Though the victories of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last two governorship elections in the country have heightened apprehension in the rival Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, possible contenders for the governorship seat are already emerging, writes JOHN OGHOJAFOR, The New Diplomat’s South-South Bureau Chief.
| If the victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the September 28, 2016 governorship election in Edo State which saw Mr. Godwin Obaseki emerging as the state chief executive did not cause any stir in the PDP-controlled Delta State, the recent landslide victory of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of APC as governor of Ondo State is definitely causing panic in the PDP camp in the state. |
The New Diplomat findings revealed that shortly after the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Akeredolu winner of the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, a wave of panic swept through PDP supporters in Delta State. And in a swift reaction, the Delta State PDP machinery led by the state chairman of the party, Olorogun Kingsley Esiso, reportedly summoned an emergency closed-door meeting of its executive to review the implications of the victory.
Our source disclosed that Esiso was visibly shaken that with 2019 polls getting nearer, the APC wild-fire appears unstoppable.
A member of the executive who did not want his name in print, told The New Diplomat that the developments in Edo and of recent, Ondo have alerted the state PDP to put its house in order and prepare for the task ahead, that is, the 2017 Local Government election and the 2019 governorship election.
Said he: “What has happened in Edo and Ondo is a way of reminding the Delta State PDP that the road to victory in future elections may not be smooth. We have to work really hard … to ensure that we retain our own.
“We are aware that the opposition has vowed to take some states in the Niger Delta but we can assure everyone that Delta State would not submit to intimidation and threat. We will resist it and we will do what we know how best to do – win Delta State any time any day.”
However, reacting to the APC victory in Ondo State, the Delta State Vice chairman of APC for Delta Central, Mr. Adelabu Bodjor, in a telephone chat with The New Diplomat expressed joy, adding that the next state for the party to win is Delta State.
“The next stop for APC is Delta State. The indices are there for you. You can see that the APC house is getting highly loaded. What you hear every day is people leaving PDP for APC. And if in the midst of the recession, Nigerians can be reasonable enough to say “yes, we have to sacrifice to bring about the desired change that will give us an el-dorado of a nation that we all dream about”, then that is good for us. That is exactly what Nigerians are showing. They showed it in Edo, they have now showed it in Ondo and Delta State is the next stop.
“We must take away all the leakages of the long years of PDP wastage. The jinx has been broken and APC is going to take absolute control of the South South. You can see that the leadership of APC in Delta State is not resting on its oars. We are moving from one end to the other, we are harvesting men and women of timber and calibre every day. The tide is on the side of APC. Nothing is going to change it, and nothing is going to stop APC from taking over Delta State.”
Although Esiso would not pick our calls or respond to text messages on his take, indications are that the party is not taking things lying low. The mood of PDP members following the Ondo State election. Our correspondent who went round Asaba, the state capital, reports that members of the PDP were seen gathered in small groups discussing the issue in hush tones, some openly expressing disappointment and blaming President Muhammadu Buhari for the fate that befell PDP in Ondo state.
A chieftain of the PDP from Delta North who openly expressed his feelings alleged that President Buhari has sworn to capture at least two strategic states in the Niger Delta come 2019, adding, “I may not be surprised if his next focus is how to capture Delta State.” But he blamed the failures of the PDP in Edo and Ondo on the crack within the national body of the PDP, pointing out that “Sheriff and Makarfi should take the blame.”
Talking about Delta State come 2019, some people believed it is pregnant with political intrigues and gerrymandering. A political scientist, Dr. Diejovwo Martins, in a chat with The New Diplomat, said there is no visible direction at the moment for the two parties in Delta State. According to him, neither PDP nor APC has a stable house to periscope 2019 with certainty.
“The PDP house in Delta State at the moment cannot lay claim to a united party. The Makarfi/Sheriff bug which resulted in the party’s woeful loss in Edo and Ondo is very much around in Delta State. And unless the issue is resolved amicably before 2019, the party will continue to reap losses…
“The recent Supreme Court ruling has not helped matters as it was not categorical on the issue of the national leadership of the party. And from the result in Ondo as well as in Edo states, it was a case of no winner but all losers.”
On the side of the APC, the national body appears to have brought some level of calm among the members of the party in the state by restating the leadership of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor to be supported by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu. This resolution, which was championed by the national chairman of APC, Mr. John Odigie Oyegun and his national executive may have put paid to the wrangling that was hitherto threatening to tear the party apart in the state. But the coast does not seem to be clear enough even now with regard to the unity of the party. The New Diplomat gathered that pockets of dissenting voices led by a First Republic Senator, Spanner Okpozo are yet to be pacified in spite of the position and instruction of the national body of the party. Political analysts are of the opinion that unless there is total reconciliation among the party members across the state, it will be difficult for the party to raise a strong political army that can do battle successfully with the rampaging PDP in the state.
On the possibility of replaying the party’s success streak in Edo and Ondo State recently, the leader of the APC in the state, Mr. O’tega Emerhor while fielding questions from The New Diplomat at the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia’s Stadium, Benin City recently, assured that Delta State APC is capable of taking over the state in 2019.
“This is very exciting, an action governor handing over to another potentially action governor coming from the corporate world. Our expectation for Edo is very high. This is what we want to replicate in Delta,” Emerhor declared.
Speaking in the same vein on the same occasion, a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly who is now a chieftain of the APC from Delta North, Victor Ochei, assured that it is possible to replicate the party’s feat in Edo State in Delta, adding that it is people that constitute structure.
“We can replay this feat in Delta. Who are the structure, they are human beings. The human beings are there, Deltans are there. It can be done”, Ochei said, stressing that internal bickering within the party was a normal thing. It is all about personal interest and it is common. But at the appropriate time when they have a common goal to fight for, all those bickerings will die.”
As the 2019 clock ticks steadily to the zero hours, it is still very uncertain who the gladiators of the governorship race are likely to be on both sides of the divide. It would seem natural for the incumbent governor, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to project his interest for a second tenure. He, however, seems to have several huddles to scale even within the PDP. In a bid to build a strong support base for himself, Okowa has embarked on dishing out political appointments to all manner of persons across the three senatorial districts. But can he count on the support of these floods of appointment when the need arises? The question as at the moment has no ready-made answer. The New Diplomat investigation revealed that although he strives to satisfy all of his party members with one form of appointment or the other, most of the appointees are merely flaunting their titles about with no commensurate monetary reward. “These are appointments without empowerment”, a young chap who was appointed a Senior Special Adviser to the governor on youth matter, noted, adding that when the time comes the governor will have to take back his appointments.
As for the APC, the political uncertainty is even more apparent as to who and who will fly the party’s flag in 2019. For instance, at the moment, there are up to four or five chieftains of the party who might spring surprises. The former governorship candidate of the party for the 2015 election, Mr. O’rtega Emerhor is still very much around and continues to fund the party in the state. Early this year, the party also played host to two former governorship candidates of two different parties which fused into the APC in the state. This is, Mr. Great Ogboru of Labour Party and Mr. Victor Ochei of Accord party. As at the time of filing this report, these two political heavyweights are still believed to have governorship aspirations.
Recently, the name of the current Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu has been flying over the governorship race. He seems to enjoy the support of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Sani Babachir who single-handedly attempted handing over the leadership of the APC in the state to the minister. Only the intervention of the national body of the party prevented a catastrophic division in the party in Delta State by his pronouncement.
Although Kachikwu appears remorseful over the attempt by the SGF, The New Diplomat source can confirm that pressure is on Kachikwu to join the governorship race. Kachikwu has started holding political meetings both in Abuja and in his home in Delta North.
