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  • PDP acting out of fear of rerun in Delta -Emerhor

    PDP acting out of fear of rerun in Delta -Emerhor

    In this interview with Bolaji Ogundele, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, talks about his appeal against the decision of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as winner of last governorship election and the plans to revive the economy of the state under an APC-led government in the state. Excerpts

    How ready are you and your party to pursue the appeal of the tribunal’s judgement, delivered in favour of Governor Okowa recently?

    Our solicitors have received our instructions to appeal the judgement. They have equally received the certified true copy of the ruling and are already working on the grounds of appeal. They would be more authoritative than me in spelling out the grounds of appeal but I can give you a few indications here: We believe the tribunal erred, when after holding that INEC has powers to issue guidelines, including the use of card readers, nonetheless, failed to find that Okowa/PDP/INEC breached those guidelines through their admitted resort to manual voters accreditation.

    We believe the tribunal erred when it ruled a duly certified INEC generated card readers accreditation report that showed total voters accreditation at 715,392, inconclusive based on unsubstantiated oral evidence. We also believe that the tribunal erred when it expunged our star witness, Barrister Ore Ohimor’s analysis that had earlier been admitted as exhibit, on the premise that it was only front loaded during the reply of the petitioners to the respondents’ reply. This analysis was core to our case of over accreditation/voting. It showed over voting in 1,847 polling units or 61% of polling units in Delta State. We believe based on this alone, the elections ought to have been cancelled.

    Furthermore, we believe the tribunal erred when it applied the recent case of Balogun v Akpatason (August 2015 ) to dismiss our case on the basis that it was signed by only one of the two petitioners ignoring the subsisting legal authority at the time the case was instituted ie Ibrahim v Sheriff (2002 ) that allowed one signatory!  We believe the petitioners couldn’t and were not expected to anticipate the recent Balogun v Akpatason ruling.

    These, among others, I believe will form the many grounds of our appeal.

    Another issue is this belief that the national leadership of your party rather sees you as not popular enough to execute a campaign that will deliver the state to APC and thus is not in your support, like the cases in Rivers and Akwa Ibom. How true is this?

    You have raised two issues here. First, I’m not aware that APC as a party and government are the ones directing the tribunal judges on which elections to cancel or not. The APC and PDP have won and lost a number of tribunal cases all over the country. APC lost Gombe’s judgement even before losing in Delta. Akwa Ibom was only partially won. Rivers is the only clear win by APC so far. This trend cannot be interpreted to mean APC is directing judges on which states to deliver to it. Your inference of APC’s direct intervention is highly untrue and I can only say it falls into the narrative that the PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, has been pushing to falsely smear our great party. Secondly,  I believe it is the PDP in Delta State that stand to gain by pushing the story that I’m not popular enough to win Delta State or that my national party leaders are not in my support. They are only pushing this out there out of fear for a possible rerun. I’m the candidate of the party. The party supported me during the April 11, 2015 elections and has been supporting me since then. It is the PDP that did not allow an election in Delta State that would have established who was more popular.  Instead they resorted to rigging and allocation of votes. They are the unpopular party and candidate that are waiting for embarrassing rejection by Deltans. Their strategy, therefore, is to sow doubt in the mind of Deltans who now know that the federal might is now with APC and no longer with opposition Delta PDP. This is rerun politics already at play and Deltans must be wary. With the spate of defections from PDP to APC already happening in Delta and with more envisaged once a rerun is ordered, the PDP is acting out of fear!

    Why then did the minister representing the state in the federal cabinet not picked from the ranks of the party in the state, if not that national body of the party feels indifferent about the Delta APC chapter?

    This again is untrue!  Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, from what I understand, was targeted as an oil industry professional to manage the petroleum sector, a key sector that President Buhari is serious about revamping. My take is that Kachikwu just happened to come from Delta State. The story would have been the same if he came from any other state. Moreover, Delta is not the only state where the appointee was not from the core APC family. The same issue was protested in Kaduna, Sokoto and Gombe. My further take is that the President in making these appointments placed Nigeria’s national interest ahead of APC local state interest.  True, every state wanted one of their own as minister. This definitely empowers the local party and helps it to grow stronger and even win elections. In our case, yes, we would have liked one of us but definitely, national interest comes first.  Also, the appointed Minister is a Deltan and it’s only a matter of time and he will identify with us and support the party.  Again, those who want to divide the APC family in Delta are the ones eagerly pushing the above narrative.

