There appears to be growing tension, uneasy calm and ‘fight’ in the political arena of Delta State in Nigeria particularly among the key political actors as they plot to outwit each other ahead of the governorship race in 2023.
The latest of such seemingly political fight is that between former Minister of Education (State), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi with the Delta State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Mr Peter Mrakpor and the member representing the people of Ughelli South in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Reuben Yakubu Izeze.
Olorogun Gbagi had recently in a press conference accused Mrakpor, who are from the same Ughievwen clan of Urhobo ethnic extraction in Ughelli South of fighting him because he wants to be governor in 2023.
He alleged that Hon. Izeze is also fighting him for their political ambition.
Olorogun Gbagi was days back declared wanted by the Delta State Police Command following protest and petition on the alleged stripping naked and other dehumanising actions meted out to four staff of Signatious hotel, owned by the ex-minister.
The four former staff were photographed, arrested and dragged before a Magistrate Court in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area.
He (Gbagi) denied any involvement in the act which has been widely condemned by members of the public.
In a swift reaction, he went ahead and obtained an injunction restraining the Inspector General of Police, IGP and the State Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Hafiz Inuwa from arresting him.
As Gbagi make frantic efforts to clear his name from the allegation and continue to build his image positively for the governorship contest in the state, it is rumoured especially amongst politicians in that the state that Mrakpor seem to be a favoured by the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for the governorship race in 2023 to succeed him.
The governor it is alleged wants Mrakpor to succeed him so as to continue to have a “Say” in the affairs of the state.
This move may be against the political wish of a former governor, Chief James Ibori, who still wants to have his dominance of the affairs as political godfather in the state.
For Ibori, he would like his loyalist, Mr David Edevbie, current Chief of Staff to Governor Okowa to be the next governor of the state.
Both Mrakpor and Edevbie are indigenes of Urhobo ethnic extraction in Delta State, and in line with the People’s Democratic Party, PDP zoning agreement in the state, it is the turn of Delta Central to produce the next governor in 2023.
NewsNet gathered that the development is gradually causing crack in the political family especially in the political camps of Chief Ibori and Dr Okowa in the state and things may get out of hand within the shortest possible time.
With Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, former Governor of Delta state dumping the All Progressives Congress, APC for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, there is believed that his return to the party with his supporters with be an added force to that of Chief Ibori, give Governor Ifeanyi Okowa camp a very tough fight and stop him from imposing his own candidate.
Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi was declared wanted by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly dehumanizing four staff of his hotel.
