By Douglas Mojaye
Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has asked governorship aspirants on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ijaw ethnic nationality of Delta State to drop their 2023 gubernatorial ambitions.
Orubebe stated emphatically that it was not the turn of Delta South Senatorial District in line with the zoning formula within the ruling party in the state to produce Okowa’s successor.
He spoke on Sunday when he received a frontline governorship aspirant of the party and a former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, who paid him a consultative visit at Ogbobagbene town in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The politician pleaded with Ijaw Nation, particularly Senator James Manager and incumbent Deputy Governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, not to disrupt the already existing zoning system.
The former minister recalled that in 2014 his Ijaw kinsmen asked him to drop his governorship ambition, claiming “it’s the turn of Delta North to produce the governor which Governor Ifeanyi Okowa won”.
Orubebe, who was a former Special Adviser to former Governor James Ibori on Urban and Regional Planning, stressed that it is the turn of Urhobos of Delta Central to produce Governor Okowa’s successor.
The PDP chieftain pointed out that some of the Ijaw leaders and stakeholders who pressurized him to perish his governorship quest in 2014 owing to rotation were surprisingly the ones now drumming that there is no rotation.
He urged Ijaw politicians to wait till 2031 when the governorship seat will be zone to Delta South to produce the state governor.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to contest in 2015, is that I want to bring Delta State to international level but at that time , my people(Ijaw) said it is the turn of Delta North I have come to scatter the arrangement.
“They (Ijaw leaders) told me it is not the turn of the Ijaw people. After the priamries, I went to thank them for maintaining their position that rotation has come to stay. But today when I say it is the turn of Urhobo people (Delta central) they are saying Orubeb why are you saying so. It is the turn of Delta central. Urhobo will produce the next governor.
“It will be Ijaw’s turn after eight years of Delta Central when the seat will be zoned to Delta South. We are going to prepare some of these young men and women here to take over from you”, he said.
Earlier in his remark, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, who was the first governorship aspirant to indicate interest to succeed Governor Okowa, noted that it was the turn of Delta Central to produce the next Delta governor.
He said he is the most prepared and experienced politician among the governorship aspirants to succeed Governor Okowa, promising to consolidate on the achievements of the current administration and build viable industries across the state.
Gbagi, who eulogized Orubebe as a patriot and a true Niger Delta leader for standing on the path of truth, maintained that he will work with every tribe and sections of the state to fast-track socio-economic development of the oil-rich state.