    Should the appeal favour you and a rerun is ordered, how ready is Delta APC to take over the state from PDP?

    You only need to seek the opinion of the average Deltan to know that in a one man one vote free and fair election, the PDP does not stand a chance. For 16 years and more, the state has been under PDP’s misrule. The state is crying for change and in April 11, 2015, the PDP again scuttled the people’s opportunity to throw them out by disallowing an election. Instead, they resorted to allotting votes to themselves with the active connivance of a compromised INEC staff and security forces. The Okowa/PDP government has admitted to inheriting over N700 billion in debt. It has in the space of less than 5 months, borrowed over N50billion Naira. At a conservative estimate of N10 billion monthly, the PDP government had received from Federal Revenue Allocation over N1, 970 billion in its 16years and 5 month reign in the state. Now, outside the state’s Internally Generated Revenue,  adding funds available from loans/debts plus federal allocations, the PDP government had spent a total of N2.72 trillion in the state in the 16years. The PDP has wasted this colossal amount without any visible development to show for it. The road network is totally broken and dilapidated. Unemployment is at the highest. There are no industries and 90 percent of those in formal employment are government employees who are, ironically, owed several months of salaries. Contractors, mainly with government, are owed billions. The economy of the state is in comatose.

    Deltans are looking to APC to liberate them from financial squalor and imposed poverty. Even members of the PDP are in large numbers preparing to bail ship. Deltans see the declaration of a rerun as their day of freedom in the state; they are only looking for an arrow head, which I, as the candidate and the APC, am already providing.

  • Okowa defeats Emerhor, Ogboru at tribunal

    Okowa defeats Emerhor, Ogboru at tribunal

    The Delta State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal yesterday affirmed the victory of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as winner of the April 11 governorship election.

    The three-man panel, headed by Justice Nasir Gnmi, threw out the petitions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, O’tega Emerhor, and the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Great Ogboru.

    Justice Gunmi dismissed Emerhor’s petition.

    The tribunal’s decision was based on three issues for adjudication.

    They are: whether or not the petition was competent, bearing in mind the requirements of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act; whether or not the petitioner had the locus standi to maintain the petition; whether or not the election on April 11 was not conducted in substantial compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act and which non-compliance substantially affected the outcome of the election and whether or not the petitioner proved  that the first respondent was not elected by majority of lawful votes cast.

    On whether or not the first respondent was elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the election, Justice Gunmi held that this “has becomes a mute issue in view of his return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the lawful authority to act in this matter”.

    On locus standi, the tribunal chairman held that the APC candidate “has requisite locus standi to file and maintain this petition”.

    The issue of whether the petition was not signed by the petitioner, Justicce Gumi resolved this in favour of the respondents.

    He said: “Sequel to the finding that the petition is initiated contrary to the provision of Section 432 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, in that only the first petitioner signed the petition. The issues were not established in accordance with extant laws. The concomitance of the issues aforesaid in this petition is without merit; it is bound to fail and it fails. It is hereby dismissed. It follows that the election and return of the first respondent as the duly elected governor of Delta State is affirmed. Each set of respondent shall be entitled to N50,000 as cost of prosecuting the petition.”

    Justice Gunmi struck out Ogboru’sn suit.

    Ogboru lost on three of the four grounds formulated by the tribunal for adjudication.

    It ruled in favour of Ogboru on grounds that he lacked locus standi to institute ad maintain the petition.

    On the issue of jurisdiction, Justice Gunmi held that the tribunal had the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

    On the issue of over voting, Gunmi held that the Labour Party candidate failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that over voting took place in the election.

    The tribunal further held that Ogboru was unable to prove allegations of corrupt practices, violence and electoral malpractices

    Gunmi also awarded N50, 000 costs in favour of the three sets of respondents.

