Delta 2023: The politics, intrigues and battle for Okowa’s seat

After a shaky take off in the quest to shop for a suitable governorship candidate from Delta central senatorial district for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election, the activities of a political lobby group have come under critical scrutiny. The Urhobo ethnic-based platform is being criticised by aspirants and other political stakeholders for what seems to be the meddlesomness of the Ighoyota Amori-led group. At its formation in the state, not a few expressed reservations that DC-23 would not guarantee fairness and equity for all those aspiring to take over from the incumbent, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in 2023, with the belief in some quarters that it was formed to ensure a smooth sail for a particular aspirant to emerge as the consensus choice of Delta central for the PDP. But after what appeared to be a confidence building process with consultative visits to aspirants from the zone, positive public perception began to tilt in it’s favour, especially from the political class who saw the need to have a united front to ward the agitation from the Ijaw nation in Delta south that it is also their turn to produce the governor. However, the group shot itself on the foot recently when it inaugurated a committee to prune down the number of aspirants from Delta central, apparently based on suggestions by stakeholders across the state including Governor Okowa and his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Although, there were no objections from aspirants when the pruning/screening was constituted by the leadership of the lobby group, criticisms have however continued to trail the outcome of the committee’s assignment. Out of twelve aspirants that purportedly submitted themselves for screening, five were asked to remain in the race while the other seven were prevailed upon to abandon their ambition and support any of the successful ones. Those who made the cut include former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo; immediate past Commissioner for Works, James Augoye; immediate past Chief of Staff and former Commissioner of Finance, David Edevbie; former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi; and incumbent Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori. The 13-member committee chaired by Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari, which was inaugurated on October 25, 2021, said it relied on the terms of reference given to it to do the job of pruning the aspirants. The terms of reference include to identify all aspirants from Delta central; look at the PDP guideline and the Nigerian Constitution for qualification of the person for the office of the governor of the state; interact with such aspirant(s) and carefully examine each of them if he has what it takes to govern the state; draw/set/develop their own strategy/modus operandi in carrying out the committee’s work; take evidence directly or indirectly for the purpose of evaluating their medical fitness, financial capability, suitability,  acceptability; make other recommendations based on evidence gathered from all over the state and country. The committee in its report signed by the 13 members and read by the Secretary, Prof. Sunny Awhefeada, said names of 12 aspirants including James Augoye, David Edevbie, Kenneth Gbagi, Fred Majemite,  Sheriff Oborevwori, Ejaife Odebala, Efe Ofobruku, now late Kenneth Okpara, Bright Edejeghwro, Ovie Agas, Abel Esievo and Sunday Solomon Oruarefe were presented to them, out of which the five names were recommended to remain in the race. But those screened out have vowed that they will not abandon their ambition based on the work of the lobby group, insisting that DC-23 lacked the power to screen them out. They said they would not bow to acts of bully and arm twisting allegedly by the Amori-led group. Former Auditor General of local government in the state, Abel Esievo who was screened out, distanced himself from the pruning exercise by DC-23. Esievo in a statement by Director General of his campaign organisation, Tola Ajemisogbe, said the group has no constitutional backing to perform the screening of aspirants, citing relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended and that of the PDP to buttress his argument. Admitting that though he was invited for the screening, he however declined the invitation because the exercise was an infringement on his right to be voted for and selected by few individuals.  He added that the move was a mockery of democracy and might send wrong signals to the electorate, thereby jeopardising the bright chances of the PDP to produce the state governor in 2023.  Another aspirant and former member of the state House of Assembly, Efe Ofobruku described the screening as laughable, noting that he cannot be bullied out of the race. Ofobruku, in a statement, expressed concern and lack of faith in the composition of the screening committee. “I have been screened at different times by our party, cleared by INEC and contested and won elections and served full terms without hiccups. So it becomes a mere joke or smoke screen to say I was not cleared by a panel I never believed its composition and with no known criteria for justification of its outcome,” he stated. Ofobruku said his “participation in the DC-23 screening, even with obvious conflict of interest in the membership was a way of giving what is Caesar’s to Caesar and that which is God’s to God. “I want to state that my big brothers and leaders as well as some stakeholders who we have worked with and served since 1999 till date cannot use the cover of a screening committee to bully me, the only ambassador of the future and next generation of Delta State out of the race to succeed Okowa. “I am very well qualified to be governor of Delta having served two terms in the Delta State House of Assembly, as Special adviser to the governor and even Director of Administration in the PDP Governorship Campaign for the 2019 general elections.” However, a founding member of the lobby group, Ejaife Odebala who did not also make the top five, commended DC-23 and the screening committee in the effort to unite all the aspirants. Odebala said while his ambition was temporarily on hold as a result of the screening, his aspiration to govern Delta State was very much healthy. He urged his supporters including DC-23 members not be disturbed by the report of the screening, noting that he was still in the race to win it. “I commend the leadership of DC-23 and its screening committee for their effort so far in uniting all aspirants.“I commend the leadership of PDP under the chairmanship of kingsley Esiso and the leader of the party in the state, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for the unity in the party,” he added.  A political analyst in the state, Moses Abeh took the lobby group to the cleaners, saying that they have abandoned their mandate and attempted to hijack the functions of a political party.Abeh described the group as an assemblage of political hoodlums who are out to milk the aspirants, insisting that they were not working for the interest of PDP as claimed. “They are not working with the backing of PDP because PDP is yet to announce sales of governorship forms let alone screening of aspirants. “This group of persons came together due to idleness, and came up with how they obtain the aspirants and become relevant in the system. “They started milking the aspirants by inaugurating a screening committee. Who gave them that power? which power are they relying on to say someone is not qualified to contest for election? “It is unfortunate the situation we found ourselves where everybody sees himself as a hustler. At the end of the day, the people screened out are still going about consulting, and would definitely buy forms. “Mind you, those who attended the screening are aspirants on the platform of PDP. APC has nothing like that, and at the end, they (APC) would produce their own candidate,” Abeh said. Regardless of the scathing remarks trailing the action of DC-23, the national chairman, Ighoyota Amori urged the screening committee to further prune the number of aspirants to three. Amori who is the deputy national organising secretary of the PDP, commended the committee for painstakingly carrying out the assignment, and advised those who did not make the list to accept the outcome in good fate. “Therefore, the committee is hereby further directed to reduce the number to three and has up to January ending 2022 to submit its final report. “The committee having had several meetings, discussions, interactions and evaluated the curriculum vitae, mission statement and profile of the aspirants that appeared before them, can now resort to public perception and rating in their acceptability across the state, integrity, capability, credibility and pan-Delta disposition. “I hereby plead with those who didn’t make the list of five and later three to accept the committee’s report and recommendation in good fate, as only one person can be governor at a time. The twelve aspirants were all heroes and winners,” he added. (Daily Sun)