It is now almost certain that the Chief Great Ogboru/Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s group in the Delta APC have taken over almost 70 per cent of the structure of the party with most of the prominent office holders on their side. They include, the Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Personal Assistant to President Buhari on Social Media Mrs Lauretta Onochie, Nexim Bank Director Mrs Stella Okotete, Olorogun Frank Kokori as well as the Delta State APC Chairman, Prophet Jones Ode Erue who was a former backer of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor. It is claimed that the new Delta APC power house has the full backing of President Mohammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senator Bola Tinubu.
A former media aid to Olorogun Emerhor, Barr. Fred Latimore who was an eye-witness to the genesis of Emerhor’s “fall” provide insight
At the last birthday of Chief Great Ogboru held recently, Olorogun Otega Emerhor told news hunters that his political romance with his “brother and co-party leader, Chief Ogboru was intact” and that the general public must of political necessity ignore rumour mongers trying to generate bad blood between them.
As the Pen Eagle in this dispensation, a man who is now like a door that sees both inside and outside, I knew that that declaration by Olorogun Emerhor can never and will never be the correct position.
The very day Emerhor and Ogboru settled their so-called 2015 governorship elections political differences and came to Abuja National Office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to add “pepper and salt” to their political marriage which broke down and still remained broken down irritriavablly till date, I shook my head and wept.
That evening at Transcorp Hilton, precisely on the 10th floor, I took a deep look at Emerhor, then my boss and Principal and slapped my head. He saw me in a mood that was very unusual. I knew he had a battle ahead of him.
I told some of our boys loyal to Emerhor but later joined Ogboru-Agege faction, who were around the ground floor or call it basement of Transcorp Hilton jyrating and having fun that their days of joy were numbered. I told them point blank that Ogboru-Agege shall in the near future hijack the party from Emerhor. They raged and said “Pen Eagle, that can never happen, over our dead bodies.” Where are they now?
Days later, I was with Olorogun Emerhor at Transcorp and he ordered me to “go to the other room and wait’ as he was expecting some very important visitors. Behold, I met Chief Great Ogboru and Senator Ovie Omo Agege by the door on my way to “the other room” to wait.
I greeted the Peoples General and Senator Agege and left. It was indeed very painful. They faked themselves and started another round of political romance that didn’t last six months. It crashed.
My exit from the APC was well planned by Agege and Ogboru caucus. Stella Okotete and Jaro Egbo were assigned by the Agege/Ogboru group to harass me out of the party because of my sagacity and absolute loyalty to Emerhor reflected in my strategic political communication and media politics; and they got Emerhor by the neck to technically endorse their mission.
He fell into their trap and Latimore Oghenesivbe disappeared from Delta APC media radar. From that moment, Emerhor’s only strong voice in the media and cyberspace was taken away from him with no replacement till date. To fill Latimore’s space can never be fun and difficult to estimate.
Politics without media is no politics which is why experienced politicians strives to own media outfits to serve as both open doors to connect people in power and to serve as link to other powerful media organisations during electioneering alignment and realignment. Major private media organisations in Nigeria and elsewhere are owned my political gladiators and political merchants.
They told Emerhor that let Latimore go, he will come back on his kneels begging because PDP and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa will never accept him for all the media war loosed on them. Let him go, let Latimore go and suffer. Emerhor smiled and signed the “blank cheque.”
My phone rang and Emerhor said: “Fred, I deeply appreciate your hardwork and for standing with me and party leaders in the state to take our party to this level.
“Your decision to quit is understandable and I cannot stop you. Be rest assured that I will ensure you are adequately rewarded for your enviable contributions. I wish you luck in your new endeavours,” Emerhor said.
The rest is now history because PDP immediately accommodated me and His Excellency the Governor in his vast political wisdom got me on board the Smart Agenda as his Executive Assistant on Communications.
Immedistely my appointment was announced, Emerhor faction of Delta APC was dazed while Ogboru-Agege faction went into acute jubilation. They celebrated my exit big time, unknowing to Emerhor.
