By Oghenekevwe Laba
Former Campaign Manager of Professor Saliba Mukoro in Delta State 2011 Governorship race, Mr Godwin Anaughe has joined Ijaw Leader and PDP stalwart, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark in appealing to the people of Delta state and members of the state People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to reject the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Elder Godsday Orubebe bid to become the governor of Delta state in 2015 because it is a risky proposition that will not augur well for the state.
Anaughe who condemned the aspiration of Orubebe during an interview with our correspondent in Lagos advised that for the sake of Delta state and in the interest of the People’s Democratic Party, all well-meaning persons of the state owed it a duty to shun Orubebe’s brand of divisive politics, stressing that they need to cut short his odious plot, so as to make Delta State a peaceful and better place for all without any ethnic rancour.
It would be recalled that Godsday Orubebe who is currently the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs recently declared his intention to contest for the position of Delta State governor in 2015, adding that it was the turn of the Ijaws to produce the governor. He made the pronouncement when he paid a condolence visit to the family of Late Alams Baro at Ovu.
Ijaw Leader, Chief Edwin Clark while addressing a press conference recently in Warri, Delta State called on the people of Delta State and PDP party loyalist to reject Orubebe governorship ambition saying his declaration was an embarrassment to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ijaw people and party loyalist.
Anaughe argued that Orubebe’s attempt to use ethnicity as the basis for power rotation is a slap on the face of party loyalists and a repudiation of the principles of the party which has so far served the party well in the state and at the national level.
“Orubebe should be told in no uncertain terms by the party to stop now before his strong sense of self entitlement divides the party”, Anaughe who is also a member of Delta State PDP advised, just as he warned that Orubebe’s candidacy would drive a wedge between important elements of the party’s historical coalition which Governor Uduaghan has put together in the past three elections in the state.
“Orubebe cannot build a winning coalition if he is the nominee of the party in 2015 gubernatorial election because he is running on ethnic platform which the majority of Seltans will not accept. I am certain that the people of Delta North and Delta Central will not accept this ethnic rational for retaining governorship position in Delta South because if this Orubebe’s doctrine of ethnic rotation is to be stressed to its logical conclusion, then it is only the people of Oghara and Agbarha that have produced the governor of Delta. When will it be the turn of the people of Okpe, Udu, Agbarho, Orogun, Ughivwen, Ogor, Jesse, Uvwie, Abraka, Ughelli, Olomu, Ewu in Delta Central? Is it after the Isoko in Delta South, Ika, Ndokwa, Oshimili and Aniocha in Delta North have had their turn”? Anaughe queried.
Anaughe commended E.K. Clark for speaking out against Orubebe’s riskyproposition and allaying the fears of Deltans that President Goodluck Jonathan was in support of Orubebe. He, however, insisted that Chief Clark cannot do it alone.
“The party establishment both at the national, state levels and other party leaders in the state should speak now and tell Orubebe the truth before he brings down the house”, he warned.