Leaders and other stakeholders in the politics of Aniocha South and Oshimili South Local Government Areas of Delta State have said that they look up to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to give the direction on the governorship aspirant they will support from Delta Central Senatorial District come 2023 in the state.
Former Minister of Agriculture and Defence, Chief Chris Agbobu and the former State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Edwin Uzor, made this known on behalf of their people when leaders and members of the Delta Central 2023 (DC-23) lobby group paid separate consultative visits to them at Ogwashi-Uku and Asaba.
The political leaders from the two council areas affirmed their resolve to only accept, support and work for any governorship aspirant of Delta Central extraction if Governor Ifeanyi Okowa directed them to do so.
They acknowledged the fact that Delta Central deserved to occupy the governorship seat of the state in 2023 having waited for 16years during which Delta South and North Senatorial Districts had their fair share of running the affairs state for two consecutive tenures of eight years each.
Chief Agbobu urged former governor Chief James Ibori, immediate past governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and the incumbent governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to call for a stakeholders’ meeting that will midwife a written and signed agreement for zoning on senatorial districts order as they will no longer tolerate gentleman agreement.
According to him, “we want a properly documented agreement by majority of the people so that the issue of gentleman agreement will be put to rest.
“Whether it was by coincidence, Delta central has waited for 16 years, it will be ungodly to tell them to wait for south or north to go for governor. But they must discipline their own children to accept zoning.
“When the time comes, anybody Governor Ifeanyi Okowa brings from central, we will follow. Okowa will speak for us because on Okowa we stand,” he added.
For his part, Chief Uzor said they believed firmly in the directive of Okowa saying, “It is where he said we should go that we will go. But we want to advise against heating up the polity in the state because it is not necessary. What you people are doing is very good because we have been following your activities.
“The current politicking in the state is not new, It is expected and usual. It is the beauty of democracy but we will do our best at the appropriate time when we get directive from our governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.”
At both visits, the 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 political leaders of Aniocha South and Oshimili South Local Government Areas to support the 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 but to ensure that the governorship seat moves to Delta Central Senatorial District in 2023.
Among the political leaders from Aniocha South that joined Chief Chris Agbobu to received DC-23 leaders and members were Chief Isaac Anwuzia, Hon Joan Onyemaechi, Hon Jude Chukwuwike, Hon Emmanuel Sorokwu, Dr Tony Nwaka, Arch. Kester Ifeadi, Chief Zeline Ojeogwu, Hon. Mike Okwufuleze, Chief Joe Adigwe, Chief Anderson Mekoma, Chief A. C. Okocha and Ms. Lilian Okolie
For Oshimili South, those who joined Chief Edwin Uzor to receive the DC-23 delegation were Ogbueshi Douglas Okolotu, Hon. Shedrack Rapu, Hon. Barr. Bridget Anyafulu, Hon. Chief Mrs. Monu-Olaruwaju, Hon. Emeka Okonji, Evang. Ebielim Maduemezia, Elder Chukwuma Belonwu, Chief John Agunya, Mrs. Ify Ogbogu, Engr. Smart Mega, Olorogun Ngozi Okolie, Mrs. Ngozi Nwabuonwu, Alhaji Anwulu, Mr. Ngozi Okolotu, Hon. Eloke Anekwu, Hon. Olisa Onyeka, Hon. Chike Osadebey, Mr. Ifesiekwu Chike and Hon. Anthony Onyia
