2019 Delta Governorship: Battle Between Friends And Foes, By Joe Ogbodu

For the first time after many months of internal wrangling, leaders of the Delta State main opposition party, All Progressives Congress, APC, appear to be forging a united front to face their common political enemies who hitherto were their friends on the other side of the divide. Besides a few who have not been in the corridors of power, virtually all the contenders and pretenders in both APC and PDP gunning for one position or the other have tasted the bitter sweet game of politics.

In APC, the various cliques in the party, hitherto political friends and enemies recently met over President Muhammadu Buhari tradermoni launch in the state, a version of the N10,000 scheme which has also been launched recently by Delta State Government for petty traders in the state. Leaders of the opposition party who had a long drawn battle over the soul of the party were seen exchanging pleasantries at the Osubi Airstrip while awaiting the arrival of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who eventually flagged off the programme in the oil city, Warri.

Their counterparts in the ruling party in the state, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who are desirous of returning Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for second term in office were also seen on ground waiting to receive the Vice President at the airport where they exchanged warm embrace and smile to cameras.

Osinbajo had been a rallying point for the APC leaders who have been on each other’s throats over the outcome of the controversial congresses and subsequent primaries of the party. Reports say Osinbajo at the behest of President Buhari is at the centre of the reconciliation of the various tendencies of the party ahead of 2019 general elections. The reconciliation talks, still ongoing, appear to be paying off with the recent developments within the party fold.

The belligerence among party faithfuls is primarily over whether the governorship seat should be retained by Delta North or should go to other senatorial district of the state. Those who favour Delta North retaining the seat are on one side while those who want the Central district to pick it are on the other divide.

When in September 30, 2018 the Major Gen. Lawrence Onoja-led APC committee announced Chief Great Ogboru as the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC in the forthcoming 2019 governorship election, it immediately raised many issues: first was the issue of delegate lists, then the manner the primaries were conducted as if it was predetermined.

Pundits say opposition to Ogboru’s candidature stemmed from quest by a section of the party for Delta North to produce the candidate coupled with the unabated power tussle in the party which also degenerated from claims about the rotation or zoning. The bickering have been a major setback for Ogboru.

According to Analysts, a section of the main opposition party believed Ogboru is the only candidate who has the political clout to unseat an incumbent of the capacity of Okowa. The source said Okowa is not an easy push because of his knack for grassroots politicking, moreso his dexterity under PDP for management of human and material  resources.

Delta state is geo-politically divided into three senatorial districts. Two of the three district had each controlled power fully for eight years. Chief James Ibori, from Delta Central, was the first to serve out 8 years in the political power rotation arrangement and was succeeded by Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan from Delta South district who also took a turn of eight years. The current Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa is seeking a second term to make up the eight years of the Delta North district.

But the rivalry which Okowa’s re-election has generated is hinged on claims that APC as a political party seeking for power was not party to the political power rotation agreements. However, those who believed it would be unfair to hinder Delta North from completing another four years term have disagreed with the argument stressing that it was mainly for stability of power and equity to all senatorial districts.

Pundits think a power shift in 2019 to another Senatorial district would alter the political applecart of the state and set the people into another round of agitations for equal representation whether as a minority or majority geopolitical district.

APC as a political party and the interest of the Leaders of the party including contenders and pretenders within the fold have been so strained to say the least over the development. Crucial among the events affecting the unity of the party is the alleged tainted governorship primaries of the party which threw up Chief Great Ogboru as the party flag bearer and the failure of the leaders to agree on power rotation or zoning pattern adopted by the PDP.

These, among others are the factors that may work against APC in favour of the PDP because as pundits put it: many of the APC stakeholders are more concerned about their personal interest than the interest of the party. That’s why those who were friends within the party fold became sworn political enemies even as Okowa’s political allies suddenly became his political foes pari passu.

Uduaghan and Okowa were both seen as nucleus members of the Ibori political dynasty which was redefined by Uduaghan after the latter defected to the APC. Uduaghan would later explained that there was an Ibori political family and Ibori family before 1999 which he was part of. Himself, including Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who was also part of the Ibori dynasty at early stage of formation of party politics are now on one side against Okowa.

Furthermore, former Speaker of the state Assembly, Engr Victor Ochei who has been disenchanted over the outcome of the APC governorship primary and currently in court to challenge the process is a major force in Delta North that would also decide whether to team up against Okowa or side him despite his party differences.

Ogboru, an arch rival of ex-governor Ibori, became Uduaghan’s main challenger in 2007 and 2011 after the court declared a rerun governorship election in the state. He was Uduaghan’s ‘arch enemy’ that was neatly sent into oblivion after the election. He however bounced back to become Okowa’s closest rival in 2015. Again, he is, waxing stronger to challenge him in 2019.

Ironically, his onetime ‘arch enemy’ who ensured that he never succeeded in trying to build political structures in the State is now siding with him. Uduaghan alluded to fact of how he clipped the wings of the opposition parties from gaining any relevance during his tenure of office. He, however would in 2019 join Ogboru this time around to campaign for APC where he now belongs and as a senatorial candidate for Delta South, hence he will have to campaign against Okowa.

For some reasons yet to be fathomed besides the ones that have been speculated in the media, Uduaghan’s relationship with his successor became soured and since then, the rumour mill have it that Uduaghan had sealed a deal with the Presidency to remove Okowa from office using Ogboru who they said is the only one with cult-like following that would cause an APC victory without people raising eyebrows.

It is believed, though not verified that Ogboru ‘won’ previous elections. Some even believe that right from Chief James Ibori’s time to his sucessor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan through to his battle with Okowa in 2015, Ogboru had always ‘won’ but there have been a force at the federal which always blocked his chances at the tail end.

