Adiotomre, PDP Chieftain blasts Clark over comments on Guber re-run
Last Tuesday's Court of Appeal Judgment in Benin which sent the Uduaghan administration packing from Government House, Asaba as well as comments by Elder statesman Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clarke has continued to draw reactions from elders and leaders in Delta State. The latest comes from Chief Mike Adiotomre a political icon from Ethiope East Local Government Area.
Chief Adiotomre who spoke in Effurun said while Chief E. K Clarke enjoys the admiration and respect of many people his comments over the annulment of the Uduaghan election as well as his calls for EFCC to arrest Dr. Uduaghan were merely personal opinion that does not amount to anything. He asked Chief E.K Clarke to use the blessing of age and the influence garnered over the years to make peace in Delta State and support the party he says he belongs to.
Chief Mike Adiotomre says the PDP is sure of victory in the re run election.
The excerpts….
On Comments by Chief E.K Clarke following the annulment of the Uduaghan Administration
Chief E.k Clarke's stance concerning the annulment of the Uduaghan administration came as a surprise to me because I hold that until he spoke that he is a leader in this state (a political leader) and he is a leader in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The role of leadership is very important in politics and E.k Clarke I reckon is one of the topmost leaders in Delta State for the PDP, but for him to come out in defense of DPP candidate I am surprised. I would have thought that as a leader he should defend the membership of his party all the time. Am yet to understand why he decided to tow the line he is towing presently.
On call by Chief Clarke to the PDP to field a candidate other than Dr. Uduaghan for the re-run election
Chief E.K Clarke's call on the PDP to field a candidate other than Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for the re run election is certainly not a wise political move. Political parties have structures from ward to local government to state and then National. In Kiagbodo for instance there is a ward chairman and the line goes up to the local government chairman in Burutu and they are all under the chairman at the state level while the PDP state chairman is under the National chairman, Dr. Nwodo.
I take it that our national leader Chief E.K Clarke is not from the same ward as Dr. Uduaghan. It is only the people in Uduaghan's ward, Uduaghan's local government and the PDP in the state that can decide whether they want Uduaghan or not. But for now the National party with Dr. Nwodo as chairman has decided to field Uduaghan again for the re run. So if someone else is saying that the PDP should not field Dr. Uduaghan it becomes a personal opinion which is an insignificant opinion which can not hold water because the National body has spoken.
Chief Edwin Clarke is a highly respected personality in this state and we are proud of him, he ranks well with his contemporaries in other states, but when it comes to political matters he remains an individual, his opinions remains an individual one to be tabled before the party, we are in a democracy not a kangaroo parliament, the party has to speak through it organs, like I said through its ward, through its local government, through its state and through the National body, elderly respect has no place in this process.'
On Chief E.K Clarke's call for the Dissolution of the State Exco of the PDP
'Well again, he is an individual and he is entitled to his opinion. On this issue, I have had cause to discuss with him on a one to one basis before the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP, and the National Working Committee under the then Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor after hearing us decided that good congresses were held in Delta State.
Now with Dr. Nwodo on the saddle, Chief E.K Clarke has been making a case that INEC said that the congresses in Delta State were inconclusive. As a delegate to the congress in Asaba I can tell you that, INEC was there and am aware that INEC wrote to its headquarters that congresses were held in Delta State and they were properly and peacefully conducted. So for many of us, it is intriguing to see that some of the people following our Chief, who were also present at that congress in Asaba….some of them were there, they know they were there and congresses were conducted peacefully yet they are calling for the dissolution of the congress, this is mischievous. You see at this point in time if somebody is calling for the dissolution of the Party Executive, he is calling for the killing of the party in the state. But they would not succeed in killing the party; they can not even weaken the party in Delta State.
When he (Chief E.K Clarke) is talking we need to remind him that the elected councils in the twenty five local governments are already in PDP and they are delegates anytime any day in any congress you may call. So whatever you do those controlling the PDP in Delta State today would still control it.
The Court of Appeal Judgment
Am not a lawyer, I cannot question how or why the Justices of the Appeal Court reached their decision but they have decided. My advise is we should not question that but we should take that as given, they have given the Judgement already, what we need to do now is to prepare to go back for the election.
On Preparation for the re-run election
We are very prepared. All the structures of the party in Delta State are ready. People are ready to vote in Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan again. This State is predominantly PDP. I want to let you know that I don't see the office of any other party at Asaba. I am from Ethiope East Local Government Area and am a political leader at that level, I have not seen the office of DPP a political party in Isiokolo, in my ward I have not heard of any member of DPP and it goes round the whole state like that.
So if we are going to conduct another election in Delta State it will be difficult for another party to win in Delta State, (with due apologies to all other political parties in Delta State).
Presidential Support for Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan
It's a good omen that President Goodluck Jonathan has given Dr. Uduaghan his support. The president is a PDP man, for him to say he supports Dr. Uduaghan it clearly shows the determination of the party to win Delta State.
On Chief E.K Clarke's call on EFCC to arrest and prosecute Dr. Uduaghan
What I may want to say here is that when people reach certain age, they should use their age and influence to maintain peace in their homes and in their states. There are 36 states in Nigeria and there were 36 Governors. I have not heard of leaders in other 35 states pursuing their former Governors as we are seeing in Delta State. Why should we fight to finish, why should we not protect ourselves, leaders should use the latter part of their lives to make friends, give direction and to make peace.
I am an Urhobo man, but Uduaghan is not an Urhobo man he is Itsekiri. So long as he is the Governor of Delta State from the PDP he is my Governor. You do not use personal and ethnic sentiments to condemn somebody. Why invite the police, why invite the EFCC to go after someone. I don't like it, it should be discouraged.
Readers' Comments