BY LUCKY OYIBO

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State says the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has put on structures at the state and national levels to deliver the gubernatorial standard flag bearer in the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, President Goodluck Jonathan and other flag bearers of the party in the February 2015 general elections.
Dr. Uduaghan gave the assertion when he led party faithful and stakeholders to join Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, wife, Edith and family to offer thanksgiving to God for seeing them through in the just concluded gubernatorial primaries at St. Philip’s Anglican Church (AGGS Compound), West End, Asaba, yesterday.
The state party Chairman, Chief Edwin Uzor, Senator James Manager, Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Peter Onwusanya, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay and lawmakers representing Delta State in the National Assembly were in attendance.
The Governor, who harped on the unity of the party in the state ahead of next month’s general elections, said there is no denying the fact that there is a lot of internal wrangling within the party at the local, state and national levels which needed immediate reconciliation.
He said the essence of the thanksgiving was timely and a prelude to the victory of the party at all levels and called on party faithful and politicians alike to use the electioneering period to forgive one another as God forgives the sins of mankind.
“What is important at this point is the main elections and winning the elections and the first step to winning the elections is the thanksgiving to God; besides, a lot of reconciliation has to be done to win elections; therefore, we have to forgive unrepentant offenders; we should forgive one another as God forgives us our sins”, Governor Uduaghan urged party faithful.
While commending the Vicar of the church, Ven. Felix Okonkwo, for having the theme of his message: “Thanksgiving/Reconciliation, Governor Uduaghan promised to complete the tarring of the entrance road of the AGGS leading to the St. Philip’s Anglican Church in no distant time and pledged the donation of N10 million to complete the ongoing building projects of the church.
Delivering his homily from Matthew 25: 22-24; Ephesians 2: 15-18, Ven. Felix Okonkwo, charged aspirants/politicians of the party to drop any charges they hold against their enemies and learn to work together as one family as well as love one another.
While praying for Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to finish strong, Ven. Okonkwo described Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as a dedicated Christian who has contributed to the work of God, praying the good Lord to see him and the party through in the 2015 general elections.
The Sermon which Second Lesson was taken by Senator Okowa’s wife, Edith, from the Book of Ephesians 2: 1-10, Senator Okowa called on all his co-contestants in the primaries, party faithful and Deltans to join hands with him to build the Delta State of our dreams by delivering him as the next Governor of the State in next month elections.
Highpoint of the ceremony was a special thanksgiving by Senator Okowa, accompanied by family and political associates.
Meanwhile, as Nigeria remembers its fallen heroes, Governor Uduaghan has called for actions which will deepen the peace and unity of the country, adding that Nigeria must remain united.
Uduaghan made the call yesterday at an inter-denominational thanksgiving service as part of activities for the year, 2015 Armed Forces Remembrance Day held at the Cathedral Church of St. Peters (Anglican Communion), Asaba.
According to him, it was important for Nigerians to shun actions that are capable of dividing Nigerians, stating that peaceful co-existence should not be compromised on the altar of selfish ego.
“Terrorism is not a Nigerian affair, it is a worldwide phenomenon, we need to support our security agencies in the fight against terrorism”, he said, adding, “by the grace of God, this nation will remain one indivisible entity”.
He said there are fears of election violence in the country, disclosing that his administration has mapped preventive measures to curb such violence in the state.
“Next month elections will come, there has been a lot of security concern for the elections; there have been prayers everywhere to prevent violence before, during and after the elections. As a government, we will not sit and watch it occur, we have put in place preventive programmes so that our people will know that nobody needs to die in an election.”
“We will mobilise our religious leaders, traditional rulers, youth groups and elders to educate our people to minimise election violence and reduce the work of security agencies”, he added.
He called for freedom of candidates to campaign wherever they want during the electioneering period and decried reports of threats to stop some people from campaigning in certain places.
The Governor noted that the armed forces was doing a lot for Nigerians and commended them for their efforts to keep Nigeria one.
Earlier, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Asaba, Rt. Rev. Justus Mogekwu in a sermon decried the tendency by some people to Islamise Nigeria at all cost, saying the activities of the Boko Haram Islamic sect was to “conquer the North, then foist their religion on the South.”
He prayed for peace and unity in Nigeria and called for support for the families of the fallen heroes.