Barrister Alex Onwuadiamu is a member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party in Delta State and the Chairman of Anioma Agenda. In this interview, the legal practitioner examines issues arising as the country builds up to 2015 political events. Specifically, he discussed the issue of succession in the state against the background of principle of rotation. He talked to JUDE OSEJI. Excerpts:
How would you assess the political development in Delta State as we approach 2015?
For Anioma Agenda, the political developments are very positive for us. When we started this campaign and advocacy, it was an issue of zoning or rotation to be or not to be. We thank God that we started early enough. I’m happy to report that, as of today, the state is getting ready for the reality of an Anioma governorship of Delta State.
When you say the state is getting ready, what do you mean by that? Has there been any formal declaration by the ruling party that the ticket has been zoned to that area?
There may not have been a formal declaration by the leader of the major political party in Delta State, His Excellency Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. For those of us who try to interpret the weather, the body language is pointing at that axis. The chairman of the party, Chief Barrister Onyelukachukwu Nwoaboshi, has said time without number that the next governor will come from Anioma area. If you look at the avalanche of aspirants we have currently, the Anioma area, Delta North senatorial zone, has about 17 governorship aspirants. From the Urhobo area, we have about four. There are one or two Ijaw aspirants in the race. If you look at that, you will see where the pendulum is swinging. Naturally, where people know that this is the direction, you will have more people from that area clamouring for that office. All these are the things that are giving us that confidence that it is going to be Anioma. Over and above all, there are facts that you cannot controvert in this journey, and that is the fact that, Delta Central has occupied that position, Delta South is presently occupying it. The natural destination for that governorship now is Delta North. You can’t controvert that.
With as many as 17 aspirants from Delta North, isn’t that a problem for trimming down the number?
I do not think that any number of governorship aspirants you have is too large. If you want to look at those who are qualified to run for governor according to the constitutional requirements, you will find out that the number we have is even small. I’m qualified to run for governorship but I’m not running for it. If we have 17, it’s about choice. The office of governorship is a very important office. It’s an office that concerns all Deltans. It’s an office that has to do with me, my future, and the future of my children. It is not an office where you just have one sole person running for it and we will be happy. It presents a choice. It is now for us to moderate that choice and make a selection from all the people that are running for that position, look at everything they are bringing to the table and pick out the best. That is what politics is all about. And I think that is why the number will enhance the quality of leader we will get tomorrow.
On the issue of the Section 3C of the PDP constitution which insists on rotation of office and zoning of office, I think we have gone beyond that stage in Delta State. So, I may not want to dwell so much on that. I can tell you categorically that the next governor will come from Delta North. They say 12 hours is a long night in politics. So, we want to remain as vigilant as possible. We want to continue our advocacy to the last minute. We want all hands on deck. We are not going to rest until May 29, 2015, when we shall all be there to see an Anioma son or daughter sworn in as the executive governor of Delta State.
Do you think the attempt by the Asiodu screen panel will resolve the issue of pruning down the number without rancour?
There is hardly any selection process that is rancour-free. Be the selection process by the political party or the selection process by the ethnic platform. All that every reasonable organisation tries to do is to manage it so that it doesn’t get out of hand. In any process where you have about 15-20 people, and you are trying to narrow down to two or even one, definitely some may feel aggrieved. But it depends on the process. If the process is transparent enough, then people can say I was beaten on a level plain field so I don’t mind. The parties have their process of anybody emerging as a candidate for governorship, senate, house of assembly, house of reps, or even for presidency.
When the parties need the vote, they come to the people; they recognise the people and they solicit their votes. When the parties need the votes, they come to the ethnic platforms, town unions and local governments and solicit for their votes. In as much we agree the it is the process of a political party for a candidate to emerge, the town unions, the ethnic platforms, the associations and everybody has a role to play; be it advisory or by recommendation. At the end of the day, you may find out that the role of the town union is going to enhance the viability of the political party. We all need each other in this process. I will urge everybody, both the leadership of the parties and town union, for tolerance. They should try to find out a synergy that will be mutually beneficial in the long run.
It is obvious that a lot of people from Delta North are hoping that PDP will win the ticket to the zone. From your position as a stakeholder, what do you think will happen if PDP does not zone the governorship ticket to Delta North?
Delta North will go for where their children are. I do not think anybody would want to go with a political party that does not assuage your quest if it is a very reasonable quest. I think the current trend and mood in Delta state is for an Anioma governorship. Most stakeholders are in tune with that. I do not see any serious political party ignoring that trend. Any party that ignores that does that at its own peril. The mood can tell you from Central, South and North are geared towards an Anioma son or daughter emerging as the next governor of Delta State.
There’s the issue of the possibility of a dark horse?
Anioma Agenda and I as a person do not believe in the phrase, dark horse. I believe that the idea of a dark horse is a fraud. Our politics has gone beyond that stage. Anybody who is telling you of the emergence of a dark horse wants to defraud you. If you want to be governor of a state, I believe the very first thing you will want to do is to canvass publicly the reason why you want to be governor. Are you going to be a governor in the dark? Why do you want to be a dark horse? Come to the open and canvas the reason why you want to be governor so that we will have opportunity to support or disown you.
In the 21st Century, you cannot be talking of presiding over the welfare and destiny of over four million people and say you want to come from behind and snatch victory. By what mechanism is that going to be? Any mechanism that throws up a dark horse is a fraudulent mechanism. I don’t believe in that. I want to dissociate myself from any dark horse. No matter what area you are coming from, come and tell us and those who will support you will support you. Those who will disown you will disown you.
Not long ago, Anioma Agenda listed what it thinks should be the criteria for selection of candidates. What informed that and what process did it go through to arrive at such position?
We said it all in our publication. We are not all knowing philosophers. We are not a group of wise men as such, but of men and women who simply want to contribute their own quota to state building. The processes we’ve gone through is as a group, we have set up several think-thanks in time past to look at the issue of governorship, which is our main preoccupation. The main preoccupation is an Anioma son or daughter becoming the governor of Delta State in 2015. We have examined the processes to determine how we come in, the manner of intervention we have and how we can contribute positively to the ongoing debate. Often times, people have been asking what kind of governor we should look forward to in 2015. Everywhere that Anioma Agenda has gone on consultation outside Delta North, people have said they identify with the Anioma cause but we should help them prone down the number of candidates to a manageable level so that they can make an informed choice.
Out of about 17 aspirants who have declared interest to run for governorship of the state from a particular area, how do you bring down this number to manageable three or two? There must be criteria. If you look at the 11 criteria we have set, you will not classify any as childish, naïve or stupid. We are looking for aspirants with cognate experience in public service and private endeavours. For you to manage a state, you must be coming to town with something. For you to also be able to lead the state properly, you must have a wide network of support. We are looking at a governor who is supported by the Urhobos, Itsekiris, Ijaws, Isokos and overwhelmingly by the Aniomas. We are not just looking for a governor for Anioma area but for Delta State. Such a personality must have a Pan-Delta agenda; an agenda that accommodates the Isokos, the Ijaws, the Itsekiris, the Urhobos and also the Aniomas.
We are looking at a governor you and I know and can relate to, a governor that can take the state to the next level, a governor that has a development agenda. We all know the respective needs of our state. We want a governor that can identify with all our needs. You may not be able to identify with all that if you don’t know the state very well. Those criteria are to enable Deltans look at the avalanche of aspirants that we have be able to say overwhelmingly that out of the 17, we think these three stand out. Anioma Congress is also trying to do the same thing. We are all working towards the same goal. The route may be different but the destination is the same. That’s simply why we came up with the criteria. (The Sun)
