On Wednesday, former governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He made the announcement in a statement entitled ‘Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field’.
Uduaghan decried that the toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta region has been the issue of peace and security since 1997.
His statement read in part: “For over 12 years, I was deeply involved in the management of the issues of the region, first as Secretary to State Government (SSG), and then as governor of Delta State for eight years.”
“Strategically, we had engagement as our major tool. This involved government officials, with me at the forefront (sometimes personally going into the creeks without security at nocturnal hours), community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our youths, retired military officers, activists, etc,” the ex-governor added.
He said they also ensured that the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) was part of the engagement process.
Among other reasons, Dr Uduaghan explained that he decided to join the ruling party because of the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s effort in tackling the crisis in the region.
He commended the President for going with the option of engaging stakeholders in the Niger Delta to address the issues rather than the use of force.
The former governor believes this approach by the APC led Federal Government has pointed in “a direction that is at once progressive and developmental.”
According to him, “since the inception of the current All Progressives Congress (APC) administration at the federal level, there has been an encouraging interest and activities by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis.”
“Topmost in these activities are the engagement processes. Rather than using the military to harass our people, the Buhari administration has embarked on various engagement processes that have led to agreements and brought hope to the people of the Niger Delta,” he added.