  • Okowa, Emerhor adopt final addresses

    Okowa, Emerhor adopt final addresses

    •Tribunal reserves verdict
    •Emerhor: we’ve proven over-voting
    •Case is incompetent, says Okowa

    The Delta State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Asaba, the state capital, yesterday reserved judgment in the petitions challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the April 11 election.

    Tribunal chairman, Justice Nasir Gumi, reserved the verdict, following the adoption of the written addresses by lawyers to the parties.

    The chairman said the tribunal’s secretariat would communicate the date of the judgment, which must be before October 28, to the parties.

    In petitions filed by Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the parties prayed the tribunal to nullify the election on the grounds that it did not comply with relevant sections of the Electoral Act.

    The lawyer to first respondent (Okowa) – Dr Alex Iziyon (SAN); second respondent (PDP) – Timothy Kehinde (SAN) and third respondent (INEC) – Damian Dodo (SAN), prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petitions with substantial cost against the petitioners.

    He cited some sections of the law and decided cases to back his position.

    The respondents’ lawyers also adopted and relied on the written addresses and replies on the point of law.

    They cited various motions on notice on preliminary objections in praying the tribunal to strike out the petitions, which they insisted lacked merit, locus standi and competence.

    But the petitioners, who anchored their cases on the compulsory use of card reader for accreditation, argued that they proved that there were cases of over-voting and electoral irregularities during the election.

    They urged the tribunal to nullify the election and order a rerun.

    Counsel to Emerhor and the APC, Chief Thompson Okpoko (SAN), adopted and relied on his written addresses.

    He contended that Section 153 of the Electoral Act confers on INEC the power to make regulations for the conduct of elections.

    Okpoko said: “In exercise of this power, INEC issued the guidelines and issued statements, informing Nigerians that card reader would be used. Section 155 of the same Act states that any rule or guideline made by INEC remains valid…”

    , if a court of competent jurisdiction did not set it aside. The card reader has a place in law. I urge the tribunal to uphold the petition.”

     

  • Emerhor urges Muslims, Christians to promote peace

    •APC chieftain greets Sultan Abubakar

    Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the April 11 election, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has urged Muslims and Christians to respect one another’s religion and avoid insulting people’s beliefs in the guise of freedom of speech.

    The APC chieftain said this was necessary for the nation to avoid the spread of hate.

    In a statement by his Media and Political communication Adviser, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, the APC chieftain said Muslims and Christians are created by God/Allah with divine primary assignment to be agents of peace.

    He said the two books of Islam – The Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah – promote love, peace, tolerance, freedom of belief and mutual understanding.

    Emerhor noted that terrorism and killing of innocent people are condemned in Surah Al-Anaam (Chapter Six), Verse 151.

    He posited that the Hadith of Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is full of examples of where he showed love and affection, even to the strangers, non-believers and enemies of Islam.

    The APC chieftain said Jesus Christ also preached love, peace and tolerance.

    According to him, freedom of belief and mutual understanding remain the remedies to cure terrorism and promote global peaceful coexistence to secure a progressive future.

    Emerhor, in his Eid-El-Fitr message, congratulated the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA),  Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III and Muslims all over the world on the  auspicious occasion.

    He described the Sultan as a royal father with vast knowledge, wisdom and virtue.

    The APC chieftain urged Muslims to emulate the Sultan’s detribalised and patriotic virtues to take Nigeria to a higher level of socio-economic development.

    He assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would  end Boko Haram’s insurgency and effectively  manage the nation’s human, material and financial resources for  positive socio-economic transformation.

     

  • Emerhor: Buhari needs Nigerians to make change

    The Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has urged those attacking President Muhammadu Buhari to work with the government for the “Change” Nigerians voted for.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Political Communication, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, the APC chieftain said the President’s attackers should understand that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wrecked the nation’s socio-economic boat for 16 years.

    Emerhor noted that this was the reason the Buhari administration needed time to scrutinise the books of the Jonathan’s administration before recruiting new hands to run the system.