With my appointment announced, Emerhor knew that something was not right about the drama that led to Latimore’s exit. That was how Ogboru and Agege succeeded in making Emerhor voiceless in Delta APC and beyond.
THE APC DELTA “POWER MUST CHANGE HANDS” CONGRESS.
There is an important prayer and deliverance meeting at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), titled; POWER MUST CHANGE HANDS (PMCH). It holds first Saturday of every month at the Prayer City. You must come fasting.
The idea of PMCH is to fight the devil in your life, force that demon holding back your progress to release it by fire and by force. It is potent, holy and biblical. The Delta APC 2018 congress is a type of MFM Power Must Change Hands.
I knew well ahead that the day Chief Odigie Oyegun goes down in APC, Olorogun Emerhor is likely to go down with him. I may be wrong or right but the signs are there for all to see. Visit Henry Efe Duku’s Facebook wall to read his piece posted after Delta APC 2018 congress please!
Olorogun Emerhor must be told that “when you let go your men, you relinquish political power to your detractors and enemies.” It can be very costly sir!
Therefore, an experienced politician will normally not want to let go any of his loyalists or a supporter with capacity in any aspect of political engineering. You need all kinds of people, vast in divers skills to remain in power and never let go any especially when you do not have better replacements.
Our National Leader and Urhobo Nation illustrious son, His Excellency Chief James Onanefe Ibori will forever remain a factor without which major political decisions cannot be taken for obvious reasons especially for “keeping his men and political structures.”
Don’t ever sacrifice one of your best men or loyalist in exchange for 1,000 of your enemy’s men. Not in politics, its certainly a bad deal.
A strategic political leader must be slow at letting any of his or her core loyalist disappear from caucus political radar, no matter the offence. Caution them, handle them with care because without your men you lose out in political power chess game.
Olorogun Emerhor got it wrong when he became careless about the ordeal of some of his men. He watched his followers fight without making peace at the right time. That’s not good for politics. You must do everything within your powers to keep your men, its cheaper to do so than recruiting new hands. Emerhor must learn from this.
I can’t understand why Prophet Jones Ode Erue dumped Emerhor and joined forces with Ogboru-Agege. It may either be a coded deal between Emerhor and Erhue or connected to some sort of loopholes and poor political leadership. I am very sure that Emerhor has finally lost his key supporters and inner caucus members.
Here are some of Emerhor’s men that were either sidelined or left on their own over petty squabbles which Emerhor ought to fix quickly but he ignored them;
1. Chief Frank Ovie Kokori.
2. Chief Mrs Oyubu.
3. Mrs Veronica Ugbuagwu.
4. Chief Jones Ode Erue.
5. Chidi (Secretary).
6. Barrister Valentine (Legal Adviser).
7. Dr (Barrister) Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe.
8. Hon Ben Ogbalor (DG, Emerhor Campaign).
9. 18 Directors in his campaign organisation.
10. Chief Vradampuye Abanum (Emerhor’s 2015 Running Mate).
11. Anthony Akpobasa (Emerhor’s CSO).
12. OTHERS to numerous to mention here.
Olorogun Emerhor must decide now whether or not he wants to be a professional politician or retire from politics to face his business. It’s not politically expedient to be lukewarm in politics. You must be hot or get kicked out.
Ogboru is hot, Omo Agege is hot, even pastor Henry Efe Duku with all the anointing is still very hot on the inside for partisan politics. Emerhor must therefore look inwards and play politics the right way. Stop taking too many things for granted. Wake up and fight as a lion because you are almost if not out of power. This is my token advise sir!
In politics, you must protect those you work with and once you make them vulnerable they take refuse where they can be well protected against external political aggression. The bond of friendship and political relationship between Emerhor and Erhue was indeed very strong. What then happened?
Let’s now shift focus to 2019 governorship elections in Delta State. We shall meet APC Delta in the political jungle come 2019.
