DELTA 2023: What If Okowa, PDP Fails Ndokwa For The Position Of Deputy Governor (EDITORIAL)
As this piece is been put together, the two major parties in Delta State is struggling for who wins the coveted seat of the number one citizen of the state, come March 2023, when the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections will take place.
In the state, just like in Nigeria, there is an ethnic dimension, and regional and senatorial argument on who or which region or senatorial district to takeover the helm of affairs. In a normal setting, and this should not be an issue, but because the country had been so much barkanised based on religion, or ethnic biased ideology, we had continued to suffer in the hands of the agents of such abnormalities.
In Delta State, since her creation the battle of supremacy or the real owners of the state had been on. The average person from Delta Central see the state as theirs, and making the Aniocha, Oshimili and Ika nations as part of the state was a big abomination, and they vowed never to allow any other persons, especially from the Northern part of the state, which is referred to as the Delta North to taste the seat of government. In their quest for this inferiority supremacy, they always want the people of Ndokwa/Ndoshimili as part of the real Delta, this many observers had not seen how true this claim is. Yes they use inter marriage and similarity in culture, but behind the scene, it is not the truth.
This greed to grab all, led the main umbrella body of the Urhobo’s, The Urhobo Progressive Union, UPU, prior to 2015 election to make the famous declaration known as the “Uvwiamuge Declaration” where they declared that and called their entire citizens to vote no other person, but one from the Urhobo nation. Thus declaring a clarion call that any other tribe or senatorial district has no stake to the Osadebe House. They even, through some other persons agreed to use the “Lagos Style” on people from Delta North, and Ibo speaking people in the state during the 2019 election. This self acclaim ownership of the state, is that deep.
However, the battle at the end of the day, was won by Ifeanyi Okowa, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who contested with opposition candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, in 2015, and in 2019 with Chief Ogboru, who by this time had moved to the APC. At the end of the election in the year 2015 and 2019, Okowa was declared winner, and was sworn in as the Executive Governor of the oil rich Delta State.
In the course of Okowa’s administration, he had promised the people of Ndokwa, positive attentions, and maybe juice appointments. Yes he may had achieved the issue of appointments, as most sons and daughters of the area got appointed into some powerful offices in the state. But in terms of physical development, the area for the eight years had not felt the impact of the state, as many are agitating for proper development plan, opening up of most of the areas, like the Ndokwa East. This may be a right agitation, as most of the resources sustaining the state, especially oil and natural gas, comes from the vast oil and gas deposit of Ndokwa land. Most of what seems to be vital pronouncement of the government for economic development of the state like the Kwale Industrial park today, is only in the news. The only possible project that will be considered befitting maybe the Delta Technical College, Obiaruku. This though, had been seen by people from the area, as not project expected from Okowa for the people.
Because of the seemingly lack of proper attention from the government, especially with the Anioma Mantra, which Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and the Senator representing Delta North, Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi rode to office, the people of the area had become disenchanted with politics of governance of the state.
It is on record that it took the frustration of the traditional ruler of Okpai, in Ndokwa East Local Government to intervene for a contract to be awarded for a linking bridge between Kwale to Beneku, for easy access to that part of the state, where flora and fauna, and agricultural yields rot away every farming season, because of lack of channel to evacuate the farm produce from the area. The bridge was scheduled to be completed in 2020, but date of delivery had been shifted twice, and the last will be December 2022. This many had concluded will be a miracle, as no work is taken place their now.
There are many other promises, and many scattered projects in the area, begging for completion. But in the midst of all this, the people from the unset of the administration of Okowa, pleaded for the completion of the proposed Aboh Polytechnic, by his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. This he said will not be possible because of the lean purse of the state at the time he tookover office. This can be accepted, but towards the completion of his tenure, he had upgraded three existing higher institutions to full blown universities, with the structures of these converted schools built by this administration. And still Aboh Polytechnic remains on paper.
In other to calm the agitation of the people of Ndokwa, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in a rally in Kwale in 2021, promised to ensure the Deputy Governor slot is zoned to the people of Ndokwa. This had somehow elicited joy and happiness, even if their desire is not to play a second fiddle, especially with the perceived zoning formula of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. This of recent had become an issue, as two sons of the area had been scheming to be favoured for the position. This however, had caused embarrassment to many from Ndokwa nation, as this position is not contestable.
But with political heat presently going on in the state, where the people of Delta South is claiming same right with those of Delta Central to succeed the governor, especially with many from the south arguing that the first set of rotation ends with Okowa, and the believe of Delta Central against zoning, there is the likelihood that there may be a stalemate within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta, and this will not go well with the party, as the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC is waiting for the mistakes of the ruling party to cash on.
In such a scenario, a section must be traded for the two main offices in the state. Have Ndokwa and its leadership, political and other stakeholders taught of the fact that, that office can be traded by the Governor, who is the leader of the party in the state, and the leadership of the party to save the soul of the party in state. Have the people any mechanism to pull through to ensure that the people of Ndokwa is not shortchanged even after the election? Are they in anyway moblising their people to get registered and vote based on their choice.
Yes, what if Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta decides to disappoint Ndokwa for the office of Deputy Governor come 2023. What will they do. Can they pull any surprise, do they have the strength to decide what happens during election, not just in PDP, but also in APC.
What if Okowa and PDP Fails Ndokwa, What…..
