FELIX IGBEKOYI
Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), lifted the ban on campaign for the 2023 general election; Saturday November 19 and Friday 25, the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential and governorship campaigns at Warri City Stadium and Oporoza, Gbaramatu, Warri South West Local Government, Delta State were threats.
The presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governorship candidate for Delta State, Ovie Omo - Agege, created fears for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through their huge statements at the two venues in their determination to retain power at the federal and state levels from May 29, 2023, with a view to resetting the state on the path of what they described as genuine progress, industrial, agricultural revolution, visible infrastructural development and sustainable peace.
During the consultative visits to stakeholders and leaders in the state, they met with a former leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, few days after Tinubu’s visit to Warri, where they, in company of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, flagged off the APC’s Presidential and Governorship campaigns in Warri and equally bagged a chieftaincy title of the Iyelawei of Gbaramatu Kingdom from the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, OboroGbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba.
The title not only sent jitters to the camp of Atiku/Okowa, eminent Nigerians who accompanied the party’s presidential flag-bearer, among who were Minister of state, Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, his counterpart in Ministry of Labour and Employment, and APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman, Festus Keyamo, Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe and Deputy- Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, APC deputy governorship candidate, Hon. Friday Osanebi, Engr Omeni Sobotie, APC state chairman, Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami and others have sent signals to the PDP government that its time is up.
Whatever informed the selection of the venue over Asaba, the state capital, was justified by the large turnout of party faithful and spectators at the Warri Township Stadium as it turned out that the visit certainly lived up to the billing as a political visit of note. Deltans and indeed residents agreed with their presence, voice vote to support the APC at all levels which they will display during the election.
However, pundits say the reasons for such expectation are not farfetched. Delta State is strategic not only as an oil producing State, it has remained in the firm grip of the Peoples Democratic (PDP), a rival party to the APC, since the commencement of the fourth republic in 1999.
Aside the economic importance of Delta even beyond oil – it has more than 163-kilometer coastline – the state has a sizeable population, and is ranked among the top 10 states with the highest number of residents with permanent voter’s cards (PVCs), coming only next to Rivers state among the states of the South-South geo-political zone of the country in terms of eligible voters, going by the latest publication by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Moreover, Deputy President of the Senate, Omo-Agege, candidate of the APC for the 2023 governorship election in the state understand securing the state for APC can no longer be seen as a huge task the party is seeking to accomplish; and, the fact that his performance will definitely be a plus to the polling fortunes of Tinubu not bothering about Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the Vice-presidential candidate of the PDP, running mate of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who he accused openly of betrayal and mismanaging to state to debts.
Speaker after speaker underscored the reason why Delta citizens or residents should accept and vote for APC in 2023, with an outpouring of invectives on everyone and everything that is PDP, but that may not be the case.
While Tinubu promised to ensure an economically viable, stable and united Nigeria if elected president in 2023, APC appears to be making an inroads into Delta if the crowds are the rallies are to be considered. At the forefront of the competency for power are such notable figures as Chief Edwin Clark, former federal minister and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), and importantly, Tompolo, both of whom are prominent Ijaw nationals of the state.
Votes from the creeks inhabited predominantly by the Ijaw, have been instrumental to Ibori and PDPs successes in the state and Tompolo, who is the lord of the creeks, is said to be maintaining his ground that his preferred candidate will be the next governor.
The meaning thus is that the Ijaw, whose three sons: Senator James Manager, currently representing Delta South under the PDP platform; deputy governor, Kingsley Otuaro and former commissioner, Braduce Angozi, are major contenders for the governorship, will present a huge headache for Okowa.
At Oproza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State, on the occasion of a meeting with traditional rulers and stakeholders of Niger Delta region.
Addressing the monarchs and stakeholders, Tinubu said, “Nigeria needs honesty, they need the man who knows the road to take, and that man is me.”
He identified himself as a son-inlaw of the Niger Delta and appealed for support in the electioneering campaign, promising to carry everyone along, develop the area and renew the hope of the people.
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, governorship candidate of the APC in Delta State assured that when elected as President, Tinubu will construct an access road to Gbaramatu Kingdom.
HRM Oboro Gbaruan 11, Eketekpe Agadagba, Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, who hosted the meeting and conferred chieftaincy titles on Tinubu, OmoAgege and others, requested an access road to his Kingdom when Tinubu is elected president.
In Delta, the APC is making huge inroads and will be looking to snatch up victory in the 2023 governorship election in the state. With deputy Senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege, another prominent Urhobo, as its leader in the state, pundits say the APC will be hopeful of a better outing.
But Okowa, the incumbent PDP governor who, apart from wielding power of incumbency, has lost Ibori’s backing ahead of the 2023 election.
To show that all is not well with PDP in the state, former governors Ibori and Emmanuel Uduaghan were conspicuously absent as the Delta State PDP inaugurated its campaign council ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who is the vice presidential candidate of the PDP is the chairman of the council with the 2023 governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori as vice chairman while the notable absentees at the inauguration are members.
PDP, in Delta held its mega rally in Ozoro, Isoko North local government area of the state to receive decampees from the opposition political parties. However, prominent party leaders boycotted the rally even as there was no official unveiling of the Delta PDP governorship candidate as expected. Amongst those absent at the rally were former Governors James Ibori, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Senator James Manager, representing Delta South, Barr Kingsley Otuaro, Deputy Governor, Chief David Edevbie, governorship aspirant and others.