for 2015 elections; the reason being that the senatorial district has produced two governors namely Chief Felix Ibru and Chief James Ibori. Governor Uduaghan is the third democratically elected governor of the state from the South Senatorial District. The calculation of the ruling PDP is that for justice, equity, peace and love to reign in the state, it is most ideal for Delta North to take a shot at the government house.
The Urhobo ethnic extraction may not take things low as a result of the “Uvbiamuge Declaration” which seeks to produce an Urhobo governor at all cost in 2015. But political watchers are of the opinion that the party will bring all aspirants to a round table for possible power game solution in the usual PDP politics of “give and take.” Tony Obuh is one aspirant that will make headlines in weeks and months to come in Delta politics while other aspirants will of a necessity collapse their political pressure groups into one united force to ensure the victory of the party in 2015.
Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, is a political analyst and full member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). He wrote from Lagos.
