DELTA 2023: Zoning is infantile, puerile argument; Deltans wouldn’t buy it –Ijaw Group

By Akpos Oghenetega,

Ahead of the 2023 governorship election in Delta State, an Ijaw group that styles itself as Delta Ijaw 2023 Governorship Advocacy Group (DIGAG), has described as infantile the argument by a section of the state that power should be zoned to Delta Central come 2023.

DIGAG in a statement signed by its Director-General, Mr Augustine Okporu, noted that the purported zoning arraignment in the Peoples Democratic Party, been referred to by the apostles of zoning has become moribund because the political class from Delta Central do not believe in zoning.

Okporu stated this while reacting to an alleged statement accredited to a PDP governorship aspirant in the State, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi who was quoted to have said  while addressing Urhobo community in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State that; “nothing on earth would remove Governorship from Urhobo land.”

According to him, “we would not have responded to this infantile and puerile argument of zoning in the Delta State PDP had it not coming from a prominent citizen who had hitherto partaken in breaching the arrangement. Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi should tell Deltans why he participated in the 2006 PDP Governorship primary election at Ogwachukwu?

“For the record, at the 2007 transition period, aspirants from the three senatorial districts in Delta State contested the PDP gubernatorial primary election in 2006 at Ugwashi-Uku when Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan won the election.

“Amongst aspirants from Urhobo ethnic group that contested for the PDP gubernatorial primary were: Barr. Ovie Omo-Agege (as he then was), late Chief Pius Akpo Ewerhido, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Chief Charles Obule, Chief Ejaife Odebala, Hon. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo (as he then was), Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Olorogun Oscar Ibru, late Albert Okumagba and Hon Napoleon Gbinije.

“If it were the turn of the Delta South Senatorial District to produce the Governor of the State under the platform of the PDP then why Kenneth Gbagi and the retinue of the Urhobo sons contested the PDP primary election against Dr Uduaghan and Sen. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa?

“Has Kenneth Gbagi forgotten that in law, an agreement is the basis of a contract? Chief Gbagi as a learned legal mind should tell Deltans what constitutes a breach of contract and when a contract is breached by one of the contracting parties, what are the consequences of that contract?

“We wish to reiterate once again that the Delta State Governorship ticket is not zoned to any Senatorial District. The same way Kenneth Gbagi and other Urhobo people contested against Uduaghan in 2007 and Okowa in 2015 will be the same way the PDP primary election will be contested in 2023. It has not been reserved for any Senatorial District.

“Those who have the political clout should throw their hats in the ring. Sen. Okowa owes no duty to the Urhobos to have unilaterally supported them against the interest of other ethnic groups in the State. You can’t hide under one cheap propaganda of zoning to stamped the Governor into doing your bidding.

“Sen. Okowa we know is a gentleman gifted with wisdom. He will do what will bring peace to the PDP and the State at large. The propaganda of a few Deltans who see the governorship office as their birthright cannot dissuade the man from doing the right thing. Even God Almighty will not allow a serial lawbreaker to benefit from his wrongs.”