2015 Poll: Gangana Tackles Mutu Over Patani/Bomadi Federal Constituency Seat

SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, (THEWILL) – Indications have emerged that the political calculations over the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency seat at the National Assembly during the 2015 general election in Delta State is already tearing the member representing Patani Constituency and Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Basil Ganagana, and the member representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Mr. Nicholas Ebomo Mutu, apart.

Sources close to the two political gladiators are pointing to a no love lost relationship between the two politicians over the contention for the seat in the forthcoming general election.

Ganagana, who is serving a fourth term in the State House of Assembly, is said to be doing everything possible to unseat his kinsman, Mutu, who is currently occupying the seat. On the other hand, Mutu, who is serving a third term in the House of Representatives, is said to be determined to hold on to the seat.

THEWILL gathered that the cold war between the two Ijaw politicians was said to have been taken to the extreme recently as they were said to have been using the machineries of government against one another over allegations and counter-allegations bordering on terrorism.

The battle was said to have come to the fore fully recently on June 26, when the state governor’s wife, Mrs. Sheila Roli Uduaghan, visited Bomadi Local Government in continuation of her Local Government monthly prayers programme.

According to sources at the programme, a group of youths, led by Amatu, Mezeh and other members of the Bomadi Local Government Area Federated Youth Movement, which was allegedly sponsored by Ganagana to stage a protest to blackmail Mutu, was allegedly attacked by suspected ex-militants loyal to Mutu, whose supporters have denied the allegation.

However, a petition signed by the counsel to the youths, Mr. Kelechi Nnadi, and sent to the State Police Commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, copy of which was made available to correspondents, alleged that Mutu hired over 200 ex-militants to kidnap and murder the petitioners during the protest against his poor representation in the National Assembly.

According to the petition, “Nicholas Mutu on the 26th of last month (June), brought in ex-militants numbering over 200 who attempted to kidnap and murder Mr. Moses Amatu, Kenneth Mezeh and other members of the Bomadi Local Government Area Federated Youth Movement for allegedly planning to protest against his failed representation and his intention to perpetuate himself in office against the wish of his people on the 27th of June 2013 when the wife of the Delta State Governor, Deaconess Roli Uduaghan and her team was expected to organise a prayer program tagged "Solemn Assembly" in Bomadi town.”

The petition alleged that the youths were rescued, after they were brutally assaulted by the heavily armed gang, allegedly hired by the National Assembly member, by men of the Department of the State Security (DSS) and the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the area.

Impeccable sources told THEWILL that the Police have swung into action to investigate Mutu and his supporters over allegations of terrorism, attempted murder and kidnap of Amatu, Mezeh and others.

But a group, the Niger Delta Liberty Movement (NDLM), suspected to be working for Mutu, has described the petition against their principal as frivolous. A statement issued by Comrade Ebiyekefe Stow and Alas Felix, President and Public Relations Officer of NDLM respectively, also asked the State Commissioner of Police to ignore the petition.

"We assert that no soul was lost in all elections contested for by Hon. Nicholas Mutu, from council chairmanship and three times as House of Representatives’ member and winning, all the way, " the statement said.

The group said the petitioners, specifically, Amatu and Mezeh, who were both non-indigenes of Bomadi and were rather frustrated from causing chaos during the visit of Mrs Uduaghan, turned around to accuse Mutu in order to satisfy those who sent them.