Delta 2023 Governorship: Uncertainty for Urhobo Nation as Okowa Debunks Rotational Agreement

As anxiety continue to rise as to which senatorial district takes over the governorship from the incumbent governor from Delta north senatorial district of the state in 2023, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has disclosed that there was no formal agreement on how the governorship seat should be rotated among the three senatorial districts in the state.

Governor Okowa who made the disclosure barely 24 hours of dissolving the state cabinet, said he was not aware of any meeting where it was agreed among leaders from the different senatorial districts on the pattern the governorship seat should rotate among the districts.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, during the 2021 quarterly media interaction held in government house, Asaba, said only God can decide who becomes governor.

Okowa’s remark is coming amidst rumour that he had reached an agreement with Ijaw leaders to ensure that his successor comes from the Ijaw ethnic nationality in Delta South Senatorial District as a payback for their support to his administration.

Among the Ijaw jostling to succeed Governor Okowa are his deputy, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro and the current senator representing Delta South, Senator James Manager

However, there is also clamour that the governorship seat should return to Delta Central where the rotation began in 1999 with former Governor James Ibori.

No fewer than five Urhobo in Delta Central including Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Olorogun Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Olorogun David Edevbie, Chief Austin Augoye and Ovie Agas had indicated interest to contest the governorship seat under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.

Responding to questions from journalists, Governor Okowa said,”it’s only God Almighty that knows who will be governor after me.

“I cannot pretend to be God, for I am not; I don’t know who God is going to bring and I don’t have the intention of playing the role of God.

“You will hear a lot more things just as they said I want to handover to an Ijaw man; I don’t think that I have the strength to play God but the issue is when the politics starts, politics will be played and God almighty will take the decision on who will be governor.

“But as I said, at some point in time as a political party, because I can only speak for my party, we will sit down to look at issues to find out what truly will be fair, what truly will be justified and what should equity really mean.”

“But, whether there was any formal meeting in which a gentleman agreement was reached, there was no formal meeting where a gentleman agreement was reached and that is the truth as at today.

“It means that whatever we are doing or talking about today is about what is fair, what is equitable and how to define what is fair and what is equitable and hinged on justice,” he said.

On which senatorial district the next governor will emerge from, he urged the people to pray for God’s revelation.