By Julius Oweh

Sunday, the 30th of September 2018 will go into the annals of political history of Delta State as the Peoples Democratic Party family reaffirmed their resolve to stay united and strong behind the governor of the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the nation inches towards general election next year.

Traditionally, here in Delta State, majority of the people are Christians and such a day is meant for worshipping God. But the national PDP in its wisdom decided to fix that day for the governorship primaries.

Gov. Okowa

Primaries, the world over, are internal elections for members of the party to choose those who will fly their flags for various elective positions. The event which took place at the Cenotaph was billed to start at 9am and in the Nigerian time fame, the actual event kicked off few minutes before noon 12noon.

Around 9.30 am, a colleague who is an online publisher and I decided to go there to hunt for news and there were many stories to tell. From the DBS junction on the Okpanam road to the cenotaph, there was a sea of human heads and vehicles were moving at a snail speed.

We had to disembark and do the walking as those that were walking were moving faster than the vehicles. Inside the cenotaph, the delegates from the 25 local governments were already seated according to the tags so placed. Outside the cenotaph, food and drinks vendors were making brisk business and a politician sitting close by lamented of his inability to capitalize on the market, vowing that next time, such business opportunity would never pass him by.

There were also merchants selling shoes, clothes and mementoes of the party. Before the arrival of the governor, those in charge of public address system were keeping the audience busy with music especially of Christian genre. But what stole the hearts of the audience was a music track titled ‘Okowa, the road master.’

Exactly 11.58am, the governor arrived with his entourage. There were two monster extra-luxury buses of the Mercedes mode   and many people and even the security were fooled to believe that it was the governor in one of the buses.

But loo, it was the deputy speaker of the state house of assembly, Honourable Friday Osanebi that brought the state of the art vehicles. Also in the entourage of the governor, was the former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori.

Most politicians went wild in sighting Ibori against the rumours making the rounds of his imminent defection. Shouts of ‘Odidigborigbo‘ rent the air. As customarily, the national anthem was rendered and followed by opening prayer by lady.

The chairman of the state PDP, Honourable Kingsley Esiso welcomed all the delegates to the convention and that the job of the day was very simple- the endorsement of Okowa as the governorship candidate for the 2019 general elections.

He said that all members and leaders of the PDP were happy with the performance of the governor for the past three and half years. He maintained that God will support all those who supported the PDP and the governors in the administration of the state.

He also said that as for the other positions – senate, House of Representatives and the state house of assembly, the party as matter of justice and fairness shall provide a level playing field for all the aspirants. He promised that the voting materials will get to all the delegates and appeal to them to be peaceful and orderly.

Sir Benjamin Elue, a former deputy governor of the state was full of smiles and his face was radiating with happiness as he stated that Okowa has made those of them from Delta North Senatorial district to be very proud by his performance in office. Said He: ‘Okowa has done well and we celebrate his success. He deserves a second term to continue with his agenda of transforming the state. ‘

It was a different ball game when Ibori mounted the   stage and ovation from the delegates were reaffirming that the man is still very popular with the people and in deed and in truth, he remains the leader of the party in the state. He was looking very young with a face cap to match. He spoke of his support for the second term bid of Okowa and that come rain or shine he was always with Okowa.

That he would campaign for Okowa and urged other PDP members to do same. He promised to mobilize the electorate in Delta central senatorial district to work for the re-election of Okowa. He ended the speech with a clincher: that those seeking political power should know the road to follow. A thunderous ovation followed that remark.

After the voting by the delegates, the result was announced by an official from Abuja.   A total of 3,278 delegates participated and 3,252 delegates voted for Okowa and the remaining were void votes. At 2.50 pm, the official governorship candidate for the 2019 election in Delta State, Senator Okowa gave his acceptance speech.

He thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised to do more in the delivery of democratic dividends. He counseled the members that not everybody can get political appointment and advised those not so lucky to get political appointments to carry others along. He also told the PDP delegates that the deputy governor will remain his running mate. He also spoke of power shift.

Hear the governor: ‘The PDP in Delta State is a family and because we realize that we are a family, PDP has insisted that there will be equitable process where there is justice and fairness.   Because we are one family, the PDP endorsed my candidacy in 2014 and I went through by the special grace of God during the elections and we won.

Today, in your belief for equity and justice and fairness, the party has returned me unopposed as its candidate. I am very grateful and I thank you for being a party that reasons that we can only be a family where there is equity and fairness‘.

The governor also paid tribute to Ibori and other leaders of the party. He put it this way: ‘I want to assure you that we will continue to remain strong under the leadership of our leader, chief James Ibori.

This party will remain focused, this party will be about Delta, we shall continue to ensure that we are strengthened enough to be recognized very strongly in national politics. There is no need to be afraid, there is no need to shake, when something happened in some states, people sent text messages but we have overcome as always in the name of God and because God is with us, there is nobody that can be against us.

We are strong and we will continue to remain strong. We will go forth into the elections and we will win landslide. I am proud because I have each and every one of you, our God that was with us in 2015 is with us, and so there is no cause for alarm. We must go as one united family. We must carry everyone along`.

Speaking on the sideline of the governorship primaries, Chief Aneke Ifemeni, a former state legislator and Chief Emmanuel Edevor, former Isoko North local government council chairman argued that the smooth conduct of the primaries is the clearest indication of the love the party members have for the governor. Ifemeni observed that the primaries demonstrated that for the past three years, the governor has performed to the satisfaction of all and that there is no opposition to his candidature within the party. He maintained that should Okowa win next year election, he would do more for all Deltans.

On the presence of Ibori at the event, Ifemeni said thus: ‘Ibori will never leave PDP. No father abandons his house for visitors. Ibori will only leave when all the party members in Delta State decide to destroy the party and build a new one. All the other parties in the country are in disarray. So nobody will leave a stable house for unstable environment. Ibori remains the leader of the party. ‘

Edevor on the other hand stated that Ibori has confirmed that he is not with his brother and that in deed and in truth he remains in the PDP family. Edevor said that Ibori has disarmed the rumour merchants and that the former governor would never defect from the party as one of the founding fathers of PDP .Edevor also thanked God for the orderly conduct of the primaries adding that the whole state especially of the PDP members are with the governor.