FORMER PRESIDENT, JONATHAN MEET EX GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE

WARRI- FORMER President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan met with ex-governor of Delta State and All Progressives Congress, APC, Delta South senatorial candidate, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, weekend, in Warri, Delta State, few days after the former launched his book, “My Transition Hours.”

Good luck Jonathan

They met at First Baptist Church, Warri, during the nuptials between Dr. Oroghene Oghenejobo, daughter of the owner of FENOG, a major player in the nation’s oil industry and Mr. Oluwafemi Ologun.

Dr. Uduaghan, gunning for Delta South senatorial seat on APC platform in the 2019 general election, wanted to contest the position in 2015 against the incumbent Senator James Manager, but in deference to Jonathan, he bowed to the forces that were up against him.

It was not clear when both leaders met last, but Uduaghan, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in August, was one of the very close allies of Dr. Jonathan until he lost power in 2015.

Uduaghan’s predecessor, Chief James Ibori, and other PDP leaders reportedly prevailed on Senator Manager to concede to Uduaghan, having served in the senate for practically 16 years, but he rejected all overtures.

"I won’t let you down, Urhoghide assures constituency."

Senator Manager, who will be contesting for fifth tenure in 2019, is of Ijaw extraction like Jonathan. He refused to step aside for Uduaghan even after the 2015 episode, one of the reasons the former governor decamped to APC.

Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan

Though Ibori did not want Uduaghan to leave the PDP, he because he desired a “bigger playing field,” he moved to APC.

Recently, when elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, spoke on the desirability of Central senatorial district (Urhobo) allowing the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to complete the eight -year tenure of  North senatorial district (Anioma) under an unwritten power rotation arrangement in the state, some Urhobo leaders charged at him, asking why he did not counsel Senator Manager to drop his ambition for other tribes in South senatorial district.