I Predicted Okowa’s Emergence as Delta Governor Eight Years Ago- Onuesoke
Okowa
LAGOS APRIL 29TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Chief Sunny Onuesoke needs no introduction especially to those that are conversant with Nigerian media where he is a regular contributor on burning issues. However what most people may not know about the 2007 Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship aspirant and Edjeba, Agbarha-Otor born politician is his bluntness on analysing of issues.
In a media chat with our correspondent he spoke on issues concerning his party the PDP, assessment of the performances of President Goodluck Jonathan and Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. He equally recalled how he predicts the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the Governor of Delta State in 2015
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You are amongst those clamored for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan. What went wrong?
Onuesoke
I am not only among those clamored for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, but I am also among those who spent their personal monies and invested heavily on the campaign for his re-election. However it was unfortunate that President Jonathan made a costly error caused by those he used in surrounding himself. They misled him as there was no real internal democracy in the PDP. He did not listen to the voice of the downtrodden. I think this was his major setback.
How do you see Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) being in opposition at the national level?
It is now that you are going to see the PDP in full flesh at the national level. What you saw of the party before was a National majority party. But you are going to see the good qualities that PDP is made of. We (PDP members) are like the Democrats of the United States of America (USA), while the All Progressive Congress (APC) is like the Republicans. We have been known as the greatest party in Africa. What happened was a signal that PDP is coming strongly to reclaim the presidency in 2019 because we have realised our mistakes. But let me tell you something, the best will come out of PDP when we are at the opposition at the National level. Being in opposition will propel us to work harder to reclaim the presidency from General Buhari in 2019.
How do you see Delta State being in an opposition to the presidency?
At the state level, PDP is not in opposition. Delta state has been known as one of the most developing state in Nigeria. Buhari will copy from Delta state. APC is there at the National level only by name, but PDP is there in principle. I say this because it is PDP legislators and governors that won in majority in the name of APC. So there should be no fear as to how Delta state is going to cope with APC at the national level. PDP is still in control of the National Assembly and Governors’ Forum. They will still be working in the same ideology of PDP. Some of them left for APC because of internal crisis within the PDP. However, mark my words in six months time Buhari will be standing on a lonely field as former members of PDP who are National legislators and governors will desert him and come back to PDP. Then they must have seen the difference between PDP and APC. APC is just there as a vendetta party and not as a developmental party.
How will you assess the performance of the outgoing President Jonathan?
I think he has done excellently well. What he has done so far you will not see the positive effect today. It is like you asking me what Governor Uduaghan has done for Delta state. Majority of the achievements of Governor Uduaghan are yet to materialized. For there are some you cannot see physically with your eyes such as his policies and programmes of Delta State beyond oil, introduction of educational marshals and many others. That is how I would want to see President Jonathan’s achievements. He is a reformist. He is a dynamic leader. President Jonathan will be called the prince of Nigeria democracy, He will be address as the Angel of Nigeria’s democracy. He will be address as the living legend of Nigeria’s democracy. What he did today was not because he was defeated by APC. What he did was for peace to reign. I have already earmarked him as a Nobel prize winner.
Specifically what would you identify as the achievements of Governor Uduaghan?
Governor Uduaghan has done marvelous things which generation of Deltans yet unborn will remember him for. Like I said earlier some of his major achievements which can be rightly credited to him are peace and security. You will recall that he came on board when the state was embroiled in crisis but now there is relative peace in almost every part of the state compared to other states of the federation. On Infrastructural development even his opponents will attest to the fact that he has also done well with the commissioning of flyovers, roads, markets and what have you. Delta State civil servants are paid as at when due and he also created jobs for thousands of Deltans in area of education and sanitation marshals. The health sector and other sectors of Delta State have one good thing or the other to talk about the administration of Governor Uduaghan.
There was an improvement of the performance of PDP in the election results in Delta Central both in the March 28th, 2015 general elections and the just concluded senatorial re-run elections of April 25th, 2015. What do you think was responsible for this?
The acceptance of PDP in Delta Central and other parts of the state to me is because of the laudable achievements of Governor Uduaghan coupled with the fact that party leaders in Delta Central did a thorough work in convincing the people to be grateful to PDP government in appreciation of the achievements of the PDP administrations as could be seen in building and renovating of schools and other achievements which I mentioned earlier.
As for the outcome of the re-run Delta Central Senatorial election which Chief Amori won, I would say that Chief Amori has paid his dues as an Urhobo patriot and PDP faithful. So his victory was well deserved.
It is observed that you have been very hard on PDP members that defected to APC, why?
Politics is a very serious business that can determine the destiny of a nation or people. So politics should be played by serious minded people. Moving from party to party is not a sign of serious mindedness. The way and manner some of the PDP members defected to APC clearly showed that they went there for selfish reasons for they left after PDP lost the presidency to APC. Outside politics, it is dangerous to dine with such persons or if you must dine with them, then you must do so with a long spoon. My message to PDP defectors are that they should watch out PDP will bounce back in a stronger way.
Opening an office for Delta State governor-elect Senator Okowa speaks volumes of your support for him. What is your comment?
Before declaring his ambition to vie for the governorship seat of Delta state, I have long ago on 29 November 2008 endorsed him as the governor of Delta State that was when I was offered the appointment of special Project Director in the office of the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. He was then the S.S.G. of Delta State as the letter of appointment was given to me by him. Immediately he handed over the letter of appointment to me, I told him that “look Oga you will be the governor of Delta State in 2015”. When I got home, I send a text repeating this prophecy to him. He is alive, He can attest to what I am telling you now. So his winning the governorship seat of Delta State was not a surprised to me. During the heated PDP governorship primaries, other candidates persuaded me to work for them, but I deliberately refused because I knew that Senator Okowa will win the primaries anytime and any day. That was why before he won the primaries, I have set up my campaign machineries with the opening of an office for him.
What is your message for the people?
Deltans should be grateful to God that they have Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as their next governor. I know that he is going to perform beyond our expectation owing to his wealth of experience as a councilor, secretary to local government council, local government chairman, commissioner, secretary to Delta State Government and a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigerian. So Deltans irrespective of our ethnic and political inclinations should pray and support him to take Delta State to a greater height.
