By Emma Amaize

WARRI—AN Ijaw leader from Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South-West Local Government  Area of Delta State, Chief Couple Oromoni, said yesterday it would be against the existing power-shift arrangement in the state if former governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was not returned in the re-run poll.

He said  the people of Ogbe-Ijoh were strongly behind Dr.  Uduaghan and would vote for him as the next governor in the fresh election.

“Chief Great Ogboru of the DPP does not enjoy our support and any Ijaw leader carrying him about is wasting his time, there is no need for somebody from the Delta Central senatorial district to come back to power when other senatorial districts have not had their fair share”, he said.

Chief Oromoni said, “We are aware that there is power shift in Delta state, which is how Dr. Uduaghan from Delta South became the governor in 2007, Delta South has not served its tenure of eight years, so, Ogboru who is from the Central cannot become the governor now. We have only served three years through Uduaghan. Delta Central took its eight-year turn through the former governor, Chief James Ibori, so Ogboru who is also from Delta Central, has to wait till it gets to Urhobo turn again.”

He said, “As things stand now, Uduaghan is still going to fly the flag for Delta South on the platform of the PDP and all those in support of power shift should vote for him.”

According to him, “It will amount to anti-party activity of the highest order for anybody who is a member of the PDP to work against Uduaghan in the re-run poll.”

He, therefore, charged Ijaw people in whatever group they are in the state, working against the interest of their brother from Delta South to retrace their steps, as the Uduaghan government has been fair to the Ijaw ethnic group in the last three years.