Chief Alfred Mordi-Ojubi is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State. A community leader, philanthropist and a retired civil servant. In an interview with selected journalists, Chief Ojubi spoke on the gubernatorial primaries of the PDP in the state and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa’s emergence as the party’s flag bearer among other national issues.

By Festus Ahon

HOW will you describe the victory of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa in the PDP governorship primaries?

The election was very peaceful. There was no fight and majority of our people stood behind Senator Okowa. He is our candidate. We thank our brothers and sisters from Delta Central and South Senatorial Districts for assisting in the emergence of Senator Okowa from Delta North as the PDP governorship flag bearer.

What is your advice to those who contested against Senator Okowa?

Mordi-Ojubi

We appeal to them to join Senator Okowa to build our state (Delta State) We do not blame them for contesting. They have the right to contest. They were all qualified to contest but I think Senator Okowa was the most qualified aspirant of all of them. So the rest should join him in building Delta State.

Does the emergence of Senator Okowa as the Delta State PDP governorship standard bearer represent the so called zoning formula or power shift in Delta State?

Whatever it is called whether power shift or zoning, you know that since the creation of Delta State from the defunct Bendel State in 1991, nobody from Delta North (Anioma) has been the governor of the state.

It has been either someone from the Central or South Senatorial district that has been ruling us. So Senator Okowa’s emergence is a welcome development and a thing of joy. That is why we thank them (our brothers and sisters from central and south Senatorial districts) for their support and contributions to the emergence of Senator Okowa.

Come February, Senator Okowa of PDP, Great Ogboru of Labour Party and Otega Emerhor of APC will slug it out, what are the chances of these three candidates?

I will say that Senator Okowa has more chances than the other candidates. If you take the recent primaries into consideration, you will find out that majority of Deltans from the three Senatorial

Districts of the state voted for Senator Okowa and the same thing is going to happen in the February general elections in the state.

How do you assess Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration in the last seven and half years?

He has done his best. Government is continuity. Senator Okowa by the special grace of God will continue from where he will stop come May 29, 2015.

The battle line has again been drawn between President Jonathan and General Buhari in the forthcoming presidential election. What are their chances?

Dr. Jonathan is the incumbent President of Nigeria. You know, it is always difficult to pull an incumbent officer from his seat. And from my calculations, President Jonathan is more popular than Buhari and I

am sure that the generality of Nigerians will want Dr. Jonathan to come back to the seat. President Jonathan’s achievements and his transformation agenda speak volumes and I can tell you that Nigerians will want him to remain in Aso Rock come May 29th.

If Senator Okowa eventually becomes the governor of Delta State, what areas do you want him to focus or give priority attention?

If by the special grace of God Senator Okowa becomes the governor of Delta State come May 29th, I can assure you he will run an all inclusive government. He will surely build on the foundations already laid by Governor Uduaghan for the purpose of continuity. Uduaghan has performed creditably well, so he needs somebody who understands the system and somebody who will build on his legacies because government is a continuum.

Diversification of the economy

Hopefully Okowa should focus on agriculture because dependence on oil will cause havoc or tragedy in future. Diversification of our economy is necessary. Unemployed graduates are so many in our country today. The high rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria today portends great danger. So giving attention to the development of agricultural sector is the antidote to curb youth restiveness and engage them meaningfully for a better tomorrow.

If we diversify into agriculture, majority of the youths will key into it. Senator Okowa is an experienced politician and administrator. I can assure you that he has the magic wand and the blue print to turn the fortunes of Delta State around for better when he becomes governor come February. We rely very much on him for a greater Delta State and for even distribution of democratic dividends to all Deltans.