Okowa hands over DSEIC to Ibori: Nominates Ogbodu, Ibori’s kinsman as Chairman

———-By Shedrack Onitsha,————-

As part of move to pacify the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has nominated Ibori’s kinsman, Chief Mike Ogbodu   as Chairman of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, (DSIEC).

The Speaker, Delta state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has announced the appointment of Commissioners who will pilot the affairs of DSIEC following the unceremonious sacking of the former board.

It will be recalled that the former DSIEC Board was sacked by the House in a guise of enacting a new law on the grounds of defects in the law which brought them into the Commission.

However, their sacking by Governor Okowa through the House brought Ibori and Okowa on a collision course, as Chief Ibori loyalist, Moses Ogbe was axed, this allegedly made the former governor who had always decided who gets what at the LGA level in the past.

It took the intervention of Governor Nyesom Wike and some PDP leaders to amend the crack created by the Okowa unilateral decision to sack the board, and as part of the peace move, Ibori was giving the leeway of producing the next chairman of the commission and two other commissioners according to a close source in Okowa’s camp.

According to the source who spoke to ADVOCATE; but pleaded for anonymity, he said that governor Okowa is not ready to loss Chief Ibori’s support and goodwill ahead of 2019 election.

“ My brother take or leave it, Ibori remains a deciding factor in Okowa’s 2019 political equation, take Ibori out, and Okowa will crash politically, so, if it will take giving Chief Ibori the opportunity to produce the 25 LGA chairman to win his trust and support us, will not.?

It will be fool-headed to go against Ibori at this point, after all the this current Chairmen were almost single-handedly hand-picked by Ibori from his then London prison, so it is not new and to assure him that he is still in charge Okowa gave him that right to nominate the chairman of DSIEC and two others.” He added.

Others nominated for confirmation by the House of Assembly according to the Speaker, Mr. Fredrick Ulakpa, Mr. Friday Edmund Seimode, Mr. James Eruorhevwameme Umukoro, Mr. Gregory Chukwuma Edeme, Mrs Yvonne Ovuevo Wagbatsoma and Light Oritseweyinmi Diden a brother of Okowa’s henchman in the House of Assembly.

The appointment of the Commissioners which is subject to Screening and subsequent Confirmation by the House, was contained in a letter sent to the House by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

The letter which read in part stated that; “In exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 198 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended. I wish to submit as here under, the list of nominees for appointment as Members of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, (DSIEC),

The Governor urged the House to take early action on the nominees for consideration and confirmation to enable him effect their appointments as required by Constitution.

The Speaker thereafter asked the nominees to submit 35 copies of their Curriculum Vitae and appear before the House tomorrow, September 20, 2017 for screening.