Expdonaloaded News;I won’t allow anybody deny me benefits of APC’s victory –Emerhor

He emerged from a strictly corporate background to test the political waters with the senatorial bye-election in Delta Central on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2013. He did not win. Political watchers agreed he put up a good showing.
Then Olorogun Otega Emerhor raised his political game a notch higher, helping to plant and grow the All Progressives Congress (APC), the mega product of several legacy political parties, in Delta State. For his diligent efforts, he got the governorship ticket of APC for Delta State in the just-concluded general elections. He came third behind Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP), who was returned as governor-elect, and Great Ogboru of the Labour Party (LP). But this time, Emerhor is not accepting mat­ters lying low. He insists that elections did not hold in Delta and most parts of the South-South. He is optimistic that his resort to the Election Petition Tribunal in Delta will not only result in invalidation of the outcome of the poll, but Delta electorate will also eventually achieve their yearning to flow with the wind of APC change blowing across the country.post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.com..Emerhor, whose struggle with Ogboru for the endorsement of the influential Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) polarised the umbrella socio-cultural body of the Urhobo people, also speaks on the way forward for the re-unification of the group, the post-poll crisis afflicting APC in Delta, the quality of leadership President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari will provide, among other issues.
Excepts:
You lost the recent governorship elec­tion in Delta State, although your party won at the national level. What didn’t you get right?
We did not truly lose the governorship election in Delta. PDP stole the governor­ship election. Elections are only lost if they are conducted according to the rules and a winner emerges. In the election in Delta, as was also the case in Rivers and Akwa Ibom, the Card Readers were dis­carded, result sheets consficated and fab­ricated results announced in connivance with compromised Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff. A smokescreen of violence and intimidation and ballot box snatching was unleashed to provide cover for result manipulation. As you may be aware, we have filed our peti­tion at the tribunal to cancel the purported elections.
It is believed APC is not on ground and it came third in the election.
Again, the PDP always tries to play smart by half. In allocating the fabricated results, they deliberately and strategically kept APC in third position for the reason that they wanted to send a message to our APC national leaders, in preparation for their eventual defection to APC, that the current APC in Delta is not on ground. And as I speak, they are strenuously working on this scheme. But they failed ab initio when they extended this dubious scheme to Rivers State and others. Can they also claim APC is not on ground in Rivers? In any case, in Delta, look care­fully at the presidential results where they allotted 50,000 votes only to APC/Buhari and 1.2 million to PDP/Jonathan. Prior to this election, the projections were such that Buhari would win Itsekiri/Isoko votes 80 per cent, Urhobo/Anioma votes 40 per cent. Only the Ijaw areas were projected to give less than 20 per cent. So what hap­pened that Buhari didn’t get even 10 per cent from these areas?
Do you truly believe APC can win a rerun election in Delta?
After the Buhari win, Delta was set and ready for APC. Delta did not want to remain in opposition. Even stalwarts of PDP were with us on this and still are. PDP knew they would not win a proper free and fair election and that was why they did not allow an election on the field but resorted to snatching it in the air, so to speak. Under a Buhari government, a re­run, I believe, will be free and fair and in an environment of neutrality by INEC and the security forces. If Deltans are truly for once allowed a free hand to choose between the 16 years of PDP misrule and APC wind of positive change, they will definitely choose APC.
Where do Great Ogboru and Labour Party stand in all this? Some people claim he is already in touch with APC leaders.
You are aware we had an ugly and rancorous election struggle with Ogboru/Labour. Ogboru invested all his political capital in President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, which failed. He partnered with PDP to try to kill APC in Delta State and was rewarded with a second-place position by PDP in allocating the April 11 governorship election results. There exists a bitter and antagonistic divide between APC and Labour (Party) faithful in the state. Be that as it may, we must not forget that both parties come mainly from the same stock of opposition that had always before now wanted PDP ousted from the state. So, Ogboru should be free, if it is now his desire, to join forces with Emerhor.
Does this mean you are ready to work with Ogboru?
There is strength in unity of numbers and purpose. But this has to go through a process. For example, after the elections, the first place I ran into Ogboru was at the house of one of my leaders in Abuja. As I did not know his mission, I didn’t make it my business. Eventually, the said leader invited both of us to a meeting which turned out to be a meeting to get both of us to cooperate to cancel the governorship election at the tribunal. But I get the im­pression from Ogboru that he continues to rate himself as the most popular candidate and appears to suggest to our leadership that he/Labour (Party) be admitted to supplant the current APC, which some as­sume not to be on ground. In Delta, such approach aimed at going over our heads and discounting us, I can say definitely will be unhelpful. Apart from the fallacy of it, we in APC Delta not only invested in building a strong party, but also took the risk of going against the PDP and a sit­ting president, who is a Niger Delta son. Ogboru ran from this risk and pitched his tent with Jonathan. He cannot therefore be coming after the failure of Jonathan with a mindset.
