The Court of Appeal Ruling Is An Evil Wind........Eddie Sorhue

EDDIE ONO SORHUE

Chief Eddie Ono Sorhue is a consummate and astute politician respected for his frankness.

As a member of the Delta state Advisory and Peace Building Council, Ono Sorhue believes that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP remains the most formidable party in Nigeria’s political space.

He spoke with NaijNewsAlert’s Emmanuel Onotevure on the Court of Appeal ruling and other matters of national discourse.

Excerpts:

Sir, how do you view the return of Chief James Ibori, former governor of Delta state back to the country and what will be his impact in the re-organization of the PDP considering the near implosion and loses it has suffered? Again, there are rumours in the polity of a likely defection of the former governor to the ruling APC in what has been described as a “token” for a “Presidential Pardon” to enable him return to full stream politics.

What is your reaction to this and what will be the likely effects of such to the continued existence of the PDP in Delta state?

Chief James Onanefe Ibori return to Delta State and indeed Nigeria will add value and raise the practice of politics.

While he was away, he, to an extent determined the tune of politics and now that he has come, his dynamism will raise the political standard, awareness and development. He is a game changer who does not play local politics alone but a recognized and respected voice nationally.

I can't say how much he was involved in late Yar’adua ascension to the Presidency but to nominate a Private Secretary to the Head of State showed how much he was involved and played his politics. He is neither selfish nor self centered but accommodating. He can't be compared with any past governor of the state as he is widely accepted across ethnic nationalities. I don't have any reason to think he will join the sinking party called APC; APC, as a party of strange bedfellows without focus, is already grounded.

The four major groups that came together then are heading to different direction. I am not a prophet but watch out and see what it will be before 2019 or do you think the formation of the new mega party call ADP is without strong backing of APC members. The end will justify the means.

I don't know what you meant by "a token" for Presidential Pardon". Was he found guilty anywhere and needed a pardon? I need to be educated to appropriately give an answer. He is a bonafide member of PDP before he travelled and has not made any statement contradicting his membership. He is not like Obasanjo who destroyed the house he himself built.

Chief James Ibori is one of the founding fathers of the party and I think we can leave it at that until any contrary position.                                                                 

The Court of Appeal sitting Port-Harcourt has ruled in favour of Modu Sheriff as the duly recognized chairman of the PDP.

How do you view the judgment and what does it portend for the party as it is reported that this would lead to the final disintegration of the party itself. 

The Appeal Court through a split ruling in favour of Modu Sheriff is an evil wind that will not stand the test of time. It is painful that APC wants to turn Nigeria into a one party state and we will resist this through legal means.

This sort thing can happen in East African countries where a President seats for 25-30 years unchallenged. Why did President Buhari mobilize to stop Jameh of Gambia who had acknowledged his defeat through television? Some believed that it was a “hire purchase” judgment and must be tested at the Supreme Court. We pray the Supreme Court should within limited time frame allowed by law, adjudicate over it.

As you may have known, all the organs of the party are all behind Markarfi, so the fear of disintegration does not arise.

If Modu Sheriff is not acting a script of his masters, he should join the mainstream to move the party to greater heights.  Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan allowed the opposition; Adams Oshiomole, Obiano and Mamiko won their elections which Muhammadu Buhari would have not allowed.

This is the change Nigerians asked and those who voted him should bury their heads in shame.

What is your take about the letter from the President seeking for an “indefinite” extension of his vacation?

As humans, we are all infallible. There is nothing wrong in extending President Buhari’s vacation but Lai (lie) Mohammed and his group mismanaged this information. They ought to have managed what was coming from the Presidency with caution. We continuously pray for his quick recovery to come back to fix the exchange rate at one dollar to naira which he promised during 2015  campaigns and, the economy which he has badly managed.

What is your take about the anti-corruption fight of the Federal Government?

Corruption has become a culture in Nigeria and anyone who stands out to terminate this attitude must be commended.

It is said that those who come to equity must come with clean hands. If what I read in the Vanguard Newspapers of 22/02/17 that, during the certificate saga of Mr. President, that his lawyer gave a bribe of five hundred thousand naira to Justice Ademola to pervert the cause of justice; if the story is true, we can therefore ask who is not corrupt.

Recently there were media reports of monies stashed away by few individuals. Of these over fifty names, just ten of them put together can finance this year’s budget.

If this anti corruption crusade is not selective, why then are they not going after these men and women? The crusade will fail if it remains selective.

The xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa is one case too many.

Do you support the call for reprisals by the people of Nigeria?

My pain here is that many of these African countries when they were fighting for independence, Nigeria was their preferred destination where we offered them scholarships and shelter.

I don't subscribe to reprisal attack on their citizens but they must be made to pay for the losses suffered by our brothers and sisters. Beyond this, Nigeria should extract an agreement that they will not suffer this kind of humiliation again.