By Henry Umoru, Abuja
IMMEDIATE past governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan said yesterday that his achievements in office before the annulment of his election by the Court of Appeal would ensure his victory at the re_run governorship election.

Uduaghan, who noted that he was shocked like other Nigerians by the nullification of the election, stressed that PDP would win the election not only because of his achievements, but also because the party was deeply rooted everywhere in the state.

Answering questions from journalists after his meeting with members of the National Working Committee, NWC at the Party’s National Secretariat yesterday, Uduaghan  said, “it is a PDP election and PDP is firmly on ground in Delta state. It is a PDP election. PDP is there from the councilors, Local Government Chairmen, House of Assembly, National Assembly. Just think of it. They are PDP and so PDP is firmly on the ground.

“Coupled with the things we have done and I must emphasize that our emphasis in our campaign will not be just on the big issues that people talk about – airport and all that  but will be more on the grassroot things that we have done. Our free maternal health service, free health service for the under five children, our buses that go to the communities, go to the villages.”

“Our scholarship scheme for our secondary school students who no longer pay examination fees, they don’t pay school fees even the university students that we have now increased their bursary from N10,000 to N20,000; our micro credit scheme that has affected the lives of many people at the grass roots; our youth empowerment scheme especially in the area of agriculture for many of our youths that we have trained in the field of agriculture and we have set up farms for them.

“And even our public viewing centres where people go to watch sports. If you go to Delta state today virtually every local government headquarters, when matches are on, they are like football pitches where people watch football matches. Those are things that were established by the state government.

“ This are things that are affecting the lives of the ordinary people and those are things that we are going to hammer on in our campaigns because it is going to be a grass roots mobilization, a grass roots campaign.”

Speaking further on how he received the news of the nullification, the former governor said,“ I believe many Nigerians not just me, not just people of Delta, many Nigerians were shocked. I don’t want to go into the details of the judgment, the legal people may look at it but that judgment shocked many Nigerians”.

When asked to comment on statements by the former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark that he should be substituted, Uduaghan who noted the issue has already be overtaken by events against the backdrop that the Party’s leadership has taken a position in line with the tradition of the party, just as the PDP has confirmed him as the party’s candidate, said, “the National Working Committee has come out with a statement on who the PDP candidate is and I think I want to leave it at that”.

The former governor who said he was practically on vacation now as he was no longer encumbered by issues of governance and has been channelling his energy towards the re_run election, said, “Very interesting. For the first time when I woke up this morning (yesterday), for the first time I am not thinking of files, I am not thinking of contractors, I am not thinking of other issues that are associated with governance. I am only thinking of PDP and the up coming elections. I think I am even more relaxed now than when I was in office”.

Present with former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan at the Party’s National Secretariat were the Acting Governor, Hon. Sam Obi; Delta State PDP Chairman, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi; Hon. Dan Renge Reneju, House of Representatives; State Secretary, Evangelist Solomon Ogba; Solomon Funkekeme, Secretary Campaign Organisation; Dr. I Okowa, Former SSG; Hon. Basil Ganagana, Acting Speaker; Hon. Martins Okonta_ former Speaker, Dr. Joseph Otumara_ Commissioner for Health, Lawrence Osiegbu, Commissioner for Transport, Solomon Areyarka Chief of Staff, and Godwin Abigor_ Director of Protocol.