Delta 2023 election is brewing tension as the incumbent governor, Okowa turns his back on his godfather
The intrigues surrounding the Delta 2023 elections took on a new dimension a few weeks ago when it became evident that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has a different agenda that doesn’t align with his ‘master’, Chief James Ibori.
The issue of who among two Ijaw illustrious sons, Kingsley Otuaro and Senator James Manager will eventually be handed the baton is still unresolved but the elections frenzy has further split interested parties apart, thanks to the ongoing turmoil within Delta Central, which has now left gaps within the Peoples Democratic Party – PDP circle in the state.
Last week, the Nigerian Newspaper reported that James Ibori and the infamous former militant Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo were at odds over who would be the Peoples Democratic Party’s flagbearer in the Delta 2023 election.
Despite the fact that Ibori journeyed to the creeks to plead with Tompolo to give his godson a chance, privileged intelligence at ENigeria Newspaper’s disposal indicates that the latter refused all overtures and insisted on an Ijaw candidate who falls somewhere between Otuaro and Manager.
Many people believe Governor Okowa cannot turn down his ‘master’ Ibori for Tompolo at such a critical time, especially after everything the Odidigborigbo went through to install him in government house in 2015, but those claims may be far from reality if we are to go down memory lane.
The election that produced Okowa was ascribed to fate, according to ENigeria Newspaper fact checks, because there were significant indications that the then-current governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, went against Ibori’s wishes and endorsed late Tony Obuh as his successor. But, as fate would have it, Ibori used emotional blackmail to force Uduaghan to dump Obuh at the last minute. That decision did not come cheaply; it did not come without Tompolo and the company’s strong financial backing; he reportedly opened his money vault to fund Okowa’s campaign.
That was when Okowa allegedly made a deal with Tompolo to ensure that an Ijaw candidate would be elected during Delta 2023 election, and in a previous report by ENigeria Newspaper on the matter, it was revealed that the governor is keen to honor his promise to ‘Mr. government,’ a decision which happens to unsettle Ibori and those in his corner.
The position remained unchanged as of the time of posting this article, indicating that only an Ijaw candidate has a higher chance of winning the governorship seat in the upcoming election.
But, according to information available to this newspaper, an Ijaw candidate alone, without proper alignment, will not solve the problem, as there are whispers of possible betrayal if Isoko and Ishekiri are not properly represented with a seat at the table, and the reason is not far-fetched.
ENigeria Newspaper reports that Okowa’s preferred governorship candidate would be an Ijaw with a deputy from Anioma or a loyalist from Delta Central (Urhobo Nation). Such an alliance could lead to a gang-up between Ishekiri and Isoko, which may cost the PDP the governorship opportunity in Delta 2023 election.
