They spoke at a rally in Warri by the PDP to affirm its support for the return of Dr. Uduaghan in Thursday’s gubernatorial re-run election in the state.
PDP governors of the South-South, led by Senator Lyel Imoke of Cross River State and Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State attended the rally, while Governor Sullivan Chime came from Enugu State to demonstrate his support.
The formal endorsement of Dr. Uduaghan by President Jonathan is a momentous, as it marked the breaking of political ranks with the former Minister for Information and Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who, up till yesterday, refused to support Uduaghan. He was absent from the PDP rally.
Former national chairman of the party, Chief Tony Anenih and state chairman of the party, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, alias “Oracle” said from the situation on ground, the PDP was as good as having won the re-run.
Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, Acting Governor, Prince Sam Obi, chairman of the PDP in Edo state, Chief Dan Orbih, Senator James Manager, Senator Patrick Osakwe, former deputy governor, Prof Amos Utuama, SAN, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, former Secretary to the State Government and senatorial aspirant, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Commissioners Ovuozere Macaualay and Dr. Chris Oghenechovwe, chairman of the Delta Waterways Security Committee, Mr. Ayiri Emami and other politicians graced the occasion.
From the clergy came the national president of the Christian Fellowship of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Orisejafor who was represented by the Bishop Simeon Orkar, chairman of CAN in the state, Archbishop Goddowell Avwomakpa and others, while Nollywood paraded its best in the state, including Ali Baba, Daddy Showkey, I go Dye, Gordons, I go Save, Oguns Baba, Bovi and others, who all drummed support for Uduaghan in their songs and comedy.
President Jonathan who came into Warri Township Stadium, Warri venue of the rally at about 2.05 pm after paying a courtesy visit to the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atutwase II, dressed in a white Kaftan with a native bead on his neck, a black cap and walking stick to complement his swagger, electrified the stadium when he took a walk a five-minute walk round the stadium to salute the multitude.
Dr. Jonathan who praised the crowd for waiting from about 8.30 am to 2.05 pm when he and members of his entourage arrived at the venue said, “We did not come here to convert people, Delta is already converted”.
But before he addressed the crowd, an excited Jonathan danced for some five minutes and told the people that he and other leaders of the country and the PDP in particular want Uduaghan to continue as governor of the state because he had shown commitment.
He said that when people who are outside criticize those in government, it was easy for those who don’t understand to clap for them, but having being in government and known the challenges, he would say that Uduaghan is a material and asset to Deltans and the country.
“We need him; we want him to work with us. Today his day, I am coming by God’s grace later meet you people again, but I want to tell you that we need people like Uduaghan, we need people with his kind of experience”, he said.
President Jonathan urged Deltans to vote for Uduaghan, saying, he had been privileged to examine his blueprint for the state and was convinced that the former governor knows his onions.
His words, “We need people who are in the system, we don’t need those who want to learn, we want tested materials like Uduaghan, we don’t have time to beginners, we mean people who will come to theorize, we need that know what they are doing, we need performers in the caliber of Uduaghan”.
The President said Dr. Uduaghan had done well to deserve a return to Government House, Asaba, adding, “We are here to re-assure Deltans that we are in support of Uduaghan and he should continue”.
Vice President Sambo who spoke before the President Jonathan stated that President Jonathan and himself were in full support of Uduaghan and want him to continue in office. Specifically, he said the Jonathan/Sambo ticket and Uduaghan in Delta state was a winning combination and asked Deltans to vote for Uduaghan on January 6.
PDP national chairman, Chief Nwodo in his address thanked Deltans for supporting PDP over the years, noting that the party was in charge of the state and would win again on January 6. He said Deltans should vote for PDP, not only in the January 6 re-run, but in the next election that would hold in April.
State chairman, Chief Nwaoboshi who spoke in a similar vein maintained that the party had been in –charge of affairs in the state since 1999 and tomorrow’s re-run election was another opportunity to test-run the PDP machine.
He asserted that the necessary machinery to win the election had been put on ground and urged the national leadership of the party to give the PDP in the state the chance to prove its ability. Nwaoboshi also said the party would monitor the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure that the election was free and fair.
Chief Anenih who re-echoed the position of the national chairman that Delta is a PDP state said the party was not against the existence of opposition parties, but, Dr. Uduaghan had done well in the state to merit a return to Government House, Asaba.
He said that when a journalist asked him in Warri, two days ago, the state of affairs in the PDP, Delta state, “I said Delta state was PDP yesterday, Delta state is PDP today, Delta state will be PDP forever”..
Anenih charged the opposition not to introduce violence in the election that will hold in the state, saying, “All we are asking for is peace co-existence, we like the presence of opposition but we will not give chance for violence. Those who want to use violence for strength will be dealt with; PDP is going to win through the ballot box”.
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Chime who came with good wishes from the people of his state said that South-Easterners residing in Delta State would vote for the PDP in the re-run and subsequent elections in the state.
Governor Sylva of Bayelsa state said his state and Delta state were like two sides of the same coin, as what affects one affected the other. He, therefore, charged Ijaws in the state to vote for the PDP, adding, “Uduaghan has done well to continue in office “and we are here to show our solidarity”.
Governor Imoke brought felicitations from PDP governors of the South-South and the people of Cross River state, saying, “We have come together to support Uduaghan to return to office, we are here to give him total support and from what I see here, it is already a formality, we have come to salute you people, but you should go out on January 6 to vote for him”.
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