PDP rejects Ibori’s endorsement of Edevbie
Denounces Urhobo Progress Union’s ‘misguided, external interference’
Okowa expresses preference for Speaker
BY MOYINOLUWA BAMIDELE–LUCAS
The tense political atmosphere in Delta State ahead of the 2023 governorship election is not showing any sign of abating.
Residents of the state woke up on Easter Sunday to an earth-shaking political decision by the Urhobo Progress Union, the apex umbrella body, for all sons and daughters of Urhobo, home and in the Diaspora.
The Urhobo, who are the largest ethnic group in the state, occupy the whole of Delta Central Senatorial District and some settlements in the South Senatorial Districts of the state. They are pressing hard to ensure that one of their own emerges as the state governor in 2023 based on the unwritten rotational principle in the state, especially within the People’s Democratic Party.
The Point learnt that all hell has been literally let loose in the state since that fateful morning with the state now sharply divided for or against the decision of the UPU as vicious dirty intrigues, betrayals and uncompromising tendencies are now threatening to deny the Central District the coveted position it has patiently waited for in the last 16 years by 2023.
The UPU in a statement signed by its President-General (Worldwide), Olorogun Moses Taiga and five others, had thrown its weight behind the aspiration of Olorogun David Edevbie, one of the almost 14 aspirants of Urhobo extraction vying for the sole ticket of the PDP from the district.
Titled “Governorship of Delta State 2023: Our stand, Our choice,” the UPU argued among other things: “That it is important for us to take note of the current political atmosphere in the state and the seeming undercurrent to deliberately undermine the interest of the Urhobo people in the 2023 Governorship race. In this regard, we wish to categorically state, as follows: That as the Government of the Urhobo Nation, the UPU is under obligation, at all times and in all circumstances, to defend, protect and promote the interest of the Urhobo Nation and her people.
“The UPU then went further, not just to make a passionate appeal to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to forgive Edevbie of whatever mistake he might have made in the past, it pleaded with him to give the Urhobo the free hand to pick who they want to present to the state
“
“That the UPU is unequivocally committed to the emergence of an Urhobo as Governor of Delta State in 2023.
“That the UPU has absolute faith in the rotation of the Governorship position among the three Senatorial Districts of the State, which, of course, has gone round, having started with Central in 1999 and rounding up now with the North. This rotational policy has brought about peace, mutual respect among the diverse ethnic groups and tranquility to the state in the last 22 years, paving way for the growth and development that have been witnessed so far in the State. The policy must, therefore, be encouraged and sustained by all the ethnic nationalities in the State to guarantee the prevailing peace, and prevent the unnecessary rancour, acrimony and violence often associated with campaigns and elections.
“That to present a united front in the forthcoming primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the UPU had a brain-storming session with each of the Urhobo aspirants. All the aspirants who presented themselves before the UPU in the four-day interactive session, performed brilliantly.”
But while acknowledging that all the aspirants are “eminently qualified and suitable for the job,” the UPU pointed out that only one position was available.
It went on to announce, “After thoroughly examining and analysing all the aspirants, we have, however, reached a consensus that Olorogun David Edevbie, is the best person for the job at this time. Over time, he has acquired impressive public sector experience, both locally in Delta State and Federal Government, and prior outstanding international development finance experience.
“That we hereby plead with all our sons, and prevail on them all to support and collaborate with the consensus choice of UPU Worldwide, for the collective interest of our dear Urhobo Nation. We ask for their understanding at this critical and trying time in the history of the Urhobo Nation.”
In a show of fairness to other aspirants in other parties apart from the PDP, the UPU stated that it “will also interact with all Urhobo aspirants in the All Progressives Congress; Social Democratic Party; Labour Party or any of the other parties, with a view to fielding the most suitable for the primaries in those parties.”
The UPU then went further, not just to make a passionate appeal to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to forgive Edevbie of whatever mistake he might have made in the past, it pleaded with him to give the Urhobo the free hand to pick who they want to present to the state.
