I Didn’t Endorse Ogboru, Says Uduaghan, Accused Mischief Makers for Trying To Pitch Him against Delta APC

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said denied that he boasted that Chief Great Ogboru would be the standard bearer of his new party, All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 gubernatorial election.

He was reacting to an online media report that quoted him (Uduaghan) as saying that APC will win Delta State election with Ogboru in 2019 during his private meeting with the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

But Uduaghan, an APC Delta State senatorial hopeful, in a statement by his

Media Assistant, Monoyo Edon, on Wednesday night, said the report in the online media ascribed to him was the handiwork of mischief makers who are still jittery over his defection from the PDP, and want to pitch him against the leadership of his new party in Delta state.

He said as a grounded politician, he knows the implications of tinkering with party’s internal democracy and would not want to get involved with such sensitive issues.

According to the statement, “The attention of Dr. Uduaghan has been drawn to a news report on Premium Times online of August 29, 2018, credited to him wherein it was reported that Uduaghan boasted that Ogboru would be the standard bearer of the party in the 2019 gubernatorial election.

“The public, especially the APC family in Delta State should please disregard the said report as it is a malicious reel of lies geared towards denting the new relationship between Uduaghan and his new party members.

“While it is a fact that the former governor was one of the chieftains, who attended the National Caucus meeting of the APC last Tuesday, it is not true that the party Chairman, Oshiomhole, held a private meeting with Uduaghan where he tasked him with fielding Ogboru as the consensus candidate for the 2019 state gubernatorial election.”

Uduaghan, according to the statement, urged members of the party and supporters to disregard the report, noting that no such endorsement was made throughout the duration of the National Caucus meeting.

“It is no longer news that Uduaghan is now a member of the APC after successfully decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).