By Oguwike Nwachuku
Former Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, showed up at a meeting of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Abuja on Tuesday, August 18, attended by national officers, sitting and former governors, ministers and federal lawmakers.
Before now, there were reports that Uduaghan had concluded plans to defect to the APC because he felt his continuing stay in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), headed in Delta by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, would blur his political future.
Other defections from the PDP to the APC were attended by pomp and circumsatnce, like that of former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio. That of Uduaghan was done quietly.
But for the caucus meeting, which outcome was mirrored by social media, and later by other platforms, Uduaghan was probably planning to Nicodemusly join the APC without making noise about it.
In the main, the meeting, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Uduaghan confirmed his defection from PDP.
There is a nexus between Uduaghan’s defection and that of Akpabio.
In Akpabio’s case, the news was out there for too long that the APC’s attack dog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was on his neck over funds disbursed while he was in office.
The same scenario played out in Uduaghan’s defection saga because he has not been talking much since he left office in 2015.
One reason may be that he knows the implication of opening his mouth too wide in a country where the party that brought him to office is no more in power. Second, many believe Uduaghan helped himself a lot with state funds and should be made to account for his stewardship.
Uduaghan is a founding member of the PDP and could be described as one of its members who emerged from political obscurity to limelight, riding on the platform of the then behemoth called the PDP.
That is the second nexus that characterises his defection with that of Akpabio.
We should also locate the third nexus in Uduaghan’s new name where he described himself as “John the Baptist to the numerous Deltans that are coming” to the APC.
Akpabio did not bother to thrust a name on himself the way Uduaghan did, but he never kept members of his new political platform in doubt that his defection would lead to the delivery of the state to the APC.
That means mass defection of Akwa Ibomites from the PDP to the APC.
Yet, there is another nexus. It is that Uduaghan said he is defecting to attract development and bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis. Akpabio said the same thing in a different linguistic delivery.
We need to look at Uduaghan’s statement before drawing a conclusion on how our politicians are taking all of us for a ride.
He said: “The toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta since 1997 has been the issue of peace and security. For over 12 years, I was deeply involved in the management of the issues of the region, first as Secretary to State Government, SSG, and then as Governor of Delta State for eight years.
“Strategically, we had ENGAGEMENT as our major tool. This involved government officials, with me in the forefront (sometimes personally going into the creeks without security at nocturnal hours), community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our youths, retired military officers, activists, etc. Of course, ensuring that Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, was active was also part of the engagement process.
“Since the inception of the current All Progressives Congress, APC, administration at the federal level, there has been an encouraging interest and activities by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis. This has pointed in a direction that is at once progressive and developmental.
“Topmost in these activities are the engagement processes. Rather than using the military to harass our people, the Buhari administration has embarked on various engagement processes that have led to agreements and brought hope to the people of the Niger Delta.
“In the last years, Mr. President has personally engaged several regional leaders and youths. Senior officials of his administration also engaged many Niger Delta leaders and youths.
“Very significant is that Mr. President mandated the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, to visit virtually all the oil producing states, engaging various stakeholders. This is unprecedented in the history of the region. Such engagement processes have brought some measure of peace in the Niger Delta. Things can only get better.
“Beyond the engagement processes, however, the Buhari administration has embarked on some infrastructural and human capital development activities in the region.
“In Delta State, the opening of a Maritime University, the setting up of a steering committee for the EPZ (GAS CITY), the plan for a deep sea port, the dredging of the Escravos-Warri River; the opening of the railway line to Delta Steel Company, the soon to be flagged off, by Mr. President, the Omadino-Escravos Road that will pass through many riverine communities; the various road construction works by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the various TCN projects across the State are some of the positive activities in the region.
“There are also various human capital development programmes especially the school feeding and the “social security net” that is making N5,000 available to the poor, the continuation of the YouWin programme, the various SME programmes, and several other projects across the region have brought hope to the people.
“Indeed, once Mr. President was able to set his priorities pursuant to creating an environment for peace in the region, it became incumbent on every well-meaning Niger Deltan and Nigerian to assist the process of building an economically prosperous nation.
“In this era of partisan politics, it is necessary for the people of the Niger Delta, and Delta State in particular, to identify more with the federal government led by the APC. By so doing, we can push some of the agreements between our leaders and the federal government through, and also engage the government to do more. Politics is about interests.
