It was 6.30 am Thursday 2nd January this year my phone rang and I woke up. It was Julius (not real name) my political associate from Delta North.
He was in a hurry and hardly allowed for Season’s banter before he told me he was forwarding a message to my wall. I asked him who the author was and why.
‘From Fejiro Oliver’.
‘Fejiro who?’ I asked him incredulously, ‘that troublesome guy?’
‘Forget his character’, he begged me. ‘Just read the story’.
Barely a minute later the message arrived. It was a so-called scoop about Governor Sheriff, begging President Tinubu, to allow him decamp to APC. Just as I read the ‘scoop’ another message came in. It was a transcript of what the Sheriff told the UPU during Urhobo Day Celebration. The governor had admonished Deltans to pray for the success of Tinubu, because if Tinubu fails, he the governor would fail too.
Several other posts were forwarded to me by Julius. These dwelt on Senator Ned Nwoko who the post said was being forced out of PDP to APC because he lost out on the delegates’ structure in Delta North PDP.
I told Julius I really didn’t see the point he was making and that I would revert. I then contacted some Delta North bigwigs of PDP extraction.
It was an earful. Each and every one of the contacts strongly suspected that the story about the governor decamping to APC emanated from Ned Nwoko’s propaganda machinery. I asked why. They said the anger and malice has its root in the outcome of the delegates’ congress in which the senator lost out woefully in the battle and this has put his second tenure in the senate in serious jeopardy.
The senator according to my contacts had been on a smear campaign against the governor.
An instance was when he lied against the governor about the Ndokwa power plant.
So I reverted to Julius and I asked him point blank if he was in Ned Nwoko’s camp. Yes he is. I can now understand why he sent those posts to me.
I can’t say I know much about Ned Nwoko beyond his activities in the senate and the tons of bills he is churning out in the upper chamber. He does have a very effective media team, no doubt, that ensure he dominates social media space with stories and photo ups.
Of particular amusement to me is his Anioma State creation bill. It is a still birth, a dead on arrival. I say this because the bill is not getting any traction in Delta North particularly among the political elites.
Delta state is one of the very few states in Nigeria enjoying unity of purpose among her people. Patriotism towards Delta among the diverse ethnic nationalities in the state is un-parallel. The unity among Deltans just didn’t happen.
The founders and leaders across the state made it happen. They worked tirelessly to make it happen. The leaders took painful decisions, made great sacrifices destroying walls and building bridges to connect our people physically, mentally and spiritually. It took a lot of time and a river of sweats.
Today I can say Delta State is heterogeneously homogenous, our diversity strengthens our unity, our different colours have produced the beautiful rainbow. Delta is truly the Rainbow State.
So not a few are taken aback by this pet project of Ned Nwoko. Delta North has benefitted extra ordinarily from the Delta union. The facts are there, Anioma has suffered no marginalization in Delta state; so why divorce a working and harmonious marriage. It does not make any damn sense.
Suffice to say Anioma State creation is a pipe dream and a publicity stunt.
PDP has debunked the evil propaganda of decamping. But it does not require the debunking to even know that the rumour is from th pit of hell, because it does not make sense.
In PDP a first term sitting governor has the right of first choice. What this means is that the governor goes into the primary election un-opposed. This has been the tradition in PDP. Unless a governor’s performance in his duties is so abysmal, is so bad, his return ticket is never challenged.
And Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has performed exceedingly well in his job. You simply can’t find any fault in any aspect of his duties: is it in the infrastructural development or in human capital development? Is it in frugal management of resources or in health care provision? Is it in regular salary payment or in meeting contractual obligations on timely basis? Name it Governor Sheriff’s performance is outstanding; it has surpassed all expectations. And every Deltan is elated.
His party, PDP, is rock solid. There is no crisis in Delta PDP whatsoever. And the structure of the party is intact and is in the governor’s hands. So why will the governor be seeking to decamp to a comatose party? Why will the governor abandon a virile and vibrant party to associate with a losing party? To do what? The governor is coasting to victory come 2027.
The APC, as it is presently constituted, has no fighting juice in its vein. APC in Delta state is on life support in the intensive care unit. No one knows if it will survive the hospitalization. How can the governor, therefore, be afraid of such a comatose entity?
At UPU’s Urhobo Day where the governor was the special guest of honour the governor did call on Deltans to pray for the success of President Tinubu and rightly so. The Holy Bible called for prayers for heads of government, and for a reason.
The president is the Sovereign from whom everything flows and it is foolhardy not to develop a harmonious relationship with him. Deltans did not vote Sheriff to go and fight Tinubu. That was not his mandate.
Governor Sheriff knows that the tributary of a river that disrespects the source of its water will dry up. Ask Tinubu what was his experience as a governor in Lagos state when he was fighting President Obasanjo.
The funds Sheriff needs to achieve his lofty infrastructural goals for Delta lie in Aso Rock Villa. So he has to befriend Tinubu if the vault is to be opened for him. Yes he has to, indeed he must. And with no apology to anyone.
Governor Sheriff is not the only governor of Delta State to declare loyalty to a sitting president.
Governor Okowa in his inaugural speech in May 29, 2015 declared openly his unalloyed loyalty to then President Buhari; and not a whimper emanated from Ned Nwoko.
Distinguished Senator Nwoko is waiting in the exit hall of the Senate chambers. Come 2027 he will be packing home.
Like humpity dumpity non of the king’s marabouts, soothsayers, odechi, native doctors and prayer warriors can save him.
Bon Voyage Distinguished Senator. In your next political reincarnation you will learn respect, and indeed show respect.
Chief Olori Magege writes from Orho Agbarho, Ughelli North, Delta State.
