The flag bearer of the Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Thursday heaved a sigh of relieve.
This was sequel to his unanimous adoption by over 150 elders and leaders of the PDP as their candidate for the February 28 governorship race in the state.
The elders, predominantly of the ruling party, vowed to take their destiny in their hands.
The elders, comprising 50 each from the three senatorial districts of the state, led by their Coordinators, Chief Emmanuel Ogidi (Delta South), Chief Godswill Obielum (North) and Dr. Chris Oghenechovwen (Central), converged at a popular inn in Asabaon Thursday to throw their weight behind Okowa.
Okowa, supported by the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Dr. Joseph Otumara, and his Director of Communications/Mobilization, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, appealed to the elders to go and collect their Permanent Voter Cards and encourage their constituencies to do same, if he must win.
He said: “Please, hold your local government firmly. As I speak to you now, only 1.2 million of the Permanent Voter Cards have been collected. Over 700,000 are yet to be claimed. So go back to your wards, units and council areas to sensitize our supporters on the need to collect them.”
Okowa urged the elders to avail themselves of the party’s Contact Committee, headed in the state by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and Captain Pius Sinebe (rtd.), and Chief Benjamin Elue, the former deputy governor of the state, whom he said “is currently inter-facing between the presidential and state campaign teams.”
The Eagle Online learnt that the adoption came barely five days after speculation became rife across the state that the Urhobo Political Union had concluded plans to endorse a candidate against Okowa.
The union is expected to announce one of the candidates of the two rival parties in the state, the Labour Party, represented by Chief Great Ogboru, and the All Progressives Congress, Chief O’tega Emerhor.
Ogboru and Emerhor have since last year December been meeting elders of the 15 kingdoms, making up Urhoboland, begging to be adopted.
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