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By Dele Giwa Niels

The battle for the soul of Delta State in the just-concluded transitional elections didn’t come as a surprise to many as there were conspiracies of attacks on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state as many, including greenhorns in the field of realpolitik, who threw hats into the rings in their bid to succeed the incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, author of the S.M.A.R.T Delta agenda.

In the twilight of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC organised electioneering campaigns in Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, political pundits had made permutations as to where the pendulum will swing, with the actors and gladiators in the transition.

The 2023 general elections offered a debate as to which ship was best seaworthy to wade through the stormy and shark-infested murky waters of Nigerian politics with the aim of reaching our destination and attaining our goals as a people under God.

It was a debate between Sheriff Oborevwori/Sir Monday Onyeme idea of the PDP and the DSP Ovie Omo Agege/Friday Osanebi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), being the most prominent among the packs who filed out to wrest political power from the incumbent.

The APC, which the game changer in the person of High Chief Tony Amechi pitched camp prior to his formal defection to the PDP, was actually gathering momentum in the campaigns until that same campaign nosedived into the abyss owing to irreconcilable differences not unconnected with notable malfeasance, profligacy and deceit within the ranks of the broom party.

Chief Amechi, who is a philanthropist, industrialist and multiple titles holder saw through the deceit and choreographic shenanigans of those that claimed they were the saviours of Ndokwa Nation whereas they were enslavers, oppressors and immediately hopped out of the wrecking ship to ensure he got to safety. He indeed anchored safely in the end.

One of the most appalling deceits was the lopsidedness in locating Federal Government projects under the purview of a self-acclaimed candidate of the broom party were only located in the Delta Central Senatorial District, but at Orogun, where the worshipper of small deities hailed from, leaving Ndokwa nation wherein he claims to be the Messiah with nothing. And also, one of their frontiers – his deputy, who failed to represent the interests of the Ndokwa nation despite enjoying the goodwill of the people at the polls.

That is why despite Amechi’s membership of the APC, he did the noble act of pledging allegiance to protecting the interests of his people and that singular act caused even those in the other camps to follow suit and this was seen in the wave of defections prior to the general elections.

It was also seen at the eleventh hour that the Ajuwa of Aboh Kingdom and the Onwa 1 of Umusadege Utagba-Uno’s master stroke saw even APC stalwarts work for the umbrella party in Ndokwa Nation to deliver the ruling party at the polls. There was a swing decision on account of the chord struck by the multiple title holder, and it crippled the major opposition.

The Delta state gubernatorial elections have come and gone, which only meant that Ndokwa Nation remained PDP due to the political doggedness and sagacity of the master strategist, Chief Amechi, who did not only deliver his polling unit for the PDP but overran the opposition in the length and breath of Ndokwa land, a development, which hit Ndokwa political establishment like a thunderbolt and at the same time exposing the weakness of the running mate in the opposition party, who also lost his local government area (Ndokwa East) to the PDP.

As early as 3pm, Ajuwa of the ancient Aboh Kingdom had already beaten the supposed deputy governor aspirant to surrender as the credible, transparent, and generally accepted results of the elections were announced hitch-free.

To Ajuwa, the East of Ndokwa nation with the support and solidarity of the people was easy to walk over at the polls due to brazen rascality and disrespect to the masses of our people, who agreed to live with the devil they know and forbid the unknown angel in their political life.

Such victorious politics must not be downplayed and swept under the carpet as mere trivialities but a giant stride undertaken by a man who knows the game of real politik. For Chief Amechi, it is just the beginning of a new era in the politics of the oil-rich state.

Bookmakers want to see an Amechi thrive with the created political momentum as he meanders through the cusps and troughs of the political wave-lengths within the Ndokwa democratic space. He has shown enough proof that if empowered and momentum added to him by the larger PDP and not neglected, the Ndowa wizkid has the capacity to hit the rooftop in his political adventures.

The Chairman of Tony Amechi Foundation, TAF, has spoken loudly in action by destroying the insurrection of the wicked against the PDP, and such character should be placed in high places for greater days ahead.

He spent fortunes calculatively and achieved his desired results. The Onwa of Umusadege Utagba-Uno deployed people he didn’t starve. He funded party leaders irrespective of the structure while strengthening the party executives for high productivity and that they achieved. The latest feat achieved by this industrialist opens a new vista in the field of politics in Delta state and this is the act of the last minute outreach to the electorates and also the election day mop up. He did it and it worked out for his party.

TAF Chairman taught his opponents bitter lessons, which includes and not limited to being too boastful, don’t assume your victims can remain same at all times, you can only deceive the people at times and not all the times. He taught the broom party and its leadership in the state how not to underrate or fence out party assets in the name of crass politics.

APC came into the political picture in the state with the aim of telling lies to power, and the people rejected them, and they so remain rejected at least for the next 8 years.

Ndokwa nation has refused to tie itself to the apron strings of a lackadaisical and selfish bunch, who relish lies. That bunch is peopled by extortionists, who lack good conscience and can never rule a state like Delta. A party, whose leadership explores the imperfections inherent in it to fleece aspirants, extort stakeholders, who are ready to plough in their resources for greatness; such leaders are clog in the wheels of progress to such organisation and the resultant effect is the abysmal failure at the polls.

The Delta State electorate have overwhelmingly agreed to live with the umbrella party and never will APC see the light of day in the big heart state. The people’s rejection of the broom party didn’t happen by accident it was designed by superlative track records, antecedents, capacity, honesty, competence, objectivity, and communication with the electorates.

The then running mate to the PDP gubernatorial candidate, now the deputy governor-elect wasn’t caught up in the web of scandalously sharing monies meant for party agents at the polls, neither did he tinker with the security votes meant for party men; why won’t PDP give the such corruption-infested party a bloody nose at the polls?

The umbrella party is a serious organisation and not a money-sharing group, which mistook politics for a tea party.

In Delta State, democracy has come to stay and its power resides in the people, which of course is the slogan of our party: “Power to the People” and not a sole administratorship as we have in that party that runs on a single wheel. In PDP, the people are major assets, and this underscores why the umbrella party will sustain its winning streaks into the century – God willing until he who comes to equity comes with a clean hand. 2023 came with a huge lesson to learners in the political arena while the winning party files its rough edges by fulfilling all its campaign promises to Delta State electorates. This victory is a victory for all well-meaning people of the oil-rich state.

Kudos to the TAF Foundation and its team and a blast of seven cannons for our most revered Chief Amechi.

*Niels writes from Umutu, Ukwuani L.G.A, Delta State