As the political atmosphere in Delta State gradually gathers storm preparatory to 2015 elections and with his recent declaration of intention to run for the governorship position, more Deltans and friends of Delta at the weekend declared their support for renowned legal practitioner and human rights activist, Barrister Festus Keyamo.
Among those who endorsed his candidature was anti-corruption campaigner and former member of the House of Representatives, Otunba Dino Melaye who tweeted to his numerous friends and well-wishers of Delta State, urging them to support their own saying “the time for change has come and it is now.”
Last Saturday, the ancient town of Ughelli literarily stood still as hundreds of people from various walks of life across the different local government areas joined members of the Delta Forces United (DFU) Ughelli North chapter to show solidarity and express their support to
Keyamo in his governorship ambition.
The gubernatorial aspirant and founder of DFU(a platform he is using to actualize his political ambition) also used the occasion of the town hall meeting held at Ekiagbon hall, Ughelli, to declare that he has the structures to fight the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. This assertion came in what can be described as an apparent response to statements credited to
some PDP leaders in Delta State who were of the opinion that he lacked the structure to pursue his 2015 gubernatorial ambition.
Barr. Keyamo who reminded members of the PDP in Delta State that he made his name outside Asaba, the state capital, declared that there was nothing the opposition had that he has not got. In his words, “we have no link with the treasury in Asaba. We made our name outside Asaba. There is nothing they have that we do not have. I have the structures to fight for the opposition in Delta
State. We will not allow them rig our votes again”.
The human rights activist who is yet to openly declare his membership of any registered political party save for his newly formed DFU, vowed that he was ready to go to prison or be detained in the course of fighting to liberate Deltans from the stranglehold of a small political clique appropriating the resources of the State to themselves. He assured members of DFU that should anyone of them be arrested from Delta State to Abuja or Alagbon Close in Lagos State in the course of the struggle, lawyers are already positioned in his Lagos and Abuja offices to defend them without taking anything for legal services.
The Uvwie-born legal practitioner cum politician who grew up in Ughelli advised members of DFU as well as Deltans to rise up and challenge that small “clique” that has been ruling the State since 1999.He declared that there was slow development in Ughelli, even as he posited that Delta State was developmentally backward compared to states like Akwa-Ibom, Lagos and Edo.
The governorship hopeful who branded the youth empowerment programme by various administrations as a “complete fraud,” said “what youths in Delta State need are permanent jobs
as well as an enabling environment for businesses to thrive”.
He promised that if given the gubernatorial mandate in 2015, his administration will tackle unemployment through agriculture, just as he vowed that he will address corruption in governance by “publishing every contract awarded, to whom it was awarded and when such contracts will be completed and commissioned”. This is contrary to what obtains at the moment.
According to Keyamo, he has not come into politics as an Urhobo candidate and neither was he out to run a sectional agenda but principally to create an environment that gives hope to all Deltans irrespective of ethnic groups.
Ughelli North Coordinator of DFU, Mr. Osiwe Otega Anthony, charged members as well as Deltans to work with their conscience and work for the emergence of “credible candidates like Festus Keyamo and not to be tempted to vote for tribes because it is what has been killing the state”.
A Former Chairman of Ughelli North local government, Hon. Akporoka Julius who claimed to have wined and dined with top PDP members in the state vowed that DFU in collaboration with any registered Party would seize power from the ruling party for the purpose of developing the state.
Others who pledged their loyalty to DFU in their separate remarks included Aniocha South Coordinator of DFU; Comrade Chuks Okpunor, Joy Onajiteh Ugbobor, Pastor Ochuko Adjebredafe and members of the Isoko Youth Development Foundation led by Comrade Godspower Okarethe.
The Chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, Hon. Serekibina Sabo was also among the friends of Delta who were at the town hall meeting to give support to Keyamo.
It will be recalled that Keyamo declared his intention to run for Delta State gubernatorial election come 2015 a few weeks ago and has been using the platform of Delta Forces United ( DFU) a non-violent socio-political group committed to the struggle for good governance, rule of
law and the general welfare of the citizens of Delta State to advance his political ambition. DFU was founded to bring together all progressive forces in Delta State who are deeply concerned about the development of the state.
