Thu, February 06, 2014
Delta Senatorial by-election
Posted on 15th Oct 2013 under HOT NEWS.
Why Aguariavwodo Won
...It’s due to PDP unity and a
strong ward structure – Gov. Uduaghan
…Opposition parties were disunited,
party EXCO illegal – Delta PDP Chairman
…Various groups’ endorsement of
Aguariavwodo
…Uduaghan provided exemplary
leadership –Aguariavwodo
Author: By Onitsha Shedrack, Omafume Amurun
The defeat of the Democratic
Peoples Party (DPP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) by the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) by a wide margin in the last senatorial by-election did
not come as a surprise to critical watchers of Delta politics.
According
to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the PDP candidate,
Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo polled 263,024 votes to defeat eight other
candidates. The returning officer, Prof. John Arubayi who announced the result
on Sunday morning in Ughelli said APC candidate, Chief O’tega Emerhor, scored
29,075 votes to emerge second while DPP candidate, Chief Ede Dafinone followed
with 29,055 votes.
The end of the opposition parties in Delta began several months ago,
following the disunity in the DPP that took his teeming followers for granted
and the emergence of the APC which took away several key members of the DPP,
including the late Senator Pius Ewherido who is believed to be the driving
force in the APC.
The opposition woes deepen, following the emergence of Chief Emmanuel
Aguariavwodo as the PDP candidate for the senatorial by-election; a not so
controversial politician, who is even more popular and appreciated in the
opposition camp. His emergence actually destroyed the game plan of the
opposition, who were expecting an unpopular candidate to be presented by the
PDP.
Consequently, during the by-election, Chief Great Ogboru, generally
believed to be the pillar behind the opposition in an unprecedented message of
disunity within their ranks and declining future, lost his home base, to the
PDP. The DPP candidate, Chief Ede
Dafinone, not only lost his local government, Sapele, but also his polling unit
to PDP. APC, candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, also lost in his local
government, Ughelli North.
Chief Aguariavwodo’s candidature is believed to have helped to consolidate
the over one year reconciliation move within the PDP, driven by Governor
Emmanuel Uduaghan and Chief Edwin Clark. The Governor noted that the senatorial
by-election victory was an evidence that the PDP reconciliation move had been
successful
At a victory thanksgiving service last Sunday, in Dr. Uduaghan’s Warri
residence, the elated Governor also attributed the victory to a strong
ward level politics within the PDP, saying this must be strengthened, as local
government election was coming up very soon. “Ward Chairmen are very important.
More important than the local government Chairmen”
He then directed that all political office holders and all PDP members
must regularly attend ward meetings. The Governor said he would also be
attending ward meetings regularly.
Dr. Uduaghan said the victory had placed a heavy burden on the party and
appealed for unity within the party. “We must remain united as we struggle for
position. When the system comes up with somebody, do not work against the
system. The system is deep and there must always be consensus building”. He
then thanked all those who steped down and worked for the system.
Speaking on the occasion, Senate-elect, Chief Emmaneul Aguariavwodo thanked
Governor Uduaghan for providing exemplary leadership and also for what he did
for Delta Central. He promised to always consult with the Governor as he had
learnt so much from him.
He promised to serve the PDP and his people to the best of his ability and
bring home the dividends of democracy from Abuja. “Everybody worked for my
victory. The unity in the party today must not be lost. I do not know how to
thank everybody, but I pray that God will reward you all”.
Also speaking on the occasion, the Delta State PDP Chairman, Chief Peter
Nwaboshi dismissed both the APC and DPP as a disunited party with illegal
EXCOs, as the DPP in particular has not conducted any congresses in the last
four years as required by law.
It must be noted that just before the elections, various groups also came
out strongly to endorse the candidature of Chief Aguariavwodo. One of such
groups was the Uvwie PDP Leaders and Elders Forum said in a statement that
Uvwie people and residents must support Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo because,
the council areas have not benefitted anything from supporting the Opposition
in the past.
Addressing Journalists in Effurun, the leader of the Forum, Chief Portwright Akhieghe said that from all over the developing world, supporting the opposition party was often full of draw backs and that Uvwie people must learn from the past mistakes of supporting the opposition.
