Leaders and other stakeholders of Isoko ethnic nationality of Delta State have described as legitimate the lobby and interface by the Delta Central 2023 political lobby group otherwise known as DC-23 on the need for the next governor of the state to emerge from the district.
Recall that the DC-23 led by its National Chairman, Chief Ighoyota Amori, has in the past weeks met with various political gladiators, traditional rulers and other interest groups in the state to appeal for their understanding of the need for the rotation of the governorship seat to again begin from Delta Central Senatorial District.
The traditional Prime Minister of Oyede Kingdom, High Chief Eta Enahoro, and the President-General of Isoko Development Union (IDU), Prof. Christopher Akpotu, who spoke during the Consultative visit of DC-23 to Isoko nation, posited that only those who invest in the incoming government that will be relevant.
The Urhobos according to them have demonstrated political maturity and oneness by rallying under DC-23 to pursue what they think is legitimately theirs.
According to them, “we are impressed with your presentation of pleading with us for support. Our house is not presently in order but with the help of our traditional rulers, the good people of Isoko and clerics, we will see how we can bring our people together, especially the political class as quickly as possible.
“It is after we are united that we can come to you to tell you our position. So we plead with you to give us some time to make those who presently don’t reason in our direction have cause to change their mind.
“If we have more groups like DC-23 of Urhobo people, the state will be better for us. With the way the Urhobos are moving, whoever becomes the governor has to be very careful because he knows that he could be resisted by the people if the need be,” he added.
He advised those disassociating themselves from their ethnic group for fear of losing political or elective positions to stop as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa will not be angry with them for associating with their people.
They urged the Urhobo people to treat the Isoko people as a critical partner whenever they divinely get the governor, and they on their part will also treat Urhobos as a critical partner in the future if they get a higher position.
Earlier, National Chairman of Delta Central 2023, Chief Ighoyota Amori said that DC-23 is a lobby group made up of card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta Central Senatorial District with the aim to lobby for the governorship seat to rotate to the district come 2023.
Chief Amori noted that the DC-23 is not different from G-3 of Delta South Senatorial District that was formed to drive the process of election of the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Anioma Agenda that was formed in 2014 to propel the process of election of the current governor of the state, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
According to him, “those who want to contest against aspirants of Delta Central Senatorial District have their argument for the governorship seat likewise us but we can’t talk of zoning on ethnic lines because the state is made up of various ethnic groups like Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Ika, Ndokwa, Oshimili, Aniocha and few others, hence the appeal for us to maintain the zoning arrangement on senatorial districts line”.
“We want to establish a sustainable system where when it gets to the turn of your senatorial district, no one from other senatorial districts will contest against the benefitting district. So the argument that Urhobo or other ethnic groups contested during the turn of other senatorial districts will no longer be there”, he added.
He appealed to the leaders and stakeholders of the Isoko nation for support for DC-23 push for zoning arrangement on senatorial districts line to enable the PDP rule beyond 2023.
