By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
DR. Emmanuel Uduaghan may need to travel to planet mars to soothe the anger of elder_statesman Senator Edwin Clark over the way and manner he succeeded his first cousin, Chief James Ibori as Governor of Delta State.

It is generally believed that Uduaghan was able to clinch the gubernatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through the influence of Ibori.

The bravado with which Ibori accomplished his coup hurt. Remarkably, it still hurts among a significant proportion of the citizenry of the State that ironically styles itself as the Big Heart. Among those who have not found the big heart to forgive Uduaghan for the sins of his brother are Chief Clark and a number of his associates in the Delta Elders and Stakeholders Forum (DESF). The DESF was formed on the trail of protests that shadowed the gubernatorial primaries in 2006 where Uduaghan dusted other contenders under circumstances that were supposed to have been unduly influenced by Ibori.

While many other States and issues have gone on to other things, the recriminations from that election are yet enduring.

Remarkably, the injury arising from the 2007 poll is now moving beyound the immediate disputants, that is Uduaghan and Clark to other personalities and issues that could well distabilise the State.

Not only does the festering disharmony between Clark’s DESF and supporters of Uduaghan have the potential of rupturing long time friendships and relationships, there is the growing fear that it could well rupture the ethnic harmony that Dr. Uduaghan suavely nurtured in the three and a half years of his stewardship of the State.

It is remarkable that among those who sided with Chief Clark in the offensive against Uduaghan at the time of the 2007 election were other notable Deltans including Chief Kenneth Gbagi, Senator Fred Brume, Prof. BIC Ijeoma, Col. B. Eboma (rtd.) and a host of other prominent indigenes of the State all drawn together with the common purpose of challenging Chief Ibori’s seeming effrontery in despising them.

Also in the group were one time commissioner in the State, Wing Commander P. Biakpara ) (retd.), Prof Okobia, chairman of the South_South Peoples Assembly in the state, Dr. Brown Adasen, and the secretary of the forum, Dr. Mike Obereabor.

While it would seem that Chief Ibori walked with bravado in his dealings with the leaders, his cousin and successor in office was seemingly more genial and obviously more disposed towards reconciliation with his foes.

As a demonstration of his disposition towards amity, Uduaghan sought the assistance of some elders to approach the leadership of the forum and particularly Clark. At one point he even visited the elder_statesman for what was believed to be a rapprochement.

The first time that Uduaghan braved the odds against a possible humiliation and visited Clark after his inauguration as Governor in his Kiagbodo home was on November 17, 2007. Those who expected the heavens to fall were obviously disappointed. Uduaghan was humble while Chief Clark brought out the wisdom in his years to receive him.

“When issues were raised by you on my nomination and election, there were not personal issues and I kept telling everybody that Chief Edwin Clark has nothing against me as a person,” Uduaghan said on that occasion.

”All he had were issues around my being nominated and around my being elected and I also carefully avoided talking negatively about you (Clark), whether in the public or in private but there is no doubt that someone else sometimes do things without your knowledge and it is ascribed to you and I want to say that I did read on the pages of the newspapers some of the things that are negative, which my followers did say. And I am here, my leader to tender apology for any hurt that it may have brought to you,” Uduaghan said on that occasion.

The meeting which was reportedly brokered by the Federated Niger_Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC) was partially successful to the extent that Clark promised that he would treat Uduaghan as a son. He had on that occasion affirmed that his dispute with Uduaghan was not personal even as he lifted some personal virtues of the then Governor.

Chief Clark who was joined by some members of the DESF did not give Uduaghan a clean bill of health on that occasion. He, however, promised that he would meet with members of the forum to review the development as concerning Uduaghan.
Before taking his leave, Uduaghan, however, pleaded with the DESF to minimize their attacks to enable him make some success with governance.

“All I am doing and praying for is to minimize whatever distraction that will affect me. So my leader, I want to appeal to you to appeal to the Delta Elders Forum that the time has come for all of us to work as one, the time has come for all of us to move Delta state forward,” Uduaghan pleaded on that occasion.

Among members of the DESF present that day were Biakpara, Prof Okobia, Dr. Adasen and Dr. Obereabor. Also present was Dennis Otuaro the Acting President of the Federated Niger_Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), whose organization helped to arrange the meeting.

If Uduaghan expected that the promised meeting of the forum would signpost a new lease of life between him and the elders he was to be disappointed. While the attacks mellowed, there was no clean bill of health given to the then Governor.

Uduaghan was to follow up with another visit to Kiagbodo the following year on the occasion of Chief Clark’s 80th birthday anniversary. Remarkably, he went along with his cousin and former Governor, Ibori.

While Clark was as usual welcoming he was nevertheless, unmoving from the issues at contention.

The failure to obtain forgiveness may have tempted the Uduaghan camp into its daring strategy of pinching the leading elders of the Uduaghan camp. The most vulnerable it seemed was Senator Fred Brume, the pioneering Managing Director of Delta Steel Complex, Aladja.

Brume’s vulnerability to Uduaghan’s charm offensive was inspite of the brashness of the Ibori crowd towards Brume. Brume as Senator representing Ibori’s Delta Central constituency in the Senate between 1999 and 2003 was literally hounded out of the seat by the Ibori camp (but not including Uduaghan) for whatever reason.

Uduaghan served as a doctor in Delta Steel at the time Brume was the chief executive of the DSC.

How the sweet talking Uduaghan was able to disarm the hostility prevalent among the group remains a matter between the duo, but Brume in an interview with Vanguard gave some indications.

“One thing that happened is that Chief Clark was not happy that the governor decided to pay a sudden visit to me here in my residence,”

“He (Clark) questioned why the governor should come to visit me, why I should even receive him and I found this rather curious because he (himself) does not mind when the governor visits him,” Brume disclosed.

Prof. Ijomah is another one of the elders who has fallen out with Clark on the issue of Uduaghan.

While some associates of the respected elder_statesman have accused Ijomah of withdrawing from the group for surreptitious reasons, Ijomah has defended his integrity affirming that there is no reason to continue opposing Uduaghan.

“The fact remains that none of the allegations leveled against Dr. Uguadhan has been proven to be true,” he said in a statement published in Vanguard this week in reaction to allegations raised against his propriety.

“Your persistence in making an allegation may make it sound like the truth.” continuing, he said:

“I will not chase shadows based on sloganisations or personal bitterness. I needed facts. I had none. Yes, we went to the President with grievances, we were in a hurry. President asked for proof, and we had none. Elections had come and gone. My continued membership of the Elders and Stakeholders meeting was to join in discussing the way to actualise the dream of having a South South President,” the retired Professor wrote.

Given the continuing pursuit of Uduaghan by Clark permutations that Ijomah’s dream of having a South-South President could suffer from the collateral damages of the rancour is the fear of many.

Could Clark forgo his long cherished dream of a South-South President in his drive to teach the already humbled Ibori the lesson of not stoking the anger of the elders? Associates of Chief Clark believe that the annulment of the election result which brought Uduaghan to power last month is one opportunity to drive home that point. With Ibori sequestered thousands of kilometers away, Clark is seriously tempted to draw his pound of flesh. But at what cost?