There appears to be so much rancour in APC in Delta after the elections. Recently, some leaders of the party were expelled, leading to counter media publications. What is the root of this development?
There have been and still are some issues as you rightly observed. But I can tell you this is not anything unusual. Most times, when a party goes into an election in which members invested so much, including hope, and do not come out victorious, there is bound to be some recriminations. In fact, I believe in spite of what is going on, the party is in a good position. See what is going on in the na­tional PDP after Jonathan lost; the party is almost falling apart with calls for the sack of the chairman and the National Work­ing Committee (NWC). In Delta APC, I believe things would have been different if I had won the governorship election. My being the rallying point of the party in the state would have automatically been above challenge. So, because the election was stolen, it is not unexpected that these issues will rear their heads. We are, how­ever, lucky that APC won at the centre, producing the President-elect. I believe that it is even this win that has moderated the potential crisis, although it has also produced its own challenges.
We understand that these crises relate more to the struggle for offices to come from the national government. What is your take on this?
This possibility exists. See, even in the run-up to my election, not everyone was on board with me, whether through my or their fault. My winning would have helped, but not winning meant that some people would naturally go ahead of me to the national (APC) in an attempt to secure their own interests, which they perceive may not be protected by me as leader of the party in the state.
Is that why the APC leaders were expelled?
I would say that as it relates to lead­ers that were expelled, it is important to see clearly, the two issues that have been raised thereto. One, whether the state chapter has the powers to expel and whether offences were committed to war­rant such actions. From my own reading of the issues, it is the party constitution that can answer the issue of who has the power to expel. Furthermore, the party has a legal adviser as one of its executives, which will make me assume that this is­sue must have received his attention. On the offences, I believe these were clearly stated such that I do not believe there were any ambiguities. Offences do have conse­quences in order to maintain discipline in the party, but there is also due process to follow in securing discipline. However, I do know that reapproachment is currently ongoing to douse some of these conflicts. We must unite for the task ahead.
It is believed that your ministerial ambition, after your governorship loss, is at the heart of the crisis.
I believe the APC national leadership is putting a special dispensation in place in order to bring the three South-south states of Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom into the APC fold. This is why the three candi­dates in these states where the outrageous daylight election robbery took place are being encouraged and supported to go cancel these elections at the tribunal. Now, it is my belief that apart from competence and other qualifications, the other yard­stick that may be applied to these South-south states would be how the potential minister can use this position to foster the party’s objective of winning these states to the APC fold. Don’t forget that the PDP also held on to these states for strategic reasons, with a plan to use these resource-rich states as a launch pad for their 2019 renaissance. Under these circumstances, not to talk of my sacrifices and contribu­tions in building the APC in Delta State, starting from my senatorial bye-election in 2013 to my governorship candidacy and elections in 2015. I wonder what disquali­fies me from a ministerial appointment such that it will create a crisis as you alluded. A few ambitious people who may seek to reap without sowing will always be there, but I do not think I am the source of any crisis.
Is that a confirmation of your interest in the ministerial slot for Delta State?
I am confirming my interest to be of continuing service to my party and people of Delta State. Ministerial appointment is the prerogative of the President-elect through the instrumentality of the party.
How do you think the zoning of key positions in the APC will play out?
Of course, zoning is designed to ensure a fair and balanced spread of key political offices across the nation, reflecting our federal character. The APC being a party championing change will ensure this is done quite well. Nonetheless, a few hic­cups are visible. As you must now know, because of the massive rigging that took place in the South-south and South-east by the PDP with the active tolerance of people from these zones, these zones are consequently short of APC National As­sembly members. This is already reflect­ing on the zoning of offices. By and large, however, the leadership of APC will in no time resolve this crucial issue.
What should the nation expect from Buhari’s government?
In the short time since March 28 when he was declared President-elect, General Buhari has been an open book. It’s what you see that you get. He plans to run an open, transparent administration that will stamp out corruption, eliminate insecurity, improve the economy and create a new Nigeria. You can already glean a lot from his speeches to date, the inauguration and transition committee memberships he has made and actions like going out of his way to provide strategic support to a President Jonathan Agriculture Minister nominee for the African Development Bank (AfDB) managing director job. Buhari will work flat out and selflessly to make Nigeria succeed.
In the run-up to the general elections, the choice of whom to support split the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) between you and Ogboru. With the elections over now, what steps do you think should be taken to ensure the UPU house is one again?
