Appeal Court sack of Amori shatters Okowa’s political calculation

The Appeal Court sack of Chief Ighoyota Amori of People’s Democratic Party, PDP as the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly and the subsequent declaration of Labour Party’s candidate for the district, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege as the duly elected Senator may have shattered Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s political permutation, Fresh Angle International investigation reveals.

Since May 29, 2015 when Dr. (Senator) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa assumed office as Delta State Governor, he has strategically given priority to Delta Central Senatorial district dominated by Urhobos in his appointments and deliberately made Itsekiri and Isoko ethnic Nationalities lose political relevance.

A signal to this was when he appointed Festus Ovie Agas as Secretary to Delta State Government, SSG, after allegedly  promising Itsekiri Nation same position and went ahead to sack Isoko born former Chairman of Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, Mr. Joel Onowakpo Thomas and other members of DBIR Board ahead of their 2017 appointment termination date.

Governor Okowa during a recent meeting with Delta South PDP leaders led by Senator James Manager, told them that he was giving priority appointments to Delta Central PDP leaders because the district produced the two gubernatorial candidates: Great Ovedje Ogboru of Labour Party and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressives Congress that contested against him in the April 11, 2015 gubernatorial poll. Dr. Okowa’s explanation was interpreted as a bid to pacify Delta Central district and consolidate on his hold ahead of the 2019 election, even as he has been playing the Urhobo card and relegating Isoko as well as Itsekiri politically.

With reports rife that Dr. Okowa allegedly  told Delta South PDP leaders that he decided to politically empower Delta Central leaders in his government because of the obvious opposition from the Urhobos, it is now clear that the governor’s political strategy to have a strong grip of Delta Central ahead of the 2019 elections may have hit the rocks following the Appeal Court sacking of Chief Ighoyota Amori and declaration of Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege  as the duly elected Senator of Delta Central, because All Progressives Congress , APC leaders like Chief Ayirimi Emami and Olorogun Jaro Egbo appeared to have struck a political pact with the Labour Party Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege ahead of possible Delta State gubernatorial rerun or 2019 election.

This will certainly give Governor Okowa political trepidation because Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege is expected to galvanize Delta Central Senatorial district against the PDP led government in the State and form a strong alliance with the core Delta North of Oshimili and Ogwashi-Ukwu as well as Kwale, Isoko and Itsekiri ethnic Nationalities, that appear side-tracked by his administration so far.

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