It is no more news that Delta State Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) governorship flag bearer Chief Great Ogboru and member representing Delta Central in Federal House of Assembly, Senator Pius Ewherido were involved in show of shame at the burial ceremony of the mother of Hon Edoja Akpodiete. What is bordering the followers of the two political juggernaut in Delta State is the reason behind their washing their dirty linen in the public. Diakparomre Ogbiruveta who experienced the clash of the two titans writes

Hon Pius Ewherido
I have been in the sideline of partisan politics in Delta State for some decades. Over the years, I have reserved some degree of respect and covert admiration for some political personalities across the State though for different reasons. Among those I loved and respected are Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and Senator Pius Ewherido among others. I had always kept my opinion about these people and their activities to myself except for beer parlour debates and arguments. But recently an event occurred at Oteri-Ughelli during the burial of the mother of Hon Julius Edoja Akpodiete of the Delta State House of Assembly. The duo of Ogboru and Ewherido were at the party but to the shock of all the guests, they announced to the whole world through their actions that there is no love lost between them. They maintained a distance from each other and the message that singular act sent was not lost on the very discerning people.
I was there and I saw everything that happened. Senator Pius Ewherido was the first person to arrive at the venue of the burial ceremony. Upon his arrival, the atmosphere was charged with the shout of Gogorogo, his popular sobriquet in political circles. After exchanging pleasantries with guests, he took his seat on a table specially reserved for his kind of personality. Other House of Assembly members who attended the event were with Ewherido among other top political functionaries across party line. After about one hour or so, the Master of ceremonies announced the arrival of the People’s General, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, and as always, he was treated to a tumultuous welcome amidst shouts of the Peoples General.
But the unexpected happened. Chief Great Ogboru did not bother to greet guests round the canopies as customary of political heavy weight of his class. He quickly took a seat opposite where Ewherido was seating and there he sat all through his stay at the party. That was enough signal to the world that all was not well between the two biggest eyes of the opposition and foremost Urhobo political leading lights besides Prof Amos Agbe Utuama SAN, Deputy Governor of Delta State. Ogboru was to take his leave after less than one hour of stay without looking in the direction of Ewherido.
To say people were disappointed with the conduct of these two political heavyweights is to say the obvious. Tongues started wagging and lots of insinuations were read to the developments. It was a despicable display of total disregard for the principle of political tolerance and maturity. It was a show of shame and some of us who gave our votes generously to the two politicians in the last year polls went home thoroughly disappointed.
In my considered opinion, Ogboru and Ewherido have equal share of blame for that embarrassing outing. The people expected much more than they gave at that event.
First, Ogboru did not do well in failing to exchange pleasantries with the people who sat waiting in various canopies expecting him to move from one canopy to the other to greet the people who, over the years, have demonstrated so much love and admiration for him, a love no politician had ever enjoyed in the State. It was also an opportunity for many people to catch a glimpse of the man they had voted for in four gubernatorial polls since he came into party politics. If he had unresolved issues with Ewherido, political maturity dictates that he put all that behind him, bend over and have a hand shake with Senator Ewherido before taking his seat, even if he did not want to seat close to Gogorogo. He did not do any of that. Rather he chose to announce to all that he is at war with Ewherido. To that extent, Ogboru goofed.
That does not in any way justify Senator Ewherido in maintaining a hard line of not shifting ground to rise from his seat to go and salute his elder brother, political benefactor and the man who brought the party, on which he won his election to the Senate. Ewherido is popular and highly connected. He was Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly for 8 years. But in all his political conquests and achievements, he is not by any means as popular as Ogboru. The fact remains that without the Ogboru factor, it would have been practically impossible for him to have won his election to the Senate. Prince Ned Nwoko who flew the DPP flag in the same election in Delta North could not witstand the rampaging PDP rigging machine even though he was a former member of the Federal House of Representatives. The DPP was stronger in central because of Ogboru. Ewherido was expected to have humbled himself to cross over to greet Ogboru when the latter refused to salute him. Ogboru is older than Ewherido, he brought the party and in fact, Ogboru is DPP in Delta State. There is no DPP without Ogboru. It hurts us to see Ogboru and Ewherido watched their dirty linen in the public by that singular act. I blame both men for ridiculing Urhobo but I think a larger proportion of the blame goes to Ewherido. He is one of those who have benefitted from the Pineapple revolution while the Principal mind behind the dance is being robbed of his mandate. Arrogance or pride is not an attribute of men of honour. Ewherido would have stole the show if he had humbled himself to, inspite of his exalted position as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, risen above sentiments, the glamour of his exalted office to greet Chief Great Ogboru. That act would have made him to go home with his head held high. His rating among the people would have risen astronomically. He missed a golden opportunity to teach Ogboru how not to quarrel in the public.
While the reasons for their misunderstanding still remain in the precinct of rumour, it should be noted that both men disappointed Urhobo by that act. It should not be repeated because Urhobo need both men as a team in the 2015 election. The Urhobo Progress Union should step in to broker peace between both men. Any misunderstanding among top leaders of the opposition is a plus for the ruling PDP and Urhobo cannot afford to go into the 2015 polls on a fractured platform.
Mr Diakparomre Ogbiruveta wrote from Ughelli, Delta State.