The question which has dominated public discourse in Delta State for some time now is whether the gubernatorial ambition of the Anioma people from the Delta North Senatorial District will be realized in 2015.
In the face of stiff opposition by other ethnic groups, including the numerically superior Urhobo from the central senatorial district, the Anioma group, undoubtedly, have a mountain to climb in their quest to occupy the Government House, Asaba.
The Anioma ethnic group’s claim to the top job is hinged largely on the rotational policy, which may count for nothing in the rough and tumble of Delta politics.
The Urhobo ethnic group has not hidden its desire to reclaim the governorship position since Chief James Ibori left office and has left no one in doubt in that regard.
In the build-up to the 2015 election, the tribe have remained the most visible, judging from the plethora of political platforms that have mushroomed over the last few months.
These groups include the Urhobo Political Forum (UPF) led by Chief Ighoyota Amori, the Urhobo Political Congress (UPC) headed by Sir Tom Amioku and the Delta Central Political Movement (DCPM) led by Olori Magege.
The mobilization and sensitization of the grassroots within the zone are on, but the reverse is the case in the Ibo- speaking areas of Delta North where there is perceived lethargy.
The Delta South Senatorial District, which currently occupies the office, may decide to hang onto power with the emergence of an Ijaw candidate. This will effectively kill the Anioma dream, should it receive the backing of Chief E.K Clark.
In this regard, the Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, who is nursing a gubernatorial ambition, may get the slot.
But Protem Chairman, Anioma Agenda (AA), Mr. Alex Onwuadiamu, denies that political actors in Delta North are disunited and uncoordinated in their 2015 calculations.
He said Anioma will ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) abides by the principle of zoning and rotation of public offices. He claimed that these are enshrined in the Nigeria Constitution and the Constitution of the ruling PDP.
“What we are saying is that the principle of zoning and rotation of public offices as enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria and the Constitution of the PDP be adhered to.
“The governorship of Delta State has gone to central senatorial zone, it is now in the south senatorial zone and by that principle come 2015, and it will be the turn of Anioma people to produce the governor for Delta state that is all we are asking for”, he stressed.
Onwuadiamu disagrees with the perception of complacence and perceived disunity among politicians of Anioma stock, stressing that the Anioma people will soon begin the process of sensitizing the populace.
Onwudiamu said no political zone can win election in the state without the support of other groups, adding that the need to work with other stakeholders cannot be ignored.
“How we will go about it is by consultation. We have said that we will consult with our brothers and sisters in the south and central districts, quite a lot of them are already working with us. We will mobilise our people, we will sensitise the entire populace on the need for equity and justice. Very soon there will be a lot of town hall meetings, seminars, symposia on this same issue. We are not just starting with a road show; we are consulting our people quietly and simultaneously.
“We are consulting different political stakeholders on the need for equity, unity and justice in our polity. It is not something we can do alone, Delta State is made up of three senatorial zones and if any zone, like we have seen in the last election, feels that it can do it alone it will always meet with failure. That is why we will always seek for reasonable partnership from the south and central, that is how elections are won in Delta State. This one is not going to be an exception”, he added.
A big obstacle to the realization of the Anioma dream is the considerable large number of wealthy and influential aspirants within the PDP who may refuse to step down for each other, thus leading to bitterness and rancour within the party.
This may force many to seek their political fortunes elsewhere which would automatically deplete or divide an otherwise Anioma block vote for one of their own.
Although none have declared his intention,apart from former Delta Commissioner of Finance Chief Clement Ofuani, one does not require the services of a clairvoyant to know that the under top politicians are eying the top job.
These include the Speaker of Delta State House of Asembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, who represents Aniocha North Constituency; Ndudi Elumelu, member of House of Representatives from Aniocha/ Oshimili Federal Constituency, Senator Arthur Okowa from Delta North District, ex-presidential aide Dr Cairo Ojougboh, and Chief Godson Obielum. But, Governor Uduaghan’s Chief of Staff Dr Festus Okubor is said to be the dark horse.
Others from different political parties are multi-millionaire businessman Okocha and Democratic People’s Party candidate in the 2010 senatorial election Mr. Ned Nwoko. Political watchers believe that this will work against the emergence of an Anioma person as candidate.
Pundits believe a consensus candidate will be difficult as Anioma lacks a true leader with considerable political clout. Besides, signs of disunity may have started rearing its ugly head as the major opposition party, Democratic People’s Party (DPP), whose chairman is an Anioma son, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, dismissed such sentiments.
He said his party will support any Deltan that emerges through a democratic process, stressing that DPP will not turn back any aspirant on the basis of ethnic consideration.
According to him, the DPP does not recognise the principle of zoning within its ranks. His words: “I am a man with a very broad mind. When you talk about Anioma people clamouring, I will not say what anybody is doing is wrong or right or I am supporting or not supporting. The issue is I am in DPP and the state chairman for that matter.
“You know that it has been clamoured long ago in PDP that Anioma man must be their candidate based on their zoning arrangement which I am not part of. As far I am concerned if an Anioma man comes to my party to take form, I will not deny him. And if an Urhobo man comes to take form, I will not deny him either because in my party there is no zoning arrangement for now, our party is open for all Deltans. What we believe in is not even who governs the state but who gives the people what they want, dividends of democracy. When you clamour Anioma, Anioma, Anioma, are you telling us that Anioma people were not in Ibori’s government”?
Ezeagwu added: “Anioma man was a deputy governor in Ibori’s government, we had a lot of them who were commissioners, who were board chairmen, what did they achieve? At a time, I took a full page newspaper advertorial in a national daily calling on our people in PDP to protest and resign because of marginalisation against the Anioma nation.
“The issue was that they created wards and made all the wards in the central and south two each, all the wards were divided into two each. And as at the time, Delta north had the highest local governments of 9, the then deputy governor his local government he could not add 10 wards to make it 20. The only thing they did was to add four. Even in Ika North East that hitherto had 14 wards could not attain 20 but those that were 10 in central and south senatorial districts got additional 10. So Delta north was completely marginalised and I called on our people in PDP as at the time that they must protest and resign but nobody listened to me and it is still like this till tomorrow.”
Stakeholders agree that Chief Clark will play a major role in the emergence of the flag bearer.
The Ijaw leader had opposed the imposition of Governor Uduaghan in 2007 by former Governor James Ibori and 2015 presents an opportunity for the Clark faction to wrest power with Ibori, who is in a British prison.
Despite assurances of rapprochement between Uduaghan and Chief Clark’s factions, political analysts are of the opinion that the 2015 Delta governorship election is a struggle for political power between these two factions in Delta State than simply a struggle by the Anioma ethnic group for power.
