Editor-in-Chief
Anyone who read statement credited to the new PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo that zoning died 2002 in Peoples Democratic Party will read in between the lines and know that it is only a matter of time for President Goodluck Jonathan to declare his ambition to run for presidency in 2011.
This is more so, considering the high powered intrigues that led to the premature exit of Chief Vincent Ogbulafor as well as the consistent remarks of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the Peoples Democratic Party did not zone the presidency to the North. Despite prophesy by Dr. Isaac Idahosa December 2009 in Word of Life Bible Church that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan should not be tempted to run for presidency after piloting affairs of the country for one year and the prophesied rumble that will occur in the ruling PDP, indications are rife that the former Vice President and Bayelsa State Governor will soon make his intention public. The role of Ijaw National Leader, Chief Edwin Clark in trying to woo minority ethnic groups in the North to give the South South geopolitical zone a chance to vie for presidency in 2011 has further heightened speculations that President Goodluck Jonathan will indeed run for presidency. The import of the President declaring to run in 2011 is already sending tongues wagging as far as Delta politics is concern. While there are speculations that the incumbent Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan may not get the nod of President Goodluck Jonathan to run for Delta guber race under PDP platform in 2011, supporters of the Governor has since debunked such speculations as baseless. They hinged their argument on the recent one-day working visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Delta State as enough endorsement of Dr. Uduaghan to run for Governorship under the PDP platform in 2011, even though the gesture of the President remains the most difficult to interpret in modern day Nigeria. The optimism of the Ibori/Uduaghan Political family was echoed by Secretary to Delta State Government, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa at the Delta South rally of Uduaghan 2011 campaign in Oleh when he said that “those trying to cause a division between our brother in Abuja and the Governor have failed”. Other speakers at the Oleh rally which attracted the largest crowd compared to those of Isiokolo and Ogwashi-uku alluded to Dr. Okowa’s postulation. The likes of Chief Tom Amioku were quick to add that members of the opposition who criticize Governor Uduaghan on the pages of Newspaper will join them when the chips are down and “queue behind”.
In as much as the opposition will have an uphill task to dismantle the 11-year structure built by embattled former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, one thing that is very clear is that should President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan eventually declare his intention to vie for the Presidency in 2011, the Chief Edwin Clark’s group of Delta Elders and leaders which comprises of gubernatorial aspirants like Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Elder Godsday Orubebe, Rear Admiral John Kpokpogri (Rtd.) and other highly rated politicians who feel left out in the present PDP structure will be forcefully integrated into the mainstream of Delta PDP, because Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan who appears not to have anything personal against President Goodluck Jonathan will be forced to do political horse trading that will see the Ibori political family conceding vital positions to the Chief Edwin Clark’s group, which seems to have the backing of Mr. President. How these political gerrymandering will play itself and the way Delta State PDP will shape up with strange bed fellows remains to be seen as the impending drama unfolds.
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