By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
THOUGH an estimated fifteen candidates are on the ballot for today’s Delta State gubernatorial re_run election, the stakes are, however, on three of the leading candidates.

Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan , the erstwhile Governor of the State whose election was annulled by the Court of Appeal last November had packed up momentum ahead of the election with his major challengers being Chief Great Ogboru of the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP and Chief Ovie Omo_Agege of the Republican Party of Nigeria, RPN bearing down on him.

The other candidates on the ballot include Donald Dumbili Chukwuemaka of Justice Party (JP), Peter Oghenevwogaga Osalor (Accord Party), Chief Ngozi Agbogbo (African Democratic Congress), Barrister Veronica Bamutu Musu (ANPP), Ogbe Onokpite (CPP), Dr. Emmanuel Mafiana (DPA), Abel Omamamo Edijala (Labour Party), Johnson Aje Boghuku (MRDD), Okeya Ojamovo Edwin (NMDP), Taju Sumonu Isichei (PPA) and Igbini Odafe Emmanuel (PRP).

Uduaghan

Dr. Uduaghan’s prospects in the re_run election after some noisy chatter from elements within and outside the PDP has received tremendous boost. His major critics including the Delta State Political Leaders Forum under the leadership of Senator Edwin Clark have surprisingly tuned down their rhetoric against Uduaghan perhaps at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Uduaghan’s impressive performance at the live television debate organized by Channels Television may also count for him. However, Uduaghan’s greatest asset entering today’s re_run poll is the sheer might of organization and political interest involved.

Sitting members of the House of Assembly all of whom belong to the PDP, sitting commissioners, board members who are all beneficiaries of the goodwill of the PDP led government are conscious of the fact that a defeat for Uduaghan would mean their automatic descent into political oblivion as they would not be accommodated in a government formed by another party.

It is thus not surprising that a sizeable number of political appointees in the service of the PDP dominated state government have taken to the field with a determination to deliver their political constituencies to Dr. Uduaghan.

“Every commissioner, member of the House of Assembly and councilor who does not deliver his or her constituency knows that it is trouble and the end of his or her political career,” an inside source close to the Uduaghan campaign told Vanguard.

Given the determination of the political appointees to deliver Uduaghan and equally given the widespread organizational strength of the PDP across the State Uduaghan’s strength could then be statewide.

However, his prospects are seriously challenged by ethnic considerations and disenchantment by some sections of the citizenry who may want to use the power of the vote to express displeasure at the failure of the Uduaghan government while in power to address their infrastructural needs.

Despite Uduaghan’s assertion of speaking Urhobo more proficiently than the duo of Ogboru and Omo-Agege, it is widely believed that Uduaghan’s main challenge would come from the Urhobo speaking Delta Central Senatorial Constituency.

Indeed, the Senator representing the constituency, Senator Adegho Eferekaya who is the highest political office holder has voted with his feet against the PDP and embraced the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. He has also been seen in political meetings with Omo-Agege.

Given the population superiority of the Urhobo speaking Delta Central senatorial district, the prospects of the Itsekiri born Uduaghan had been cast in the shadow of ethnic bias against the PDP candidate. However, that fear has been partly removed with the instruction from the PDP top hierarchy to deliver Uduaghan.

President Jonathan further gave impetus to the determination of the PDP to return Uduaghan with his presence at the rally for Uduaghan last Tuesday. remarkably, the internal opposition to Uduaghan as marshaled by Clark and the two Ministers from the State, Chief Godsday Orubebe and Olorogun Ken Gbagi has tempered obviously in line with the President’s wish.

Gbagi was himself present at the Warri rally for Uduaghan. A source with the Gbagi camp in the Delta PDP said:

“Gbagi has decided to show the virtues of a good party man and once the party gave the instruction he decided to embrace it.”

Until the party ruled that it was fielding Uduaghan, Gbagi was reportedly one of the options available in the event of a substitution.

As at press time, Ogboru despite the series of endorsements from top Urhobo personalities had not won any endorsement from any of the serving members of the House of Assembly or any of the senior political appointees in the government who are in possession of means and ways and other logistics to press for victory.

Omo-Agege according to some reports has successfully won over a member of the House of Assembly from his constituency in Ughelli North constituency while the inclination of another House member from the Delta Central was dangling between the three candidates.

Remarkably, Ughelli North which has a high number of political heavyweights who in the past quarreled among themselves have surprisingly re-united to back Uduaghan on the fact of self preservation.

Whereas Uduaghan would be counting on his actions in the past three years and the spirit of self-preservation among PDP chieftains to secure victory, Ogboru and Omo-Agege are themselves counting on the outpouring of resentment against Uduaghan and the PDP to secure victory.