“We want to appeal to our Governor, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to forgive Olorogun David Edevbie for any perceived transgression. To forgive is divine. No individual is perfect. Your Excellency, we also urge you to kindly allow the Urhobo Nation to choose the candidate of their preference, please. We can assure Your Excellency, that if considered necessary, we, as Urhobos, will act as sureties of Olorogun David Edevbie while in office, if by the grace of God, he wins the Governorship general elections in 2023,” the apex Urhobo body pleaded.
UPU’s position, it was learnt, went directly against the alleged choice of Governor Okowa, said to be the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori. The governor’s camp has, however, severally denied the allegation. It rather maintained that Governor Okowa is for everybody and ready to ensure a level playing field for all.
Interestingly, before the UPU decision, a political pressure group, Delta Political Vanguard, had on March 15, risen from its meeting in Asaba with the understanding of backing Oborevwori to succeed Okowa as governor of the state while it is generally believed that former Governor, James Ibori, has a strong preference for Edevbie.
The DPV meeting in Asaba became a turning point for the political permutations in the state. In announcing the choice of Oborevwori, one of the governor’s top media aides, had posted in one of his numerous Facebook accounts that “On Tuesday 15th March 2023, Asaba rose in honour of the REAL DEAL. The only truly wired political pressure group in Delta State, Delta Political Vanguard, (the) DPV anchored in the state capital to formally adopt the SHERIFFIED crooner as 2023 Verified Governorship Candidate.”
In apparent reference to the selection process undertaken by the DC – 23, another pressure group, headed by Senator Ighoyota Amori, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the PDP, which is vigorously campaigning for an Urhobo governor of the state, post Okowa era, proudly announced that “The REAL DEAL made the final list of three most qualified governorship aspirants presented to the good people of Delta State by the DC-23 lobby group, fortunately. DPV choice met DC-23 expectations.”
“Don’t be confused, there shall be party primaries, no doubt about that but be wise enough to quickly and urgently align yourself with the SHERIFFIED political electioneering moving train and thank me later. Look no further, get SHERIFFIED,” the aide wrote.
The DC-23 had interacted with all the aspirants and in a pruning exercise carried out by it, reduced the number to just three – David Edevbie, Sheriff Oborevwori and Kenneth Gbagi.
Reflecting on the outcome of the DPV meeting, a chieftain of the party, who pleaded anonymity, told The Point that it was a decision that sent “shock waves” across the state considering what was being expected and what the public eventually got to know.
“The governor has been telling everybody at different fora, especially at church gatherings, that ‘only God knows’ who will take over from him and that he was still waiting on God. He always tells Deltans he would ensure a level playing field for all. But when suddenly, his top aides, especially media aides, and commissioners are singing one tune, you know what that means now.
“In Nigeria, no governor’s aide has the temerity to mouth the name of an aspirant as ‘divine project, anointed, finished product or chosen one,’ when your boss has not spoken? It was a clear case of the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob. Apparently, these aides were merely giving expression to the body language of their boss. That’s all. And you know what that means. The decision of DPV with the alleged backing of the governor immediately tore the party into two.
“The former governor, who is supposed to be the ‘Leader’, has seemingly been dethroned, so to say. And you know what that means. He may not be in power, he might have left office 15 years ago, but he still has some influence and loyalists. The only minus is that he doesn’t have the capacity to generously dish out favours now. You know what that means.
“Otherwise, if an Executive Assistant to a governor is all over the place with over 50 social media channels promoting a candidate, one would be stupid and politically naïve to believe some cock and bull stories that the governor has no hand in it,” the source confided.
However, Governor Okowa, speaking through the state Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, in Asaba, in the wake of the uproar that greeted the development, said he had not endorsed anybody as his successor.
Okowa insisted that his name was merely being dropped by aspirants to gain some political mileage, adding that, as a democrat, he would not be interested in asking anybody to step out of the governorship race.
