2023: Tongues Wagging Over Delta Deputy Gov, Otuaro’s Silence, Failure To Congratulate Okowa On VP’s Ticket

Tongues are wagging in Delta State whether Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his deputy, Deacon Kingsley Burutu Otuaro are still having heathy working relationship as the latter, six days after, is yet to congratulate his boss on his emergence as vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

www.bigpenngr.com understands that Otuaro have not made any comment on the emergence of Okowa whether through his verified Facebook page or official congratulatory message to the governor.

The development has sparked mixed reactions in some part of the state that all may not be well between the Deputy Governor and Governor Okowa.

www.bigpenngr.com reports that the development, is also being fueled by findings that the deputy governor who contested the PDP primaries and scored a paltry 9 votes, had also failed to congratulate the winner of the party’s governorship primary and incumbent Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori.

He, however, appeared at the thanksgiving service of Oborevwori after his emergence as PDP governorship candidate.

Prior to Okowa’s emergence as PDP Vice Presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, there was claims in some quarters that Otuaro was actually eying the position and have been working underground to warm himself closer to the former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

At the wake of the seemingly scheming and jostling for the vice president position, some groups including the Southern Nigeria Liberation Movement (SNLM), had urged the former vice president to look beyond friendship and political promises in picking his running mate, projecting the Deputy Governor of Delta state, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro as most suitable running mate.

It was gathered that the claim by the groups which suggested Otuaro was actually pushing for ‘vice presidential ticket’ of the party had generated some bad blood within the corridors of power in the state, before he was reportedly railroaded to drop the push which was subsequently refuted by the Kingsley Burutu Otuaro (KBO) Campaign Organisation.

Otuaro, in a statement by his governorship campaign organisation had distanced himself from those calling on the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to nominate him as his running mate ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Deacon Otuaro, in a statement issued on his behalf by Pst. Arex Akemotubo, Director of Media and Publicity of the KBO Campaign Organization, stated that the said statement by the Southern Nigeria Liberation Movement was issued without his knowledge.

He, therefore, called on the public to completely disregard the statement, saying his main focus as the Deputy Governor of Delta State is to support the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, to finish strongly in the provision of infrastructures for Deltans.

It was not clear if the number two citizen had deliberately missed sending a word of congratulation to the governor and the VP candidate of the party but Otuaro is set to receive the governor tomorrow from Abuja where he had been after he emerged as vice presidential candidate of the PDP.