Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
A Governorship Aspirant and the Senator Representing Delta South, Mr. James Ebiowou Manager, might be declared the “most preferred governorship aspirant” by leaders of thought in his senatorial district of Delta South.
Although, the leaders of thought from the area have generally chosen to keep sealed lips about the all-important deal, THISDAY gathered that the deal was done and sealed in favour of Senator Manager.
The long-serving national lawmaker representing Delta South was reportedly picked among the trio, comprising Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro, a Former Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr. Braduce Angozi and the senator.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Delta State, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has insisted that he would not deviate from his decision not to anoint any aspirant as his successor ahead of this month’s gubernatorial primary election of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
Okowa stressed that things had not fallen apart for the PDP family in Delta, admonishing that people should stop dropping his name and repeatedly “lying to the people in the name of politics” because he has not endorsed any governorship aspirant as being widely reported.
The governor, however, reiterated his belief in building consensus towards the emergence of a truly acceptable and marketable governorship candidate on the platform of the PDP in 2023, adding that it would make the process less cumbersome and rancour-free.
He said that the 2023 governorship race was open for participation of all qualified and interested members, promising everyone a “level playing field.”
Nevertheless, Senator Manager is expected to slug it out with aspirants from other ethnic nationalities in the state, possibly of Urhobo extraction from Delta Central Senatorial District, during the PDP governorship primary election that would determine the party’s standard-bearer in the 2023 governorship election.
Impeccable sources confided to THISDAY that “what some out there might have considered a lull in political activities especially among the Ijaw was actually because Delta Ijaw, in their usually organised manner, have been very busy putting heads together in building a formidable consensus.”
These sources, who expressed confidence that the emergence of Manager, who is popularly called ‘Egbage’ in local political parlance, said that he is the surest bet for Ijaw to clinch the PDP gubernatorial ticket, noting that he clearly emerged from “a very rigorous process indeed.”
“The outcome was preceded by a very rigorous process indeed, with certain steps painstakingly followed and involving high-profile Ijaw leaders of thought, beginning with the formal declaration of the ‘Ijaw Governorship Agenda 2023’, which is a comprehensive blueprint,” one of the sources said.
Although, the Ijaw-for-governor agitation has long been a regular feature especially on social media, it assumed the status of a movement on May 22, 2021 when a committee led by an Elder Statesman, Mr. Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, convened the “Delta Ijaw 2023 For Governor Consultative Meeting” in Warri.
Thus, the former Minister of Police Affairs (Bozimo) led other Ijaw leaders of thought in declaring their unalloyed support and commitment to getting an Ijaw son or daughter to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in 2023.
Bozimo said: “Delta State belongs to all of us, and the ljaws have the right to become governor. This is our time, let’s unite ahead to form a formidable team to battle for the seat of government.”
President of the Ijaw National Congress, Professor Benjamin Okaba, echoed the position advanced by the former police affairs minister when he stressed that the Ijaw nation would not play the role of “a supporters club” in 2023 but would rather appeal to other ethnic groups in the state to support to elect a governor of Ijaw extraction.
The INC president said at one of the consensus building meetings in Warri that “we the Ijaw of Delta can no longer be a supporters club. This time around, it is the turn of Urhobos, Isokos, Ndokwa, Itsekiris, Ika Anioma nations to support the Ijaw’s quest for the governorship position.”
