2023: DPV, DC-23 Has Agreed That On Okowa Governorship Candidate They Stand

By Fred Latimore

Chairman of Delta Political Vanguard, DPV, Evangelist Michael Diden aka Ejele, has disclosed that when members of DC-23 Lobby group came calling, the duo agreed to support and project any governorship aspirant nominated by the State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.

DPV is the largest and most formidable political pressure group in Delta State, with members in the three senatorial districts. Gov Okowa is the Grand Patron of the group.

Ejele, a dogged core political associate of Gov Okowa, made the disclosure while addressing members of DPV in Agbor on Saturday, saying that the group is very strict on the issue and therefore will never give listening ears to any contrary interests on the choice of Okowa’s successor.

Ejele’s position obviously negates any choice of a consensus governorship candidate of any lobby group without the backing of Gov Okowa and DPV. The governor may as well reject the three shortlisted aspirants of DC-23 expected to emerge in the next couple of days, if his choice is not captured in the list.

It was reliably gathered that Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, Olorogun David Edevbie and Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi are likely to emerge as the three aspirants in the final DC-23 list to be submitted to Gov Okowa, this week.

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DPV’s new year political jamboree may have set the ball rolling for full gear 2023 governorship politics, paving the way for PDP Mega Rally in Asaba on 22nd January, 2022. It is crystal clear that the political drum beat is gathering momentum. Insider sources are of the view that Gov Okowa, may drop the bombshell by presenting his choice aspirant who may not be among those already screened and shortlisted by DC-23 lobby group.

One of the system key players told NewsRazor-NG that Okowa may settle for one of the aspirants screened by DC-23 or go for either the Chief of Staff, Rt Hon Festus Ovie Agas or his former Chief Economic Adviser, Chief George Orogun. Agas is a core loyalist of the governor and founding member of DPV, so also is George Orogun, a loyalist and stakeholder in Okowa Political Dynasty. These two gentlemen are highly reserved, well educated, super breed technocrats and humble servant-leaders with no trace of divided loyalty.

Another political school of thought holds that the governor may go for the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, known to be a flawless team leader and patriotic Deltan, a worthy co-labourer with the governor in democratic governance. He is certainly a bridge builder across board.

Obrevwori sustained robust working relationship between the legislature and the executive arms of government and still counting. To that extent he may be lucky to emerge as Gov Okowa’s successor.

Chief James Augoye, former Commissioner for Works and political godson of Prof Sam Oyovbaire, may also hit the jackpot, according to a highly respected politician in the state, but was quick to point out that Augoye is still a fresher in the hierarchy of political leadership in the state, not well grounded in grassroot politics and no convincing evidence of serious alignments with the major political musketeers and party leaders across the three senatorial districts.

The question wagging the tongues of Deltans is who will Okowa nominate as his choice aspirant? While we continue to ponder over the question, Speaker Oborevwori, Hon Agas, Chief Orogun and Chief Augoye, will have to pray very hard as we navigate into the critical decision making period of the governor.

On the other side of the divide, Olorogun David Edevbie, believed to be the sole candidate of Chief James Ibori political dynasty, is also strategising ahead with his team to have a serious political battle with Gov Okowa and his team, should the governor fail to pick him from DC-23 recommended list.

It is also obvious that some prominent promoters of Edevbie’s 2023 governorship project are also powerful leaders and promoters of DC-23, a scenario that is very dicey and highly sensitive for the two camps in the ongoing 2023 governorship candidate chess game.

At the end, one candidate will emerge at the party primaries and a reconciliation committee will be set up by the party to resolve all grievances in preparation for electioneering campaigns.

Till then, we keep our fingers crossed.