POLITICS BEYOND BORDERS: Uduaghan Hosts Delta YPP Guber Candidate Ofehe Amid PDP’ Stance

 The immediate past governor of Delta state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, hosted Comrade (Chief) Dr. Sunny Ofehe, a Delta-born Netherlands based environmental activist turned politician, at his Warri home in what appeared to be an attempt to court the former state helmsman.

It was purely a political visit, regardless of party affiliation.

While Udaughan is a prominent leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ofehe is the Young Progressive Party’s (YPP) governorship candidate, and would be competing against the PDP’s governorship candidate and current speaker, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori who was recently being backed by the former governor.

The visit was ostensibly carried out as part of a twisted political strategy, or maybe Ofehe did it because he realised that the former governor was still his friend, a strong leader, and a statesman who had previously served the state regardless of his political beliefs and his publicly declared political position in the general election of 2023.

To the YPP candidate, if he is truly running to be governor of Delta state, which includes people from all ethnic nationalities and not just one political family, he would not be discouraged by his political affiliation from consulting a statesman like Uduaghan who had served the state for two terms in a row as governor and left his mark in the healthcare sector by offering a free maternal 0-5 years mother and child programme.

However, the trip brought back memories of Uduaghan’s 2009 trip to Amsterdam, when he was still the governor and Ofehe had to drive the governor around in his “Volvo car” rather than watch him being driven in a public vehicle.

 Ofehe, who was at Uduaghan’s residence with two Dutch chief executives, Mr. Diederik Bos of Full Sport Group (FSG) Academy, The Netherlands and Mr. Ronald Happel, Senior Manager, Kleyn Group, The Netherlands as well as Nigeria ex international and former Super Eagles Coach Samson Siasia as well as his running mate, Mrs. Eloho Dafe Chalele (Eqs.), said that the “ride” he gave Uduaghan in his car back then served as both an inspiration and a springboard for his aspiration to become governor one day, allowing him to replicate the wealth of experience he had gained over the previous 27 years of living in Europe.

Uduaghan recently stated his position regarding the general election of 2023 and has served as a rallying point for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and as a former governor who once held power and determined where the pendulum should swing, he was open to welcoming gladiators who desire to meet him as one of the State’s respected political figures and statesmen. 

For Ofehe, the visit was not because of political campaigns, as he put it; “I am here to appreciate you and also let you know that you are one of the persons who actually inspired me to become a candidate in this coming election.” 

Ofehe recalled his encounter with Uduaghan and related how the former governor and he had met at The Hague’s Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Strategy Summit, which the Dutch government had organised. He insisted that the humane, thoroughly knowledgeable, and open-minded nature of Dr. Uduaghan was what caused that trip to alter his viewpoint on politics and public servants. 

 “You came to The Hague for a Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Strategy Summit sponsored by the Dutch government through the ministry of foreign affairs. I recalled Celestine Omahia briefly serving as governor of Rivers State, Timipreye Sylva serving as governor of Bayelsa, and Akpabio also serving as governor. I can still clearly recall how the Dutch government wanted to transport you all in a single van, but I refused, saying that I couldn’t be in the Netherlands and have my governor crammed into a vehicle like that. I was forced to ride my Volvo to transport you behind. 

 “So I became your chauffeur-driver. I then started driving you with all my joy and pleasure. I remembered the day you were checking out to leave, you put your hands in your pocket and wanted to ‘bless’ me with money, but I said no, not because I had so much money but because I wanted to show to the world that I was not doing it for money. 

 “I told you, oh leader, don’t worry; let me take care of this.” I was so happy that it ended like that,”  Ofehe said while reminiscing on his long standing relationship with Uduaghan. 

Continuing, he said; So today seeing my name on the ballot for the general elections makes I am very proud and emotional that at least if it is not for anything the world will pay attention to our Delta politics that one of their own is also running the race. 

He pledged that if elected governor in 2023, he would put Delta State on the map of the world by making environmental issues, about which he had been campaigning for years, the main focus of his administration’s policies.

“That will bring to the international platform some of the issues that have been agitating over the years. I know it is going to be a torturous journey because it involves money, which I do not have, but I have always prayed that God should help me connect to the people who can help me navigate these paths. 

Admitting that Delta had been lacking despite the mineral resources it is blessed with, Ofehe said that it was time to look beyond political parties to pick a candidate for the office of governor who could well represent the state nationally and globally.

“Of course, our state needs some form of intervention. With the human resources that you just mentioned and the natural resources that we are blessed with, I always say that we should have been a California of Sub-saharan Africa. It is my hope that, as a governor, when I am elected, we will join forces to make our state the California of sub-Saharan Africa.

He said that when elected he would ensure that he used every connection he had to attract foreign direct investment to the tune of $26 billion.

Before the meeting ended behind closed doors, Ofehe informed Uduaghan that while he was working on his manifesto, he had done research and adopted the former governor’s free maternal healthcare programme, which he described as one of the administration’s main policy focuses and a factor in the former governor’s popularity with the populace.

“So I have come here to tap into your words of advice as one of the prominent leaders of this state and go home believing that I have satisfied my conscience and there is no more better moment to do this than now when I have my friends here from the Netherlands.

After leaving Uduaghan’s house, Ofehe spoke briefly with the media and revealed that he had visited the former governor as part of his consultative tour of the state’s political leaders. He maintained that every political leader deserved to be consulted and should be consulted regardless of party affiliation.

In his remarks, Uduaghan praised Ofehe for advancing Niger Delta issues internationally over the years and urged him to stay committed to his programmes as brilliantly espoused in his speech presentation and encapsulated in his manifesto, which he presented to him during the visit.