By Austin Oyibode
Phone-in reactions to an interview with Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, the Director-General of the Delta State Communications and Orientation Bureau, turned tense as callers to the program sharply criticised the Delta PDP chieftain’s attempt to discredit Senator Ned Nwoko.
The interview was conducted by radio presenters at Odenigbo FM.
The interview, which lasted over 50 minutes, saw Dr Latimore struggling to defend his position while the radio presenters, who seemed to be well-versed in the political landscape of Delta North, pressed him with insightful and probing questions.
Despite his futile efforts to diminish Senator Nwoko’s contributions, Latimore could not convince the presenters or the callers, who strongly opposed his views.
Of the four callers who participated in the program, only one expressed support for Dr. Latimore, while the other three challenged his statements, particularly his claim that Senator Nwoko lacked electoral value despite the PDP’s significant loss of prominent members in the state.
The callers insisted that such remarks were mere window dressing, offering no real solution for the party’s dwindling fortunes ahead of the 2027 elections.
The first caller, a passionate critic, told Dr. Latimore that the PDP’s current struggles were just the beginning.
He warned that the party had not yet fully felt the consequences of its internal crisis, predicting further challenges both at the state and national levels as the 2027 elections drew near.
The caller advised Latimore to read the biblical story of Jacob and Esau, pointing out that the PDP had “sold its birthright” and would take a long time to recover from its current state.
The second caller, in contrast, emphasised Senator Nwoko’s strong support base in Delta North.
He dismissed Latimore’s claim that Nwoko had no electoral value, arguing that the senator won his election on behalf of the PDP while the party lost in the other two senatorial districts.
He also dismissed the claim that Nwoko won in Delta North because of Okowa on the fact that the same Okowa could not secure a victory in his own zone for the presidency where he was vice presidential candidate.
The third caller, Obi Okeke, strongly criticised Dr. Latimore for underestimating Nwoko’s political influence in Delta State.
He accused Latimore of “political boasting” and said that by making such unfounded claims, Latimore sounded like he was assuming the role of an election tribunal or the judiciary.
Okeke pointed to the growing defections from the PDP and the rise of opposition strength, questioning the wisdom of dismissing Senator Nwoko’s electoral value when the political tide was clearly shifting in his favour.
These phone-in reactions reveal a strong backlash against Dr Latimore’s attempt to downplay Senator Nwoko’s political significance, with many callers pointing to the PDP’s internal troubles and the senator’s ongoing popularity in Delta North as signs of an uphill battle for the PDP in the run-up to the 2027 elections.
