Delta South: Let Uduaghan, Manager Also Return My ‘Political Favour’ To Them – Diden

Evang. Michael Diden

Delta South Senatorial hopeful, Evang. Michael Diden alias Ejele has said that it was time for immediate past Governor of the state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Hon James Manager to return his ‘political favour’ to them when they were contesting as Governor and Senator respectively.

Diden, popularly known as Ejele, stated this on Monday while addressing newsmen in his residence in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta state.

The aspirant who have been rumoured in many quarters as ‘candidate’ of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, however said that he is in the race on his own volition.

Ejele who is currently representing Warri North Constituency in the Delta state House of Assembly, said that he is fully in the race for the Delta South Senatorial District seat under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, declaring, “I am going to run and I will run”.

“It has being a rumour but I want to make it clear to you today that I want to run for the seat of Delta South Senatorial District in the senate. I cannot do it alone especially when I have friends like you in the media. There is a saying that charity begins at home hence am here to brief you.

“I’m going to run and I will run. While erecting a new building, you assemble your friends, family members and pastor to join you to lay the foundation. The journey to the Senate is like laying the foundation, that’s why I have assembled you today”.

He said that he has decided to clarify  insinuation making the round about his aspirations which many have misconstrued as plot to ‘block’ Uduaghan’s chances in the race, because according him there have been claims that he is being ‘use’ as a ‘spoiler’.

Fielding questions from journalists of possibly step down for former governor Uduaghan if Governor Okowa who is rumoured to be ‘sponsoring’ him later implore him to do so, Ejele resorted that he will not do anything that would rob on his image.

“If by this age I still rely on somebody to bring me out, to sponsor me for an election and after a while the person will call me to stop, for me that will not help my name.

“It mean I am not planning for my life and I don’t believe in that association of growth. I believe one must grow politically, from local government chairman to state House of Assembly and from there to senate and from senate to maybe presidency.

“If I now decided to use my own hand to witch hunt myself, being a ‘spoiler’, my duty is to come and play the role of a spoiler, I should as well know that one day someone will come and play the role of a spoiler in my life”, he resorted.

According to him, if President Muhammadu Buhari is in the race for the Delta South Senatorial District’s seat, he will still run against him, and carry the day.

“I am not out to sabotage anybody. I am here to run my own election and as I have said before if Buhari like let him leave his presidency to come and join this senatorial race, I will still run it to the end”.

“The Governor is not sponsoring me. I went to the Governor with some members on my own and told him of my aspirations. I also went to the former governor with some members here and told him I want to run for Delta South Senatorial seat”.

When asked about his chances, he likened the contest between him and the two leading opponents – Uduaghan and Manager to the situation of the football contest between Brazil and Argentina and Nigeria respectively which was won by Nigeria, saying that the David and Goliath battle will play out for him.

“In this race you can see them as Brazil, you can see them as Argentina but remember Nigeria defeated Brazil. So also in the Bible Goliath was trained and fortified but David who never got any training went into the battle and defeated him”.

Ejele, said that he had given Uduaghan and Manager unflinching support in the past and it was time for the duo to carry his hand and allow him have the Delta South Senatorial District without much challenge.

“I supported James Manager four times to become a senator free of charge without collecting a dime from him. I supported Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan from the position of Commissioner to SSG and to Governor. Is it not befitting for them to support me only once?. In this case two of them are Aaron, I’m the Moses. They should carry my hand up”.

According to him, getting the Senate ticket under the PDP is his final option adding that he doesn’t have any other option by way of decamping to another party to realise his ambition if he fails to clinch the PDP ticket.

“I don’t have option ‘B’ in this race. I don’t have plan ‘B’. We know those who have plan ‘B’ and option ‘B’. The Senate is my final option. Decamping is not part of the option and I can assure you that the PDP flag is in my hand already.

According to him, his chances of winning in the PDP primaries are very bright because according to him delegates election doesn’t understand the ethnic nationality one comes from.

“Let me start this way, delegate election doesn’t understand tribe. And I can use the former governor to illustrate it. When he wanted to contest as governor, there was rumour everywhere that there is nowhere a micro minus can become a governor but because delegates doesn’t understand tribe he went into the field with the micros plus and they were all defeated.

“Also to make it know to you that delegates doesn’t understand tribe, there was a sitting governor. Okowa was from Delta North. There was an arrangement that all Urhobos should vote for an Urhobo son. All the Itsekiris, Ijaw and Isoko should join and vote for an Urhobo son but because delegates doesn’t understand tribe they went ahead and voted for Okowa”.

Consequently, he said that if there must be any meeting between him and any of the aspirants it must be witness by third parties adding however that such meeting would either be the one for Uduaghan to step down for him or Manager leaving the race.

According to him, if given the mandate the red chamber of the National Assembly would become an embassy for the three tribes, Ijaw Isoko Itsekiri and minority Urhobo tribe that made up his constituency.

Ejele said that before joining the race, he consulted widely with the people of the Senatorial district, including families, saying ” I can assure you all that after my consultations, its very clear that my people want me to partner with them to move our state forward.

“It is good for me to let you know that I have been consulting leaders and people in the seven local government that made up Delta South and it is also good to tell you I have told them of my aspirations so that if anyone ask you as a family member and friend you can tell them yes he has formally told us.

“I want to assure you that the Senate position would not be mine alone. In public administration every single person is important and I can assure you that if am given N10 for instance before I chop N2, members of this family, my constituents will enjoy N8”.

He said that he will bring to bear examplary representation and leadership if given the mandate, saying that he intend to offer strategic representation which would lift the state to a higher level of advancement and development.

Ejele also promised to key into the fundamental policy thrust of the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration anchored on the legacy of wealth creation and ‘prosperity for all Deltans’.

Story by Julius Eras-Olabowu