BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI
Elder statesman of Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday, explained his absence at the South-South campaign rally of President Goodluck Jonathan held in Port-Harcourt on February 12, saying that contrary to speculations in some quarters, he was very much committed to the Goodluck/Sambo ticket.

Clark, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, equally refuted allegations that he shunned the rally due to the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to accept the list of candidates loyal to him. He stressed that it was even President Jonathan himself that advised him to stay away from the flag-off due to his deteriorating health.

Blaming the rumour on people he said were loyal to Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Chief Clark maintained that no one could pitch him against President Jonathan.

“My attention has been drawn to statements made by certain media organisations that I shunned the flag-off of the South South zone in Port Harcourt on Saturday, February 12, 2011, because of my anger with INEC over the rejection of the list of my candidates that emerged after our primaries. It is a figment of their imagination.

“In the first place, it is not true that INEC rejected the list of my candidates because it is not the duty of INEC to receive party nominations from individuals or parallel leaders of the party.

“It is the duty of the party headquarters to receive such nomination of candidates from the state for onward transmission to INEC. It is true that the PDP Acting National Chairman, Dr  Bello, rejected our list of candidates, this is because of the commitment of the National Working Committee, NWC, members to the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, and his successor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, during the period of the disgraced chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.

“In fact, we have taken our case to the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the exclusion of our gubernatorial candidiate, Prof Saliba Mukoro.

“The factionalization of PDP in Delta State, which started since 2007, and the injustices and unfairness by the NWC, cannot, therefore, in any way affect my commitment to Mr President.

“In the same vein, this has nothing to do with my absence from the South-South flag-off  in Port Harcourt.

“My absence was as a result of my ill-health for the past 10 days of which the President is fully aware. In fact, it was the President himself who advised me to cancel my travelling to Port Harcourt for the ceremony because of my ill-health.

“It appears that an erroneous impression is being created in certain quarters that the President’s election is tied to the governor’s elections and that, therefore, any failure to support or vote for a gubernatorial candidate will affect Mr President’s election.

“This is definitely not correct. Mr President’s election will take place on 9th April and those who wish to vote for him will have opportunity to do so without any inhibition and without reference to the gubernatorial election which will take place on April 16, 2011.

“At my old age of 83 and from my political experience, I know what is good for my country and what is good for my state.

“Finally, it is with deep shock and great sadness that I learnt of the tragic accident that occurred at the end of the ceremony. I join all well meaning Nigerians to condole the families of the dead and injured and pray the Almighty God to give them courage and the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” the statement read.