    The governorship candidate posited that Mr. President, who is well known globally for his “Zero Corruption” crusade, will not be in a hurry to do the needful, adding that it is expected that after 16 years of massive corruption and economic saboutage, the APC-led government will dig deep to ensure sanity and good governance.

    Oghenesivbe quoted Emerhor as saying that President Buhari being a proactive and transparent leader deserves commendation from Nigerians for ordering the immediate closure of some bank accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and in the same token ordered the sharing of taxes from the Nigerian Liquefied Gas Company (LNG) to the three tiers of government.

    He assured that the President will do anything and everything within his powers to correct the ills in all ministries, departments and agencies of government through forensic auditing, blocking of financial leakages, prosecution of corrupt government officials.

    Emerhor, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), is optimistic that the 50 per cent cut in the salaries of Mr. President and  Vice-President is a pointer to the fact that other senior public officers and political office holders will have to adjust and be ready to make similar sacrifice.

  • Emerhor, Delta APC petition INEC over lawyer’s denial of card readers

    Emerhor, Delta APC petition INEC over lawyer’s denial of card readers

    Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the last general elections, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has said there were moves to subvert the election rules in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    In a petition to the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs Amina Zakari, the APC flag bearer alleged that INEC’s counsel at the governorship petitions tribunal, D. D. Dodo, denied the documented and publicised directive on the use of the electronic Card Readers for the April 11 elections.

    The Delta APC had built its case around the non-compliance with INEC’s directive that the April 11 polls.

    But in a letter to INEC, through their lawyer, S. M. Egbune, Emerhor and APC alleged that INEC’s lawyer at the tribunal in Asaba, D. D. Dodo, had abandoned the brief and official position of the commission.

    Egbune said Dodo filed responses that denied and contradicted the mandatory use of Card Readers for the elections.

    In his reply to the tribunal, Dodo had said: “The respondents admit that by law and by the third respondent’s (INEC’s) directives and guidelines for the conduct of a free, fair, credible and transparent election, accreditation of voters is a condition precedent to voting by a registered voter on election day, but deny that the third respondent prescribed the mandatory use of electronic Card Readers for the accreditation of voters for the elections of April 11 in each of the polling units in each local government area.

    “The respondents state that the Electoral Act is a comprehensive Act which deals with the conduct of elections in Nigeria. Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides for the only mode of accreditation of voters, which is solely through the Register of voters. Accreditation at an election is regulated by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

    “The introduction of Card Reader Machine is a mere instruction at the election to facilitate the accreditation process and does not in any way equate with or obliterate the express provisions of the Electoral Act, which are extant for all purposes.

    “From inception it was contemplated that upon failure of the Card Reader Machine, other contingencies will be resorted to in order to ensure that election is duly conducted and that legitimate voters were not disenfranchised.

    “The ultimate mechanism was a resort to the manual accreditation as provided for in the Electoral Act. The Respondents shall contend that with the challenges presented by the Card Reader Machine, the process of accreditation proceeded as was expressly provided for in the Electoral Act. There were no acts of non-compliance which materially affected the result of the election.”

    The petitioners expressed shock that Dodo went against INEC’s official position.

    They recalled that INEC’s former Chairman Prof Attahiru Jega publicly reinstated the commission’s position, confirming the mandatory use of Card Readers.

    They said Dodo was misrepresenting INEC and was acting outside the commission’s directives.

    The petitioners said the lawyer’s action was putting INEC’s reputation, as a fair electoral umpire, at risk.

    They urged Mrs Zakari to look into their complaint against Dodo in order to correct and defend INEC’s official position without let or favour to any of the parties to the election petition.

     

  • Card Reader: Emerhor urges INEC to do more

    Card Reader: Emerhor urges INEC to do more

    The governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State in the last general elections, Olorogun Otega Emerhor, has hailed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, for his courage and integrity in standing by the commission’s guidelines for the 2015 general elections, particularly the use of Smart Card Readers, even in the face of stiff opposition from the then ruling party, the peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    Emerhor, who spoke with our correspondent over the telephone, however accused the commission of not doing enough to safeguard the sanctity of the elections and the protection of all the candidates who participated, adding that the above responsibility has now been shifted to the tribunals.

