Crisis in Delta as Ogboru Loses Again to Uduaghan

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Felix Igbekoyi, Ekene Okoro, Gbenga Abegunrin And Onoja Audu

28 April 2011

Asaba/Lagos/Ibadan/Jos — THERE is trouble again in Delta, in the South South, as the announcement on Thursday that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was elected for a second term quickly reignited the battle between him and Great Ogboru, who also lost to him in 2007.

Ogboru went to court over that first fight which, after a drawn out case, led to a rerun last year, which Uduaghan also won.

Politically astute South West, where people had fought their battles in the past (operation wetie in the 60’s, the bloodshed about Akin Omoboriowo in the 80’s), is the only zone in the current dispensation where losers have conceded defeat and congratulated winners so far.

Both Oyo State Governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and former Governor Rashidi Ladoja admitted on Thursday that they were genuinely beaten in the ballot that produced Abiola Ajimobi as the new helmsman.

They congratulated him; a positive trend begun on April 10 by House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, who acknowledged that the election in Ogun which ousted him was free and fair.

Bankole saluted his opponent.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose protégé, Tunji Olurin, was defeated in the Ogun Governorship contest on April 26, took the same tack.

Olurin himself did, likewise Governor Gbenga Daniel.

Remarkably, all the losers and congratulators are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) folks or have PDP roots.

Ladoja left the PDP for Accord Party (AP), and Daniel’s PDP faction metamorphosed into his new Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN).

Ade Dosunmu (PDP) also weighed in on Thursday by congratulating Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), who beat him by over a million votes to retain his job as Lagos Governor for another four years.

But in Asaba, there was vehement protest by Ogboru and members of his Democratic People’s Party (DPP), who alleged that the vote was rigged for Uduaghan (PDP) in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West Councils.

In the 25 councils statewide, Uduaghan polled 525,793 vote against Ogboru’s 433, 834.

State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters on Okpanam Road, Asaba was cordoned off by soldiers and anti-riot policemen.

But that did not deter Ogboru’s supporters from singing solidarity songs and calling the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Gabriel Adah, and other officials unprintable names.

Uduaghan warned against people resorting to violence and urged them to seek legal redress.

Said he: “We have contested and a winner has been declared. Delta State belongs to all of us, so if you destroy the state, you have no other state to call your own. It is not nice to expose our young ones in particular to hazard that occurs from violence.

“My appeal is, please, let us not start inciting people to violence. If you have any issue or you are not happy with the result, the best thing to do is to go to the tribunal. The tribunal is there to determine who is right and who is not right.”

Ogboru’s agent, Fred Oloko, accused Adah and his staff of tampering with election materials in the absence of party polling agents.

According to him, Ada informed party agents at a meeting on Sunday evening that he had already sorted out the materials at the Central Bank branch and he (Oloko) raised objection, but later discovered that the materials were distributed.

Oloko quoted Section 43 (2 and 3) of the Electoral Act which says that: “Polling agents shall be entitled to be present at the distribution of election materials from the office to the polling booth.”

He alleged that DPP agents were chased out and brutalised in Warri South.

“The same violence happened in Ethiope West. In Oghara, they were killing people and shooting. There was violence and Ogboru called Adah to tell him that election was not taking place there.

“We called his attention during the process, and not after, but he refused to take any action because he had been compromised. The victims are hospitalised,” Oloko said.

However, PDP agent Funkekeme Solomon dismissed the claims, saying it is normal for losers to allege fraud.

He counselled the aggrieved to go to the tribunal and prove their case.

His challenge was taken up by state DPP Chairman, Tony Ezeagwu, who also maintained that the election was “a complete fraud” which did not reflect the will of the people, and therefore, the party will head to the tribunal.

The protest by DPP entered its second day on Thursday in Asaba and other parts of Delta.

The agitation by youths, women and men was led by Ogboru himself.

Economic and social activities were paralysed in Asaba. Banks, stores, filling stations, and the popular Ogboegonogo ultra modern market were closed.

The protesters, who mobilised from every part of the state, gathered at the popular Inter Bau Roundabout before marching round the city, passing through Nnebisi Road to Ogboegonogo Market, where Ogboru addressed a large crowd.

Ogboru said: “Our victory was stolen and given to another person. I don’t want anybody to resort to violence, I just want to inform you about the development and to thank all of you for your support.

“In a matter of time we shall reclaim our mandate which, to me, is borrowed and must be returned. The DPP is a due process party and we will not take laws into our hands. We shall not allow the wastage of lives and property.”

Both Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang (PDP), and Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai (PDP) also won re-election.

Suntai polled 361,176 votes to defeat his closest rival, M. Mustapha, of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), who scored 176,342.

Jang scored 823,536 votes to beat his closest challenger, Pauline Tallen (Labour Party) (419,975).

Jang carried 13 councils: Riyom, Mikang, Shendam, Barkinladi, Langtang North, Langtang South, Kanke, Jos South, Mangu, Bassa, Wase, Pankshin, and Quan’an Pan.

Tallen won three: Jos North, Jos East, and Bokkos.

In Lagos, Dosunmu (PDP) congratulated Fashola (ACN) at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa, where he described the vote as free and fair.

Dosunmu, who got 300,450 votes to Fashola’s 1,509,113, also wished him success in piloting Lagos affairs for the next four years.

“I would remain in the system,” he explained, because “my political ambition does not end with the gubernatorial elections.

“I can still serve my people in another capacity where required, as I have dedicated the major part of my life serving both in private and public sectors, and that I would still do wherever I am called upon.”

Alao-Akala clarified in a congratulatory letter in Ibadan that the hot exchanges between him and Ajimobi before the election were “a reflection of our individual views on burning issues concerning the development of our stat, rather than anything personal.

“While I wish to congratulate (Ajimobi) on his hard won victory in the gubernatorial election in our dear state, I also wish to congratulate our people on their exemplary conduct during the period.

“Though bickering and hot words were exchanged in the weeks leading to the election, I was convinced that he and I were able to grapple with differences between personal foes and political opponents.

“To my mind, we both desire to serve our people, therefore, the hot exchanges were a reflection of our individual views on burning issues concerning the development of our state, rather than anything personal.

“This statement by me is necessary to stem further tension in our state, so that our people can get on with their lives. Without any iota of doubt, we have engineered a profound legacy that should make it easier for the in-coming administration to build on.

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