Delta 2015: Ex-Yar’Adua, Ibori aide declares to succeed Uduaghan

A former aide to late President Musa Yar’Adua, Chief Clement Ofuani, has formally declared his intention to succeed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State next year.
Ofuani, who was former Governor James Ibori’s pioneer Commissioner for Economic Planning, came out on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
He is unperturbed that numerous challengers from Delta North Senatorial District (the Anioma nation) have engaged in consultation round the state since last year.
On political calculations of the ruling party, the zone is currently being favoured to produce the incumbent governor’s successor.
The governorship hopeful, a Chartered Accountant, ranks the first to make his intention open at a declaration ceremony in Asaba, the state capital.
Declaring before a mammoth crowd of supporters at the weekend, Ofuani said: “Distinguished eminent guests, after due contemplation and extensive consultation with my family, friends, associates and political leaders, I came to a decision that I should present myself as candidate for the office of Governor of Delta State in 2015 under our party, the Peoples Democratic Party.”
He said he was not driven by the ambition for power for its sake but “by a commitment to serve, founded on a strong belief that my demonstrated leadership capability, my interpersonal relationship, particularly across the ethnic divides in our state, my professional development, strength of character and integrity and my political career trajectory to date have prepared me for the daunting challenges of providing effective leadership to our people as governor of our state.”
Ofuani said his intention is to completely overhaul the way government business is done with more emphasis on policy formulation, which provides multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional solutions and clarity to spending plans.
He said: “I have always held that it is not every policy initiative that should result in public procurement or contract award, as some policies may merely lead to new legislation on how to improve economic performance by re-aligning market incentives, while some may lead to progressive regulatory controls s checks against market imperfections.”
Ofuani, a graduate of accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, started his political career in 1999 when he was appointed Special Assistant to the state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning.
He later became the first Commissioner of Economic Planning until 2007 when he was called to the Presidency to serve as Senior Special Assistant to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.