By Ephraim Oseji
Widows from Ukwani Local Government Area of Delta State have explained why they want a former Commissioner from the area, Mr. Leo Esegbue, to contest for an elective position in the 2019 general elections.
Speaking on behalf of the widows at Obiaruku, Mrs. Magaret Odumosu said it was the entry of Esegbue into the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2001 that improved the fortunes of the party which came a very distant third position in the 1999 general elections next to Alliance for Democracy, AD, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in Ukwani.
Odumosu said: “The man is a very compassionate philanthropist and has set several political records that are yet to be broken. He was appointed as Secretary to the Local Government Council a few months to former Governor Ibori’s re-election in 2003. During the short period of his service, he donated his salaries and allowances to widows and always came to our aid each time we were oppressed and has course to bite our fingers in remembrance of our late husbands.
“During that period, he advocated for the execution of programs for the less privileged and later resigned his appointment making him the first and only Ukwani man who resigned from office before the end of his tenure apart from a few who resigned to enable them contest for elective positions”.
Besides, she said, “In 2010 when the governor’s election was nullified by the Court of Appeal, a few days to the re-run governorship election, he was appointed as a Commissioner . His appointment changed the mindset of several people who previously were determined to vote against PDP. In that election, all the political gladiators from this local government area lost their wards and polling units, it was only Esegbue then that delivered both his wards/polling unit for the party which saved the party from serious defeat margin”.
Ealier in her remarks, Mrs. Obiangeli Osai said: “We don’t like the appointments they used to give him a few days to elections and once elections are won, they will remove him until another election season. Since 1999 till date, they have never allowed this man be in office for up to one year. It is usually between 2 months to maximum 6 months and ironically within the short period he sets unprecedented records.”