Democracy on Trial in Delta PDP

Omon-Julius Onabu writes on the intrigues playing out in Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party which has culminated in an Abuja Court voiding the choice of Sheriff Oborevwori, as its gubernatorial candidate

Democracy as a political system is hinged, at least in theory, on majority rule through free and fair elections as well as guarantee of minority rights of the citizens. Multi-party system is often regarded as the hallmark of genuine democracies, though the system has its challenges mainly because parties sometimes engage in fierce contest for control of power. Even at that, struggle for control within a political party is no less fierce; hence the talk about internal democracy mechanism.

Currently, democracy is evidently on trial in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, the party in power in the state, and indeed has been in power since the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999. While other parties struggle with their plans to break PDP’s stranglehold on political power in the state, the party, more often than not, has apparently been unable to evolve a crisis-free and seamless process of selection or election of its candidates for the governorship and other elections.

On May 25, 2022, the PDP picked its gubernatorial candidate in the person of Sheriff Oborevwori, who is currently Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly. Although, keen observers believe that the emergence of Oborevwori was

actually a culmination of years of scheming and intricate subterranean maneouvre by different power blocs and influential individuals in the party, the successful conclusion of the gubernatorial primary election was regarded as a huge step towards a smooth transition in 2023. It seemed that the party was poised to galvanize its energy and resources towards facing the opposition offered by others like the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.

However, that appeared to be the situation until last Thursday’s Abuja High Court judicial pronouncement on the legal implications of the exercise that threw up the state assembly speaker as the PDP standard-bearer.

Delivering his ruling on the petition brought before the court by one of the contestants at the primary election held in the main bowl of the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Olorogun David Edevbie, the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo declared that Sheriff Oborevwori was technically unqualified to vie for the govership ticket of the PDP. The court also ruled that Edevbie, as the first runner-up during the gubernatorial primary election, is the authentic candidate of the party.

The verdict of the court has definitely upset the applecart for the party. Old wounds have been opened up and it is a no-love-lost situation between the supporters of Edevbie and Oborevwori.

Interestingly, it was the state leadership of the PDP that first indicated its readiness to challenge the court judgment, a position echoed by Oborevwori. While the Speaker’s camp, which is synonymous with Governor IfeanyiOkowa’s political camp, has vowed to quash the verdict of the high court through the appellate court, David Edevbie has insisted that he actually saved the state PDP’s neck from the political noose on 2023.

He said although he was initially reluctant to go to court, the compelling need to stop the opposition from taking advantage of the observed flaws in the process that led to the election of Oborevwori prevailed.

“Propelled by the inevitable pall of gloom that hung over Delta State and faced with the real possibility that opposition parties would capitalise on the blindingly obvious situation, I was left with no alternative but to challenge the outcome in the law courts, albeit reluctantly.”

While urging the party members to “put our differences aside and work together” in order to win the coming elections, Edevbie said,

“Delta State has always been a PDP State and by the grace of God, it will remain so after the next elections.”

Rivalry between Ibori and Okowa

Although, the two influential political figures in the PDP and Delta State often do not admit it publicly, the fact that former governor James Ibori and the incumbent were not agreed on a particular candidate to fly the party’s flag in 2023 give the lie to such of a harmonious partnership. It is common knowledge that Oborevwori is Okowa’s choice of successor while Edevbie was nominated by Ibori.

The déjà vu atmosphere was so palpable, in the countdown to the primary election that it could not be mistaken for an illusion. The activities were reminiscent of the 2014 scenario with the dramatic personae largely the same, save the absence of Mr Tony Obuh, the deceased technocrat who became an unfortunate pun in the chess game between the major political actors, including ex-governor Ibori and his surrogate, former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. Although, DrIfeanyiOkowa’s role in 2022 has slightly changed from that of 2014, in that his bargaining power has been greatly helped by his elevation in political status as the sitting governor, his active role in the unfolding drama in Delta State simply completed the déjà vu picture.

Although, Governor Okowa had persistently given assurance of “a level playing field” for all the governorship aspirants, the body language of the governor and practically all his political appointees showed clearly that Oborevwori was his anointed one.

