James Ibori’s freedom from London prison

Call it a tale of an Odyssey for the whizkid from the rural serenity of Ogharavillage in Ethiope West of Delta State.
A former governor from 1999 to May 2007, the second Urhobo man  to be elected after Felix Ibru’s two year term which was truncated by the military in 1991.
Barely forty years old when he came to power on May 29, 1999, he was a child of circumstance.
A businessman turned – politician, Ibori swung into action and summoned the two leading leaders of Izon, Urhobo and Itsekiri to Asaba to find a cure for these endless clashes.
Pa Benjamin Okumagba, led the Urhobo  group, Pa Edwin Clark led the Izon group while Justice Franklin Atake, led the Itsekiri group.
In a mercurial style, Ibori, succeeded in brokering peace in the Warri axis.
After successfully coming to the end of his first term  curious twists and turns surfaced to the effect that he had a an ex- convict case hanging over his head.
Unmoved, he pursued the case to the Supreme Court and was discharged of the allegation. Eventually, he went for a second term and won.
James OnanefeIbori, soldiered on despite political distractions by opponents of his charismatic mien, tall and dark ebony skin with a swagger of a Resource control exponent.
Ibori, along with DSP Alamsco of Bayelsa State, were the leading arrow-heads of the battle for Resource Control.
Many described Ibori as the oil sheikh of the Niger Delta and he fought the battle to such an extent that he the twosome fell- foul of former President OlusegunObasanjo, who disliked their guts.
Alamieyeseigha was impeached by the Bayelsa Assembly.
For Ibori, he fled for the UK and under very unclear circumstances; was arraigned in a London Court for allegations of money laundering and sent to prison for 13 years.
Speaking from London, Chief IghoyotaAmori, Ibori’s alter ego told me about the festive atmosphere in London as many Nigerians thronged the court premises to witness his release.
James Ibori was an- all round administrator who improved the quality of life of ordinary politicians who trooped into Asaba in bathroom slippers and within six months started driving Jeeps.
Ibori could be called a man of the people and despite his obstacles created by envy and detractors; he built Delta into a formidable sporting state that carted away many gold medals during National Sports festivals.
While the Ibori- mania had taken over the social media sphere. There appears to be two conflicting orders from London and Abuja. While London insists he should not travel out of the UK, the Federal government had started the process of extradition from London to Nigeria to perhaps, continue with EFCC 170 charges whose case file has been sent to the Attorney General of the Federation.
The Southwark  Crown Court had on April 17, 2012 had sentenced Ibori to 13 years in prison for  admitting guilt to counts of money laundering and  stealing  $250 million.
The Ibori Odyssey started long ago but most politicians felt he was a victim of political victimisation and that having paid his dues from the London prison Nigerians, seem persuaded that Ibori does not to need to go through another legal trials in Nigeria.
They aver it is tantamount to double jeopardy to try a man for the same offence.
The judiciary would be stretched this time around.
The new Sheriff inAso Rock, Buhari has  a zero tolerance for corruption and  an unrelieved  stickler for transparency in government.
For most Nigerians, he would see Chief James Ibori’s discomfiture as a test case to drive home his campaign.
Most politicians in the APC were friends of Ibori like AlhajiAtiku and the President of the Senate Dr. BukolaSaraki. Whispers in the air are suggestive of whether Chief Ibori would change camps politically in the face of these seemingly unending court trials?
Will Ibori, the Odidgborigbo of Africa abandon the PDP for APC?
For the moment, Chief James Ibori, is the most credible and charismatic leader in Delta today.
What the Ibori handlers would need to do is a fast strategic move to reassure the party in power that  all that he needs now is freedom to go home to see his brothers and sisters in Oghara.
Chief Ibori does not need politics to survive and he should return to his first love- business.
I had once averred that with his release from London prison, he would behave like a Mandela or an Obasanjo, who jumped from Prison to the Presidency. And to achieve that he would need a state pardon before he could talk politics in the years ahead.
Whatever he is up to after the London ordeal, Chief James OnanefeIbori  deserves some period of peace with his family.