But for the fact that a job had to be done, reading through Doyin Iyiola’s unnecessary ‘epistle’ entitled “Ogboru is a victim of conspiracy’’ in the Wednesday, August 31st 2011 issue of ‘’The Nation’’ is to say the least, a waste of productive man hours. It was a shoddy treatise: a synopsis of the frustrations of a terribly beleaguered and humbled political camp. The deepening sense of the wholesome reality of consistent defeats in the hands of both the electorates in Delta State, and the courts appear to have badly impacted on the intellectual psyche of the writer. The piece is eulogized as a sublime example of how not to ‘’maltreat’’ the English language. More worrisome however, are the absurdities and illogicalities our obviously, flustered writer on behalf of his bellicose D.P.P so incoherently tried to communicate.
For the records, Great Ogboru has never in his chequered political career earned or enjoyed the privilege of gaining the political or electoral mandate of the great people of Delta State. Not only has he lost in all the elections he has contested to the ruling P.D.P, he has also lost a sizeable chunk of followership because of his unfortunate posture as a “desperado, whose only ambition is to be the governor of Delta State at all costs”. It is doubtful if any failed governorship candidate in Nigeria care equal or match Ogboru’s penchant for petitions and running to electoral tribunals with the same old song, IT WAS RIGGED! But, more poignant also, is the fact that no other failed gubernatorial candidate has recorded more losses in the election tribunals too, than Great Ogboru.
If anyone had suggested to him to discontinue his string of petitions and work with the one that was, and still is the popular choice of the people – Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, it should be because the essence of partisan politics is to improve on the equality of life of the constituents and to move the State forward. When a man has suffered multiple defeats both in elections and at tribunals and still declines to work with the magnanimous government of the day, it truly means “Ogboru’s constant resort to courts was self – serving and it betrayed his desperation to become the governor of Delta State’’.
Perhaps, Ogboru’s biggest problem is the synergy, he so poorly, constituted.Ogboru’s projection to Deltans in particular has been simply catastrophic. Today the name Ogboru evokes the image of the rebellious – rebelling against the wishes of Deltans as expressed in all the governorship elections Ogboru has contested in till date and more drastically against the sanctity of an independent judiciary and the rule of law. Endure the following excepts from the write up by Chief Great’s media consultant, the very fluent Doyin Iyiola;
“Delta State like any other State in Nigeria needs effective leadership. The State has since 1979 being under relative siege. It has not really enjoyed good governance and it has had its affairs poorly managed by a leader with questionable authority.”
The English is appalling, what would one make of the irrationality of his wretched reasoning. Iyiola and Ogboru will not mention the fact that they, like other Deltans now fly straight from one of Governor Uduaghan’s landmark achievements-the Asaba airport to any part of Nigeria. They will also not mention the peace and tranquility that has so methodically replaced youth restiveness which the worst governor Deltans will never have;OGBORU has so painstakingly strived to revive in the state.
Ogboru’s mouthpiece has ridiculously asserted also that the Government of Delta State under Dr. Uduaghan has deliberately delayed proceedings at the petition tribunals in order to deny Ogboru justice. Iyiola makes this claim in impeccable English thus : “and they deserve the blame for long period of hearing of Ogboru’s petition. The petition lasted three and half years. It was finally resolved in November 9, 2010 when the election annulled and a re – run was ordered.”
Please be pretentious about his curious English. Is Iyiola saying justice delayed, is justice denied?
The most flippant and indeed criminal of the D.P.P’s latest distractive tendency is the allegation that the P.D.P government in Delta State bought its victory at the election petition tribunal which delivered judgment on July 25, 2011. It hinges its rascally, irresponsible and criminal allegations on a report by Sahara reporters. This is a different song from the one Ogboru and his team had sung in honour of the Judiciary on November 10, 2010, when the election petition tribunal had ordered for a re – run of the governorship election in Delta State.
With such comments, Ogboru seeks to bring the Judiciary he so frequently runs to, into disrepute! Now he seems ready not to bolster, but to erode the people’s confidence in the Judicial process. Ogboru should as much as possible continue to exercise his fundamental right to seek redress in the courts. But, he must learn to have faith in the Judicial system, otherwise, he is indeed a surmountable distraction.
Ogboru should realize that Democracy comes with a temperament. Its ultimate good is to attract sustainable economic, social and political growth. He cannot serve his people by force. He must be made to comprehend that in partisan politics it is the overall interest of the people, and in this case, Delta State that matters. He reserves the right to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the State, by embracing the olive branch the amiable Governor Dr. Emmanuel EwetaUduaghan has always extended to him or continue to be a case study in manageable distraction.
Indeed, Great Ogboru is a victim of conspiracy. What is partisan politics if not conspiracy? A political party afterall, is a group of people who share the same political vision and who plan, strategize and make the common vision to their constituents, translating into electioneering victory based on the inalienable rights of the people to choose. The D.P.P brand of conspiracy is inferior, unlethal and poorly marketed to the great discerning minds that make up “the Big heart’’, Delta State.
Phrank Shaibu
Media Aide to Governor Uduaghan of Delta State
