The Itsekiri ethnic nationality have reacted to the senatorial ambition of former Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan.
The ethnic group said Uduaghan’s past pedigree as governor was an indication that he will bring about development to the state, while at the National Assembly.
Speaking on behalf of the Itsekiri people, the President of Itsekiri Movement for Good Governance, IMGG, Jolomi Oritsegbemi said, “It is the turn of Itsekiri to produce a senator representing Delta South and Dr. Uduaghan is the only Itsekiri man who will make us reap the dividends of democracy come 2019. He is a true son, a man of the people who believes in developments and impacting lives. Over time, he has proven this, even when he was the governor of the state for eight years. In fact, this is the kind of leader Nigerians need to move the nation forward.
“It is only the Itsekiri ethnic nationality that has not produced a senator to represent the district since 1999. In the interest of equity and fair play, this should be our turn without any arguments. It is time to prove that Itsekiri people are not made to deliberately play the second fiddle to the other tribes.
“Itsekiri also had two federal constituencies, where Late Hon. Vincent Jemide and Late Hon. Sunny Dabor represented them. The two federal constituencies were to be reduced to one when Chief Chamberlain Abeki from Patani LGA, was appointed as national commissioner into the then Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO.”
He further reminded Deltans that an Itsekiri man was last in the senate 39 years ago.
The statement disclosed that “Itsekiri also had two federal constituencies, where Late Hon. Vincent Jemide and Late Hon. Sunny Dabor represented them. The two federal constituencies were to be reduced to one when Chief Chamberlain Abeki from Patani LGA, was appointed as national commissioner into the then Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO.’
”From 1979 till the current dispensation, five senators have represented Delta South Senatorial District. Out of these five, two were from Isoko (Senator Stella Omu and Senator Francis Okpozo of blessed memory) and another two were from the Ijaw tribe (Chief E.K Clark and Senator James Manager, the incumbent). The first and only senator who was from the Itsekiri stock was Chief Franklin O. M Atake in 1979.
”Interestingly, the incumbent senator, James Manager, an Ijaw man has been returned to the senate on four occasions consecutively. By the end of 2019, James Manager would have spent a total of 16 years in the Red Chambers and feelers from the district reveal that the people are tired of his representation.
The group said, ”All the ethnic groups feel that being a position for the three groups in Delta South, either an Isoko or Itsekiri should be favoured for the post this time around.
It said that ,”From all indications, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan is highly positioned to grab the senate seat considering that he withdrew from the race in 2015 to ensure that peace reigned in the state and he has always maintained that peace was more important than electoral victories.”
Comments