The Anioma branding of a governor from Delta North has been severally criticized by commentators across Delta State. Now many people from Delta Central and South are beginning to see it as a quest to produce an Anioma governor for Delta State as opposed to a pan-Delta governor for Delta State, who happens to hail from Delta North.

They are increasingly determined that if it is an Anioma governor, then the Anioma people should simply wait for the creation of their longed for Anioma State to produce a well deserved governor for that state. In fact, the sort of crass political naivety certain Anioma stakeholders have exhibited, leaves pan-Deltan people like us in a rather difficult position. Whereas we remain committed to the equitable quest for a Governor from Delta North, we feel increasingly undermined by the very elders of the zone we have been clamoring to produce a pan-Delta governor.

The Asagba of Asaba, as a traditional ruler, and therefore father to all, ought not to have been the one leading a delegation to present a selective list to Mr. President. It is not his forte to discriminate amongst his children or brethren. It is his obligation to be fair to all of them and inwardly hope that the best one emerges. By presenting a list that initially did not even include any of the aspirants the incumbent Governor might have mentored to carry on his legacy, the Anioma Congress, he leads, only ended up shooting itself in the foot by clearly and unambiguously demonstrating its disdain for, and hostility towards the one person in the best position to ensure the emergence of a governor of Delta State from Delta North.

Their list has by now irretrievably acquired a bizarre notoriety. No one seems to be exactly sure what names it itemized. It initially seems to have included the names of two persons from Aniocha/Oshimili axis and one from Ika. No Ndokwa aspirant appears to have been included at that stage, thereby discriminating against a third part of Delta North.

Then a most macabre course of abracadabra appeared on the menu. Names were added and deleted in a manner that indicates that far from being a platform willing to be fair to all parts of Delta North, the Anioma Congress had decomposed into an unserious aggregate, either to be enticed by the highest bidder or turned by the most intrepid lobbyist. The list ended up being so ridiculous that it did not even include the name of the very Presidential aide that ushered in the Asagba and his delegation to see Mr. President.

There seems to be this utterly unrealistic thinking, in certain quarters, that Governor Uduaghan is on the way out into absolute oblivion and utter irrelevance. Indeed, certain stakeholders, it would seem, are not only breathless to see him go but are salivating to see him undone when he leaves. It is rather regrettable that the Anioma Congress would appear to be wittingly or unwittingly spearheading this ungrateful onslaught against a generous benefactor.

The Asagba’s realm was a sleepy town fashioned into a city by two governors from Delta Central and the incumbent from Delta South. Indeed, Dr Uduaghan permanently placed it on the world map by the international airport he built with oil money from Central and South with little or no gratitude from its hosts.

Those hungry to see the Governor disgraced are merely embracing the unrealistic. Dropping Mr. President’s name in that quest is utter foolhardiness. The Governor has delivered for the President before and is warming up to do it again. He delivered Delta State for Jonathan by a landslide in 2011 and Mr. President has always shown a remarkable readiness to reward loyalty and reciprocate goodwill. Dr Uduaghan is the incumbent and remains the key to delivering the quantum of votes that would ensure that our President gets enough votes to offset whatever the desperate opposition might garner from their strongholds in other states.

Whether anyone likes it or not, Governor Uduaghan is by far more relevant to the second term ambition of President Jonathan than any of the rabble-rousing aspirants now disparaging him. They are completely mistaken. The people of Delta Central and Delta South are remarkably similar in culture, orientation, disposition and ancestry.  Uduaghan is not going quietly into the night and will not be humiliated by power-hungry hustlers with more skeletons in their cupboards than any of the unproven transgressions they keep tagging on their Governor.

Those who have been laughably dreaming of an impossible alliance between Delta North and Delta South against Delta Central are clueless as to the configurations of the former Delta Province. We are one and the same kind of people even if our tribes and tongues may differ. We will not be divided by arrogant others whose sole point of political contact with us is the fact of our being lumped together in one increasingly unwieldy state. Anyone foolish enough to dream that he will become the Governor of Delta without Urhobo input is a compound fool. We will not have any Anioma Governor. We are quite willing to have, and indeed heartily welcome, a pan-Deltan Governor from Delta North.

Dreaming that anyone from Delta North, who does not end up becoming the PDP candidate is going to be the Governor of Delta State in 2015 is utter foolishness. Similarly, dreaming that anyone from Delta North, who does not end up getting the incumbent Governor’s endorsement, is going to be the PDP’s candidate is utter idiocy. If anyone in Delta North is serious about becoming the next Governor of Delta State, Governor Uduaghan’s endorsement is the starting point of obtaining his or her visa to Government House.

JESUTEGA ONOKPASA, a lawyer, wrote from Warri.