    He said INEC ought not to declare results that did not emanate from the Card Readers and/or use such results to declare winners. His words: “If INEC set out to use Card Readers to conduct elections it ought to put in place a mechanism to ensure that the results declared are those emanating from the use of Card Readers and not those that were manually manipulated.”

    Emerhor went further to say that “it is a regrettable dereliction of duties for INEC and its staff to, in the first instance, either connive or turn a blind eye and then go ahead to announce and declare winners based on manually generated results in place of Card Readers results, thereby empowering elections riggers and punishing law-abiding candidates with the burden of proof at the tribunal in their quest to annul illegally acquired mandate, a situation that was avoidable abinitio.”

    In addition, the APC governorship candidate said even now INEC still have an opportunity to go beyond just reconfirming its guidelines, as Prof Jega has just  done, by standing up to provide all necessary support materials, by being its readiness to testify at the tribunals and by taking legal stand against undeservingly declared winners at the ongoing tribunal cases.

    He concluded by saying that it is imperative for the commission to discharge its duties and responsibilities through its legal representatives who are now defending INEC’s role at the various tribunals by supporting aggrieved candidates against undeserving declared winners.

  • Emerhor calls for cancellation of Delta governorship poll

    All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Delta State Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the election results.

    Emerhor said in Warri that the election purportedly won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, was marred by irregularities.

    He said during the election mayhem was unleashed by PDP on voters in Delta North and Central to disrupt the election. He said PDP chieftains were working with thugs to seize result sheets and cart away materials in the APC stronghold.

    According to Emerhor: “The violence and commotion stated above was however designed as a smokescreen for the real fraud of cooking up figures between PDP and their INEC accomplices. These figures are allotted whimsically to the three main contending parties. “While it is true that card readers were used only at voting points reserved to showcase proper election, generally the use of card readers were not only ignored but results were fabricated 100%. This happened because the state government power and machinery were brought to bear to seize INEC’s machinery in other to deliver a pre-ordered voting pattern.”

    The APC candidate said the results announced for most local government areas in the state were fabricated and bear no relationship to the actual voting, adding that the figures were heavily inflated and bear no relationship to the accredited figure in card readers generated.

    Emerhor emphasized that with the time frame for voting and the heavy downpour and other logistics involved, there was NP way such figures can be generated.

    He added that allocation of votes to the parties was a deliberate attempt to put Labour at 2nd position in other to portray as a weak party in the state.

     

  • Emerhor hails Buhari

    Emerhor hails Buhari

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has described the President–elect, Muhammadu Buhari, as a change agent ordained by God.

    He said Buhari’s emergence as the next President signifies God’s kindness to the nation.

    Emerhor, who spoke yesterday after a church service in Asaba, described Easter as a period of reflection.

    “This is the season of goodwill. God, in His infinite mercy, sent Jesus Christ to die for us;  His resurrection brought light to all of us and Easter is celebrated all over Christendom. It is a period of reflection to know how God will continue to sacrifice to keep all of us safe.

    “As you know, we just passed through a scary presidential election in the country but by His grace we have peace in this country. And God also decided it is time to have light in this country.

    ‘’He made a major change by bringing a change agent, General Muhammadu Buhari, as the next President of Nigeria. This change signifies that God is kind to Nigeria and the change will happen all over the country.

    “This Saturday, change is coming to Delta as Deltans get set for the governorship election, and my message to them is to use this period to reflect and allow God’s will to be done for the state”.

    He urged Deltans to vote for the APC in the governorship elections, adding that Delta could not afford to be in the opposition.

  • Okowa, Emerhor, Ogboru: Who becomes Delta governor?

    Okowa, Emerhor, Ogboru: Who becomes Delta governor?

    Who will the people of Delta State vote for on Saturday? OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE examines the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates and the issues that will shape the election.

    The stage is set for the governorship election in Delta State. The contest is among the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP).