“Everybody knows that the governor has recorded a number of achievements, and it is believed and rightly so that any direction he shakes his body will have a whole lot of advantage because he has been able to add a whole lot of value to the promises he made.
“If in that light because they believe the name of the governor is capable of giving them advantage, you can’t blame them, and we are not going to fight them for using the name of the governor because they are trying to associate themselves with what is good. At the end of the day, we are going to have one governorship candidate in the PDP. The governor’s pedigree is quite high and everybody wants to have that covering.
“What is important is that we hope and believe that all our members who are interested in positions whether the governorship or legislature, that they are able to play safely and with respect for one another. So the governor hopes that anybody who is contesting will use the sanest words; have respect for one another; recognize the fact that we are one family and recognize the need for us to sustain the development trajectory in the state,” Aniagwu had explained.
PDP counters UPU
In what would seem as if the UPU had touched a sensitive and no-go-area, the PDP in Delta Central, in a quick reaction, rose stoutly in condemnation of the decision of the apex Urhobo socio-cultural body and demanded that it rescind it without delay.
The PDP in a statement by its chairman, Patrick Fovie and 30 others, said, “It has come to our notice that the leadership of UPU on April 17, 2022, via a press statement announced the endorsement of a governorship aspirant under the PDP, Edebvie, as the union’s preferred aspirant and in the same token urged our party delegates to vote en mass for him.
“UPU’s efforts in the affairs of Urhobo nation of Delta Central senatorial district will always be appreciated if and only when such efforts or interests are not in conflict with the duties and regulations of our party, PDP, and its organs.
“And in the instant case, we found out that the purported endorsement of our party member, who is a governorship aspirant, usurped the functions of our party in the ongoing electioneering process leading to the party primaries.”
Describing the endorsement as “obvious external interference by UPU and her leadership,” the party leaders said, “In the light of the above, we strongly appeal to the President General of UPU, Olorogun Moses Taiga, and his entire Exco worldwide to kindly withdraw the purported endorsement of Edebvie as the union’s preferred aspirant in line with the objective of UPU as a registered socio-cultural organisation.”
In the same vein, the Central Senatorial District chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria described the adoption of Edevbie by UPU as “misguided.”
The group, made up of the chairmen of Uvwie, Okpe, Udu, Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Ethiope East, Ethiope West and Sapele councils, asked the UPU to rescind the endorsement for the sake of Urhobo unity.
“My sympathy really is with the Urhobo of Delta Central. Just imagine how sons of Urhobo are being pushed to go against their revered UPU. In 2014, Anioma Congress endorsed the present governor from the pack of about 11 aspirants
“
ALGON said, “It is clear from the advertorial, which is also being circulated in the mainstream and social media, that the current leadership of the UPU is being misguided.
“Our reaction therefore is to guide and passionately appeal to the UPU leadership, whose primary duty is to promote the culture and tradition of the Urhobo people, to strictly adhere to the vision and mission of the founding fathers.
“Without doubt, local government council chairmen, who are the key political stakeholders, especially at the grassroots, which is the basic foundation of any political endeavour, were not consulted or carried along.
“If we as local government council chairmen were carried along in this decision, we would have offered our candid advice and perhaps avert this adoption of one aspirant among other qualified sons of Urhobo nation.”
The chairmen stated, “We are not happy with UPU’s decision to adopt any aspirant as the preferred candidate of the Urhobo ethnic nationality, whereas we have other Urhobo sons also contesting the governorship election.
“Wisdom would have taught us from history that the UPU coming out to adopt one aspirant as its candidate against others has never ended well and therefore should be discouraged. The founding fathers of the UPU did not form the union as a political party, or as an extension of a political party, nor a political pressure group. Therefore, it is abnormal for the body to come to the political field or gallery to poke nose, let alone adopt an aspirant.
“We, therefore, advise the UPU leadership to rescind its decision in the interest of unity and love in Urhobo in particular and Delta as a whole.”
