Though 2015 is 11 months away, glimmers of what to expect before, during and after the governorship election in Delta State have started to unveil themselves.
As the race to succeed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan gets tougher on daily basis in Delta North Senatorial District, where the pendulum favours, following the political arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, the Anioma Congress on Sunday listed seven criteria for governorship aspirants.
Anioma Congress is the enlarged body of the people of the Ibo speaking locality of the oil rich state.
The body represents a platform for accessing and endorsing anybody jostling to stand for the area in any capacity.
Arising from an enlarged meeting held at the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, on Sunday, the body did not only roll out the criteria but slammed a 30-day ultimatum on would-be aspirants to declare their intention to contest the race or forfeit the ambition.
The traditional rulers in the district were similarly asked to, within one month, scrutinise anybody from their domain who presents himself or herself for the race.
Already, over 12 contenders, some with just their body language, have indicated interest in the race.
Among them are the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, an engineer; President Goodluck Jonathan’s Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe; and the Senator, representing Delta North Senatorial District, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.
The men have not only indicated interest but locked themselves up in hi-tech politics over who succeeds Governor Uduaghan.
The politics being played by Ochei, The Eagle Online recently gathered, has perplexed the camps of Okowa and Orubebe.
Okowa’s counterpart in the Senate, Pius Ewherido, representing Delta Central Senatorial District, who could have posed a serious threat to the three – Ochei, Okowa and Orubebe – died last year.
Human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, Chief Godswill Obielum and a host of others are also eyeing the plum position.
Beside the aforementioned, the former Acting Governor of the state, Hon. Sam Obi, who held the brief when the Court of Appeal in Benin, Edo State on November 9, 2010 ousted Governor Uduaghan out of office for 90 days based on an election petition filed by Chief Great Ogboru of the Democratic Peoples Party, has also indicated interest in the race.
The Chief of Staff to Uduaghan, Dr. Festus Okunbor, is said to be nursing the idea too.
It is also not certain if President Jonathan’s aide on Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Sylvester Monye, has dropped the idea.
Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, a multi-billionaire with an intimidating profile as the chairperson of the Nigeria Social Insurance Fund, and a host of others have been criss-crossing every political formation in the state.
No doubt, Ochei, alongside other aspirants from Delta North Senatorial District of the state, stand the chance of succeeding Governor Uduaghan, but the political knavery being plotted by Orubebe to challenge Uduaghan’s Delta South Senatorial District will definitely not make the race a walk-over for Delta Northerners.
Ochei, who dashed into the politics of the oil rich state through the opposition party, has since launched himself into the mainstream politics of the state after he boldly decamped to the ruling PDP on the floor of the House in 2006.
This was after winning the Aniocha North Constituency seat in 2003 on the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party.
Because Ochei is level-headed and humane, with a great sense of aesthetics, judging from the way he turned around the dilapidated face of the state’s Assembly complex within his two years in office, and possibly delivered on his campaign promises, his people re-elected him in 2007 on the platform of the PDP.
That saw to his rising profile in the politics of the state.
The mantle of leadership of the House fell on him shortly after Okowa resigned as the Secretary to the State Government during the 2011 election to contest the Delta North Senatorial District seat and defeated the wife of the former National Chairman of the PDP, Nneamaka Ali.
Ochei, with the right permutation, well gave Okowa his full support to leave the state for Abuja, having allegedly calculated that his chance to become the speaker has come.
Comrade Ovuozerie Macaulay was appointed to replace Okowa as SSG by Governor Uduaghan. Since Macaulay hails from the Governor’s Delta South Senatorial District and the Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN), is from Delta Central Senatorial District, the speaker’s seat was zoned to Delta North Senatorial District.
That was how Ochei became the speaker.
As a multi-millionaire, he is now jostling to be the next governor of the state.
At the Anioma Congress meeting, comprising traditional rulers and top politicians from Delta North Senatorial District, aside age, which was the first prerequisite for expression of interest, educational background, experience in governance, acceptability by the people, records of community development/empowerment/service, performance/achievements in previous positions held would be adjudged by the selection committee.
The Asagba of Asaba, who presided over the congress, lauded the congress for the progress made so far by stipulating seven criteria and arriving at a 30-day ultimatum.
He asked for the adoption of the report by the committee of the whole congress.
He disclosed that the Secretariat of Anioma Congress would however meet to decide on those who would make the list of the selection committee that would screen the aspirants.
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