Few weeks ago, I got a report that Chief James Ibori, a former Governor of Delta state, has politically endorsed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State for a second tenure in office and I just wondered if canvassing support for Okowa in a public function was enough to say he has endorsed him for a second term!
Even if he endorses him so early at a time like this when the goodwill being enjoyed by Governor Okowa appears to be waning, does that signify a second term ticket?
Though reports had it that Ibori while in jail in the UK serving his sentence over corruption and money laundering charges made Governors, Senate President, Speaker, Senators, House of Assembly members etc, but, how weighty could his endorsement be in today’s politics.
Politically, endorsement does not win elections and if you doubt this go and ask former President Goodluck Jonathan. He is a living testimony.
What Ibori has done is just a show of comradeship, nothing more, and nothing less. If Dr. Okowa wants to retain his seat in Government House, he should do more, and work harder because he may not get it as easy as when he rode on Ibori’s back in 2015.
Whilst Ibori’s reported endorsement of Okowa is already heating up the Delta political landscape and causing jittery among some contending political forces, the question bogging many pundits is, can Ibori`s endorsement actually influence election victory this time around?
Ibori, politically, is standing on one foot as to whether he may remain in his now crisis-torn People’s Democratic Party, PDP – this is something still kept in the cooler. Political watchers, including this writer believe that if Ibori decides to remain in PDP, he may not be in the same faction with former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the leader of the party.
The reason being adduced, according to Chima Ubochi in his article is that, Ibori tormented Goodluck Jonathan, when he (Jonathan) was the vice president, and was the reason why late President Umaru Yar’Adua reduced the office of the vice president to a ministerial level and never cared to hand over to Jonathan, as VP, whenever he travelled out of Nigeria.
The commentator believes that if Yar’Adua was alive today, Ibori would not have been jailed or made to forfeit any asset whatsoever. Besides, Ibori would have replaced Goodluck Jonathan, during Yar’Adua’s second term, and thereafter, would have taken over from Yar’Adua, after the latter’s second term.
That was the plan and arrangement from the beginning; that was why Ibori bankrolled Yar’Adua’s campaign in 2007, and that was why EFCC, under Nuhu Ribadu, was unable to bring Ibori to justice, despite the alleged unspeakable financial crimes of which he was later jailed, Ubochi postulated.
The saga created bad blood between Jonathan and Ibori, and when Jonathan eventually became the President, Ibori’s files were vetted by internal and external security forces and he (Jonathan), reportedly signed his extradition to the United Kingdom when he finally mounted the saddle as President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Force of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The animosity which the scenario generated between the duo has not been reconciled.
Whether the ongoing reconciliation in the PDP championed by the National Reconciliation Committee led by Hon Sariake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa state, trying to reconcile aggrieved members on the side of the court-certified National Chairman of the party, Senator Sheriff Modu and care-taker committee Chairman, Senator Admed Makarfi, which met with Ibori recently in his country home Oghara, Ethiope West Council may save the situation is yet unclear.
Coming back home, one wonders, going by this development, under what party should we hinge the Ibori-endorsement of Governor Okowa when apparently, insinuations are rife that he may possibly defect to another political party.
As some political analysts believe, Ibori’s endorsement carry a lot of weight evident by the hullabaloo it has generated, but viewed against the backdrop of the current internal friction in the party, it may not hold much waters, at least for now.
Moreso, the supposed endorsement has triggered public backlash, apparently because it was hinged on the premises that backing Okowa for a second term in office is in anticipation that the Delta North Senatorial District would throw its support behind an Urhobo candidate when the time comes, as though there are no other political parties and ethnic group who would want to wrestle power come 2019.
Governor Okowa is constantly criticised for being ‘clannish’ – like he wore ethnic toga to Government House, and accused of insensitivity to worker’s plight, especially his failure to clear the arrears of salaries of primary and secondary school teachers, local councils’ workers as well as cornering jobs to himself and cronies. These, among other factors are compounding Okowa’s administration and his chances in future elections.
Okowa is expected to do his two tenure unchallenged going by the gentlemanly PDP zoning agreement as both Delta Central and South had successfully taken their turns in Ibori and Uduaghan respectively.
But unfortunately his “prosperity for all” 2015 election’s mantra excused on dwindling federal allocation and poor Internal Generated Revenue, IGR, accruing to the state, is nothing to write home about, even though some non-oil bearing states are faring better in their economic agenda, a clear examples being Kebbi state and oil producing Cross River State.
If what is happening in PDP at the National level permeates to the states, as it is already, with seemingly report of police notification to take over the state PDP Secretariat in Asaba by the Sheriff’s faction, then that endorsement under this PDP may not be it.
It is a common practice in Nigeria for politicians to make statements during political events as was made by Ibori, canvassing support for Governor Okowa to enable him retain his seat but that shouldn’t have troubled some gladiators the way it did, yet it has ruffled feathers in some quarters.
For some political pundits, Ibori remains a rallying point since he created the first political dynasty in Delta and since 1999 has been the one calling the shot; and had singlehandedly, not like casting all the votes anyway, installed his successor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and incumbent Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
His endorsement if in the right party can actually sway votes – he is that powerful. But given the fact that the corruption allegations of which he was convicted has reduced his estimation, his endorsement this time around may make little or no effect on the polls come 2019.
For Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, who contested the 2015 governorship elections with Okowa under the All Progressives Congress and lost out, Ibori’s endorsement of Okowa has closed the door to Ibori’s possibly defection to APC as was insinuated when he first arrived Nigeria from the UK.
Reports quoted Emerhor to have said that Ibori’s endorsement of Okowa has diffused speculations that the former governor had sympathy for the APC.
According to him, “We in APC Delta State have anticipated this endorsement long ago and are quite prepared to meet him, Okowa and the PDP at the 2019 elections to finally determine which party now owns the state’s political landscape”.
But those who have watched politics in Delta State know anything can happen when the chips are down. The dynamics of Delta politics can be unpredictable sometimes just like it happened during the PDP’s primary election; but with what the party has done so far, Okowa still has a very long way to go to retain that exalted seat in the Unity House, Asaba.
Written by Joe Ogbodu
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