Assistant Deputy Director, Media and Publicity, Delta State campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, has debunked the claim by elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark, alleging that governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, betrayed his southern colleagues over power rotation to the region.
Oghenesivbe who was speaking as a guest on Bridge FM Radio, noted that the meeting where the 2023 Southern President ticket was discussed could not have been in Asaba, saying that the matter was discussed under AOB (any other business) at the July 2021 meeting of Southern governors held in Lagos, chaired by Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Delta PDP Campaign Council spokesperson said while in Asaba, the Southern governors discussed the issue of open grazing and escalating insecurity across the country, adding that at the Lagos meeting held in July 2021, the Southern governors wanted all the major political parties to field politicians from the South as their presidential candidates as they did in 1999.
According to Oghenesivbe, the decision did not receive the backing of the Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He argued that as a loyal party chieftain, governor Okowa could not have single handedly gone against PDP’s decision not to zone the presidential ticket to any region, whether Southern or Northern Nigeria, adding that the Southern governors lacked locus standi to impose such sensitive electioneering issue on the NEC and BOTs of their political parties.
Oghenesivbe who is also the Executive Assistant on Communications to PDP Vice Presidential Candidate, Dr. Okowa, said his boss is well known to be a promise keeper, and that in the instant case, it was beyond Okowa’s singular power to go against PDP NEC decision not to zone the presidential ticket to any zone in the country, therefore, he cannot be referred to as a betrayal as erroneously alleged by the highly respected elder statesman.
He appealed to Pa Clark, who he described as a well-respected Pan Deltan and Niger Delta leader, to see things from the right perspectives, and not to play electioneering politics with a matter that was never in dispute within the party, as can be seen from PDP’s decision not to zone the presidential ticket to any zone, whether Southern or Northern Nigeria, wherein Atiku Abubakar won the keenly contested presidential primary.
Oghenesivbe berated the APC over what he described as retrogressive economic policies and for mismanaging the robust economy it inherited from PDP in 2015.
In his words, ” The circulation of the redesigned Naira Notes was grossly mismanaged to the extent that life became more unbearable, coupled with prolonged fuel scarcity, acute insecurity and huge debt burden of N77 trillion, which was needlessly obtained and misappropriated by APC national government under President Mohmmadu Buhari and party leader and the presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
He urged Nigerians, especially registered voters who are yet to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, to do well by collecting their PVCs and vote out APC on February 25 and March 11, this year, noting that life was good under PDP administration between 1999 and 2015.
Oghenesivbe appealed to Nigerians to continue to partner with PDP, Atiku-Okowa, so as to reset and rebuild Nigeria from May 29, this year, noting that PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, are men of integrity, tested and trusted public servants and experienced technocrats who will use their wealth of experience to unite Nigerians, grow the economy, solve the acute insecurity problems, create jobs and wealth for citizens across board.
And in Delta State, the PDP campaign council spokesperson assured that the M.O.R.E agenda of the governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, will advance the State from where governor Okowa will stop on May 29, this year.
“ Oborevwori is poised to bring about; meaningful development, opportunity for all Deltans, realistic reforms and enhanced peace and security, anchored on transparency, accountability and credible leadership for the benefit of all Deltans.”
“Oborevwori is the most qualified, experienced and focused governorship candidate, which is why Deltans are solidly behind his candidacy that has triggered massive supports and endorsements across the three senstorial districts, as can be seen from the Mammoth crowd following his electioneering campaigns as against the poorly attended campaigns of candidates of opposition political parties in the state.” He said.
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