The All Progressives Congress (APC) has told Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to perish the thought of determining who succeeds him in office at the expiration of his tenure in Government House, Asaba on May 29, 2023.
Delta APC in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Sylvester Imonina stated this on Monday while reacting to the Governor’s recent comment, where he promised to name the next Delta Governor in June.
Okowa, a two-time Governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fold had also hinted that in the next one month, he would be committing himself to full politicking in the state and the process of picking his successor.
“I urge our people that this is the time to stay together; this is the time to think alike and I want to reassure you that in the next one month, we will start the politics,” Okowa said last weekend.
But APC’s Imonina, while replying Okowa, described the Governor’s statement as an “arrant arrogation of power” to himself, without any recourse to the will of the Delta masses.
The APC who reminded the Governor that the next Gubernatorial poll in the state will be conducted in line with democratic tenets, noted that the choice of who succeeds him is not for him to make, insisting that only the people can make that decision.
The APC further warned the Governor against any attempt by him and “a cabal” in the state to impose an individual on the electorate against the people’s mandate, condemning the Governor’s reported plan to abandon governance in Delta for partisan politicking in about two years to the General Elections in the country.
The statement said: “In a democracy, it is the responsibility of the electorates to choose who governs them, not a cabal or an individual who thinks or sees himself as an emperor. In other words, the voice of the people is the voice of God, not personal interest of anyone who sees himself as demi-god.
“It is on the above premise, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta State, condemns in no mean term, the arrant arrogation of power that belongs to Deltans by the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Last weekend in Asaba, Govr. Okowa, who is supposed to be the Governor of all Deltans but presently referred to, by most Deltans as Governor of Owa-Alero, due to his clannish, nepotistic and propensity for “if my personal interest is not there, no one should have it”, carelessly said that in less than a month from now, he would be abandoning governance of the State for politics of who succeeds him by 2023!
“At the said ceremony, he arrogantly said that he would determine/install whoever will take over the saddle of governance in Delta State, come 2023. He threatened to teach those opposed to his political fiefdom a bitter lesson they will not forget, except they retrace their steps and/ or join him in his political marauding of the wealth of our dear State.
“Delta APC believes that all power belongs to the Almighty Creator, and not mortals. The Governor Macbethic ambition cannot supercede what and who Deltans want.
“We therefore advise Mr. Governor to humble himself, and concentrate on the current responsibility bestowed on him, by delivering quality dividends of democracy to Deltans, rather than veering into the future that belongs to only God.”
The APC, who lamented that Delta under Okowa has been receiving the highest federal allocations for more than four years “besides other sources of revenues to the State without commensurate developmental strides to justify monies received,” added that “We dare to say that the desperation of the Governor to abandoning governance “for politics of who succeeds” him less than one month from now is a pointer and manifestation of wanting to have someone who will cover his tracks after 2023 governorship election!
“Without any dispute, the expectation of the good people of Delta State from the PDP-led government as at today, is good leadership. Pitiably, it is lacking because of personal/family interest and desperation of a cabal and few political hallelujah boys in the corridor of powers in the State.
“One thing is sure; Deltans are wiser now and are ready to weed out all vestiges of political, social and economic liabilities impeding manifest and quality developments in Delta State since 1999 till date,” APC said.
