Ijaw traditional rulers under the aegis of Delta Ijaw Traditional Rulers Forum has urged politicians of Ijaw extraction, especially those jostling for elective positions not to work against the system.
The Forum canvassed this position through the Chairman, HRM Elder Capt. Joseph Timiyan, Torububo I, Ebenana-Owei of Ogulagha Kingdom and HRM Pere Kalanama VIII, Pere of Akugbene-Mein Kingdom, 2nd Vice Chairman, Delta State Traditional Council, when leaders and members of Delta Central 2023 political lobby group paid consultation visit to the monarchs at the palace of HRM Couple Oromoni Mobene III, Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri Kingdom in Ogbe-Ijoh community, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The monarchs noted that Delta State appears to be more comfortable than other states in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria because of a foundation that has been laid.
According to them, “We also know that politicians at times, tend to go against the tide. It’s not peculiar to one ethnic group or senatorial district; and when they do because there is something that is already entrenched, it ends in a favourable way.
“We are royal fathers, our duty is to receive all aspirants and pressure groups. We will continue to pray night and day that campaign or lobby should be carried out without rancour but with high sense of decorum.
“Even the Delta Ijaw that are going round, we usually advised them not to do it with rancour, only to preach the gospel that the Ijaws want it too this time around. And that when they get there and the system agrees that they can’t be, it means the system wants it that way. But they should not work against the system.
“Often times when we listen to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, he usually says that at the right time the leadership of the party will seat together and come up with a position. We pray that God in His infinite wisdom will direct the leadership of the party and of course the governor in the right direction.
“We are very very impressed with the way DC-23 is going about its lobby and conducted itself, it has equally encouraged others. I am sure that some other groups are watching what you are doing.
“It is the best way to go, so that at the end of the day, it will still be one big family and umbrella that will house whoever that with be governor. Our prayer in both night and day is for a governor that will see the entire state as one constituency to emerge.
“A governor that will be accessible to Deltans and intellectually sound to be able to carry all Deltans together because God knew that we are of different languages but he brought us together and we will continue to consolidate on it”, they added.
The monarchs noted that despite not being politicians they know that Ijaws and the Urhobos are one in politics and otherwise.
They urged members of the PDP in the state to work hard to ensure that the senatorial district arrangement stands.
“We urged you (Chief Ighoyota Amori), Chief James Onanefe Ibori, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Senator James Manager and other leaders to meet and come up with a unanimous decision to avoid unnecessary spending of money by aspirants.
They said, “we know that before the election there will be understanding because we cannot afford to go into political crises in the state”,
Earlier, National Chairman of Delta Central 2023 (DC-23), Chief Ighoyota Amori in his speech, stated that DC-23 is a lobby group made up of card carrying members of the PDP in Delta Central Senatorial District with aim to lobby for the governorship seat to rotate to the Central come 2023.
He 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 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, Senator (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 monarchs for support for DC-23 push for zoning arrangement on senatorial districts line to enable the PDP rule beyond 2023.
He pointed out that the DC-23 is not lobbying or campaigning for any aspirant for now but their concern is to ensure that the governorship seat moves to Delta Central Senatorial District in 2023.
Other Ijaw traditional rulers present during the consultation visit were HRM Johnbul Polokowei-Onogolor I, Pere of Ogbolubiri-Mein Kingdom, HRM Jackson Foubiriowei Angalabiri Egbain II, Ebenana-Owei of Kumbowei Kingdom, HRM Bosu Ayamabolou I, the Ebenana-Owei of Iduwini Kingdom, and HRM Shadrack Erebulu Aduo III, Pere of Kabowei Kingdom.
