The April 14, 2007 Gubernatorial Polls in Delta State means different thing to the three senatorial districts in the State-Central, North and South. One thing is however certain and this is the fact that since the creation of the state by the despotic administration of the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) military regime, Power have a last shifted from the Urhobo dominated Delta Central Senatorial District to the oil-rich Delta South Senatorial District, and one time Health Commissioner and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan is the beneficiary.
            Since the creation of the state in the 90s by the Babangida administration, the Urhobos of the Delta Central have produced all the Governors till date, while the Delta North have consistently make do with the position of Deputy Governor in addition to being the host of the State Capital in Asaba. This, no doubt leaves the Delta South with nothing in the scheme of power sharing in the state. Yet this (Delta South) produces about 90 percent of the oil wealth of the state. This forms the basis for the agitation by this oil-rich district for power to shift from the Central to the South in the spirit of equity, justice and fair play. This agitation yielded result on April 14, 2007 polls when Dr. Uduaghan, the  PDP Gubernatorial Candidate was elected in what some people described as controversial circumstances.
            The journey to victory for the Delta South Senatorial district have been tortuous and laborious, fraught with both internal and external intrigues, shenanigans and unprecedented mudslinging. However, no matter what, credit must be given to the G-3, a political pressure group in the senatorial district who not only initiated the clamour for power to shift to the area in 2007 but became the arrow head of the crusade. The G-3 is made up of the Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri in major political parties in the state.
            Present Governor-elect, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan was once the Chairman and indeed a major financier of the group. It was when he declared for the Governorship race that he relinquished the Chairmanship position to Isoko-born Chief Solomon Ogba who is also the state’s commissioner for sports.
            The G-3 as a body went to work almost two years before the April 14, 2007 elections. They consulted with key stakeholders in the three senatorial districts, advancing cogent reasons why power should shift to the Delta South.
            Initially, it was a daunting task as the Urhobos in Delta Central sent warning signals that they were not prepared to negotiate the issue of power shift until 2011. Delta North on its part also argued that 2007 is the right time for it to produce the Governor of the state, should power move from the Central Senatorial District. However, the G-3 remained consistent with its clamour and widespread consultations.
            At a point, the Delta South and North districts formed an alliance where they mutually agreed that power must shift from the Central to either of the other two districts (North or South). This alliance worked for a while until each decided to go solo to actualize their guber dream.
            With the backing of the incumbent Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, the South Senatorial District gained an upper hand to the chagrin of the North and even his Urhobo people in the Central. However, Chief Ibori did not for once hide his feelings that his idea of power shift to Delta South was that it must shift to his maternal first cousin in Itsekiri land, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. This position divided his political family for quite a while but as a tactician, he was able to ensure that his will prevailed. No doubt, without Ibori’s backing, the Delta South or indeed Uduaghan would never have dreamt of the highly priced position.
            With this scenario and proper funding, the G-3 was able to galvanize opinion within and outside the district. The likes of Chief E.K.Clark, Chief (Mrs)Rita Lori-Ogbebor and Pa Otobo among others, representing the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko, were brought together under one umbrella to make public pronouncement in favour of power shift to the south district. The likes of Chief Ighoyota Amori of the Central Senatorial district was even bought over, to  the disappointment of his Urhobo kinsmen.
            This was the setting before the PDP Gubernatorial primaries in Ogwashi-Uku, December last year, where Dr. Uduaghan was declared the winner. This, however was the beginning of Uduaghan and PDP’s problem in the state.
            First, almost all those who contested the primaries with him rejected the result. They alleged that Chief Ibori rigged the election to favour his brother (Uduaghan). The likes of Chief E.K Clark also called for a cancellation of the primaries. This bickering went on until the April 14 election and even till date. The Ibori/Uduaghan combination have however succeeded to a large extent in watering down the intensity of the opposition, using the stick and carrot method; particularly when President Olusegun Obasanjo sees nothing wrong with Uduaghan becoming the next Governor.
            Protest, particularly from the Urhobos, have been trailing the April 14 elections. They claimed that they were completely disenfranchised by Governor Ibori, INEC, the Police and Army to pave the way for Uduaghan  to emerge as the Governor. Prominent Urhobo son and the DPP Guber Candidate, Chief Great Ogboru was declared by INEC to have scored a little above 46,000 votes to clinch the 2nd position while the Governor-elect, Dr. Uduaghan scored over one million four hundred             All this, we were told did not appeal to Okocha who we were told is adamant on heading for the Tribunal to seek for justice. Okocha believes he has the popularity and all it takes to defeat Uduaghan or indeed any other candidate in a free and fair credible election.
            Dr. Uduaghan will also have to contend with the issue of god-fatherism, once he is sworn in on the 29th of the this month. There certainly will be every tendency for Ibori wanting to dictate to him on how the state should be governed. Whether Uduaghan will be able to resist this and do things his own way, is left to be seen.
            Some political analysts have also predicted the impeachment of Dr. Uduaghan within his first one year in office. This, they contend would be masterminded by the Urhobo legislators in the Delta Assembly in conjunction with some not-too-happy legislators from the North and even South senatorial districts. A PDP Stalwart however swore that over 90 per cent of the elected legislators in the House are absolutely loyal to Dr. Uduaghan who is the first Itsekiri man to become Governor in Delta State. Another analyst maintained that the only way Uduaghan will survive impeachment plots is for him to consistently play the Ghana-must-Go kind of politics with the legislators. This, according to him will mean that there will be little or no development in the state, since bulk of the state income will be used in bribing and settling legislators and others who have the capacity to cause problem for the administration.
            Another problem Dr. Uduaghan will have to contend with is the issue of the huge debt Ibori is leaving behind. A government source told Warri Mirror that Ibori’s administration is oweing contractors alone close to two hundred billion naira. This, according to analysts is very unnecessary  since Delta State is not a poor State. The debt was linked to Ibori’s corrupt tendencies and mismanagement of the state resources.
            Away from the Gubernatorial elections. There was no semblance of elections for other elective positions, particularly in the Warri Federal Constituency and the Delta South Senatorial District, where Dan Reyenieju and James Manager were respectively declared by INEC to have won the election to the House of Reps and Senate.
            For the Delta South Senatorial elections, of 8 Local Government Areas in the district, ballot boxes and ballot papers came to 5 LGAs but result sheet missing. There was no election materials whatsoever in the remaining 3 LGAs. INEC in Asaba rigged result sheets in favour of James Manager, the PDP candidate. Warri North material for the Senate election was taken to Oghara despite the photo trick of Dr. Uduaghan voting at his Abigborodo home town. Material for Warri South West for the same election was taken to Ubeji
            There was simply no election whatsoever for the House of Reps, Warri Federal Constituency. PDP thugs stormed the INEC office in Warri, fully armed with sophisticated weapons. They shot indiscriminately into the air and carted all election materials away. The declaration of Mr. Dan Reyenieju as the winner (of no election) was a fluke and unprecedented fraud. The electorate  did not vote for him because they never wanted him in the first place. As at the time of going to press, there are indications that Hon Temi Harriman and Mrs Patricia Otuedon-Arawore of the AC may head for the Tribunal to challenge the Senate and House of Reps results as declared by INEC. This could however not be confirmed before going to press.