SENATOR OSAKWE, OKOWA, NED NWOO, OJUGBOH AT WAR OVER DELTA NORTH SENATORIAL SEAT

Ifeanyi Okowa

Ned Nwoko

Senator Osakwe

As the preparation for the 2011 election is getting hotter by the day, politicians seeking different elective positions have been scheming and campaigning to gain upper hands in their respective base. In Delta State, the contest for the Delta North Senatorial District seat is already shaking the state, owning to the caliber of politicians slugging it out.

Five political gladiators are the front runners for the Delta North race, and none of them is a push over. The contenders are Senator Patrick Osakwe, Dr. Cairo Ojugbo, Hon. Ned Nwoko, Mrs. Maryam Ali and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. However, these five top politicians have their story and low points.

For Senator Patrick Osakwe, it is instructive to note that he had been in the senate since 1999, which means he is spending his third term in the National Assembly. Osakwe is seeking a fourth term ticket.

Experience, which could have been an advantage for Osakwe is now becoming his albatross. Many in the Delta North Senatorial district, which is the Igbo speaking part of the Delta State called Anioma are disenchanted and angry that the senator after spending about 12 years in the senate has not been able to influence any developmental project into the district. Some leaders of the Delta North region have severally accused Senator Osakwe of using his position to amass wealth into his private pocket.

Meanwhile, the youth of the district have sworn to make sure that the dream of Senator Osakwe of going into the senate for the fourth term is torn into pieces.

But Osakwe who is a first class business administration graduate of University of Benin is unperturbed as we learnt he is ready to pacify the electorate with so much money he has made from contracts. Also, Chief Osakwe is banking on the support of Chief Tony Aninih and some few political war lords who have benefitted from him to make it back to the senate.

In overall assessment, Senator Osakwe is regarded as having outlived his usefulness. He has been accused severally of being inaccessible and has lost his steam as a lawmaker.

“When did you hear his voice in the senate? It is very unfortunate that he wants to go back the fourth time. He should be contended with having the record of the only senator in Delta that has been in the senate for three terms. He should go and sit down and let new blood replace him.” A Delta north politician opined.

A staunch number of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Patrick Osakwe had both in 1999 and 2003 won elections into the senate under the umbrella of the PDP, but in 2007, he decamped to the Accord Party after he lost at the PDP primaries to contest against Chief (Mrs.) Maryam Ali, the wife of the then National chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, who was given the party's ticket by the husband. After winning the elections under the Accord Party, Patrick Osakwe eventually decamped to the PDP where he is now seeking to run for the fourth time.

Another politician that can not be pushed aside in the Delta North Senatorial race is the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Dr. Cairo Ojugboh. This University of Benin trained medical doctor is infact a grassroot politician with a support base from the youth in his area, Agbor.

Dr. Ojuigboh was formerly an assistant to Chief Tony Anenih, when the latter was the minister for Works under ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo. Ojuigboh later contested into the Federal House of Representatives in 2003. While contesting into the House then, Ojugboh was alleged to have employed questionable tactics in running his main opponent during the primary election, Hon. Nduka Irabor out of the race. Irabor was said to have been kidnapped by some hoodlums and told to drop his ambition of returning to the House. That was how Irabor chickened out of the race and Ojugboh got the ticket. Expectedly accusing fingers were pointed at him as the mastermind of the Irabor Kidnap saga.

Now that Dr. Cairo Ojuigboh is eyeing the Delta North senatorial seat after his failed attempt at the governorship seat of the state in 2007, this strong politician from the Ika area of the district who is regarded as a money bag will need to extend his political base beyond Ika. He has the connection and can pull the right strings from where it matters.

But the only problem Dr. Cairo Ojuigboh may face is the perception of the 'do or die' politics he play, as well as the need to spread his political network beyond his local government area.

While Cairo Ojugboh may be counting on the support base of his native Ika land, the immediate past Secretary to the Delta State government, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, also a native of Ika, specifically from Boji-Boli Owa in Ika North East local government is already rubbishing the strength of Ojugboh in that area. The ex-SSG is also a front runner of the Delta north senatorial seat.