    The APC has O’tega Emerhor as its governorship flag-bearer. Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is the PDP flag bearer and Great Ogboru is the candidate of the LP.

    Zoning, the ethnicity, the strength of political parties and popularity of candidates, rather than governance, have dominated political discourse. But, events during the PDP primaries suggest that Deltans may have transcended such mundane biases in choosing their leaders as shown by Okowa’s victory over other aspirant from the supposedly dominant ethnic groups.

    The clamour for power shift among the Igbo- speaking population in Delta North District and the resolve by the Urhobo in Delta Central senatorial District to wrest power has created conflict between the ethnic groups.

    The Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU), the apex Urhobo socio-cultural group has openly canvassed for a governor of Urhobo extraction while the Anioma Congress made up of Delta North traditional rulers led by the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Obi Chike Edozien, with the support of Anioma political leaders, have backed an Anioma son or daughter to become governor. With neither side willing to back down, the stage appears set for a titanic battle.

    The battle resonated at the last PDP primaries when on the eve of the primaries the UPU urged delegates to vote for David Edebvie, an Urhobo man.

    Deputy Governor Agbe Utuama, an Urhobo, in a statement, said he withdrew from the race on account of the UPU directive, but, Okowa scored a resounding victory over the UPU candidate at the primaries, polling 406 votes to Edebvie’s 299.

    Okowa is from Delta North senatorial District, Emerhor is Urhobo from Delta Central senatorial District. Ogboru is also an Urhobo man from Delta Central.

    The battle is a straight fight among the APC, PDP and the LP. The question is whether there will be an upset at the polls or whether the PDP will maintain its stranglehold on power?

    Emerhor, who hails from Evwereni community, Ughelli North is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a banker, an Insurance guru and a tested turnaround expert. He is a major player in the nation’s financial sub-sector.

    The entry of the APC into the political landscape has changed political calculations in the state. The APC has seen its fortunes grow geometrically with the emergence of Emerhor as its flag-bearer.

    Emerhor’s chances received a further boost when the All Progressive Congress won the presidential election. The Urhobos, not wishing to remain in opposition party, may mobilise support for the APC candidate.

    Emerhor, who contested the Delta Central Senatorial District by-elections in 2013, may be the preferred choice of the Urhobos as they have been shopping for a viable candidate, following the loss of their candidate at the PDP primary elections.

    The APC candidate may benefit from the famous Uvwiamuge Declaration of March 28, 2014, which stated that should the PDP fail to give the party’s governorship ticket to an Urhobo candidate, the Urhobo nation will move en-masse to a political party with national spread.

    Another factor in Emerhor’s favour may be the need by his kinsmen to promote a new face with fresh ideology in the battle for Delta’s top position.

    The Urhobo desirous of reclaiming the governorship after the tenure of James Ibori may settle for Emerhor. Emerhor is a philanthropist, who has donated to Urhobo causes and has quietly built a reputation amongst his kinsmen. He has actively participated in grassroots politics over the years. He was the second highest donor when the UPU was building its secretariat.

    Emerhor had the assumed structures of the late Senator Akpo Ewerhido following the demise of the Urhobo politician and this may stand him in good stead in the election.

    He is the chairman of the UPU Special Fund Management Board instituted to raise funds for the development of the Urhobo nation.

    Emerhor may face an uphill task in his bid for votes in Delta North senatorial district, especially as the Anioma people may choose Okowa over him or Ogboru.

    But, the APC candidate has picked his running mate, ex-CBN Director Vander-Puye Abanum, who hails from the Ndokwa ethnic group with three local government areas, including Ndokwa West, Ndokwa East and Ukwuani.

    This may help APC get votes from Delta North senatorial district a perceived stronghold of the PDP, as the Ndokwa ethnic group have often complained loudly of marginalization politically despite their contributions to the economic wellbeing of the State.

    Delta North, populated by the Ibo-speaking group with nine local government areas, remains the only major ethnic group not to have produced governor.

    Analysts believe Emerhor lacks the capability to translate his prowess in boardroom politics to the political terrain, even though he has mounted an effective campaign in the run-up to the governorship election

    Another snag to his ambition is that Emerhor will have to contend with Ogboru for Urhobo votes as they are both of the Urhobo ethnic stock. Analysts believe this may not augur well for both candidates.