However, another party chieftain, this time from the Delta North District, who also would not want to be mentioned, insisted the party might be treading on dangerous ground if it goes ahead to impose any aspirant on the people because he is the preferred choice of the governor.
He said, “I think there is danger lurking in the corner. The people want a level playing field. You may have your preferred candidate but let the majority have their way and the minority their say. Don’t bulldoze your way. Many people are of the view that incumbents always want people who can protect them, but it is not always the case.
“My sympathy really is with the Urhobo of Delta Central. Just imagine how sons of Urhobo are being pushed to go against their revered UPU. In 2014, Anioma Congress endorsed the present governor from the pack of about 11 aspirants. Even the governor, when the UPU was celebrating its 90th anniversary, asked the Union to prune down the number of aspirants. It has done that now but forces are being raised to discredit the UPU.
“What many people don’t know is that the governor holds all the aces. Anioma votes en bloc for PDP. All he needs is some votes from Central and half of Delta South and he can install anybody from another district. Don’t forget that the Deputy Governor is still in the race. So also is Senator James Manager. And the issue of rotation is still on the ground as people are referring to previous years when people from all the zones have had to contest. So it is not yet settled. If the Urhobo are not careful, they may not get the governorship.
“A lot are against them because some among them are only ready to satisfy themselves and not the yearning of the zone per se. Remember what Chief Ibori said recently when Chief Amori was declaring his senatorial ambition? As I am talking with you now, there is another aspirant for senate not too far from Amori town. So it is a high-wired game of intrigues, deceit and betrayal,” he stated.
In what many political pundits described as a pregnant pronouncement, Ibori had said during Amori’s declaration: “I am behind, and I will support Senator Ighoyota Amori every step on the way, and anybody, anyone conspiring, anybody that thinks that because I am now a former governor they want to conspire to disgrace me, God will disgrace all of them.”
“This is my senatorial district, I am a stakeholder in this party (PDP) and I am a stakeholder in Urhobo, this is my place of birth, I am with Senator Amori all the way,” he had declared.
On the possibility of the opposition All Progressives Congress winning the state for the first time, the source said it was not possible, even if all Delta Central votes were cast for the APC.
“Forget APC. Not in Delta State, at least not for now. Even if all the votes in Urhoboland were to be cast for it, it still wouldn’t win. My only fear is that Urhobo may lose this chance.”
Recently, at least nine serving commissioners and other political aides have resigned as members of the State Executive Council.
While some are resigning to vie for elective positions, others resigned to participate as delegates of the PDP during the party’s primary as statutory delegates.
Ovie Agas, the chief of staff to the state governor, has also resigned his appointment to enable him participate as a statutory delegate during the election.
Among the commissioners who have resigned are Bridget Anyafulu, Evelyn Oboro, Basil Ganagana, Christian Onogba, Julius Egbedi, Ovie Oghoore, Jonathan Ukodhiko and Chika Ossai.
Oboro, commissioner for Water Resources Development, resigned to contest as member of the House of Representatives for Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie federal constituency.
Joan Marakpor, Director General, Asaba Capital Territory Development Authority, also resigned to contest for the state assembly seat.
Basil Ganagana, erstwhile Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, until his resignation was the commissioner for Transport. Sources close to the former lawmaker disclosed that the Patani-born politician was running for the Patani/Bomadi federal constituency seat.
Also, Jonathan Ukodhiko, commissioner for power and energy, resigned to vie for the Isoko federal constituency seat.
Similarly, Christian Onogba resigned as commissioner for Environment to contest the Ethiope West constituency seat in the Delta State House of Assembly.
Anyafulu, commissioner for Humanitarian and Support and Chika Ossai, commissioner for Primary Education, resigned to run for the state assembly seats. Julius Egbedi and Ovie Oghoore, who were both commissioners for Project Monitoring & Audit and Agriculture & Natural Resources, are also running for elective positions in 2023.
Governor Okowa had urged political appointees in his administration with ambition to contest in the 2023 elections to resign.
According to him, the call became necessary to enable his administration to finish strong in delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
