We, the Ndokwa Multi-Stakeholders Group, an Association of all Ndokwa people of Delta state, Nigeria at home and in the Diaspora, wishes to congratulate Major-General Muhammad Buhari on his victory at the Nigerian Presidential Elections of 28th March 2015. We would also like to commend the out-going President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, for his statesmanship in quickly conceding and graciously accepting an unequivocal democratic outcome and congratulating his main opponent at the polls, even before final votes were counted by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC. The democratic victory was for the millions of Nigerians who defied the weather elements and trouped out en masse to vote candidates of their choice, some over a two-day period, which ensured that our nascent democracy remained on course.
The Ndokwa Multi-Stakeholders Group – Political Action Committee (NPAC) notes with regret the results of the National Assembly Elections of Saturday, 28th March, 2015 in Delta State where by hook or by crook, the entire state Senators and House of Representative members elected appear to now be in minority parties, largely PDP and one Labour Party Representative elect. This, at a time when the APC is now the majority party, having won majority seats at both chambers of the bi-cameral Nigerian National Assembly; and is also positioned to control the Federal Presidential Executive. By the PDP “victories” across Delta state, when the APC party won the Presidency elections and majority in the two Houses of the National Assembly, our Delta representatives are ruled out from the leadership of the two houses, including the Senate President and the Deputy; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and his deputy; The Senate and House Majority leaders; the Chief Whip of both Houses, and other legislative leadership and committee headship positions would be reserved for the majority party, which is also the governing party of the President-elect, the APC. The undeniable political reality is that the PDP would be in minority as the party of opposition at the Federal Level for the next four (4) years at a minimum.
In the light of the above, and considering the fact that Delta State, a key stakeholder in the generation of Nigerian national revenues, being an important oil and gas producer would not have any significant influence at the Centre Table at Abuja when Federal Funds and other goodwill patronages are distributed, if we also do not have the ruling party Governor in our state to link up comfortably to the powerful and Strategic Centre to “bring home the Bacons” and provide the dividends of democracy to the good people of Delta State. Make no mistake about it for opposition politics between the State and the Federal government hardly pays in Nigeria, and those who argue otherwise should be reminded of the withholding of Lagos State Local Government Statutory Allocations between 2002-2007 during the Presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP and the AD government of Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State; not even a Supreme Court victory by Governor Tinubu would make Obasanjo hand over Lagos State’s legal funds. From our political history, we may also recall that during the Nigerian Second Republic (1979 – 1983) only NPN-controlled states had effective Presidential Liaison Officers (PLOs), and had Federal Government Secretariat Buildings constructed for them. UPN-controlled states received very insignificant federal support.
Whilst it is true that the Federal Executive Council (Cabinet) must have at least one nominee from each state, only the party in control at the state would make the ministerial nomination and that would not come from the Governor if an opposition party government is in that state. Besides, same party states are favoured to nominate up to two Ministers in most cases to fill up the senior and junior ministerial posts. There are other patronages and advantages an “allied-to-president’s” party governor could attract which are not under statutory limitations. The powerful Nigerian Presidential Executive has the mandate to not only appoint Federal Ministers, but also Ambassadors and heads of Missions; Chairmen and Board Members of important Parastatals and Government Corporations and agencies like NNPC, NPDF, NPA, Aviation, Customs; and heads of the state institutions, including EFCC, ICPC, Police, etc.
The PDP has for sixteen long years been at the helm of leadership in Delta State, save for a few years when Ndokwa West and Ukwuani Local Governments voted for opposition party DPP out of frustrations about the ill treatment the ruling PDP continued to impose on Ndokwa people. Unfortunately the beneficiaries of that epoch protest votes betrayed our people when the two State Assembly members clandestinely and surreptitiously cross-carpeted back to the oppressor party, PDP, whose method of annexing power is anything but by the people’s vote. Had the PDP Government at both the state level in Asaba and at the three local government areas rendered good governance and public service delivery to our people, we would forgive them and give them our votes next Saturday. In Ukwuani/Ndosimili (Ndokwa) areas, government services at every level have been non-existent. Projects initiated or embarked upon, purportedly for the benefit of the people, were either abandoned or poorly constructed; and in most cases, not commenced at all as funds were diverted and misappropriated. Some political office holders have also willfully interfered with road construction projects thus causing their non-completion. Demands for accountability from government officials and the self-elected representatives fell on deaf ears and most times elicited taunts from these officials. Indeed, we are very much dissatisfied with the PDP’s 16-year record which shows lack of performance. Accordingly, we, the members of the Ndokwa Multi-Stakeholders Group wish to avoid the PDP because of their poor 16-year governance record; and hereby urge all voters in Ndokwa/Ukwuani and Delta State in general to give block votes to the APC party, which is also the party at the centre.
Whilst the Ndokwa Multi-Stakeholders Group believe that the Emerhor/Abanum ticket of the APC presents the most formidable and capable ticket comprised of experienced people that can be trusted with sound business leadership, administrative skills and public finance management – and untainted by the PDP misrule of sixteen years, unlike the PDP offer of a governorship candidate, which we believe is a very active member and offshoot of the discredited “Ibori dynasty,” and their leader – James Ibori – that was indicted in a court of law for mismanagement, financial corruption and arbitrary rule. We also believe as Ndokwa people that we have only “one Horse” in the race to occupy Government House, Asaba as Governor and Deputy Governor from May 29th, 2015. And that single Horse is Ogbuefi Vander-Puye Oliseloke Thomas Abanum, the deputy governorship candidate of the APC ticket. His ticket, as running mate to Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Delta State Governorship Candidate of the APC is hereby endorsed unequivocally to all registered voters in Ndokwa and Delta State on 11th April 2015.
We make this explicit endorsement of the APC Delta State governorship ticket bearing in mind the overall interest of our Ndokwa people, both at home and abroad. We also endorse the APC tickets for all the three (3) State Legislative Seats for Ukwuani State Constituency, Ndokwa West State Constituency and Ndokwa East State Constituency for the Delta State House of Assembly elections. We believe that Ukwuani/Ndokwa people and Deltans in general should not be in opposition to the APC at the Federal, State and local tiers of government.
Therefore, we urge all Ndokwa people and Delta State indigenes to Accept Progressive Change and vote for APC candidates on 11th April 2015!
Long live Ndokwa
Long live Delta State
Long live Nigeria
For Ndokwa Multi-Stakeholders Group Political Action Committee (NDOKWA PAC)
Signed: Emeke Enebeli (Warri, Nigeria); Comrade Grahams Abadoni (Obiaruku, Ukwuani LGA)
Signed: Okei Okusogu (Maryland, USA) Signed: Sylvester Ogbolu-Otutu (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Signed: Emmanuel Onyeme (Munich, Germany); Tony Ishiekwene (London, UK); Dr. Ezekiel Nwose (Australia)
