Delta 2019: Why We Adopted Okowa As Consensus – Opposition Parties’ Governorship Candidates

About 38 Governorship candidates of opposition political parties in Delta State have explained why they all decided to adopt Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as their consensus candidate for the March 9 concluded governorship election.

They spoke less than two months after INEC declared Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as winner of the gubernatorial elections in Delta State.

The occasion was a courtesy visit to Okowa at Government House Asaba to congratulate him for his re-election victory.

Addressing the Governor, Dr Anthony Clarke who was the gubernatorial candidate of the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), in the guber elections in Delta State, said, “As the 2019 governorship election drew near, we the governorship candidates in the 2019 governorship election in collaboration with our state chairmen and state chairmen of other political parties who did not field governorship candidates, came together to appraise Governor Okowa’s achievements in the last four years and decided to adopt him as our consensus candidate in the election”.

Clarke who spoke on behalf of all the governorship candidates who contested for the governorship election in the 2019 general elections in Delta State, said “to us, no sacrifice was too much for us to make in order to ensure that the best among us governs Delta State for another four years, hence the adoption.

“I wish to on behalf of my fellow governorship candidates in the Delta State 2019 governorship election, congratulate you, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for your deserved victory in the 2019 governorship election in which you were re-elected for a second term in office as your remarkable victory is a testimony of your achievements in your first term,” Dr Clarke stated.

“In essence, it is germane to say that over 70 political parties collaborated with Governor Okowa in the 2019 governorship election; the collaboration is unprecedented in the history of Delta State and it explains why rancor and post-election litigations have been reduced to the barest minimum in the 2019 governorship election”, he said.

Dr Clarke also used the opportunity to debunk claims that they were induced to adopt Governor Okowa as their candidate, stating that the governor neither met with them prior to the elections nor made any financial overture or promises to them, asserting that their actions were based on their patriotism and the desire for someone who has performed and has the ability to do more to be encouraged to continue with his actions.

Responding, an elated Governor Okowa thanked the governorship candidates for their patriotism, observing that the interest of the state and the people of the state should supersede personal interests.

“I must thank you for coming out in this number to congratulate me after the elections; it is important that we appreciate you for taking the decision to adopt me in the interest of our people; Delta State belongs to all of us and it is a good thing that today, Deltans are more united and committed to building a stronger Delta State,” he said.

Continuing, he said “strength is partnership, with partnership, we are united and can do a whole lot of things and I want to assure you that we will increase the frequency of our townhall and stakeholders’meetings for our people to be more involved in the decision-making process of governance and as candidates in the last governorship elections, I enjoin you to put your ideas in summary form as we will incorporate them into our actions because, I cannot boast that I know it all despite my years of experience in governance.”

He urged Deltans to always speak the truth and avoid raising false allegations, observing, “beyond the contest, we should know that we are in Delta State and should accept the decisions of our people; four years is not too much, but, I believe that we all have a role to play in the unity and development of the state; it is my wish that at the end of the next four years, Delta State will be more peaceful, more united and developed that every Deltan will be proud to say, ‘I am a Deltan.”