By Onome Oghenetega
The Asagba of Asaba, Obi Chike Edozien, has declared his support for the rotation of the governorship seat of Delta State on senatorial basis.
Asagba, affirming his support, stressed that the rotational system among the three senatorial districts, has brought about peace, justice and fairness in the state.
The monarch made the declaration at his Palace on Tuesday when members of the Delta Collective Assembly (DCA), a political pressure group paid him a visit in Asaba, the state capital.
The royal father, who recalled how he led other traditional rulers in Delta North to meet with their colleagues in Delta Central and South during the twilight of the government of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2014, called for the sustenance of the rotational system.
He told the group that although the rotation of the State governorship seat started by accident, it has brought peace and unity to the State.
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The nonagenarian monarch observed that though traditional rulers from other districts kept to their gun, some politicians from other districts attempted to scuttle the chances of Delta North from producing Uduaghan’s successor by contesting for the poll.
He added that the it was the vehement lobby from the traditional rulers and other leaders from the Anioma area that led to the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa from Delta North as governor in 2015.
Obi Edozien, a Professor of Medicine, urged politicians to comply to the rotation of the Governorship seat as it is, in order to sustain the prevailing peace and unity in the State.
The monarch, however, commended the Delta Collective Assembly (DCA) for its efforts towards drumming support for the rotational practice in the state.
Earlier, the Convener of the Delta Collective Assembly, Engr. Elijah Ologe, told Asagba of Asaba and his Chiefs that the DCA is a political pressure group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the aim of drumming support for the sustenance of the clockwise rotation of Delta State Governorship seat.
Ologe a former chairman of SUBEB, said there was an arrangement by default or deliberate design by PDP leaders in the State for the clockwise rotation of the Governorship seat on Senatorial District basis.
He noted that since 1999, the Party had kept to that seamless arrangement till date and as such, it is the turn of Delta Central Senatorial District in 2023. He however, expressed surprise that some Ijaws from Delta South are agitating that it is their turn in 2023.
The DCA convener, who hails from Patani LGA in Delta South, said such an agitation is not just and fair, and does not promote equity, as it will amount to short – changing Delta Central where the rotation started from and has waited for sixteen years for the position to return to it.
He noted that such agitation was capable of destroying the peace and unity of the State and also negates the recent comments of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa that; “PDP governorship candidate for 2023 would be chosen by leaders of the party based on what is just, fair and equitable”.
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Engr. Ologe stressed that fair play and equity demand total support for Delta Central to produce the party’s candidate in 2023 after which Delta South will take its turn in eight years’ time. According to him, anything short of that, will amount to Delta Central waiting for twenty-four years, a situation he described as “political injustice”.
He appealed to Obi Chike Edozien to use his Royal position and influence to prevail on traditional rulers and political leaders in the State to adhere strictly to the clockwise rotation of the governorship seat.
Other members of the DCA drawn from the twenty-five LGAs of the State solicited for the support of the Monarch for Delta Central Senatorial District to produce the next Governor in 2023, noting that the group is only interested in the peace and unity of the State, and not in support of any governorship aspirant.
A delegation of the DCA had earlier visited the Owhorode of Olomu Kingdom, Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro the First, a traditional ruler from Delta Central, and Pastor Godsday Orubebe, a PDP stalwart and former Minister from Delta South Senatorial District, on the same issue.