“The Niger Delta is a major area of interest for me, because I staked my life going into the creeks severally without security and sometimes coming back at night negotiating peace.
“I will, therefore, give the strongest support to any President that shows commitment in the affairs of the Niger Delta. I call on, and enjoin, other well-meaning leaders in the region, who have very useful contributions to make, to come on board and join hands in helping this federal government to pursue a robust development agenda that would uplift our people.
“Whatever milestone that appears not to have been achieved yet is not for lack of efforts. Joining hands with and supporting the process will lead to a faster delivery on expectations.
“It is in the pursuit of this noble objective that I’m offering myself to help drive a process that would give the lives of our people in the Niger Delta more meaning.
“President Muhammadu Buhari needs people who will join hands with him to uplift our people. From my political experience, you have to be well represented and actively so in the ‘boardroom’ when decisions are being taken. Delta State must be well represented. Niger Delta must be well represented.
“It is noteworthy to state that some organisations have been deeply involved in efforts to develop the Niger Delta and can always be relied on to collaborate with our president. It is also noteworthy to add that some previous administrations made significant efforts to develop the region.
“The current administration made such a significant impact in spite of the fact that apart from Edo State, President Buhari did not score the required 25 per cent in the entire Niger Delta in the election that brought him into government in 2015.
“This speaks volumes of his genuineness to uplift the Niger Delta. Such an administration should be encouraged by the people of the Niger Delta. We can never be sure of the genuiness of another person who becomes the president.
“I have, therefore, after series of consultations and prayers, taken the decision to leave the PDP and join the APC. In doing this, I want to thank the numerous leaders, supporters and interest groups that have been urging me to remain in PDP. I am happy that after explaining some of the deeper issues to you, some of you that are politicians have agreed to join the APC in the near future.
“So I am going into APC as ‘John the Baptist’ to the numerous Deltans that are coming in, soon – very soon.”
The final nexus between Uduaghan and Akpabio’s reasons for defecting to the APC is the fact that they offered reasons that confirmed what many APC chieftains have been saying, which is that as PDP governors, they worked for themselves and not for the people. They paid lip service in their approach to governance and party loyalty.
Uduaghan’s statement shows a man who is helpless. In a wave of the hand, he seems to have undermined all the good things that his party was associated with in 16 years including the years his cousin, James Ibori was in the saddle when Delta State, for the first time, witnessed huge infrastructural regeneration.
Does Uduaghan need to behave like a drowning politician in a deep sea over threat before defecting to a party of his choice? Why are our politicians brainless and thoughtless in the way they marshal out their reasons any time they want to dump one political platform for the other?
Who does Uduaghan think is clapping for him on his statement for defection when it is known fact that he was driven by political survival and desperation?
In Nigeria, political parties are not associated with any known ideology. In fact, if there is anything Nigerian politicians loath, it is ideology. The ideology they know is about themselves and nothing else. It is a deliberate ploy to take care of personal desires, for which those of Uduaghan and Akpabio cannot be an exception.
Who does not know that the permanent interest of the Nigerian politicians is encapsulated in the lack of ideology of the political parties?
The import of Uduaghan’s APC membership is that his former political detractors like Great Ogboru and Ovie Omo-Agege, who kicked against his administration on the basis of lack of performance and fraud, have been vindicated.
Uduaghan’s political journey in Delta State may have as well come to an end. His desire to go to the Senate may never be realized, the defection not withstanding.
A man who does not know where the rain started beating him may not know when it stopped.
I refuse to accept the insinuations that Uduaghan’s defection was done to further hurt Ibori’s political invincibility in Delta in particular and the South South in general. If that turns out to be the situation, then too bad.
But do you really put anything past a politician when his personal interest is at stake?
The APC Machiavellians who used the EFCC as a tool to warehouse Akpabio and Uduaghan to their side deserve my commendation. They are really thinking. This is because many believe the two men have very deep pockets that can help influence election in the South South.
APC grandees must have also taken into cognizance the cordial relationship that has existed between the duo right from their days as PDP Governors.
But what they may not know is whether the resources at their disposal are for their states or personal resources.
The EFCC that ought to offer a better explanation is neck deep in the new strategy that encourages plea bargain through defection.
Welcome to the world of new John the Baptist (the forerunner) to Deltans.