{"id":23,"date":"2014-08-13T06:35:12","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T06:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=23"},"modified":"2014-08-13T06:35:12","modified_gmt":"2014-08-13T06:35:12","slug":"2015-battle-for-soul-of-delta-south","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=23","title":{"rendered":"2015: Battle for Soul of Delta South"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Governor-Emmanuel-Uduaghan-of-Delta-State\"<\/a>It is increasingly becoming a fad in the torturous circuit of Nigerian politics for state governors in the twilight of their second tenure to seek continued political relevance in angling for a senatorial seat to enable them inch their way into the National Assembly.<\/p>\n

In this wise, they have had to cudgel themselves, advertently or inadvertently, against the political interests of serving senators, who at that time in history, are representing their senatorial districts at the National Assembly.<\/p>\n

Even though, the senators operate from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, farther away from their home states and their senatorial constituencies, the battle between the sitting governors and the serving senators over the senatorial seat being contested for is usually very fierce and mindboggling.<\/p>\n

As is it, while state governors cannot serve more than two terms of four years each that is statutorily guaranteed by Section 180(2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), as amplified by the Supreme Court in Marwa v. Nyako & Ors (2012), a senator can represent his constituency at the National Assembly as long as he or she can meander his or her way through the slippery labyrinth of party congresses.<\/p>\n

The battle for the soul of Delta South Senatorial District between Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and Senator James Manager is currently spewing up political tensions and rupturing entrenched political interests and erstwhile deep-seated political alliances in Delta State.<\/p>\n

Although both politicians have been in government since 1999, Manager had reportedly being in the corridors of governance earlier than Uduaghan. Uduaghan and Manager were both commissioners in former Governor James Ibori\u2019s government from 1999 to 2003. While manager was a commissioner for works, Uduaghan was a commissioner for health.<\/p>\n

In 2003, Manager who was Ibori\u2019s campaign manager in 1999, moved on to the Senate while Ibori appointed Uduaghan as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Delta State. It was during the jostling for the governorship ticket of the Peoples\u2019 Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007 that it became clear to Senator Manager and other governorship hopefuls from Delta South that Governor Ibori paved the way for Manager to go to the Senate to allow Uduaghan warm his way, with less friction from astute political gladiators like Senator Manager.<\/p>\n

The gambit worked as former Governor Ibori laid the pedestal for Uduaghan to inch his way up the ladder of upward socio-economic and political mobility to subsequently emerge as a very influential SSG as well as a political gadfly, benefitting with tremendous gusto from former Governor Ibori\u2019s expansive political network and rather intimidating regiment of staunch political followership which permeates virtually all local governments and senatorial districts in Delta State.<\/p>\n

As a former Commissioner for Health, Secretary to the State Government and two-term governor, Uduaghan has become a political force of reckoning in Delta State. Without doubt, as a former Chairman of Bomadi Local Government Area, Commissioner for Social Development, Youths and Sports, former campaign manager to former Governor Ibori in 1999, commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, from 1999 to 2003, and a ranking Senator from 2003 up to now, raking up close to 12 years on the floor of the Senate, Manager still remains an issue in the politics of Delta State.<\/p>\n

There are eight local governments in Delta South: Warri South; Warri South-West; Warri North; Burutu; Bomadi; Isoko South; Isoko North and Patani local governments. Geographically, although there are Urhobos within some of these local governments, say in Warri South, Burutu and Patani.<\/p>\n

Uduaghan, born in October 22, 1954, is an Itsekiri from Warri North Local Government Area, while Manager, 54, born July 7, 1960, is an Ijaw from Bomadi Local Government Area. The entrenched political arrangement in Delta State has zoned Delta South to three tribes: Isokos, Ijaws and the Itsekiris. Senator Stella Omu, an Isoko, represented Delta South senatorial district at the Senate from 1999 to 2003.<\/p>\n

Since the advent of democracy in 1999, no Itsekiri has represented Delta South in the Senate. And Governor Uduaghan firmly believes that this development will work to his advantage. However, Udaughan\u2019s ambition to represent Delta South at the Senate at the constitutional expiration of his two terms of eight years as the governor of Delta State has continued to generate some political whirlpool in Delta State, as well as in Abuja.<\/p>\n

First, there is a strong perception fuelled by Senator Manager\u2019s deafening silence that he may be hankering for a fourth term in the Senate in 2015 which will enable him trudge on up to 2019, and maybe beyond! Second, that since Senator Manager has kept mum on whether he will be vying for the Senate again in 2015, Governor Uduaghan, not wanting to be politically marooned in 2015, may just well defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, to actualise his senatorial ambition.<\/p>\n

