There is a grand plot by former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, who is currently serving prison terms in the United Kingdom with connivance of some die-hard loyalists, to covertly install the successor to the outgoing Governor of the State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2015.
Impeccable sources told THE CITIZEN exclusively that Governor Uduaghan has been tactfully wooing President Goodluck Jonathan to buy into the plot for the past three years and it appears to be yielding the desired dividend because his benefactor is bent on ensuring that the plot sails through.
The crux of the plan, which sources say would easily fit into a blockbuster movie, is to hoodwink an unsuspecting President Jonathan, the national executive committee (NEC) of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the political class in Delta into believing that relations between the two have turned frosty and estranged on issues relating to governance in the state and politics, especially over who emerges the candidate of the PDP for the 2015 governorship election.
It was reliably gathered that the success of the grand plot, said to have been hatched around 2011 after Governor Uduaghan began his second tenure, is heavily dependent on Udugahan’s ability to sell the bait that both men are basically no longer on the same page on governance and political issues as far as the state is concerned.
Sources close to the grand plot disclosed that an impression is to be created that Ibori has no hand in whoever Uduaghan settles for as his successor even though both men have been working covertly on the project following series of clandestine telephone conversations always initiated by Ibori from his confinement in a United Kingdom prison where he is currently serving out prison terms on corruption related offenses.
“Clearly, both men fear that President Jonathan would likely shoot down any attempt by Ibori to install Uduaghan’s successor hence the plot to create the impression that Uduaghan is acting alone as the plot is executed,” an impeccable source said.
THE CITIZEN learnt that there are two sides to the plot that will see Ibori continue to exert control and influence how Delta’s over N20 billion naira monthly expenditure is disbursed.
However, since sentiments gained momentum that the ruling party should field a candidate from the Delta North Senatorial District, the only zone yet to produce a governor in the state, Ibori and Uduaghan have settled for someone “who can be controlled” in the person of Mr. Anthony Obuh, a political ally who until a few weeks ago served as Permanent Secretary to Uduaghan at the Government House, Asaba.
The grand plot also led to the resignation of Rt. Honourable Victor Ochei as Speaker, whose forced resignation was orchestrated by Ibori, who our source quoted as saying that “Olikeze too sabi book, he is becoming too powerful and has to be stopped. He will be hard to control.”
Ochei, who is often referred to as Olikeze in the political circle is one of the frontline governorship aspirants from the Delta North district. Others include respected senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Presidential Adviser Sylvester Monye, House of Representatives member Ndudi Elumelu, Uduaghan’s Chief of Staff Festus Okubor, and Ngozi Juliet Olojeme, the Chairman Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
The choice of a candidate from the Delta North zone didn’t happen overnight, it was gathered, as Ibori and Uduaghan had at the beginning of the year jettisoned the idea and instead favoured the return of power to Delta Central as echoed by Comrade Macaulay Ovuozourie whose outburst that Delta PDP had not zoned the governorship to the North almost threw the state into a political crisis, forcing them to beat a retreat.
Ibori is from Delta Central Senatorial zone while Uduaghan is from Delta South Senatorial zone.
It was further gathered that Ibori had preferred Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, one of the highest ranking members of his political family from Delta North, to succeed Uduaghan but had to jettison the idea following pressure from some members of the group.
But Obuh’s candidacy, which is being forced down on the political class in the state by the Ogidigbodigbo is being met with almost the same level of resistance because Obuh is unpopular THE CITIZEN learnt, as several political appointees in Uduagha’s cabinet confirmed to our correspondent that the governor is seriously under pressure to deliver Obuh.
Ibori had also during a recent meeting with some of his foot soldiers including Chief Ighoyota Amori, Chief Ayiri Emami, Mrs. Faith Majemite and others, pressed them to continue pushing the Obuh project but leave his name out of it until the party’s ticket has been secured.
The PDP governorship primaries have been slated for November 29, 2014 nationwide.
Funds for the Obuh campaign, the sources also confirmed, are being provided by Mr. Dere Otubu, a businessman allegedly Ibori’s man Friday.
“We don’t want the sad experience of Anambra in Delta where Chris Ngige, a then political neophyte was installed Governor by businessman and thug Chris Ubah, who wanted Ngige to make monthly returns in billions. We all know how that chaotic experiment ended. Anambra is yet to recover from it till today. We reject that kind of arrangement for Delta State,” another source disclosed.
But as Obuh’s adoption continues to divide the political class in the Delta especially in the Delta central North zone, Ibori is allegedly activating another plot that will see either Mr. Ovie Omo-Agege or Mr. David Edevbie, his two top candidates from the Delta Central zone, emerge.
Omo-Agege had served as a Personal Assistant and later Secretary to the State Government under Ibori while Edevbie served as Finance Commissioner throughout Ibori’s reign as Governor.
It will be recalled that Ibori fell out of favour at the Presidency in 2010 after unsuccessfully blocking then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan from taking office as acting President. He subsequently fled abroad to starve off prosecution by Jonathan not knowing he was fleeing into the hands of the British Government, which eventually jailed him over charges of corruption and money laundering.
The fallout of Ibori’s failed power game at the federal level endangered his tight grip on political power in Delta State and also unsettled Uduaghan whom he installed amidst serious opposition from various interests in the state.
Though President Jonathan and his core supporters such as Chief Edwin Clark and Godsday Orubebe were not disposed to seeing Uduaghan return as the PDP’s candidate in the 2011 Governorship election, some interests in and outside the PDP, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some senior members of the party’s NEC talked the President into supporting his return to office.
Meanwhile, Uduaghan, has said he would not fall into the temptation of imposing anyone on Delta State to succeed him as governor.
Uduaghan spoke on Sunday in the Government House, Asaba where an interdenominational service was held to mark Nigeria’s 54th Independence anniversary. The occasion was also used to dedicate the chapel of the new Government House.
The governor urged Nigerians to be more united in confronting the challenges facing the country, saying despite the current security challenges facing the country, “Nigeria has every reason to thank God for keeping us together as one the country.”
Conceding that the Goodluck Jonathan Federal Government had its challenges, with unity of purpose and cooperation of all and sundry they can be surmounted.
Uduaghan noted that through divine intervention the Federal Government in spite of the spate of insurgency has succeeded in recording marked improvement in the living condition of the people.
He said, “With the President leading the operation we have effectively tackled the Ebola disease. Let us all join hands and support him on all issues so that the country can achieve the desired greatness.
“We as a people of this nation should always remember President Jonathan in prayers and join our hands with him to lead the country to its destination.
“The country is passing through a lot of challenges and insurgency but God is turning things around for the better in order to restore the country’s respect and glory.”
On who his successor in office would be, he said, “Only God will give power to an individual. God alone will decide who will take over from me and I know that God will not allow a governor that is not God-fearing and will come and destroy this chapel that we have dedicated to him today to govern our dear state.”
Uduaghan said Deltans had every reason to thank and fear God, noting that over the years, the people have overcome different challenges by the grace of God.
He said, “We have got to the stage where God has a place in the activities of this state and we all know that in the last seven years God has been respected and feared by this administration. So if you are aspiring to rule this state you must fear God.”
Archbishop God-Do-Well Avwomakpa in a sermon taken from Psalm 34, observed that the state government had made giant strides in the provision of infrastructure, especially, the completion and dedication of the Government House Chapel, which he described as a legacy that would outlive any government.
