The immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who has officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the ruling All Progressi
The immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who has officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the ruling All Progressives Congress, said he ditched his former party owing to President Muhammadu Buhari’s passionate interest for the development of the Niger Delta region. Emmanuel Uduaghan in a statement titled “Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field”, noted that despite Buhari’s inability to score the required 25 per cent in the 2015 election in the region, he has given direct focus to the development of the region.
While listing some of the development efforts by Buhari’s government, the former governor said, “Since the inception of the current All Progressives Congress, APC, administration at the federal level, there has been an encouraging interest and activities by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis. This has pointed in a direction that is at once progressive and developmental.
“Topmost in these activities are the ‘Engagement Processes.’ Rather than using the military to harass our people, the Buhari administration has embarked on various engagement processes that have led to agreements and brought hope to the people of the Niger Delta. In the last years, Mr. President has personally engaged several regional leaders and youths. Senior officials of his administration also engaged many Niger Delta leaders and youths.
“Very significant is that Mr. President mandated the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo SAN, to visit virtually all the oil producing states, engaging various stakeholders. This is unprecedented in the history of the region. Such engagement processes have brought some measure of peace in the Niger Delta. Things can only get better.”
The former governor who is contesting the Delta South Senatorial District in 2019, called on leaders in region to support efforts being made by the present administration to bring lasting peace to the area, adding that his defection to the APC was to offer such support. Uduaghan, who thanked leaders and members of his former party for urging him to stay, added that he prayed fervently divine direction before agreeing to leave the PDP where he served as commissioner, Secretary to the State Government.
“So I am going into APC as ‘John the Baptist’ to the numerous Deltans that are coming in, soon – very soon,” he concluded.