These twin pregnant perceptions had gained so much grounds having spread like wild Sahel fire propelled by the Harmattan winds of the rumour mills often associated with the rather slippery terrain of Nigerian politics that Governor Uduaghan had to publicly speak up, considering, of course, the unwholesome animosity and rivalry currently brewing between the leadership of the PDP and the APC.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, January 9, Uduaghan used the opportunity of his mid-year briefing at the Unity Hall, at Government House, Asaba, to make some categorical statements on his senatorial ambition. He spoke candidly: \u201cAs a matter of fact, the next political arrangement in my district favours the Iteskiris, where I hail from, so it favours me. So, why do I need to break my head for the race? I have a lot to offer if I get to the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n

What about the wild fire murmurings that has begun to unruffled hitherto well-nestled political feathers at Aso Rock Villa, the official residence of President Goodluck Jonathan, the leader of the PDP, to which Governor Uduaghan belongs? What, indeed, would be the political implications to President Jonathan\u2019s electoral fortunes in 2015, if Governor Uduaghan dumps the PDP and vie for the Delta South senatorial seat under the aegis of the APC, or any other party for that matter?<\/p>\n

While Senator Manager, a veteran campaigner, could afford to keep mum and keep Governor Uduaghan and other senatorial hopefuls in Delta South senatorial district guessing about his political moves, which in itself is a deft political strategy, Udaughan, as the governor of Delta State whose constituency covers all three senatorial districts, including Delta Central and Delta North could no longer afford the luxury of keeping silent.<\/p>\n

And why is this so? President Jonathan is keenly interested in the 2015 presidential election. The chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mau\u2019zu needed to convince the President that he could unite the party, bring back top notchers of the party that were frustrated out of the party, or those who defected for lack of internal party democracy, or unsure of their chances of clinching the party\u2019s ticket for whatever office they desire to contest for in 2015.<\/p>\n

Chief Tony Anenih, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP, also needed to convince the President and reciprocate the benevolent gesture of President Jonathan in re-installing him as the chairman of the party\u2019s BOT after former President Olusegun Obasanjo railroaded him of out his cozy position, that he was still a revered party leader that could fix and mend old political alliances that were visibly losing their allure and bonds on the turf of brash political battles, nerve-sapping\u00a0 skimming\u2019s and deft positioning as it were.<\/p>\n

So, frenzied contacts were made and respectable emissaries were sent to Uduaghan in Asaba, to whisper assurances of prospective intents and well-deserved political relevance as the political permutations for 2015 general elections draw nearer with frenetic pace and maneuverings.<\/p>\n

To make assurance surer, Uduaghan told a cluster of journalists before a galaxy of cameramen and a battery of television klieg lights that \u201capart from being a foundation member of PDP, I am a life member of the PDP. I have a lot to offer if I am in the Senate. The rumour that I may be planning to defect to an opposition party if my party does not give me the senatorial ticket is mischievous.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then declared: \u201cBut 2015 is still far away and I have a lot to do as governor. So, why should I start cracking my head in the name of senatorial ambition? Of course, some of my colleagues have left the party because of rumour mongering. That is not enough for me to defect. Delta State is PDP.\u201d<\/p>\n

Governor Uduaghan then said what sounded like a soothing balm to the presidency and the national leadership of the PDP: \u201cI will sink and swim with PDP.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite that politics is getting stronger in the country the PDP is the party to beat in the country. Nobody is mourning for lost members in the PDP. We are only putting things together to bring them back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being very conscious of his desire to get the PDP\u2019s senatorial ticket for Delta South, Uduaghan stressed: \u201cAll the National Assembly members from the state are in the PDP. The few ones that are in opposition are merely waiting for the chairman to give them the date that they will declare for the PDP. So, I have not seen what will make me leave my party. I have assured the leader of our party, President Jonathan and the chairman of the party that I am not leaving the PDP.\u201d<\/p>\n

With these words, Uduaghan tactically climbed up the ladder to the Nigerian Senate. President Jonathan, an Ijaw man from Utuoke, in Bayelsa State, would most likely ask Senator Manager, his kinsman from Bomadi, a three-term senator, the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta, to consider further challenges as a minister upon securing a second term in 2015.<\/p>\n

Senator Manager\u2019s inspiring role in pushing forward the amnesty programme for former Niger Delta militants as well as his motivational role in the annual approval of the budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the National Assembly has also endeared him to President Jonathan who is determined to maximally clinch a huge chunk of the votes from the South-South, his geo-political region, in 2015, strategically to shore up whatever may be the shortfall from the troubled North East where Muslim insurgents, Boko Haram, have ominously draped a blanket of insecurity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is increasingly becoming a fad in the torturous circuit of Nigerian politics for state governors in the twilight of their second tenure to seek continued political relevance in angling for a senatorial seat to enable them inch their way into the National Assembly. In this wise, they have had to cudgel themselves, advertently or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Governor-Emmanuel-Uduaghan-of-Delta-State.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23\/revisions\/25"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}