By Rufus Ibebe
“It is enough that the people known there was an election. The people that cast the votes decide nothing. The people that count the vote decide everything,” -Joseph Stalin.
On the 30th of June 2013, the news of the death of the only Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) senator in the National Assembly, Senator Pius Ewherido spread across the country like hamattan fire. It was news that brought tears, heartbreak, sorrow and above all confusion not only to many Urhobos, but the nation at large.
He was laid to rest in his country home at Ewu, Ughelli south L.G.A. of Delta state. His death created a vacuum, a vacancy in the seat that he once sat upon on the floor of the Nigeria senate. It was therefore, only proper that, a replacement through a bye- election be conducted to fill the vacant seat that he has left behind. This was what led to the Delta State senatorial bye-election that that was conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the 12th of October, 2013.
After the election, Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won with a vote of 264,024, Chief Otega Emerho of the All Progressive congress (APC) had 29, 075 and Chief Ede Dafenone of Democratic people party(DPP) had 29,055 votes.
Late Pius Ewherido was judge to have done very well for his people during his two years tenure as the senator representing Delta State senatorial district. He built many bridges, empowered may youths and women, and was said to be on the verge of putting urhobo language into WEAC and NECO syllabus before he met his untimely death. He was able to do all these because he had gathered legislating experience from the Delta state house of assembly were he served from 1999-2007as the member representing Ughelli South constituency.
If the fact that past legislative experience is what is needed to succeed in the senate, then surely, the Urhobo nation is in safe hand because Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo who took over from him was a member of the federal house of representative. Also, these two men had contested for the post of the executive governor of Delta state and failed. In the race to become a senator, Ewherido had a total of 125 votes as against his opponent 108 votes to become D.P.P. senate flag bearer in the 2011 election. While in the April 2011, he had 102,313 votes to beat Chief Ighoyota Amori who had 85,365 votes.
Mean while, Aguariavwodo of Peoples Democratic Party last Saturday gathered 264,024 votes to defeat Chief Otega of APC who had 29,075 votes. Now that Peoples Democratic Party has won as (as announced by INEC), Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo has no excuse to fail where Ewherido was said to have succeed. This is because he has claimed to have the experience having served as a representative and the Managering Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
During his campaign, he boasted that he has connection at Abuja that would aid him to bring development to Urhobo nation. Thus, now that he has won, he should, as a matter of urgency, deliver the dividend of democracy to Delta State senatorial district in particular and Delta state at large. That
After all said and done, I wish to appeal to Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo that, he should take Delta Central Senatorial district to the political promise land before 2015 when he will leave office. This is the way in which he can justify his claim of connection in the corridor of power in Abuja.