By Felix Ekwu
There are strong indications that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has finally broken his silence on his successor come 2023.
NewsNet Nigeria authoritatively gathered that the incumbent Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, is the person Okowa is comfortable with to succeed him.
This development if it is anything to go by has put paid to the uncertainties and controversies which have been trailing the senatorial district of the state the new circle of power rotation should start from.
Recall that following the heating of the polity of the state over whether the emergency of the next governor should be on the basis of senatorial district or ethnicity, the Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien, two weeks ago proposed to soon host a one-day summit of traditional rulers on the governorship zoning formula.
With the latest fillers from the inner political circle of the state, the revered monarch from Delta North may not bother again to host the summit.
This is because Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori hails from Okpe Local Government Area which makes up the eight council areas of Delta Central Senatorial District, which the Asagba of Asaba supports should be the district the new circle of power rotation in the state should start from.
Fortunately for Oborevwori, he also made the final list of three governorship aspirants from the district who emerged from the pruning exercise of Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari’s led screening committee of Delta Central 2023 (DC-23); the foremost political lobby group championing power rotation on a senatorial basis.
A dependable source told NewsNet Nigeria that Oborevwori emerged as the anointed candidate of Okowa following marathon meetings that were held between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th March 2022, at Asaba the state capital.
The meetings according to the source also saw the drafting of key political strategists across the state to steer the ship of a new political pressure that will drive the process for the actualisation of Oborevwori as the next governor of the state in 2023.
With this development, it is not clear if Okowa’s deputy, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, who is from the Ijaw extraction of Delta South Senatorial District will pull out from the governorship race to send a strong signal that Okowa is committed to ensuring that power rotates to Delta Central in 2023.
Some keen watchers of the political developments in Delta State hold the strong view that unlike the case of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who 48 hours to the governorship primary in 2015 jettisoned his preferred candidate, Tony Obuh, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa judging by his political antecedents will pursue to a logical conclusion his desire to get Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori to succeed him.
