2023: I won’t accept your candidate, Okowa tells Ibori
There seems to be a major disagreement between governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and ex-convict James Ibori.
The disagreement is based on the differences between the two on who will be the prefered Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.
A party leader from Delta Central senatorial district told Vanguard that Okowa travelled to Lagos to explain his position on the nominee to Ibori, months ago.
National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, following a complaint by Ibori, last month, reportedly counselled Okowa to listen to Ibori’s suggestions on how to move the party forward but not necessarily to take orders from the former governor.
Ibori and Okowa had met after the national chairman’s directive but there was no confirmation that they had reconciled their differences on the governor’s successor.
Though the governor was understood to be making effort to reconvene a fresh meeting to enable him, Ibori and possibly, his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to reappraise their positions before the primaries, there is no indication that he has changed his stance on Ibori’s candidate.
However, Okowa is known to have guaranteed governorship aspirants and stakeholders that under his watch, the party would hold a free and fair 2023 primaries and has made no pronouncement on his own preference.
Report, yesterday, that Senator Ayu and some governors of the party would visit the state today, nevertheless, triggered social media speculation that there was a crisis in the state and the national chairman is at the head of the delegation to settle the rift between Okowa and Ibori.
An informed source said: “There is absolutely no crisis in Delta PDP. The governor has guaranteed free and fair primaries. They, National Chairman, Senator Ayu, and others are coming for Mr. Ndudi Elumelu’s empowerment programme for his constituents.
“They will, as protocol demands, be hosted by the governor. The governor as of today has not told anybody that he is supporting any governorship aspirant and at our last stakeholders’ meeting at Asaba, he warned that people should stop using his name to deceive delegates.
“Like any other leader and member of the party, do not forget that he has his constitutional rights to support any aspirant of his choice, which he will do on the day of the primaries.”
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