How APC Is Plotting Okowa’s Ouster: The Contenders, The Pretenders In The Race

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not seem to be losing sleep over who will fly its flag in Delta State in next year’s governorship election.

The matter looks settled with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa heavily favoured by leaders of the party to for a second term. But the APC, despite its internal ranglings, believes it has what it takes to deny him another four years at the Asaba Government House.

The APC is bogged down by its inability to resolve the question of who the authentic chairman of the party is. Closely allied to this is the issue of whether or not to zone the party’s gubernatorial ticket.

The unresolved issues are the reasons for the emergence of the two factions jostling for the control of the party’s structure with the ultimate goal of producing the gubernatorial flag-bearer at the 2019 Delta Sate governorship elections.

Locked in the battle are Olorogun O’tega Emerhor/Enuha versus Senator Ovie Omo-Agege/Ogboru factions. Aligned to the Emerhor’s camp are ex-Speaker Delta State House of Assembly and governorship aspirant, Hon Victor Ochei, Petroleum Minister (State) Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, Prof Pat Utomi, ex-Representative and governorship aspirant Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Chief Hyacinth Enuha, Dr. Leroy Edozien, Hon Doris Uboh, and others.

In the opposing camp are Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Chief Great Ogboru, factional chairman Mr. Jones Erue, Chief Frank Kokori, Mariam Alli, Ike Odikpo, Veronica Ogbuagu and a host of others.

The Emerhor/Enuha group favours a strong candidate from Delta North to challenge Governor Okowa who is from Delta North thus maintaining the existing zoning arrangement to appease Delta North and Delta South voters, but the Omo-Agege/Great Ogboru faction wants power returned to Delta Central having been out of power since 2007.

This much was gleaned from Olorogun O’tega Emerhor comments while receiving Prof Pat Utomi who was on a consultative visit at his country home in Evwreni, Delta State recently.

He said, “As an individual, I have decided along with committed APC leaders who really want change in Delta State that we will not do things the same way again this time because the opposition in Delta has not had this type of opportunity that is available to us today. You will recall that in 2015, I ran for the governorship position of Delta State, and still have the capacity to do that now. But I took a decision not to run because the environment supports a different formula that excludes me, and that is why I am not out there consulting like others.”

Although, Great Ogboru has not made his political ambitions public, it is safe to conclude that he is eyeing the plum seat in Delta State Government House come 2019.

But the Omo-Agege/Ogboru faction banks on the numerical strength of the Urhobo ethnic nationality of Delta Central and the statewide popularity of Great Ogboru to wrest power from the PDP.

A source within the Emerhor faction who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “If Ogboru from Delta Central contests and wins the 2019 governorship seat, it will mean eight more years for Delta Central that has already done eight years under James Ibori (making a total of 16 years) thus leaving Delta North with just four years and jeopardising Delta South wait-time calculation of 12 years. The sensitivity of voters from Delta North to this issue will only mean a loss to APC.”

But the recent directive by the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole for feuding members to recognise Jones Erue as the State chairman until the consent judgment obtained by the Agege/Ogboru faction is vacated has further escalated tension within the party with several party leaders unwilling to accept the directive.

Both with the appeal against the consent judgment filed by the Emerhor-led faction hanging, an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion pervades the party hindering party unity.

This latest directive, according to sources, effectively hands over party structure to the Senator Omo-Agege/Great Ogboru faction.

An analyst, Dr. Charles Edeogu, predicts a tough battle for the ruling PDP should the APC present a candidate from Delta North, adding that the permutations could be altered if the opposition presents a candidate from any other part of the state.

He said: “If the opposition presents a rugged, strong, time-tested candidate of Delta North extraction, it will aim to divide the votes in Delta North with nine local government areas while fighting to split votes in Delta South and Central. But if a Delta Central candidate is presented by the APC, Okowa will aim to seize Delta North with a voting strength of about 650,000 and will aim to take a sizeable chunk of the 750,000 votes from Delta South from where his Deputy hails and with the influence of Ibori, split Delta Central with a voting population of about 870,000”.

Although, many APC aspirants are yet to publicly declare their intentions to contest for the governorship ticket, many have intensified consultative visits across the state.

They include ex-Speaker Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Victor Ochei, Prof Pat Utomi, ex-member House of Representative, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Dr. Leroy Edozien, Chief Okotie Osiobe and Great Ogboru. Only Comrade Sunny Ofehe has declared his intention.

With the decision of the APC to adopt direct primaries, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious with preparation in top gear by both factions for the registration of members to bolster their chances at the polls.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State, Hyacinth Enuha, last weekend disclosed that the party is embarking on membership registration exercise to use as basis to conduct direct primaries for the 2019 general election.

He said the party opted for direct primaries to discourage the financial inducement of delegates by wealthy politicians which usually characterises delegates’ primaries leading to the emergence of unpopular candidates.

According to Enuha, the registration exercise which is expected to begin nationwide from next week will cover old and new members, adding however that those who registered in 2013/2014, will be required to revalidate their membership.

He said, “After the registration, permanent membership cards will be issued which will be the voting cards for the direct primaries. There will be no more issues of locking delegates in hotel rooms, feed them for three days and induce them with lots of money to vote for a particular person.

“It will be difficult to bribe the entire members of the party at any level. So an aspirant does not need to have so much millions to emerge as candidate. What needs to be done is for the aspirants to mobilise the grassroots and convince them to vote for him or her. The direct primary is a popularity contest because the people know who they want.”

But should the APC continue bickering and enter the elections divided, the ruling PDP may just nick the prize.

…Adopted from Nation