BREAKING: Former SDP Guber Candidate, Oghotoma Backs Sack Of Party Chair In Delta

By Daniel Dafe, Abraka
The Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Delta State, Amb. Oke Idawene, has been removed and a new executive led by Austin Okakor installed.

Reacting to the development, a former governorship aspirant in the 2019 elections on the platform of the party in Delta State, Sir Ohwo Benson Oghotoma, said they cannot continue with the present leadership of Ambassador Oke Idawene in Delta State because so many persons have left the party due to his corrupt tendencies.

He said: “He collects money from candidates and goes back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to negotiate candidate’s position with them.

“The most painful one was one Hon Emevor Best during the bye-election on Delta State. In the last bye-election in the state, I sponsored four candidates but the former Chairman ended up registering just one candidate; the remaining three candidates were unaccounted for and later he sold Honourable Emevor Best out for N800, 000 to PDP but later received N400, 000 from them.”

He continued: “Apart from all his offences, he handles the party unilaterally.

“Some excos of the party moved the motion that he should be removed.
I wanted everybody to remain calm so that this local government election can be over before a decision can be taken so that the candidates contesting will not be affected. But so far, so good I would support Austin Okakor Oghogho. He has been appointed as the Interim State Chairman of SDP in Delta State.

“I advice everyone to remain calm both the pro-Austine and pro-Idawene and it is good to see that the two young men are from Isoko axis.”

“Oke is defrauding even our candidates for the council elections in the state.
Our issue is that the party leaders under him are negotiating with PDP.

“I have spent so much in SDP Delta State but the man is doing things that hinder the growth of the party.

“I think about two-third members of the exco approved his removal.”

Oghotoma called on the national executive to try to tackle the crisis in the party in the state, adding that he has written to them on the issues.

“Idavwene is the problem of the party in the state.

“In my letter I notified them that Idavwene has been sacked. To a very reasonable extent I am backing the Interim Chairman.

“Nothing is moving. People like Hon. Begho, Hon. Solomon Awhinawhi and Hon. Ugbegu Igho and even Austin Okakor are aggrieved and great stakeholders in the party have left.

“I give Idavwene money all the time and he will not remit it.”

Speaking further, he said: “I know how many candidates I am sponsoring in this election,. But you cannot hear it from my mouth. Even when I have paid for them he still goes to the candidates to collect money.

“Then I did not want to open up on why I did not run for the governorship again. Then some parties even called me to give me their tickets. If Idavwene continues like this we will fight him to the end unless there is repentance in him.”

According to him, the national leadership recognizes the new executive, saying that the new whatsapp platform has the presence of national chairman and he has not said anything.

“It was for the same internal political wrangling then that made me abandon my ambition tp be Governor of the state.
Peace will return when Idavwene is ready to do the right thing and sheathe his sword.

Meanwhile, some aggrieved party leaders and members who spoke to Oasis Magazine (OM) exclusively, gave reasons why Idavwe’s removal became necessary.

They hinged the reason for his sack on what they said was his financial mismanagement and embezzlement of party funds, alleging that Idawene used his personal account for party transaction without remittance.

They said: “The ousted party chairman is sole signatory to the bank account of Delta State Chapter of the SDP,” adding that he has continually “defrauded candidates with series of unnecessary levies even the ones paid for to assist candidates.”

Adding: “He is a member of PDP at night and SDP in the day time. The outgone Delta State SDP Chairman, Amb. Idawene plays anti party with the Peoples Democratic party, PDP to the detriment of the Social Democratic party, SDP.

“He romances with Okowa for selfish interest and sold SDP out in 2019 elections to the PDP and most members left after the election.

They also said his administration was given to high handedness and unitarily appointed Electoral Committee members.

Furthermore, they said the outgone State Chairman does everything single handedly without consultations with party executive and members and when asked he will unilaterally remove the person as a member of the social media platform and after pleading he will collect between N5,000 to N10, 000 for erring members and sometimes goat.

“He used the same method to remove the National Chairman of the party from the WhatsApp group because he was questioned and asked to renounce his claim as Chairman of Chairmen. Till date he’s not a member of the platform.

“The move to remove him is to make SDP truly an opposition party and not praise singers of PDP and Okowa as well as other PDP members,” they opined.