Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Friday restated that the emergence of a governorship candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general elections in Delta state, would not be based on ethnicity but on senatorial district.
The governor however stressed that the consensus that would be arrived at on the senatorial power rotation “will be built among members of the PDP including the two leaders, that is, the governor, Senator Okowa, then former governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, also former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and host of other leaders who have not even had the privilege of governing the state, but are critical stakeholders in the decision making of both the PDP and indeed in the running of the affairs of the state”.
Okowa who spoke through his Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, during a live programme of Arise TV morning show NEWSDAY on Friday said, “There is nothing like ethnicity when it comes to the issue of the governorship of Delta. It has been which senatorial district.
“Politics in Delta particularly at the level of the governorship has never been on the basis of ethnicity. If you mention senatorial district, you will be coming closer to it.
“As per ethnic group, anybody mentioning name of ethnic group has never been too clear about the political equation of Delta; it has never been a question of ethnic group because we have so many ethnic groups,” Aniagwu emphasized.
Giving further clarification on the comments made by Governor Okowa on his thinking about the 2023 governorship, which have elicited mixed reactions, Aniagwu said, “Senator Okowa is not averse to our movement to Delta Central but you cannot ask the people of Delta South to just shut up and keep quiet. That has not been the case.
“There has never been in the history of the PDP in Delta where any group is shut out, but at the end of the day majority in the course of that will be persuaded to know say look these candidates and these individuals will serve us and serve the interest of the state.”
