By Austin Ogwuda

ASABA—RENOWNED social scientist and an elder of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Professor B. I. C. Ijeoma, has vowed to stand behind the party and ensure that the outsted governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is returned during the coming re-run election in the state.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Asaba, Ijeoma said, “Fear was that maybe Dr. Uduaghan has offended the party, but the National chairman said the party would re-present Dr. Uduaghan and will campaign for him. So, if the party has taken that position then all of us who are PDP members are bound to support Dr. Uduaghan.

“E.K. Clark is not saying Dr. Uduaghan will not contest. All he is saying, I listened to him yesterday, is that he wanted a free and fair election, and that is what all of us are saying, one man, one vote.  As you enter the Government House, you see a board there, one man, one vote, one woman, one vote, I was laughing when I saw it two days ago.

“Dr. Uduaghan”, he went on, “wants free and fair election, and quite frankly, where is DPP in Delta State?  I do not even know their office.  And Ogboru is saying his people are all over.  Let them come and show us.  We want them to come out.  There will be free and fair election.  If Ogboru wins we will welcome him.  If Dr. Uduaghan wins we will welcome him, but we are all involved in Dr.Uduaghan’s ticket because we are leaders of PDP.

“And we cannot stand by and let another party win.  It is not possible. So, there is loyalty to the party in defence of the party position.  The party is saying that there was free and fair election, the judgment in Asaba said there was free election but the judgment in Benin said there was no free and fair election,  go for another election.  We want to show that the first election was not a fluke, that PDP won hands down,” he stated.