A two time commissioner under former governor James Ibori, Okowa, who is also a University of Benin trained Medical Doctor is a refined politician who is loved by many. A strong catholic, Okowa contested the governorship seat of Delta in 2007 and narrowly lost to the incumbent, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. He was eventually compensated with the position of the SSG.

Okowa's chances at the senate is very bright, as he has contacts within the government circle, and has enough cash to throw around.

But a big spanner that might be thrown into Okowa's political wheel is that he is seen as an agent of ex-Governor Ibori who is on the run from the Economic and financial Crimes Commission. Apart from that, he does not have any legislative experience, and may not be able to perform well in the National Assembly.

However, the Delta North Senatorial contest is not only a male affair as Mrs. Maryam Ali, the wife of the ex-PDP national chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali has once again thrown her headgear into the ring for the battle.

It would be recalled that in 2007, Maryam Ali was given the PDP ticket for the Delta North senatorial seat after she lost woefully at the party primaries which was won overwhelmingly by Prince Ned Nwoko. While Ned Nwoko deployed all legal means to get his stolen ticket back, another of the aspirant then, Senator Patrick Osakwe defected to Accord Party, and at the general elections, Maryam Ali was disgraced as she lost to Osakwe.

Also a medical doctor, Maryam Ali who hails from Asaba has no political experience other than being the wife of the former national chairman of the party.

Maryam Ali, apart from the money that can be spent here and there, is a paper weight politician. She is hinging her success at the polls on the sentiments of being a woman. Now that her hubby is no more the chairman of the PDP, and the free and fair election mantra of President Goodluck Jonathan, it remains unclear how she would garner support.

Mrs. Maryam Ali is also accused of being arrogant and selfish when her hubby was the boss of the party. There were reports that she frustrated the aspiration of Chief Godswill Obielum in becoming the governor of Delta state in 2007, and supporters of Obielum have sworn they will never let her smell the PDP ticket.

Meanwhile a Delta North senatorial aspirant who is on the lips of most of the electorates in the district is Hon. (Prince) Ned Nwoko. This United Kingdom trained legal practitioner was in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. he represented Aniocha /Oshimili Federal constituency. He became a political force within a short period and even the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo had to draft him into his think tank.

Ned Nwoko, while in the House of Representatives sponsored so many bills that eventually became laws. Examples are the monetization bill and minimum wage bill which is now being enjoyed all over the federation.

This international lawyer who still owns the best law chamber ever to be operated by a black man in the United Kingdom fought the leadership of the House of Representatives as represented by the then Speaker, Hon. Ghali Na'Abba to stand still over corruption issues. Ned had zero tolerance for corruption.

While receiving accolades for excellence performance of his legislative duties in the House, Ned Nwoko was also receiving awards and recognition for attracting federal projects to his constituency. It is instructive to note that the dualisation of Benin/Asaba road was one of the many projects Ned Nwoko influenced to his state.

In 2003, Ned Nwoko moved higher to contest the governorship election of Delta State against ex-governor James Ibori but was frustrated through high level political manipulations and fraud. In 2007, Ned opted to go back to the National Assembly, this time around, the senate. He won the PDP party primary convincingly but was robbed of the ticket by the then national chairman of the party, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, who decided to give the ticket to his wife despite public outcry and protest. Though, Ali's wife lost the general elections.

Hon. Ned Nwoko has the support of the youth and elders of the district. During his formal declaration for the 2011 senatorial contest recently, the crowd that came to show solidarity for Nwoko at the Idumije-Ugboko venue was unprecedented. Hundreds of women groups, including widows, youths, farmers, okada riders and elders from the local governments that make up the senatorial district were all in frenzy.

Even, Delta State elder statesmen, Chief Edwin Clark had to send a powerful delegation to give support to Nwoko during the declaration.

It is on record that Ned Nwoko wines and dines with the powers that be in Abuja and also has network of friends in the United Kingdom, China, Malaysia, Egypt, America and many other nations.

With his unprecedented grassroots support base and right connection in Aso Rock, coupled with being a big spender with unlimited flow of cash, Ned Nwoko is infact leading the Delta north senatorial race.

November 11, 2010