Ogboru, in the 2015 governorship election which saw Okowa’s emergence came a distant second under Labour Party with Olorogun Ortega Emerhor of APC trailing far behind with a third position. He had often come second in other elections, apparently the reason Ogboru believes he always won if not for manipulation of the votes cast.

In his 2019 manifesto, Ogboru, in the document obtained by BigPen Online, was quoted to have said that since 1999, the ruling party PDP had been rejected by Deltans in all elections but often “manipulate the process and rig themselves to power”.

“With every election since 1999, the PDP has been resoundingly rejected by the informed people of Delta State; unfortunately our collective decisions were desecrated and trampled upon by dark forces within, especially with the backing of the collaborative forces from outside”.

He said that the external collaborators at the national level that have always trampled and suppressed his mandate have been ‘eliminated’, expressing optimism that in 2019 the votes of Deltans for him will surely count.

“But in all these trampling and suppressions, we refuse to be neither browbitten nor surrender, but kept faith in God, and for our persistence and perseverance, God answered our cry by taking out the external collaborators at the national level to provide an enabling platform for your vote and mine to count”.

Despite scheming and plotting, Governor Okowa and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not seem to be losing sleep over if Delta North and PDP through Okowa would retain power in Delta State in this year’s governorship election. PDP Campaign Director General, Solomon Funkekeme would later dismissed threats of the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, that the APC under his chairmanship will take over Delta state at all cost.

Funkekeme was quoted to have said, “We can’t lose sleep for Oshiomhole. Has he finished with Okorocha, Amosun, Amaechi and others? He has more than enough to contend with in his party. Delta State and Edo State have borders and we are peaceful neighbours. Oshiomhole has more than enough to contend with on his table. We are not losing sleep for him.”

The reason, according to pundits, is that Governor Okowa apparently is more favoured by leaders and electorates in Delta North, South and partly Central for a second term. The source disclosed that those supporting a tenure renewal for Okowa outweigh those who want him out as at the time APC announced Ogboru as its flagbearer. Their reason is that since his predecessors had a complete eight years term, Okowa should be allowed to complete his eight years to avoid backlash in future election since APC leaders couldn’t bring a Delta North candidate.

Solomon Funkekeme, an associate of Ibori and Uduaghan, maintained that principle of rotation of the governorship has brought about peace in the state with all the groups having a sense of belonging adding however that the principle of rotation is a Delta State policy and a PDP policy.

“Okowa is entitled constitutionally for a second term, and as a Delta Northerner, he is also entitled to second term like the Delta Central and Delta South have had, he enthused, adding, First, he has performed, he is entitled to second term as it is constitutionally guaranteed and as one from Delta North. And as a political party, PDP has performed in Delta State, it is a peaceful State, yes, we have had our challenges and overcome them.

“It is to give every Delta a sense of belonging. It is a beautiful policy that talks about equity and sense of belonging. And it is in accordance with Section 14 of the Constitution that says every part shall have a sense of belonging. There are people who are today in the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are today in APC who benefitted from that this policy of rotation”.

“PDP has done well and Deltans know this and they will vote massively for Governor Okowa. We don’t need to buy anybody. Deltans know that governing a state is not a tea party, or for a serial contestant who sees contesting for election as a means of making money”.

But the APC, despite its internal wrangling, occasioned by a section of the party that still preferred a Delta Northerner to capture the governorship, wouldn’t relent and allow an easy ride to the “Dennis Osadebe Government House”.

The party which is still battling over which faction would hold sway with the reconciliation process, still believe Okowa would be defeated in what analyst says would only happen from a major clandestine political realignment and gang up.

Political analyst, Sebastine Agbefe, believes power rotation question would be a determining factor in the 2019 governorship election in the state given the fact that it is the only concept that has brought peace, harmony, equity, fairness and political inclusiveness amongst Deltans.

According to him, “You see, power rotation runs in the veins of the average Deltan, especially, those from the minority ethnic groups. It is a concept that has brought peace, harmony, equity, fairness and political inclusiveness amongst Deltans. It is like a norm indoctrinated in every child at birth. This is not to suggest that we do not have those who for personal and selfish gains try to disrupt the arrangement. 

Using Delta South where Uduaghan, an APC candidate is soaring to unseat incumbent PDP senator, James Manager as analogy, Agbefe said,  “Paying attention to my Delta South senatorial zone, what we are fighting to sustain is not different from what is practised in the entire state. For instance, in the 2015 governorship election, the people voted Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, a minority Ika man from Delta North, because his major contenders, Chief Great Ogboru of the labour party and Olorogun Otega Emerhor of the All Progressives Congress were from Delta Central senatorial zone that had already produced Chief James Ibori as governor between 1999 and 2007. 

“Similarly, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan, a minority Itsekiri man from Delta South senatorial district, also enjoyed the support of majority of Deltans based on the power rotation or zoning arrangement. The reality on ground today in Delta State is that political parties that field governorship candidates from zones other than Delta North are considered to have blessed parties who field candidates from Delta North with victory, even before the polls.

“A lot of politicians will argue that the rotation is not practised or recognised in their parties because they have never been in power, but it does not sway the electorate because the issues are just beyond political parties. The electorate are very conscious of power rotation. No zone wants to be cheated. This arrangement also reflects in the presidency, where it is rotated between North and South, Agbefe added.

However, it would not be long before Deltans will determine whether to retain Okowa as Governor or bring in Ogboru who has been itching to govern the state in times past. But one thing that is clear is that politically, sentiments and personal interest over political party affiliations would play a major role as the momentum keeps gathering.