I Defected to APC Because PDP is a Stagnant Party, Says Uduaghan

• You left no legacy, Delta govt tells former governor

Sylvester Idowu in Warri Omo-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Immediate past Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said he decided to defect to All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because his former party has become stagnant.

But the Delta State Government yesterday lashed at Uduaghan, saying he has no legacy in his eight years in government.

The former governor also said he changed his mind to be part of the ‘progressives’ since he realised that APC has been the only party in the forefront of fighting for the people of the Niger Delta region.

Uduaghan stated this yesterday when he paid a consultative visit to the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, at his palace in Warri, noting that these were few of the reasons he joined APC.

He, however, assured the monarch that he is contesting for Delta South senatorial seat to represent, not only the people of Delta South, but also the entire Niger Delta region.

The former governor said Delta State cannot continue to play opposition party, noting that if the state continues to be in the opposition, it might be left behind in the scheme of things.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Government yesterday lashed at the former governor, saying he has no legacy in his eight years in government.

Briefing journalists in Asaba in reaction to recent media report credited to the erstwhile Governor, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, said Uduaghan’s “dreaming claims of legacy projects will not fly”.

Saying it was not “the style of the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s led government to respond to fallacious claims,” Ukah said “but we owe the public the duty to set the record straight particularly when such lies are spilled by a former governor who this administration has given his dues and respect.

“Since the recent defection of former Governor Uduaghan to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the PDP where he was bred and fed, we are inundated with both clandestine and visible plot to drag the Governor Okowa led government into his dwindling political fortune just to deceive the public and possibly score very cheap political point.”

Continuing, Ukah said: “We challenge Uduaghan to tell the world about the said legacy projects he claimed to have left behind which this government has destroyed.

“It is worthy noting that Uduaghan led administration’s free healthcare program had a budget of about N700 million yearly providing free healthcare in urban cities and secondary health facilities only.

No Primary Healthcare Facility (PHC) in rural communities where the real people that needs the free healthcare the most, was involved in the program”.

The information commissioner said “a man who couldn’t summon courage to vie for a senatorial election as a sitting governor is here boasting about leading a failed mission to unseat a hardworking Okowa who is committed to cleaning up the mess he left behind in his uneventful and sad era as governor.

“It is indeed amazing that the same Uduaghan, who few months ago endorsed Okowa for a second term on account of his sterling performances in spite of the downturn in the economy displayed lack of integrity when he stylishly dodged the question on the performance of Okowa while on Channels TV Hard Copy programme”.

While assuring Uduaghan and his new found political family that Deltans are impressed with the developmental efforts of the PDP led government in the state, Ukah said the people of the state are prepared to return Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for a second term in 2019.

Noting that the boasting of taking over Delta State in 2019 would remain an exercise in futility, he said “Deltans and Nigerians who visit the State daily are aware that the former governor has no legacies.”