As you know, the split arose because of the Uvwiamuge Declaration, which was clearly in support of APC, myself and General Muhammadu Buhari. Somehow, the executive led by Joseph Omene de­cided to shift the goal post and throw their support behind PDP that didn’t give the governorship to Delta Central, President Goodluck Jonathan and Ogboru, who was also not contemplated by the declaration, which said any party that gave the gover­norship to an Urhobo, UPU would mobil­ise and support it from the governorship to the presidential election. The Omene UPU refused to stand by the declaration. That was what led to the split. And Chief Tuesday Onoge, who stood by the declara­tion, supported me, APC and Buhari.
But the elections are over. My position then was that even if UPU didn’t want to stand by the Uvwiamuge Declaration, they should actually wait until the presidential election was over, so that Urhobo is not led into opposition. Again, they refused to take that piece of advice and they went ahead to adopt President Jonathan and Ogboru, both of whom have now failed.
But the interest of Urhobo would always be uppermost in the mind of any patriotic Urhobo. My advice is for fair-minded elders of Urhobo, the ivie (kings) of Urhobo and other concerned Urhobo to try to bring the two groups together, because the elections are over, we have a new president, who is General Buhari. We can’t continue to pretend that he is not the president. Of course, Onoge is triumphant, because he backed the right horse and today he is very welcome in the APC family. I am sure Buhari would be willing to see him because of the support he provided to the APC in Delta State. But I believe that in the overall interest of Urhobo, it is necessary for the whole UPU to be brought back together and for those who were wrong in their position to also show some remorse.
You talked of “fair-minded elders,” yet before the elections, these same elders took sides to the extent that interventions from different quarters to save the situation never worked. Do you think anything has changed substantial­ly for the parties to the dispute to listen to these elders?
Of course, something substantial has changed. Jonathan didn’t win the elec­tion. Buhari has won the election. APC has won over 20 states. PDP is now in opposition. Everything has changed. I think everybody sees the direction this country is going and there is no reason we can’t come together now. Urhobo can’t be in opposition. And not just Urhobo, Delta can’t afford to be in opposition.
Yes, I agree that the so-called fair-mind­ed elders may have had their positions. But above all, there are people who really genuinely didn’t take sides. The body of bishops was very forthright; the ivie were very forthright in this matter. A combina­tion of them and other elders of Urhobo would be able to resolve this problem. It’s not a big problem.
People took positions because they could not see tomorrow. Not everybody would have the same foresight or take the same position. That is normal. It’s just that some people took it to the extreme. But I think where we are now, people need to step back. And if you made a wrong cal­culation, you should be able to say, “yes, I was wrong.” That is the correct thing to do. We can’t continue to jeopardise the interest of Urhobo.
Many insist that the crisis in the first place was completely avoidable if UPU kept to its character as a socio-cultural organisation. Where do you stand on this?
I agree with you on that point. The UPU should not be politicised. It’s not a politi­cal party. It should only play the role of helping the people to achieve the objec­tive; even if it’s a political objective. They should not play the politics themselves, which I believe was the mistake that hap­pened. People in UPU were beginning to play the politics themselves. I think going forward, lessons have been learnt, and I think moderation will would come in, be­cause when UPU enters the ring, they are the ones defeated, instead of the political party; and that should not be.
You appear to exude so much confidence that the Election Petition Tribunal will cancel the governorship election in Delta. But given the difficul­ties in prosecuting election matters, what evidence are you anchoring your hope on?
The wind of change will affect the judiciary; it will affect INEC; it will af­fect the security agencies. These are the instruments that have been compromised by those who always want to impose their will. If Buhari says he’s going to fight cor­ruption, it’s going to cut across all sectors of our life. And I believe that is what is meant by wind of change. I believe that any election that will happen under Buhari will happen under a sane environment, because that is where Nigeria must go.
And the point about evidence and stuffs like that. Our case is very straightforward. We don’t believe that election took place. We believe they wrote the results. And we have gotten INEC to give us a record of card readers deployed, because they in­sisted that only card readers must be used for the governorship election and we have those results. We will compare them with what they declared. What we got from INEC is very different from what they declared. In Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, the results they declared are much higher than what the card readers recorded. It is now up to PDP and INEC to reconcile where the results they used to declare the candidates came from.
Have you taken into account that INEC also allowed manual accredita­tion during the voting?
No, not for the governorship election. That was for the presidential election. For the governorship, they were very clear; you either use the card reader or you post­pone the election. They gave us documen­tation to that effect and they can’t change the rule of the game while it is on.
What is your charge to Deltans and Nigerians following the recent elec­tions?
To Deltans, I just want to say persevere a while, your day of liberation from PDP misrule is numbered. To the larger nation, I say congratulations. You chose right by embracing APC and change. APC and Buhari will not fail you.