Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has stated that it was unfortunate for Niger Delta indigenes to kick against President Goodluck Jonathan’s perceived second term ambition.
The governor, who stated this at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, penultimate Wednesday, said the north should be ready to support Jonathan if he indicates interest in the 2015 presidential race.
Governor Uduaghan, a Medical Doctor, was in Lagos to receive the Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the highest award given by the institution.
While expressing disappointment that those against Jonathan’s political aspiration were essentially from the Niger Delta region, the governor called on his kinsmen to support Goodluck Jonathan’s political career.
He said, “Many people in the Niger Delta believe that this opposition against Jonathan is because he is from Niger Delta. They started with performance, but now people are beginning to see performance.
“I don’t see any President who has served and seen the kind of challenges he had on Boko Haram from day one.
“And that is why some of us are saying that the opposition for Jonathan should not come from his region, and I still say it that the opposition should not come from his region. People of his region should put their hands and heads together and see how we can build bridges across the other parts of the country and make him succeed as a President.”
Asked on his present relationship with Governor Amaechi, he said, “Amaechi is my friend, he is fine, I said he is my friend, he is fine,” even as he pleaded for calm in the polity.
“There are regional challenges, there are security challenges, there are even religious challenges, that we need to sit down and discuss and agree on the way forward.
“Until we sit down and put the things on the table, then we start the process of give and take. Okay, from this part of the country, these are the challenges and from the other part of Nigeria, these are the challenges, okay I will give in to this, you will give in to that, we start the process of give and take and eventually, arrive at something that is acceptable to everyone and we move on from there. It might not even be the best by the time we even agree, but with time, we build on what we have started as a people.
Countinuing, he added, “There is much suspicion, there is so much distrust. I mean, let me take the issue of President Jonathan for instance, many people in the Niger-Delta believe that the opposition against him is because he is from Niger-Delta.
“So the Niger-Delta people are looking at it, is it because he is our son and that is why all these problems are happening? Is it because he is our son that is why some of these moves are being made against him, which they didn’t do against their people.
“When they wanted to be president, they came to us, and we gave them the highest votes, now that our son is there, we expect that they should also give us the highest vote. You know these are questions. They may be real, they may be abstract, but they are questions people from that region are asking,” he stated.
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