A social movement in Edo State, Concerned Esan Nationals, has chided Senator Clifford Ordia who they said has developed obsession to embarrass the demised great leader in Esan nation, Chief Tony Anenih, for political gains. The movement berated Ordia for trailing the path of the ousted national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, in always delighting in insulting and disparaging the late venerable leader, Chief Anenih.
The Concerned Esan Nationals in a statement declared: “one thing seems to be very clear about the force that propels the political drive of Senator Clifford Ordia. It is this obsession to embarrass the person of the late Chief Tony Anenih.
“Like Adams Oshoimhole, the desire to ensure that whatever Chief Tony Anenih says or stands for is rubbished has been the tonic that keeps Senator Clifford Ordia pushing even in the face of all odds.”
The Esan movement narrated that Clifford Ordia left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2000 to the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). The movement disclosed that Ordia contested for the Senate against Senator Osunbor, PDP candidate, who was endorsed by late Chief Anenih. Ordia lost the election.
The movement narrated that Ordia came back to the PDP in 2005 and was received back with open arms by late Chief Tony Anenih. According to the Concerned Esan Nationals; “He was told that the arrangement on ground for the PDP against 2007 was that between Ugbesia and Osunbor, one would go for the Senate while the other will go for the Governorship. “Again, Ordia rose to challenge this position of Chief Anenih. Of course, he lost out.”
The movement also narrated that the PDP in 2011 decided to return the members of the National Assembly in Edo Central for a second term but was, again, challenged by Ordia. According to the movement: “Ordia, again, could not resist the nag to embarrass Chief Tony Anenih. He contested against the position of the party. He lost.”
The movement also recalled that Chief Tony Anenih in 2015, ignored all the tendencies to embarrass him, endorsed Ordia for Senate, opposing the candidacy of Ugbesia, to ensure Ordia has a chance. Ugbesia had protested that Ordia never allowed him a free ride, threatened he would contest against him. With the support of Chief Anenih, Ordia won election into the senate.
The Concerned Easn Nationals declared: “in his dying moments, Chief Tony Anenih appealed to the party leadership to allow Senator Clifford Ordia and the other rep members to complete their two terms in 2019. This was heeded to as no one contested against them for the primaries in 2019.
“If Senator Clifford Ordia was not the sitting Senator, he would surely have gone against the appeal by Chief Tony Anenih.”
The movement decried that the Senator Clifford Ordia is now using his incumbency as an opportunity in the preparations for the 2023 general elections to rubbish the legacy of late Chief Tony Anenih by manipulating to ensure that the rotational formula between Agbazilo and Okpebholo is disrupted, especially, now that the Senate seat is to go to Esan Northeast.
The movement asserted that “like all the previous attempts he had made to embarrass the national leader while he was alive, this present move will collapse and send Senator Clifford Ordia into political Oblivion.”