Addressing Journalists in Effurun, the leader of the Forum, Chief Portwright Akhieghe said that from all over the developing world, supporting the opposition party was often full of draw backs and that Uvwie people must learn from the past mistakes of supporting the opposition.
Announcing the result at about
5:45am, on the 13th October, 2013, the Chief Returning Officer,
Prof. John Arubaye declared Chief Andi Osawota of the Labour Party fourth with
1,602 votes.
Arubaye who announced the result
under tight security, said the PDP polled 51, 387 votes in Ughelli North, while
the DPP, APC, LP and APGA had 5,706, 11,138, 763, 1,211 votes respectively,
defeating the APC, Chief O’tega Emerhor and Chief Andi Osawota in their home
Local Government Area.
In Ughelli South, home Local
Government Area of Chief Aguariavwodo, PDP polled 38,931 votes to beat the APC
and DPP candidates, who scored 2,412 and 2,552 votes respectively. In Udu, the
PDP led with a margin of 53,700 votes to beat the DPP, 4,037 votes and APC
4,598 votes.
The PDP overran the DPP candidate,
Chief Ede Dafinone who scored 5,003 votes in his Sapele home Local Government
with 19,795 votes, while the APC candidate, Chief O’tega Emerhor polled 2,194
votes. Chief Ede Dafinone had 10 votes as against 570 votes scored by the PDP
in the polling unit in front of his father’s compound.
It was also a work over for the PDP
in Okpe Local Government Area, having polled 8,138 votes to beat the DPP with
1,914 votes in the second home of Chief Ede Dafinone with the APC polling 1,065
votes.
The dwindling political fortune of
the leader of the DPP, Chief Great Ogboru was brought to fore in Ethiope East
Local Government, with the PDP polling 10,616 votes against the 5,844 votes
scored by the DPP, while the APC polled 3,195 votes.
In Ethiope West, the PDP polled
46,571 votes, DPP, 1,449 votes and the APC, 1,912 votes, while the PDP polled
33,886 votes in Uvwie, the DPP had 2,550 votes and the APC 2,271 votes.
Reacting to the results, candidate
of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA), Chief David Omoru said; “the
by-election is a disgrace to the Urhobo nation. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo was never
elected, but imposed on the people by use of force and intimidation.”
Omoru in a text message said; “we
are going to the tribunal to prove our case for cancellation. My legal team is
ready with overwhelming evidence against the PDP.”
Commenting on the election, one-time
member of the State House of Assembly, Mr Abel Oshevire said; “with this
landslide victory, the Urhobos have shown that they could be united behind the
PDP.
“The PDP is the only party that can
deliver the dividends of democracy to the Urhobo people; opposition cannot lead
us anywhere. I sincerely thank all those that voted the PDP.”
One-time commissioner for Local
Government Affairs in the State, Olorogun Ebenezer Okorodudu who also spoke
with newsmen said the victory of Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo and the PDP was a
victory for the entire Urhobo nation.
A chieftain of the PDP in the State,
Olorogun Jaro Egbo while reacting to the election results said; “the clean
sweep of the PDP in the election is a clear testimony that the original owners
of the PDP, which is the Urhobo people have reclaimed their party.
“And the Urhobos have also taken a
decision and a confirmation of Urhobo decision that they would not be in
opposition, but to be reckoned with as we move towards 2015.”
Chief Henry Baro, a PDP chairmanship
aspirant in Uvwie thanked the people of Uvwie and the entire Urhobo people for
turning out en masse to vote the PDP, describing the victory of the party in
the election as a victory for democratic dividends for the Urhobo people.
Meanwhile, members of Delta
Progressives, on Sunday, celebrated the victory of the party in Ughelli,
dedicating it to God and the entire people of the Urhobo nation.
Speaking to newsmen, Chief Adviser
of the group, Dr Innocent Ojefia said the Delta Central was the home of the
PDP. Speaking in the same vain, President of the group, Mr. Ogagaoghene Otikpo
congratulated Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo for his landslide victory at the
polls.
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