By Ovie Okpare
As the heat for the 2023 governorship election build up in Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi OKowa on Wednesday said there was no agreement on how the governorship seat should be rotated among the three senatorial districts in the state.
Senator Okowa said he was not aware of any meeting where it was agreed among leaders from the different senatorial district on the pattern the governorship seat should rotate among the districts.
The governor spoke on Wednesday during the Quarterly Media Briefing with journalists across the state in Asaba, the state capital.
Okowa’s remark is coming amidst rumour that he had reached an agreement with Ijaw leaders to ensure that his successor comes from the Ijaw ethnic nationality in Delta South Senatorial District as a payback for their support to his administration.
Among the Ijaw jostling to succeed Governor Okowa is his deputy, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro and the current senator representing Delta South, Senator James Manager.
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However, there is also clamour that the governorship seat should return to Delta Central where the rotation began in 1990 with former Governor James Ibori.
No fewer than five Urhobo in Delta Central including Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Olorogun Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Olorogun David Edevbie and Chief James Augoye had indicated interest to contest the governorship seat under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.
But Okowa answering questions from journalists said there was no formal meeting where gentleman agreement was reached to decide where the governorship will be zoned.
According to him, “A gentleman agreement is an agreement that is not written and I want to believe that that is what it supposed to be. But whether there was any formal meeting in which a gentleman agreement was reached. There was no formal meeting where a gentleman agreement was reached and that is the truth as at today.
“It means that whatever we are doing or talking about today is about what is fair, what is equitable and how to define what is fair and what is equitable and justiciable.
“On allegations of intention to hand over to an Ijaw man, its only God almighty that knows who will be Governor after me.
“I cannot pretend to be God, for am not I don’t know who God is going to bring and I don’t have the intention of playing the role of God.
“You will hear a lot more things just as they said I want to handover to an Ijaw man, I don’t think that I have the strength to play God but the issue is when the politics starts, politics will be played, and God almighty will take the decision on who will be Governor.
“But as I said, at some point in time as a party, because I can only speak for my party, that we will sit down to look at issues to find out what truly will be fair, what truly will be justiciable and what should equity really mean.
“On where the Governorship is going, I think if you pray God will reveal it to you.”
