By Samson Umukoro
A social media post by one Mr Edafe Kperha on alleged anti-party activities of some PDP leaders in the last general elections has opened the Pandora box on the acrimonies within the party in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The author, who was obviously working for one of the three tendencies in the PDP, listed names of ‘Jite Brown’s enemies’ in Udu as those who worked against the party in the last election.
Assuming without conceding that these people actually worked against the party, the question is why?
From ward one to ward ten, the writer came up with many names with the hope that after the election, which their idol lost woefully, the time has come to discredit Jite Brown’s enemies so that they won’t get anything from the administration of Sheriff Oborevwori, after those close to the government of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa used Jite Brown to destroy PDP in Udu.
These people inadvertently raised Jite Brown as the ultimate leader of the party in Udu. They gave him so much privilege to turn men to women and women to men to lend credence to Lord Acton’s axiom that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Those who benefited from Jite’s reign of terror never saw anything wrong with his arrogant posture in managing the party. The result of his hard tackles against his foes within the party was what played out on March 18.
That Mr Dafe listed Chief Vincent Oyibode, Commissioner, DESOPADEC, Chief Henry Sakpra, Commissioner, Special Project, Hon Peter Uviejitobor, member representing Udu in DTHA, Evang David Siloko, PDP Chairman in Udu LGA, Evang Emmanuel Kpomalefe, Hon Saturday Mofoye, leaving out his new friends who helped Jite Brown broker a soft landing for should Senator Ovie Omo-Agege won the governorship election, is enough to prove that Jite is the indirect author of the piece under reference.
The major crime Jite Brown committed against Udu people was when he imposed his younger sister from his Aladja Community as Council Vice Chairman. He thought he was wise by pushing her to ward 2 but Udu knew his game plan and taught him a lesson he will never forget on March 18. If the election is conducted again, he will still lose because, Udu have resolved that the Council Chairman and Vice which were appointed by the power that be cannot come from same family. The only way to express their anger is to dump him at the polls. The whole of Udu is aware of his sinister plan to assume ultimate power in Udu. His wings were broken on March 18 and blaming everybody for his woes is no solution to the trouble in Udu PDP.
Now let us examine how Jite Brown undermine the PDP in all the wards of Udu LGA because of his strong belief that he is untouchable and that whatever he tells the Governor he must comply.
In ward one, Jite Brown gave so much support to Chief Solomon Kpomah to undermine Chief Vincent Oyibode who have worked so much for the party in the ward. The appointment of Ambassadors from ward one was done by his men in overt attempt to undermine Oyibode. But the same Kpomah dumped him and left for the APC. Even at that Oyibode led Oghior Community to deliver Jite and all PDP candidates in the election yet he had the gut to direct his boy to attack the DESOPADEC Commissioner, accusing him of working against the party.
In Ward two, his men like Eki Afuevure and Raymond Edijala were used to undermine Chief Eddie Ono-Sorhue in many activities. His sister, Eloho whom he pushed to Ward two, was a slap on the face of Udu people. They demonstrated their resentment on March 18 and voted him out. March 18 was a protest against ‘a young girl who wanted to teach her mother how to make babies’. Chief Eddie Sorhue however did everything to deliver him in the election.
In ward 3, Jite Brown brought his brother, Emmanuel Eyakagba from Aladja to assume power in Ukpiovwin where the likes of Chief Luke Djebah had been working since 1999. His lackey in Ogbe-Udu, Chief Friday Orugbo left him few days to the election. He used Friday Orugbo to fight the senior Orugbo, Chief Andrew Orugbo in many respects. But for results from Okolor-Waterside, Ward three was already in the APC bag.
In ward 4, Chief Jite Brown and his men fought the party Chairman, Evang David Siloko and they planned to kick him out at any slight opportunity. His few men like Freeborn Ovwemejephan, Chief Andrew Oyovwiraye and Sir Pat Willie were his only trusted people in the ward. He did everything to undermine David Siloko and Chief Donald Brosu because they refused to lick his anus like the others were doing. The party lost the ward woefully because he undermined the leaders and the leaders he raised for himself could not deliver because the masses were fed up with his shenanigans.
In ward five, Jite Brown raised a new leader in the person of Madam Faith Oturi whom he appointed Supervisory Councillor for Education, a woman alleged not to have finished primary six. The likes of Barr J. Ishaka, former PDP LGA chairman, Patrick Ariole, former Council Chairman and other leaders in the ward meant nothing to him. His friend, Chief John Magba left the party when he saw through his obvious usury of his men.
In ward six, he gave power to one little upstart, Mr Sam Dawho, whom he appointed Secretary to the Local Government Council. He forced Chief Henry Sakpra who was always delivering the ward for PDP to hands-off and handed the ward to Chief Johnbull Asun. The result is what he got from the ward when he wanted to undermine the other leaders in the ward.
