A foremost political pressure group in Delta North Senatorial district, has rejected in its entirety, the move by former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to seek re election to represent Delta North in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly in 2027.
The outright rejection of Okowa’s Senatorial aspiration is one of the high points of resolutions adopted by the leadership and members of the Delta North Political Renaissance and Advocacy Group (DNPR&AG) at the end of an emergency meeting of the group to examine unfolding political developments in Delta State ahead of next years general elections .
In a Communique issued at the end of the meeting, the group affirmed that it has mobilized and given marching orders to its “foot soldiers” and teeming supporters across the nine local government areas of Delta North to carry out the decisions of the body to the later.
“Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, it is no longer enough to speak in polished tones or hide behind political rhetoric. The people demand clear, honest and accountable answers to fundamental questions germane to their very existence “
According to the communique jointly signed by the president, Dr. Kester Koyegwachie and Secretary General, High Chief Enuosa Benjamin the Delta North Political Renaissance and Advocacy Group, cited what it called the “double speak” by Senator Okowa on the vested issues of creation of Anioma State and classification of Anioma People as Ibos, insisting that the former Governor has no justification to consult the people of Aniocha South and Aniocha North local Government Areas who are of the Ibo extraction.
The group recalled that in the build up to the 2023 general elections, Senator Okowa who was then, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP announced to the world that he was an Ibo man only to recant his words three years later by working against the creation of Anioma State aligned to the south East geopolitical zone.
The statement took exemption to the inconsistency and deceitful disposition of the former Governor on issues of common interest to the people of Delta North adding that efforts to actualise Anioma creation were not only being misconstrued and misrepresented but also skewed against those in the fore front of achieving the age long wish and aspiration of the Anioma people.
They opined that “history is not kind to silence and even less to neglect contending that if tomorrow, Anioma State becomes feasible only through alignment with the South East, what then, would be the position of the former Governor even as it further enthused whether Senator Okowa would stand with the people or retreat again into ambiguity ?”
The group also reminded the former Governor that he once served as Senator and Governor for a combined twelve years period of power, influence and authority and queried the concrete efforts he made within the period towards realization of the Anioma project.
The group further put the performance of Senator Okowa in the Senate under close scrutiny and sought to find out the sacrifices he purportedly made towards the Anioma cause, the bills he reportedly championed and the alliances he built within the pendency of his four year tenure just as it insisted that Leadership was not measured by titles but by impact
“Delta North deserves much more than recycled leadership. It deserves vision, integrity and a future built on transparency, hardwork, service to the people and truth —- not shadows of unanswered questions as with the case of the alleged #1.3 trillion Delta State funds currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC).
“Senator Okowa, the allegations are just too weighty to be ignored hence we urge you to first of all clear your name before seeking to represent the good people of Delta North in the Senate in 2027”.
Among others things the Peoples of Delta State deserves to know about what happened to a-whooping amount of #1.3 trillion of Delta State money that went underground during your tenure after all a leader must not only govern, he must answer and clear any shades of doubt where necessary.
The DNPN &AG said the general body language and conduct of Senator Okowa is that of a politician desperate to get what he wants at all costs without recourse to the consequences of such action and hinted of growing discontentment among the people of the district as evident by wide spread protest by youths over the move by the former Governor to recontest the Delta North senatorial seat next year.
They also took a swipe at the performance of Senator Okowa while in office as Governor saying that the period was characterized by outright monumental failure in development of infrastructure in most rural communities since there were no visible and tangible projects in most rural communities across Delta particularly in Delta North (Anioma Area of the State).
In their words “ What tangible political legacy can the Governor point to in Aniocha North and Aniocha South ?” What enduring footprints did he leave behind” “Can he shows us roads that he constructed and lives transformed ? Institutions that empowered youth or should the people accept those years as the period that deepened stagnation and pushed the region further
Into poverty and retrogression “
The group berated Senator Okowa for sidelining the legacy Members of the APC in his so called consultation with the people adding that only PDP members who recently crossed over the APC were being consulted.
The group warned that the development could portend backlash for the APC if not checked and called on youths of Delta North to rise up to the task of implementing the decisions of the group with minimum delay.
The meeting was attended by delegates from across the nine local government areas of Delta North.