    A prominent Urhobo leader, who preferred anonymity, said: “I worry for the two Urhobo sons contesting in the Delta governorship election. Unless one steps down for the other, our chances may go up in smoke and we remain in political wilderness .It is painful when you consider that we are superior numerically”.

    Ogboru is an astute politician and multi-millionaire business man. He hails from Abraka,Ethiope East, with maternal roots in Ukwuani community in Delta North.

    Ogboru has always contested elections since 2003. In 2011, his party the Democratic People Party (DPP), put up an astonishing performance to win an unheard-of eight seats in the House of  Assembly and a seat each in the House of Representatives and seat. Can the People’s General muster the finances to fight for the number one job in Delta State? Ogboru is a crowd puller and a factor in Delta politics. But, can Ogboru still count on Urhobo support, especially with the emergence of Emerhor?

    Ogboru is a determined and consistent politician. He has wide appeal across the three senatorial district and has experience, having contested elections in the past.

    Analysts are of the opinion that Ogboru’s of running-mate from the Isoko nation, Elder Peter Erebi, the ex-President General Isoko Progessive Union (IPU) may work against his ambition as numerically the Isokos constitute a small political unit in only two local government areas, Isoko, South and North.

    But, Erebi has the support of his Olomoro clan, who have promised to work for the L.P candidate.

    The chairman of Olomoro Community Development Union (OCD) described Erebi as a selfless and trustworthy man. He said: “We are happy for this great opportunity of the choice of our son, Peter Erebi as Deputy-Governor in the April11 election we will vote for the L.P candidate’.

    “When Erebi was President General, he used his hard earned money to run the union without levying any clan throughout his tenure, so there is no going back on the choice of Ogboru and Erebi. It is a battle already fought and won.”

    Okowa is a popular grassroots politician from Owa-Aliero community in Ika North-East. He contested the 2007 governorship election against Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and put up a strong showing that rattled the PDP hierarchy.

    A consummate politician, Okowa has established political structures in the three senatorial districts, clinching the PDP ticket.

    He represents Delta North in the National Assembly where he is Chairman, Senate Committee on Health. His intellectual capacity is also one thing that stands him in good stead for the job. Within three years as a senator, he sponsored 12 bills, including the National Health Bill, which was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Okowa was the Secretary, Ika Local Government, and first Executive Chairman, Ika North East Local Government. He was Commissioner of Water Resources, Agriculture and Health in the Ibori administration. He also served as Secretary to the Delta State Government during the first tenure of Dr Uduaghan

    Analysts see his choice of running mate in Kingsley Utuaro from the Ijaw ethnic group in the Delta South Senatorial District as a strategic move. The Ijaw is the major ethnic group in Bomadi, Burutu, Patani and, at least, half of Warri South West. The Ijaws are expected to rally round him now that President Jonathan is returning to Otuoke after May 29. It is believed that, if he can carve out some votes from the Isoko nation and parts of Delta Central, he will win in Delta North.

    However, Okowa has been trailed by the allegation that he sold out his candidacy for Governor Uduaghan to emerge at the 2007 PDP governorship primaries in Ogwashi-Uku. While this allegation lacks authenticity, his enemies have always tried to use it against him in Delta North. With pressures from the UPU on Ogboru to step down for Emerhor, a possible gang up between the Urhobo and the Isoko is also a major threat to his aspiration. But, Okowa is a dogged politician, who has fought many political battles. Whether he will come out unscathed in this remains to be seen.

    It is clear that none of the candidates can win by the support of a major ethnic group, not even the Urhobos who claim to be in the majority. The successful candidate must have a simple majority of the votes cast plus 25 per cent in two thirds of the 25 local governments in the state. Out of the 25 local governments, Delta South and Central have eight each while Delta North has nine. Out of the 2million registered voters in Delta state, Delta Central has 38 per cent, Delta South 34 per cent and Delta North 32 per cent. It promises to be a titanic battle.