2019 : Finding Suggests Ibori Will Dump Okowa, PDP For APC Over Amnesty From Buhari’s Government

Chief James Ibori, ex-convict former governor of oil rich Delta state may dump incumbent Governor of Delta state, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa if information reaching BigPen Online is anything to go by.

BigPen Online was reliably informed that All Progressives Congress-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari may grant Ibori state pardon and use him to capture Delta State come 2019.

Dependable sources told one of our correspondents that if plans by APC at the national level to grant amnesty to Ibori in a bid to use him win the 2019 election in Delta State sail through, Okowa would be on his way out of Government House, Asaba.

The source said that the secret plan which also involve some undisclosed political bigwigs in the state who secretly nurse grievances against Governor Okowa would start manifesting once the coast is cleared.

Recall that former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had granted presidential pardon to late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and a few other ex-convicts despite reports that the late ex-governor stole his people blind while he served as governor. In spite of controversy which trailed the development at that time, Jonathan was quoted to have said he owes no one apology for his actions.

Our source said that if the talk about granting Ibori Presidential amnesty before 2019 which has reached advance stage sail through, Ibori who is reluctant to give up on Governor Okowa for some obvious reasons may have no option than to dump the Governor.

However, finding shows that Okowa, already has started building his own political structure, and dismantling Ibori structure in the state in case the unexpected happens, a source said.

The source added that if the plan succeed it means Governor Okowa would be losing hundreds of teeming supporters of Ibori who is currently under pressure to join APC and influence the claiming of Delta State come 2019.

The former governor, who wield so much influence on the politics of Delta, is not happy with Okowa’s style of governance, particularly their recent disagreement over slot of commissionership positions and the dissolution of board of DSIEC without his notice, our Government House source said.

Dependable sources however revealed that one of the major reason why Ibori has kept calm with Okowa who has failed many who supported and stood by him to become governor of the oil rich state in 2015, was because the Delta State Government under Okowa-led administration had kept faith with the Governor’s Pension Rights and Other Benefits Law 2005 of which millions of naira were wired to him on monthly instalment even while in UK prison.

Ibori, before he was jailed in the UK prison, was able to sign into law the Delta State Governor and Deputy Governor Pension Rights and Other Benefits Law 2005 which was later amended in 2009. With this law, the state government reportedly pay him N50m per year among other perks.

Our source said that this “political order” was one of the reason Ibori was still holding on to Okowa because as an incumbent Governor he (Okowa) has powers to stop any payment coming to him, including his “politically arranged pension” and other entitlements and the ones wired to his Western Niger Delta University, Oghara, through DESOPADEC.

The source however said that circumstances has “politically crippled” Ibori that drawing battle line when he is not with the party in power at the central for now is practically impossible, except the moves by top politicians in the country to woo him into APC and get a state pardon works out.

“Ibori is still very vulnerable, he is not sure of what the federal government would do next about his case, that’s why he can’t fight anyone now.

“All those stories about him drawing battle line with Okowa are not real. He can’t do that even if he is unhappy. Okowa has actually disappointed him including many others, but the ex-governors would stick by him until a new political directives is given.

“I can tell you categorically that Okowa is the one surviving him (Ibori) and he would remain with him until he gets possible green light from those pushing for his pardon.

“If for Ibori alone, he will not dump Okowa because they are of same feathers but leaving him and PDP and delivering Delta State to APC is a condition Ibori has been given and Okowa knows that when the chips are down, Ibori would surely dump him and follow another profitable route, that’s why Okowa has been trying to build his own political structure in case the eventuality happens.

“You remember when Ibori first returns to Nigeria, there was so much rumor that he was planning to defect almost immediately, it was true but he was advised to understand the Buhari’s government first and now they are seriously pressuring him till date to defect.

“Okowa is also not resting. He is trying day and night to present himself before Buhari as a good person that’s why any opportunity given to him by the APC-led government of Buhari he want to be at the forefront about it.

“Unfortunately, if you remember the recent remark Buhari made about “Okowa being the favorite of the press”, it was actually a mockery. Buhari knows Okowa do a lot of publicity stunt and that’s the only reason he can be a favorite of the press or whatelse?, the source queried.

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