Although the three former governors of Delta state, Chief James Ibori, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan have left office in their separate years, their influence in the affairs of Delta state and the selection of who becomes what has never faded into oblivion. They remain kingmakers and decision makers for the people of the state.
This is undermining the fact that whether the decision they take favours the people of the state or not. This is not part of their consideration. As far as it favours them and their cronies who usually have no objections, others can go to blazes. It has remained so over the years. This is evidence in the rotation of political office holders among the power brokers.
This assertion became very prominent in the build up to the 2023 general election and the recent appointment into the state executive council. Prior to the general elections, three daughters of the erstwhile governors contested the primary elections into the House of Representatives and the state house of assembly.
Chief Ibori’s daughter contested for the house of representatives while Okowa and Uduaghan’s daughters contested for the house of assembly to represent their respective state constituencies. While Ibori’s daughter and Okowa’s daughter won their primaries and eventually won the general elections, Uduaghan’s daughter lost out at the primary elections.
Both daughters of Ibori and Okowa have been inaugurated into the federal house of representatives and the state house of assembly. Many thought that Uduaghan’s daughter had forever lost out. But everyone was taken aback when Governor Sheriff Oborevwori released names of appointments into the state executive council, Orode, Uduaghan’s daughter’s name was on the list as commissioner designate.
With this, the three former governors daughters are perfectly in control of various parts of government. This is even more so as their parents are receiving pensions from the state government as former governors. So, it is a transition from father to children who will eventually aspire to either becoming speaker of the state house of assembly or other executive positions in the state.
Ibori-Suenu is representing Ethiope federal constituency in the house of representatives, Marilyn Okowa Daramola is representing Ika North East in the state house of assembly while Orode Uduaghan is the commissioner designate to represent Warri North in the state executive council.