In Ward 7, where the Commissioner, Chief Henry Sakpra came from, Jite Brown trusted and raised fresh hands to deliver for him. His trusted men include Chief Frank Muwhen, aka Magamu, Chief Matthew Uparan and Hon D.J Ben whom he hyped to high heavens before the governor as the only man with the magic wand to deliver the ward. Governor Okowa believed Jite, gave D.J Ben appointments but when the election came, the people decided to teach him a lesson he will never forget. It was Chief Henry Sakpra that he ignored in many respect that gave out personal fund and mobilized heavily for the party otherwise, the lost of ward 7 would have broken bones beyond repair.
In Ward 8, it was only Chief Moses Odibo, Comrade Yakubu Dikeji and Hon Ovoke Bukata (Jite’s supervisor for Health), that he trusted while the rest leaders were asked to queue behind them. Everything coming to ward 8 was managed by these three men while the ward chairman and other leaders were made to be on-lookers. They planned and executed the whole election and promised to deliver all by themselves. They are now blaming everybody for their failure.
In Ward 9, he did not trust anybody except Chief B.J Egbetamah who dumped him two days to the election. His other trusted ally in the DSC area was Collins Onoseme. It was Hon Peter Uviejitobor and Hon Saturday Mofoye that stood firmly for the party, yet he now blames them for his woes.
In his ward ten, he trusted and gave power to Chief Udumaro Segba, Chief Obruche Oghenejiru and a few others to led his squad in the community to the exclusion of other leaders like Chief C.C.I Whiliki, Chief Love Okoro and Hon Keston Okoro. Many of the party leaders felt they cannot queue behind Jite’s boys and left the party. One therefore wonders why he is now blaming everybody for his woes when it is obvious he brought his defeat on his own head.
The degree of resistance Jite Brown got from Aladja, Udu ward 10, was far greater than in the rest of Udu. They saw through his use of raw and unbridled power and decided to teach him a lesson.
In all, if there is anybody to blame for PDP’s woeful performance in the last election in Udu, the blame should rest squarely on Chief Jite Brown, and the party leaders at the state level that gave him do much powers. Blaming Udu leaders for the failure of the party is calling a dog a bad name in other to hang it. The party imposed Jite Brown as House of Assembly candidate through threats, intimidation and coercion when the party leadership at the state level made it clear to Udu leaders that it was JIte they wanted.
Out of cheer arrogance, Jite could not promote any viable and honest healing process within the party. Perhaps he thought House of Assembly election was Council election. He lost and he is now harassing everybody so he could get all appointments coming to Udu.
Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori must beware of Chief JIte Brown if the party must make progress in Udu in the next dispensation. Nobody owns Udu and the attempt at raising the Council boss as Udu Maximum leader will spell doom for the party. Branding everybody with the garb of anti-party in order to pave way for the Jite tendency to continue to lord it over Udu is the greatest disservice the party leadership could do in the present circumstance.
There are three tendencies in Udu PDP today including Chief Eddie Ono-Sorhue who controls the bigger chunk of party leaders in Udu, Chief Jite Brown with council officials and his friends as members and Chief Andrew Orugbo tendency which comprise of few party members loyal to him. The LGA party Chairman, Evang David Siloko, Chief Henry Sakpra, Chief Vincent Oyibode, Hon Justice Iyasere, Chief Saturday Mofoye, Hon Peter Uviejitobor, Evang Emmanuel Kpomalefe and many other leaders in Udu belong to the Chief Eddie Ono-Sorhue tendency, while Chief JIte Brown is in charge of a tendency being driven with Council fund.
Since Chief Jite Brown lost the election, there had been trouble in Aladja. On Friday March 24, PDP boys went on rampage in Aladja shooting sporadically at APC elements in Aladja. Many people were injured and rushed to hospital. Jite and his boys never believed there is something called failure in election. I am pretty sure he will raise his own men to prosecute his case at the tribunal.
Let the whole world know this fact, Chief JIte Brown is the problem of Udu PDP. He is the reason PDP lost Udu in the last election. All APC members, even in his own Aladja community stood firmly against him. And talking of anti-party activities, Jite Brown is the leader of the anti-party squad in Udu. In his Ward 10 (Aladja Community), because of the serious rejection he was facing, he traded off Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori for his own victory in ward 10. He brokered a deal with some elements in Aladja so he could get the block vote from Aladja to deliver him. While he got 2,546 votes, the Governor-elect was able to secure only 1,727 votes in Aladja, a difference of 819 votes while the APC Gubernatorial candidate got a whopping 3,225 in his opponent’s ward 9. This is the man who has released his attack dogs on everybody in Udu as anti-party elements. He traded off PDP for personal benefits yet he has the guts to accuse everybody of working against the party.
In conclusion, let it be known to all throughout Delta state that Chief Jite Brown is problem of the PDP in Udu LGA. That he was rejected gallantly in his Aladja Community spoke volumes of the kind of man he is. If PDP must rise above the ashes of the woeful performance, the party must be returned to the people and executives from now going forward. That is the only way to build a virile PDP that can win elections in Udu.
– Samson Umukoro, writes from Ekete-Waterside, in Udu LGA.