The PDP may have let the cat out of the bag by its response to the March 14, 2022 press statement by APC’s Wilson Omene, entitled, “Delta 2023: Okowa Picked Sheriff Oborevwori to Cover His Tracks”. The statement simply alerted the public to its belief that the Speaker appeared unprepared to meticulously scrutinize every loan request from the governor before granting necessary legislative approval because the governor has anointed him as the PDP governorship candidate and successor-in-waiting. Needless to say, the state party last eadership promptly took the opposition party to task over the claims. To begin with, PDP’s publicity secretary, IfeanyiOsuoza, titled his response thus: “Delta APC is already scared of facing a new Sheriff Who May Come to Town”. It was understood by many as indicating that the party leadership was biased, despite the spirited attempt to create the impression that the PDP regarded all its gubernatorial aspirants as equally and eminently qualified to govern the state. It also said that the PDP was not like the leaders of the APC in the state known for imposing candidates.

Endorsement of David Edevbie by the UPU

One month after the controversy over the APC’s criticism of Delta House’s approval of the N12 billion loan facility, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) issued a statement endorsing David Edevbie, one of the PDP’s governorship aspirants. Again, the party’s reaction was swift.

The chairman of PDP, Delta Central senatorial district, A.P. Fovie, responded the following day, warning the Urhobo socio-cultural organisation to retract its statement as it amounted to “usurping the functions of the party with Edevbie’s endorsement”. This was expectedly amplified by the state publicity secretary.

‘It has come to our notice that the leadership of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) on Sunday 17th April 2022, via a press statement announced the endorsement of a governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olorogun David Edevbie, as the union’s preferred aspirant and in the same token urged our party delegates to vote en-mass for him.

“UPU efforts in the affairs of Urhobo nation of Delta Central Senatorial District will always be appreciated if and only if such efforts or interests are not in conflict with the duties and regulations of our party, PDP, and its organs. And in the instant case, we found out that the purported endorsement of our party member who is a governorship aspirant usurped the functions of our party in the ongoing electioneering process leading to the party primaries.

“This obvious external interference by UPU and her leadership occasioned by the endorsement of a PDP governorship aspirant in Delta State cannot in any way be encouraged, hence this subtle appeal to the leadership of this great socio-cultural organisation to immediately repudiate and/or nullify the endorsement via another press statement, please”, the PDP said.

Evidence that all was not well with the party also emerged a day before the contentious primary when one of the aspirants, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, announced his withdrawal from the race, accusing the governor of undisguised bias.

Gbagi, who is Urhobo, like Edevbie and Oborevwori, had since pitched tent with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and become its governorship candidate.

Political observers smelt a rat with the selective criticism of the endorsement of Edevbie by the UPU at a time countless number of groups and organisations were “endorsing” different aspirants to various elective positions in the state.

For instance, the reported endorsement of Oborevwori by the entire members of the state House of assembly was even published as advertisements in the national dailies. The question was whether the PDP would have been so quick in its condemnation of the official support for Edevbie had UPU endorsed Oborevwori instead of Edevbie.

Earlier, the DC-23 (Delta Central 2023) presssure group led by IghoyotaAmori though widely believed to be the brainchild of former governor Ibori, had pruned the number of Urhobo (Delta Central) aspirants from about a dozen to just three. David Edevbie, Kenneth Gbagi and Sheriff Oborevwori made that list!

It was all PDP, yet the state PDP leadership did not cry foul. It did not accuse the DC-23 of being meddlesome or attempting to usurp the function of the party leadership in selecting candidates for elections.

Okowa’s opposition to Edevbie’s candidacy

Contrary to widely held perception that Okowa was installed as governor by Ibori from prison in far-away United Kingdom, the reality is that critical analysts believe that the attempt to halt Okowa’s governorship ambition in 2015, through the ill-fated Tony Obuh project and, later, by fielding Edevbie in the primary election, was actually the brainchild of former governors Ibori and Uduaghan.

Therefore, Okowa vehemently refused to accept or endorse Ibori’s choice for the position in 2023, Edevbie. However, as soon as he settled down in office as governor, after the scary experience of December 2014 leading to his election in 2015, DrOkowa seemed to have resolved to have his pound of flesh.

He is believed to have made good his resolve to be the sole decider over who his successor should be when Friday Igbuya was impeached as Speaker, miday into his first term in office, and Oborevwori was installed as the new Speaker even though he was a first-timer in the legislature. Everything was then put in place to ensure that he emerged as the chosen one.

The next few months will definitely try the democratic credentials of the PDP in Delta State. Already, another aspirant who was second runner-up to Oborevwori during the primary on May 25, 2022, Senator James Manager, has warned that all was not well with the party and describing it a sinking ship. Now that it is the state party leadership versus Edevbie for daring to challenge the outcome of the gubernatorial primary election in court, will Governor Okowa and the vice-presidential candidate of the PDP step in to restore a semblance of sanity in the party? Only time will tell.