Editorial : Is Uduaghan Really Out?

Editor-In-Chief

Even the greatest Political Scientist and most brilliant Senior Advocate of Nigeria will find it very hard to interpret the political dynamics and complexities in Delta State, the Finger of God as it is now called. Just when the opposition and the ordinary Deltan on the street who feel left out in the present scheme of things as far as governance is concerned was beginning to jubilate over the Appeal Court sacking of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan as Governor of Delta State three and half years after running affairs, the political structure as it stand creates more cloud in the minds of every stakeholder in the state.

Unlike states such as Rivers, Ekiti, Edo, Ondo and Anambra where the entire cabinet and Governor’s aides were changed after landmark decisions by the courts, the situation in Delta State is quite remarkable as all the commissioners and aides to ex Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan are still piloting affairs in their various Ministries, agencies and parastatals! It is easy for one to argue that except for Rivers State, the other three states mentioned above have new Governors from other political parties unlike Delta where the present Acting Governor, Sam Obi is a loyal PDP man!

The statement credited to a federal lawmaker in one of our National Dailies that Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan is on sabbatical tends to give credence to insinuations that the former Commissioner for Health as well as SSG may after all still be calling the shot at Delta Government House!

Hey! All the lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, Commissioners, influential gospel ministers in the state, Political heads of parastatals and agencies, majority of aspirants jostling to represent various constituencies in the 2011 polls, everyone who controls the economy of Delta State today, the 25 local government Chairmen, Councillors, the state owned media and reasonable number of others are in support of Uduaghan political machinery! Confusing as it may seem, statement credited to an aide of President Goodluck Jonathan in a recent Vanguard Newspaper publication that the President may have settled for Uduaghan as PDP candidate in the rerun, the open declaration of support for Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan in the impending rerun by PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo as well as the manner the current party leadership in the state which Chief E.K. Clark is vehemently against swiftly declared its readiness for a rerun attest to Uduaghan’s stronghold in Delta State amid obvious challenges. Deltans are anxiously waiting and watching the unfolding events, which is strongly deepening our democracy.