The chicken has finally come home to roost as two prominent political gladiators in Delta State, Ex-Governor James Ibori and the incumbent Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa are reportedly at loggerhead over the latter’s lobbying to become the running mate of PDP presidential flag bearer, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Political pundits believe that it is payback time for Ibori against Okowa over the governor’s outright rejection of his preferred choice of David Edebvie as the Delta State PDP gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 general elections.
As a close friend of Atiku Abubakar, Ibori is believed to wield immense powers in PDP inner circle, and could persuade the party’s heavyweights to truncate Okowa’s apiration.
In any case; the scenario portends an ill omen for Delta State in the struggle to produce the running mate of the PDP presidential flagbearer.
The popular opinion is that the two ‘gladiators’ should avoid working at cross purposes for the interest of Delta State and PDP.
Speaking on the development, Mr Charles Aniagwu, the commissioner for information, said Governor Okowa as the leader of the party in the state had done well to the extent that nobody can stand as an opposition to such ambition.
While saying that it is only God that can stop Governor Okowa’s ambition, he said there was no reason for such animosity.
“Both Ibori and Okowa work closely, both of them respect each other. I have not seen Ibori speak bad of Okowa while l have not seen Okowa speak bad of Ibori. Okowa is working hard to reposition the party. If he did not pick senatorial form for the slot of running mate was his personal decision.
“Many delegates voted for Atiku, not only the 25 delegates from Delta State gave him victory. Delegates from across the nation voted for him. Okowa once had a stint in the Senate, so his plan is to reposition the party,” Aniagwu stated.