SAN FRANCISCO, September 24, (THEWILL) – As exclusively reported in our previous edition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday formerly handed a former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) chief, Emmanuel Agwariavwodo, the mandate to fly its flag in the October 5 Delta Central senatorial by-election .
Agwariavwodo emerged as the party’s candidate following the withdrawal of three other contenders for the ticket, namely the former Secretary to the Delta State Government, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege; the political advisor to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Chief Ighoyota Amori; as well as three-time member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon John Halims Oghenechuko Agoda, from the race.
Impeccable sources disclosed that the three contenders for the slot were asked by the party’s leadership to stand down for Agwariavwodo to enable a candidate from Ughelli South LGA complete the unfinished tenure of the late Senator Pius Ewherido, who died on June 30 at the National Hospital Abuja,.
Three other aspirants, namely Chief Andrew Oru, Mr. Solomon Edojah and Mr. Solomon Udele, had earlier been defeated by Agwariavwodo at a primary conducted on Tuesday at the Sapele township stadium.
Responding to the party’s directive that he and other two contenders should stand down, Agoda said as a good party man, he had no problems with the directive but noted that his withdrawal had nothing to do with his competence to effectively and efficiently represent the people of Delta Central.
“And such decision taken by the party, I will respect it. The decision of the governor (Uduaghan), I will respect because Delta Central and the Urhobo nation needs to belong to the mainstream politics of the country. I have given my firm commitment to the party that I will work for whosoever the candidate may be.
“Whosoever the party might present, we will work for that person. Whoever the governor of this state and federal government shall present, we would all work for that person, because we know the party will put down a credible person .So on behalf of my people, I am pledging that we will deliver that person when the time comes.
“We would not want the election to be tensed, but we should be able to explain to people what the PDP-led government at local, state and federal levels has done in the past and what is in the pipeline for the people. From now till the election time, I am going to be here to support the party’s candidate. We will work together as one big party and as a family, “ he stated.
In the same vein, Hon. Eddy Sorhue from Udu Local Government described Hon. Agoda acceptance of PDP directive as a show of high understanding and humility, urging Agoda’s followers to continue to work for the success of the party at the election.
Ogboru, in his response, noted that with the present PDP political structure in Delta Central, the party candidate will surely win the by-election, saying ” We have collective force to win the election.”
Meanwhile, a PDP chieftain in Uvwie Local Government Area, Chief John Willy-Ashubu, has described the choice of Agwariavwodo as a welcome development for the people of Delta Central, urging other PDP aspirants to emulate the show of humility displayed by Agoda to ensure the party comes victorious at the election.
However, the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Delta Central senatorial district was still in the process of selecting its own candidate as the primary was still ongoing in Ughelli, headquarters of Ughelli North LGA when filling this report with Olorogun Richard Odibo and Chief Ede Definone as the two main contestants.
