By Charles Okogene
…Real reasons she was suspended
The wind of suspension that has been blowing across Delta State has blown away Ms. Lauretta Onochie, the chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from All Progressives Party (APC).
Onochie until her appointment as NDDC’s chairman was one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s media aides.
She was accused of working for Atiku Abubakar during the presidential election, the same Atiku that took her to court for libel.
Her suspension from her ward in Aniocha South Local Government Area, may have come to Nigerians as a surprise, but not to those who are in the know in Delta State and have been keeping a tab on her political journey since 2015.
To them, Onochie deserved all that she got because she had not been a good party woman at the ward level.
“Her suspension is not surprising to me. Some of us saw it coming. She is not loyal to the party at ward level; she never showed interest in the affairs of the party during the election especially the presidential election. Never attended any of their rallies or meetings, she was completely aloof,” the concerned citizen said.
Another person who is a journalist based in the state stated that like Cairo Ojugboh who was also suspended by his ward six in Ika South Local Government Area last week, said she was not in cordial relationship with the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who was also the party’s governorship candidate for the state.
The journalist claimed that Onochie never attended any of Omo-Agege’s campaign.
“I can tell you that she never attended any of DSP’s campaign even when it came to her local government, so I was not surprised when the suspension came,” he said.
But beyond the campaign intrigues, sources said that she has been having a no love lost relationship with Omo-Agege over her appointment as NDDC’s chairman.
Omo-Agege an unconfirmed source said had expected that an Urohobo man or at best someone from Delta South Senatorial Zone, would have been appointed by BUHARI to occupy that juicy office but was surprised that a person from Delta North was made the occupant.
Again Omo-Agege, the source said, failed to realise that apart from the fact that Onochie is a bonafide Deltan from Ubulu-Uku, she was one of the early supporters of BUHARI when it was not clear if he will the presidency in 2015 unlike Omo-Agege who came to the party when the food has been served.
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Like a source said ” he came to chop.”
It was the advantage that Onochie used to pull the rug off Omo-Agege’s feet.
With the current situation of things in the state, it is likely that Omo-Agege’s political career in the state is ended.
