Famed as the Peoples General, Olorogun Great Ogboru, serially AD, DPP, Labour Party governorship candidate in Delta State is set to leave his latest political haven. However, his exit strategy, this time, is clouded by much controversy.

By Perez Brisibe

THE supremacy battle between the 2015 Delta State governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP Olorogun Great Ogboru and the party’s state chairman, Chief Tony Ezeagwu has spurned crisis in the state chapter of the party with Ogboru and his ardent supporters dumping the party in preparation for their expedition into the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The political love between the two party chieftains went cold following moves by Ogboru and some of his associates to merge the state chapter of the party with the APC. Chief Ezeagwu was especially opposed to the merger upon orders from the national secretariat of the party that LP withdraws from the merger talks.

Despite the impasse, Chief Ogboru proceeded with the merger moves with the inauguration of a 9-man merger committee headed by Mr. Fred Okpowhori for APC and Sir Richard Odibo for LP.

Those supportive of the merger believe that that is their only option to mount a formidable challenge for the 2019 general elections in the state.

Ogboru’s authoritarian position in LP

Absolving himself and the party from any merger plans with APC, Chief Ezeagwu while lampooning what he described as the authoritarian position of Ogboru in the party with a threat to suspend him, said: “A candidate cannot direct the affairs of the party. If he had won and is the governor of the state, that is a different ball game entirely but for now, he doesn’t have that kind of capacity.

Meeting with stakeholders

“I am the final authority of LP in Delta State and I had earlier called a meeting with stakeholders of the party and disassociated LP from fusing or merging with APC.

“The national chairman of the party has asked that LP withdraws from any merger or fusion with any political party. Even if we are merging, it has to be at the national level.”

Ogboru’s sucker punch

*Ogboru

Not waiting to be suspended by the party under the leadership of Ezeagwu, Ogboru immediately dumped the party by sending a letter of resignation to the national chairman, Emeka Nkwoala dated April 26, 2016. He thereafter formed a political pressure group, on whose platform negotiations with the APC would continue.

The group, Light Of Labour, LOL, is chaired by Evang. Ossai Abeh, who had been the Delta North senatorial district chairman of LP, while Mr. Tosan Awani is secretary.

In a communiqué at the end of their maiden meeting in Warri, the group stated that “the entire structure of the party (LP) from the state to the ward levels are automatically converted to LOL with executives being automatic members and retaining their respective positions as was in LP.”

The group while reviewing the activities of the embattled LP chairman accused him of not measuring up to the expectations needed of some to lead them to the merger. The group thus passed a vote of no confidence on Chief Ezeagwu, declared him “a persona non-grata,” and warned its members not to hold meetings, private talks or even phone calls with him.

Ogboru sends jab at Ezeagwu

On his part, Ogboru while taking a swipe at the embattled LP boss, said: “What is our business with Ezeagwu who cannot win one unit in Delta State? He is just using the party and if not for me, they would have thrown him out of the party a long time ago.

“Ezeagwu should know that there is an understanding within the LP, which states that when I am leaving the party with my supporters, we will hand over the party to the original chairman of the party.”

LP lawmaker dumps Ogboru’s APC sojourn

Meanwhile, the member representing Ethiope East in the Delta State House of Assembly, DTHA elected on the platform of the LP; Mr Evance Ivwurie has reiterated his commitment to the LP with a vow not to dump the party for the APC or any other party.

Besides Ivwurie, the Labour Party produced two other legislators, Mr. Peter Uvie Jitobor, member representing Udu constituency in the state assembly and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, LP Delta Central.

Apparently bound by the law which forbids legislators from decamping, none of them is apparently moving along with Ogboru in his journey to the APC.

Ivwurie in fact denied involvement in the merger talks saying “I know very well that any negotiation or whatever they are doing to go to APC, I am not part and parcel of it as I cannot be part of what I do not know about.”

Ivwurie remarkably had alongside the other LP state legislator,   Oviejitobor attended the reception organised by the Delta Central PDP in honour of the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa while their party was holding a stakeholders’ meeting in Warri. He said his presence at the reception did not mean he was defecting.

“We were not invited to that meeting. I did not go to Oghara to welcome Okowa because I want to be a member of the PDP but as a senior government official from Urhobo land.

Political leaning

“Being a member of the Delta State legislature, I am part of the government and would work with the government to bring development for my people. Apart from thanking him, I did the Oliver Twist business by asking for more from him.

“Irrespective of my political leaning, any development and appointment that comes to Delta Central, is an added growth to Urhobo land.”

Remarkably, Ogboru’s last movements had not generated much controversy; it is thus not surprising that many stakeholders are watching out to see if this his latest move would give him that desire that had always spurred him.

Indeed, he walked out of the AD and DPP on his own terms. But not Labour. Last Tuesday, the national chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Salam gave the red card to Ogboru and 12 of his disciples who were slammed with suspension. Indeed, these are tough days for the Peoples General!