By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South
A political wonder took place in Delta state recently. It was the newfound romance between Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and one of his critical political rivals, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, who until lately, was the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state.

He was also responsible  for the evaporation of the name of the former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, from the ministerial list submitted to the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ,by the state chapter of the party.

It is not that Uduaghan and Omo-Agege are alien to each other, no. Both were once former Secretary to the Delta State Government, SSG, and were members of the political family of the former governor of Delta state, Chief James Ibori until 2007 when they fell apart due to irreconcilable political differences.

As soon as Uduaghan got the ticket of the party for the 2007 governorship elections, Omo-Agege joined the opposition camp, led by the national leader of the Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum, DELSF, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark  and stopped at nothing to degrade Uduaghan politically, calling him a failed governor and other unprintable names.

In the January 6, 2011 governorship re-run election in the state, he contested against Uduaghan under the platform of the Republican Party of Nigeria, RPN, after he dumped the PDP, and three months later, in the April 26 governorship election, he contested against Uduaghan on the platform of the ACN.

Governor Uduaghan never  saw him as a potent threat but he surely caused some goose pimples with his caustic anti-Uduaghan venoms, and so, it was phenomenal to see his name as one of the ministerial nominees from the state. Clearly, he fell apart, months back  with Chief Clark when he discovered the elder statesman was not disposed to his governorship ambition and given his low rating by the state chairman of the party, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, he would not have recommended him for a ministerial portfolio.

In fact, few hours after the list became public knowledge, Chief Nwaoboshi distanced himself from it, saying he knew nothing about it.

The poser of who recommended Omo-Agege did not last long as Governor Uduaghan admitted to submitting his name as well as that of  Ambassador Godson Echegile, former governorship aspirant, Godwin Obileum, wife of former PDP national chairman and Delta North senatorial aspirant, Mrs. Marian Ali, erstwhile Minister of Niger-Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, Faith Matthews, former Commissioner for Sports, Chief Solomon Ogba, former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Young Igbrude, Williams Makinde and Elizabeth Uvoh-Gardner.

Noticeably missing on the list as stated earlier is the name of Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi. The reason is still vague but Olorogun Gbagi, who was nominated by Chief Clark for ministerial appointment along with Elder Orubebe defied the Ijaw leader to work for Uduaghan’s re-election in April.  He and Orubebe were accused of working against Uduaghan’s victory in the January 6 governorship re-run election but he denied the charge.

It was, nevertheless, observed that Omo-Agege conceded victory to Uduaghan soon after the former was declared winner of the April 26 poll by INEC, and it was reported that Gbagi played a role in re-uniting him and Uduaghan.  Omo-Agege also stormed Asaba for Uduaghan’s inauguration as two-time governor of Delta state, May 29.

Former state chairman of the ACN in the state, now a PDP leader, Chief Sam Egwerome who hailed the list by Uduaghan said, “Perhaps, the governor has his reasons for not nominating Olorogun Gbagi”. Former secretary of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Minerals Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON, Prince Okareme Maikpobi also commended the governor  for the list.

Reacting to the criticisms over the ministerial list, Governor Uduaghan told newsmen, May 26, at Asaba, “I take responsibility for that list. I sent the list based on the letter from the national headquarters that we should send 10 names and I consulted widely, including the state party chairman, I have it on record”.

A reliable source told Saturday Vanguard that Uduaghan, in point of fact, made consultations before he submitted the list, but the secret talks took place with only those who were supposed to know and that the final list had the imprimatur of a top party leader and powerful high-ranking government official that is superior to him in hierarchy.

Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Comrade Ovuozourie Samuel Macaulay, a former lawmaker in the state, Hon. Solomon Funkekeme and one-time governorship aspirant, Hon Sunny Onuesoke did not see anything wrong with Uduaghan’s choice of ministers.

On the other hand, a former Commissioner for Health in Delta state and a senior official of the Ovie Omo-Agege/John Kpokpogri Governorship Campaign Organization, Dr. Richard Tosanwumi told Saturday Vanguard, “Ovie Omo-Agege’s nomination by PDP has confirmed our suspicion that he was a mole planted in the opposition by the Ibori/Uduaghan cabal in Delta state in pursuit of its criminal desire to continue the looting of our state treasury.

“By being on the state’s PDP nomination list, Omo-Agege has told Deltans that he cannot be trusted with high office that needs integrity and honour. I saw this coming, which was why I led ACN members into a coalition with the DPP for the April 26 governorship election in the state.

“To all intent and purposes, the ACN has died in Delta state because of monumental treachery by Omo Agege and his co-travelers. Painfully, the progressive politicians in our state are now left in the cold. This shameless, mindless and callous attitude is characteristic of members of the Ibori political family”, he stated.

Dr. Tosanwumi added, “However, genuine members of ACN must not despair but take heart in the fact that Chief Great Ogboru is there to ensure Uduaghan is removed from office at the Governorship Election Petition Election Tribunal. Clearly, Deltans now know the extent to which the evil forces represented by the Ibori cabal can go in order to keep them in perpetual slavery and poverty.

“Amazingly, some Deltans see no evil in the rigging of elections by Uduaghan because of the little crumbs they are fed with in the face of lack of development of our state, what a pity. Ovie Omo-Agege may be basking in the euphoria of the hatchet man’s job he did in the ACN for Uduaghan but he must remember that those ACN members he toyed with will find it hard to forgive him for his malady. ACN in Delta state now needs to be re-organized by the national leadership of party”, he asserted.

A cross section of politicians in the state, however, said Governor Uduaghan was only being pragmatic and proving to Deltans that he is a detribalized and large-hearted leader, who, despite the call by some people that he should implement the Moses law of tooth for tooth, decided to obey the Jesus law of showing love your enemy, including political enemies.

Addressing the crowed at his second-term swearing-in ceremony at Asaba, last Sunday, Uduaghan said he knew the risk that was involved when he decided to embark on certain reforms during his first tenure, saying, “I knew they were going to fight, they did fight, most times very dirty but I was, however, determined to press ahead”.

The people are watching how far he will press in the coming months and years.