By Eseoghene Emuke
The 13-Man Committee saddled with the responsibility of pruning down the number of governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Delta Central has been charged to live above board to avoid unnecessary backlash.
Members of the committee were also urged to resist attempts by aspirants to bribe them into choosing them as preferred governorship aspirants from the senatorial district.
The call was made by the President of Urhobo Christian Ministers’ Association (Youth Wing), Pastor Tareri Avwomakpa, where he also warned against picking unpopular candidate from the district.
Avwomakpa, in a statement on Friday, however commended efforts by Delta Central PDP leaders to ensure that the district produce Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s successor in 2023.
He also lauded the Senator Ighoyota Amori-led DC-23 political lobby group for lobbying Delta South and North senatorial districts to ensure that the governorship rotation formula in the state is maintained.
“I commend the efforts of DC 23, the political lobby group headed by Sen. (Chief) Ighoyota Amori for its good works in appealing to our neighbours in Delta South and Delta North senatorial districts to maintain the existing rotation formula and support a candidate from Delta Central to become the governor of Delta State come 2023.
“Recently, DC 23 took a wise decision by its resolution to collaborate with our Governor, Sen. Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, and support any governorship aspirant whom the governor chooses to support from Delta Central. The Delta State Governor has proven to be a man of his word and this attribute distinguishes him among politicians.
“The 13 Man Committee which was constituted with the mandate to prune down the number of aspirants from Delta Central has an enormous task ahead; a task which requires integrity, honesty, and selflessness.
“Some aspirants will tend to bribe individual members of this committee to corrupt them and influence their decision. If this happens and the committee picks an unpopular candidate, that will be doom for DC 23 and the Urhobo nation”, Avwomakpa said.
He further warned that PDP will face stiff opposition for the 2023 governorship from the leading opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) if an unpopular candidate is fielded by the PDP.
According to him, “I recall with nostalgia the queries that greeted the 7 Man Screening Committee of eminent Urhobo sons which was set up in 2014 prior to the governorship primaries. Members of the committee were accused of receiving bribes from aspirants and thus fielding an unpopular candidate. What happened at the end?
“If some members of this 13-Man Committee vested with such enormous powers allow themselves to be corrupted and the committee fields an unpopular and unacceptable candidate, even delegates or voters from Delta Central will vote against such candidate if direct primaries become applicable.
“Fielding and unpopular candidate will also result in loss of confidence from all other ethnic nationalities and leaders who have hitherto given assurances of their support to DC 23. If Delta Central loses the primaries and PDP wins the general election it would have cast the Urhobo nation into the wilderness of irrelevance.
“This informs the inquiry if DC 23 has laid down criteria for this 13 Committee to guide the committee in making its election and to checkmate corruption of its members? Besides being humane and development-oriented with a proven track record among the Urhobo people, the candidate must be acceptable to the majority of political leaders, religious leaders, royal fathers, market women associations, youth groups and leaders in other social strata of the other ethnic groups in Delta South as well as Delta North senatorial district.
“It is important to also put the interest of these leaders who have direct daily relationship with the voters into perspective. To allay the fears of the Urhobo people and to ease the committee of much pressure, one would suggest that the decision of the 13 Man Committee must be subject to review and confirmation by the elders of DC 23 who understand the heartbeat and dynamics of the politics of Delta State.
“There are aspirants who would refuse to step down if the result of the screening committee does not favour them. In 2014, only Prof. Amos Utuama SAN, the then Deputy Governor, came out and publicly declared his support for the chosen candidate.
“From experience, some candidates would out of selfish interests castigate DC 23 and continue their campaign by forming secret alliances with the “enemy” to sabotage the efforts of DC 23 and the Urhobo nation. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
“What measure does DC 23 have in place to bring all our aspirants to work together and support a sole candidate after the final selection from the screening? The PDP is our firmly rooted party in Delta State but we must acknowledge the fact that we have a viable opposition party the APC waiting to take advantage of any miscalculation and disagreement within the PDP family in the State.
“However, I am convinced that if DC 23 maintains its focus as we have seen under the watch of the chairman Sen. (Chief) Ighoyota Amori, the Odidimadi of Africa and the political Ronaldo of our time and with appropriate guidance from our political oracles, the PDP will sail to victory in Delta State again come 2023 in line with the Stronger Delta mantra of our amiable Governor Sen. Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa.
