Against all odds, President Goodluck Jonathan’s former Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, on Saturday declared his intention to seek the governorship seat of Delta State in 2015.
The former Minister, alongside some of his colleagues, including the President’s Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadome, was few days ago sacked by their boss, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Immediately Orubebe started nursing the ambition to succeed the incumbent, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, in 2015, the first Republic Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, who doubles as the foremost Ijaw and South South leader, rejected his move.
Also rejected by the South South leader was the incumbent Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ochei.
Clark asked Ochei to explain the way he mishandled the N27 billion the oil rich state earmarked for its Independent Power Plant.
The declaration ceremony of Orubebe, held along the Government House road, Asaba, was devoid of all top government functionaries serving in the Uduaghan administration.
Loyalists of Clark were also absent.
Declaring for the race before a mammoth crowd of supporters under the aegis of the Delta Peoples Forum, who trooped into Asaba, the state capital, from the three senatorial districts of the state, Orubebe lauded President Jonathan’s transformation agenda and his Nigeria Beyond Oil policy.
He said his ambition to contest the seat was borne out of the clarion call by the people of the state.
He said having served for six years under late President Musa Yar’Adua and Jonathan, his wealth of experience must be brought home to impact positively on his people.
He said: “I resigned.
“I want to come and deposit the knowledge I got from my boss, President Goodluck Jonathan, in Delta.
“We will work with the government of Delta State to move the state forward.
“I have come home to take my rightful place as the chairman of the DPF.
“I want to let you know that I am your humble servant.
“When the time comes, I will be there for you.
“As I was coming, I saw different inscriptions.
“Some people said: ‘we thank God for your life’, ‘ we thank God for the six years you served meritoriously under President Jonathan’, others said, ‘we want you contest for governor in 2015’, I want to assure you that very soon we shall gather like this.
“Before now, I come to the state from Abuja on weekends.
“Now, I will only go to Abuja on weekends and stay with you during the week, except I have urgent national assignment to carry out for my friend, my brother, my leader, President Goodluck Jonathan, who we must support for another four years.”
Our Earlier story: A former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has declared his interest in the 2015 governorship race in Delta State.
Orubebe made his intention known on Saturday.
Orubebe was one of the four ministers that left the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday.
He was said to have quit in order to pursue his governorship ambition.
More details soon.
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