Delta @27: Ibori, Uduaghan, Utuama Absent At Anniversary Thanksgiving

Former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, his successor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and his deputy, Prof Amos Utuama where conspicuously absent at the interdenominational thanksgiving service held in Asaba on Monday to mark the 27th anniversary of the creation of the state.

BigPen Online reports that both Ibori and Uduaghan had always attended state events and such annual rituals of the state but their absence have further fuelled speculations that all is not well with the PDP power bloc that is centered around Ibori.

Besides Ibori and Uduaghan, their political associates like former Secretary to the state Government, Ovouzorie Macaulay, Senator James Manager, Chief Ighoyota Amori were nowhere to be found at the event which a Government House source said was low-keyed.

Ibori and Uduaghan were sighted first time in public together with the incumbent Governor, Dr Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, few weeks ago at the 70th birthday anniversary/grand reception of Senator Patrick Osakwe and Ibori at Ugili-Ama in Ndokwa West Local Government Area since the rumour of Uduaghan’s purported plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, rocked the state.

The meeting of the trio at the Osakwe’s birthday reception had signalled that there was reconciliation of the duo by Ibori and other People’s Democratic Party, PDP, leaders in the state but the absence of the former governors have further heightened speculations that Uduaghan has actually dumped the PDP.

Though the former governor has not publicly make a pronouncement of his defection, BigPen Online recalls that Uduaghan, in one of his response to Vanguard inquiries about the political debacle in the state, had said he was relying on Ibori, his political leader to make a final decision whether to defect or not.

He said that while Ibori, Okowa and others PDP leaders were mounting pressure on him not to leave the PDP,  the APC topshots were seriously wooing him over, but it was not an affair of the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

According to Uduaghan who has been in a hot political romance with Oshiomhole after photographs surfaced online of the duo meeting again said; “The situation is more from the situation on ground in PDP and my political future. I am also looking at my political future and those of my followers. I have studied the political terrain and I believe the Delta should not be in opposition”.

Reports quoted Uduaghan as saying that he was in touch with Oshiomhole who was a colleague former governor in Edo state but any negotiation on his rumoured defection were tied to Ibori who is also reportedly being woo by APC top brass.

“Yes, I am talking with Oshiomhole, we are discussing like old colleagues, it is not a pressure, he would wish that I come over, but I also told him that I have a leader, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and they should have a discussion with him”, Vanguard had reported.

BigPen Online gathered that the force that bide the Ibori political dynasty in the state have been torn into shred as there’s so much disunity, disdain, acrimony and no love loss among the various bloc of those who are loyal to Ibori, Uduaghan and his successor, Okowa.

But addressing dignitries including traditional rulers and top government functionaries during the anniversary thanksgiving, Governor Okowa who went down memory lane thanked Deltans for agreeing to live together as one and in peace, saying there is unity and peaceful co-existence in the state.

“There is a lot of reason to thank God; if you can recall when the state was created, you knew how the state was, but the peace that we witness today is more than enough reason to thank God,” Governor Okowa said.

“The peace that we witness in the state today does not just indicate peace alone, but proof that we are united, our traditional rulers are united and they are speaking with one voice; it was not so in 1991, but we thank God for where we are today, you can feel the impact of that unity and peace in the state.

“We have come to realize that we are one people and that we have to work, grow and think together and that whatever development will come to this state has to be one in which it involves everyone and I give God all the Glory,” he added.

The governor at the occasion, attended by his wife, Dame Edith, his Deputy, Barr. Burutu Otuaro, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Chief Judge of the state, Justice Marshal Umukoro, former Deputy Governor Benjamin Elue, national and state law makers, including Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, traditional rulers, religious leaders, among other prominent Deltans, congratulated all Deltans and urged them to continue to support his administration, assuring, “we will continue to do the best that we can to make our state better.”