Asaba has been unusually upbeat since the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, defected from the party, which brought him to political limelight, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The story of his well planned and executed defection, which some had regarded as an Ubulu Okiti palm wine parlour gist gained relevance when he accompanied Deputy Senate President (DSP), Ovie Omo-Agege, to the inauguration of Ilah Road.
Part of the story then, was that he was positioning himself to be selected as the running mate to Omo-Agege if and when he picks APC ticket to contest the governorship of Delta State since it is likely APC will zone the position to Delta Central.
Again he flew the kite of his rumoured defection when he took on Okowa by saying that based on the unwritten PDP’s rotation policy in the state, the next governor of the state ought to come from Delta Central where DSP hails from.
Not done, days later, he told a political gathering right there in Asaba, that in terms of performance, Okowa’s record is the worse of among those that have govern the state since 1999; however, he failed to tell his listeners that one of those he was comparing Okowa with, stole the state blind. That his repatriated loot is now a talking point in Nigeria.
That his reckless comparison got the wrong side of PDP in the state and pronto! he was slammed a year suspension. That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back and he defected to the APC. In fact, the rush with which he was presented to the president, showed that the defection had been long in coming. That his sponsors might have asked him to muddle the political water in the state, so he can find a good reason to jump ship; and the PDP in the state led by Olorogun Kingsley Esiso, fell for it by suspending him.
Well, all of that is not the crux of this write-up. However, the fear here is that his defection may be like the defection of the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Uduaghan had crossed over to APC when he could not get PDP ticket to represent Delta South Senatorial District at the senate. Then he had claimed that Okowa has made PDP uncomfortable for him; this is a man that all his political life, revolves around PDP.
At the APC, he got the ticket, contested the election but was floored at the polling booth by serial senator, James Manager, who also bloodied his nose at the Supreme Court when the election. matter was taken there.
Today, despite his boast, on the defection day, that he was a John The Baptist whose Jesus Christ is coming, Uduaghan like a dog that lost out in a street brawl tucked his tail between his legs, returned to the party as a joiner. A party he was one of the founders. He has lost relevance by that singular act.
May this not be the lot of Nwaoboshi; may he not have cause to return to his vomit like the prodigal son. Hope he will not crawl back to the PDP when the likes of Victor Ochei, Cairo Ojugboh would have frustrated the living day light off him.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
