Date 2014-03-06
Category Gist & Gossip
(APC), has accused Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of using millions of naira to induce members of his party, to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The state APC boss made the startling allegations while taking questions from newsmen on Tuesday. The comments followed the outcome of the recently concluded party nationwide membership registration. Jones Erhue said he regretted recent comments by the Governor who recently said that apart from the PDP, there is no other party in the state that was now bribing APC members to defect to the PDP.
“Before my joining the APC, I was a staunch member of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) who stood by Chief Great Ogboru. He oversaw the reigns of election rigging, and manipulation of election results, results that had an impact in the state. My party now, the APC produced several members in the state house of Assembly, but as we talk, they have left the party to the PDP, with only one of my members, the Hon. Benjamin Okiemute Essien, remaining. He has vehemently refused to be wooed to the PDP, despite millions of naira being used to entice him. Hon. Essien is a member of APC, he is our member whether you like it or not,” he said. The tone of his comments were angry, and pointed, and with a stern rise in his voice added, that, “Uduaghan should stop using money to induce him to leave our party and join his PDP.”
“Let us be realistic. In the past elections, we know what happened. We are all Nigerians. We all live in this part of the world. We saw the opposition, for the first time, coming out strong. We won more than 13 seats in the state House of Assembly. The system that brings people up in this country is so corrupt, that anything goes. When a corrupt system brings people up, it brings corrupt people out. That is the problem we are having.
“Governor Uduaghan said recently that apart from the PDP there is no other party in the state, so why threaten and bribe our members with millions of naira?” Jones Erhue asked reporters. The Hon. Essien, and others in the Delta state House of Assembly, have concluded all arrangements to formerly fly our flag in the house, refusing to decamp and leave their party to come to PDP. You cannot coax a man to do things against his wishes. Governor Uduaghan should stop bribing our members to decamp to his party. APC has no respect for incumbency as far as elections are concerned, and let’s see how his boast will go in the state.”
While blasting the Governor’s administration as a monumental failure dressed in corruption, the APC chairman criticized Uduaghan’s acclaimed giant strides in the state. He took aim at what he called, “the infrastructure work is one of flaws, despite claims of improvement, but, rather, duplication of already existing roads are, in his view, “mere newspaper and television propaganda.” Jones Erhue went on to say that his party, the APC, is the party of change, desired by everyone who has joined, and come to stay.
“Visit Edo state, visit Rivers State, visit Lagos state, and you will be marveled of their giant strides that you can see, and feel on the ground, but in Delta state, the reverse is always the case. Governor Uduaghan’s giant strides are only seen on the pages of newspapers, social media and TV. A situation where roads are repaired half haphazardly, the beginning of the road will be tarred, but when you get to the middle, nothing is done. But still, Uduaghan will go ahead to commission such roads, and the next day you see stories in newspapers, social media, and TV propaganda at work showcasing how hard the governor is working, but only reporting on the tarred section of the roads, and leaving the uncompleted sides out of the picture, this is the sort of thing we see all the time in Delta state.
“We are happy that APC has come to liberate our people, APC has come to effect the change we have clamoured for. Just come and take a look at the Asaba-Ughelli so called dualization and you will appreciate more of what I am saying. You said you have constructed roads, but the roads are not drivable, from Asaba to Warri, it is dualised in the newspaper and when I leave here for Edo State, I see that the government is touching the lives of its people. I go to Rivers State and I see the government is touching the lives of its people and I come back to my place and I say no, this is not it. Well, I must commend Governor Uduaghan, he has tried especially the continued poverty he has inflicted on my people and Deltans as a whole.”
According to the APC chairman, the recently concluded membership registration drive was a huge success. Many new members were added. The party materials got to every part of the state, and the new distribution methods that were adopted, were successful. Most of all, there was no hijacking of party materials nor a shortage of materials.
Prophet Erhue also said that everybody was tired of the government of impunity of the PDP. It is a government that cannot provide basic social amenities for its people. So, with the APC rising as an alternative, everybody is coming out to join the party.
The plan of the APC is a call for good governance in Delta state. The party chairman stressed that the APC plan is the same plan all over the country.
“APC wants to give a fair and reasonable government; a government of the people, for the people and by the people. A government of the people is a mass movement. APC is a mass movement; a mass movement comes from the people; people who have the same plan, the same ideology and the same reason for coming together and nobody can stop a mass movement. When the APC takes over power, we will provide not only quality, but also free education, good transportation and general improvement on governance. Governance will be given real meaning and it will touch everyone and when the government touches the people, they gain so much from the government.
Yet, even with that pretty picture, there remain challenges.
The APC chairman disclosed that party officials have identified moles in the party. These moles had allegedly been sponsored by the PDP to foster, what he called, disaffection and to hijack the structure of the party.
“These moles with governorship ambition are floating so many interest groups within the party. We have identified them as PDP sponsored agents in the party, but the good news is that we have been able to block all the loopholes from them gaining ground in our party. As the party chairman been led by God, I discovered more of these moles during our party membership registration process across the state. These moles were planted by the PDP. They are mainly involved in the spreading of unfounded rumours just to cause problems in our party.
“At this junction, I want to advise our party members to beware of persons claiming to be authentic leaders of APC in the state. Our members should open their eyes very well and beware of moles in APC pretending to be dedicated members, ask them about their past antecedents before the coming of APC. What were their past records like, in the past elections? Our members should not be deceived by the antics of these pretending moles in the APC in Delta state.
“We know how some of these self acclaimed leaders parading themselves in our APC sold out in the past and they are now in APC and we know once the opportunity to sell out comes they will not hesitate to sell out again because once a pr0stitute is always a pr0stitute. Our members will continue to remain steadfast, and ignore any form of blackmail, as been done already by the moles in the party. APC is a moving train prepared to give direction to all those without direction.”
On that note, Prophet Jones Erhue ended his session with the media. The allegations of bribery, and his sharp criticism of the sitting governor are certain to fuel the next election cycle in what promises to be an emotionally charged contest.