THE power tussle between foremost Ijaw leader, Senator Edwin Clark, and former chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),

Chief Tony Anenih, appears to have heightened as the development is gradually taking its toll on the cohesion of the party in the South-South, with party leaders from the zone toeing opposing lines.

Already, the rivalry, which has caught the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan, has created power blocs within the PDP in about four states of the South-South with the governors of the affected states inadvertently being caught in the political tussle between the two elders.

The suppressed cold war between both elders again came to the fore and has remained sustained since the dissolution of the Federal Executive Council by President Jonathan and the call for ministerial nominations from the states.

The frosty relationship between Anenih and Clark became noticeable about three years ago when the latter accused the former Works Minister of working against the interest of Jonathan, who was then the vice-president in the build-up to the 2011 presidential election.

Although there was no evidence to that effect, Clark had accused Anenih of positioning former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, to take over from Jonathan. Clark, from Delta State, had parted ways with Ibori as he accused him of imposing his cousin and current governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, on the state in 2007 with the aid of Anenih who was then chairman of the BoT.

The crisis, which has defied solutions, has been lingering in the state since then to the extent that Clark had twice canvassed support for the governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Chief Great Ogboru, against Uduaghan.

But Nigerian Tribune gathered that not only have both men mustered support for their preferred ministerial nominees in their respective states, they have equally extended their support for different nominees in states other than Edo and Delta, a development that has generated conflict of interests.

A source told Nigerian Tribune that the rivalry was more than the ministerial nominations but the desire to control the politics of the South-South.

“We all know the genesis of the crisis between both elders; they have never hidden their disdain for each other since Chief Clark first made the allegation that the Leader (Anenih) was trying to replace Jonathan with Ibori.

“Even when the issue of the late president’s health came up, and the clamour for Jonathan to act was on, Papa had accused the trio of Ibori, Uduaghan and Anenih as those in the way of Jonathan to take over; and that was the reason for the elder statesman’s strong position against Ibori when the arrest saga was on.

“As I am talking to you now, Mr President is even aware of the development but he would prefer that they sort out their differences, because they are both like a father to him; it is real to that extent because right now, those who want to be ministers or even other appointment seekers have broken into groups in Abuja.

“We now have Anenih group and Clark group, as the lobby for appointments continues; and this is not just in the case of their states; it affects the entire region because even most of the governors have had to get to them separately to lobby for their preferred persons and it is across the zone, except that some of the governors are only being careful in handling the situation.

“It is a development that has created unnecessary camps, because if you think you are going to one of them secretly, you will be surprised that the other would know as you get to him. So artificial barriers have been created amongst our people by the disagreement between the two elders,” he said.

For instance, while Clark has been pushing for the reappointment of former Minister of State for Education and political foe of Governor Uduaghan, Kenneth Gbagi, the governor, with support reportedly coming from Anenih, has been pushing for the former governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the last election, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege.

It is the same situation in Edo State where Clark has openly accused Anenih of unilaterally selecting his cronies and relations, even as he warned that the former BoT chairman’s interference in the nomination process in Delta was a way of reviving Ibori’s influence.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that Clark’s choice of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, from Rivers State, is against the desire of Governor Rotimi Amaechi