Uduaghan’s Defection Rattles Delta APC As Party’s Chair Tackles ex-Governor

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta state, appears to have been seriously hit by the defection of the immediate past governor of the state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan from its fold back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The party, though had earlier tried to brushed off concerns over the earlier speculated defection of Uduaghan, its reaction to the Monday official sign out by the former governor alluded to the fact that they are seriously rattled.

However while the APC is nursing its wounds, the state ruling PDP was quick to take advantage of defection, arguing that in “this season of uncertainties”, PDP offers hope with its liberal and forward-looking leaders across the country, adding that the return of Uduaghan and other PDP heavyweights will significantly energize the ongoing effort to rebuild the country.

BIGPEN reports that APC at the national level is currently battling to reconcile its aggrieved members across states of the federation. The party’s caretaker committee chairman and governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala-Buni recently inaugurated reconciliatory committees in states where the party is heavily fractionized. Delta is one of the states where the party is seriously bedeviled by crisis of interest.

Inaugurating one of the state’s reconciliation committee, Mala Buni was quoted to have said that; “The ongoing reconciliatory initiatives of the All Progressives Congress, will soon shock Nigeria’s political space with massive return of former members who felt aggrieved and unwillingly, went to other political parties.

But the party was yet to make any headway to reconcile the various tendencies in its fold before Uduaghan decided to excused himself from its ranks.

However, his desertion from the APC have drawn the ire of the chairman of the party in the State, Prophet Jones Erue, whom, in a spontaneous reaction to the news, said the former governor was actually not a true member of the APC.

In a telephone conversation with one of our correspondent, Prophet Erue wondered if Dr Uduaghan was actually a member of the APC, saying he never received him when he claimed to have declared for the party about two years ago. 

He described Uduaghan as “one of my supposed members” when he was asked to respond to the Monday return of the former governor to the PDP. 

Giving reasons for his description, Prophet Erue quipped: “I was not aware when he came, so you can ask Ogboru and Oshiomhole,” adding “yes, I’m not the one,” when we was asked if he wasn’t the one that admitted the former governor to the APC fold being the chairman. 

Speaking further, Erue enthused: “listen, I am the chairman, but you remember that there were certain things I said the other time about people joining the party without me knowing they have joined and if a former governor is joining a party, there should be evidence that he’s joining a party. 

“You can’t tell your community people to sign papers for you and you carry it to national and say you’ve joined a party. 

“This is what I said and because I have always said the truth, people don’t like the truth because they like short-cut to everything, they think that you who is saying the truth, you are just being wicked, you don’t know politics.

“In political science (pol 101), we were told the ethics of politics and they did not tell us one of the politics is to tell lies, one of the ethics is to reach compromise that is one of the values (to reach compromise) but where we are not going to reach compromise and we think anything goes is very bad.”

When further prodded if Uduaghan was a card-carrying member of the APC in Delta, Prophet Erue noted: “I don’t know. These thing sometimes, people window-shop them, I don’t know whether he gave money to someone and they gave him one.”

The APC chairman parried a question on what the implication of Uduaghan’s exit from the APC could be, saying “how did he help our party before, how did his presence help our party before?”

“I didn’t deny him, I only said I don’t know he was a member of the party. Did he declare like that when he joined APC, just as you believed he’s a member of APC, so I don’t believe he was, but to tell me he declared and I received him in APC, I didn’t do that. 

“So what am saying is that from the happening, it means he didn’t come to APC with his true mind before. 

“What am saying is that he did not declare the way he did now; he did not declare when he came to APC, I did not receive him in any formal gathering; that’s what I’m saying so I should be called to say I received him when I didn’t?” he queried. 

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Delta State, on Monday, expressed delight over what it termed “the homecoming” of the immediate past Governor of State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan from the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The party, in a Statement signed by its publicity Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, described Uduaghan’s defection from APC as timely and a sort of homecoming.

“We are excited that our former Governor is back home. Politics is about the people; recent political developments in Nigeria have also shown that power and relevance comes from the people. The Uduaghan we know is not unmindful of this fact, this is in addition to the fast-changing political atmosphere in the Country.

“As a political Party, we fully appreciate the fact that his return journey back home may also not be unconnected with the desire to be reunited with his friends, political soulmates and supporters.

“However, it is gratifying to note that our great party is again making deep and appreciable inroads into the political space. Our inclusive politics, consensus building disposition, egalitarianism, good governance records, patriotism and all the qualities that distinguish us from others, are already speaking for us”.