Delta former Governor Uduaghan joins APC to contest for senate, join in sharing national cake

Former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has said that he joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, not only because the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has used the rule of engagement to bring peace in the Niger Delta but also he wants to be in the boardroom so that he will be part of the dividing and sharing of the national cake.

This is as the former Senate Minority leader and immediate Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswil Akpabio, said that the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari has endeared him to the masses adding that he was infectious and had brought respect to the country from the international community.

The two former governors from the Niger Delta who served on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party from 2007 to 2015 but recently defected to the APC, spoke after attending their first APC caucus meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday night. When asked whether he had dumped the PDP, Uduaghan said, “I have officially joined from PDP and the next question is why did I do that. Now politics is about interest, I am from Niger Delta and I managed a lot of crises in Niger Delta. “Sometimes I went to the creeks and engaged the boys and my principle when I was managing the Niger Delta was that of engagement and the current APC government the crises they met they succeeded in managing them through engagement.

 “The President was seeing a lot of leaders from the Niger Delta, the Vice-President went from state to state of oil producing states, making a lot of engagements and agreements were reached. “Nobody at that level had gone from state to state before in Nigeria, this was the first time and of course if that is happening, the crisis is not over, they need to be supported by those of us from the Niger Delta who are passionate about Niger Delta so that in moving forward we can have solutions to the crisis of Niger Delta. If a new person comes he would start putting agreement up again and all that. “Secondly in the area of infrastructure, this government has done very well for those of in Niger Delta.

 “Talking about my state, for the first time a rail line came to Delta, for the first time the Escravos channel that we have been having years not being dredged is going to be dredged. “For the first time the gas city which we have been talking about, a committee has been officially inaugurated and for the time we have human capital development projects, school feeding and a lot is happening in Niger Delta. “So for me, let me join the party because it is when you are inside, when you are part of the boardroom that you can be part of the dividing and sharing. We cannot achieve anything by working from the outside in the Niger Delta.

“Some of us have to join the APC train and I am just here as John the Baptist because many people are going to come with me so that we can achieve a lot more in the Niger Delta in the APC government. Politics is about regional interest and I’m interested in the Niger Delta.” Also speaking, Senator Akpabio said the resolutions at the caucus meeting will benefit both the party and the nation at large. He said, “The meeting went very well and a lot of topical issues were discussed bothering on the interests of the nation. The resolutions are fantastic and I believe that the resolutions will not only move the party forward but will help to alleviate the situation in the country today and Nigerians will be happy for it.”

On what is uncommon about APC, he said, “Well, you want me to talk from the position of an opposition leader before? Let me say that the first thing you need to need about the APC, from the point of view of leadership, I am quite impressed, the president has kept his integrity intact, he has been able to improve the image of Nigeria and restore a lot of respect to Nigeria from the international community. I can assure you that he alone can attract millions of people, he is that infectious. Of course his stance on corruption and that Nigerians have food on their table is something is applauded all over the world. I have also advocated that he also fights the twin brother of corruption,  that is poverty.

“I am joining the APC as a government to stabilize the government and to assist the government to create employment opportunities for Nigerians so that we can fight the twin brother to corruption, which is poverty. Poverty creates corruption and corruption deepens poverty, so we need to fight the two together. And that is one of the things I find attractive with the APC and believe me with my people in Akwa Ibom State, with my presence in the APC my people in South South have now seen the light and they say APC is the party to vote for come 2019.”