By Binebai Princewill 

Former Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa on Project Monitoring and Community Development, Engr. Kingsley Forcados have stated that the best time ever  for the Ijaws to produce Governor of Delta State is 2023. 

The former SA made his position known to newsmen in Warri yesterday via a chat with The Liberator Newspapers Worldwide. 

Engr. Forcados had particularly called on well meaning Ijaw sons and daughters, other tribes as well as critical stakeholders in the Delta State politics to ensure that they work for the realisation of an Ijaw Governor come 2023. 

The revered leader in Iduwini Kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State asserted that it is only normal for an Ijaw man to succeed His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa come 2023.

In his words:” Delta state was once integrated in the Mid Western state from 1963 to 1976 and later Bendel state, from 1976 to 1991. The name “Bendel” coined from the old Benin and Delta Provinces of Western Region-Delta to reflect the integration of Benin and Delta provinces.

“Without delving into much history,  Delta state that was created on the 27th of August 1991 with The Igbos, Urhobos, Ijaws, Isokos and Itsekiris as major tribes in the state that has 25 Local Government Areas with three (3) Senatorial districts became a PDP dominated state politically speaking beginning from 1999 when the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was planted in the Nigerian politics.

“Perhaps for the purpose of clarity, a brief look into the former governors of the state will be very crucial.

“Felix Ibru Governor from Urhobo, Delta Central, January 1992 whose tenure terminated on November 1993 under Social Democratic Party, SDP.

“James Ibori Governor from Urhobo, Delta Central 29 May 1999 whose tenure terminated on 29th of May 2007 under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP

“Emmanuel Ewetan  Uduaghan an Itsekiri from Delta South took over from Chief Ibori as Governor of Delta State on the 29th of May 2007 whose tenure terminated on  May 29th 2015 under the PDP.

“Then comes Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi A. Okowa who took over from Udughan as Governor of Delta state, he is  an Igbo from Delta North on the 29th of May 2015 whose tenure will elapse May 29th 2023 under the reign of PDP.

“As it is, Delta Central dominated by the Urhobos have produced Chief Onanefe Ibori who became  the first PDP governor in the state, he ruled for eight (8) years and handed over to his maternal brother Emmanuel Uduaghan, an Itsekiri from Delta South, he ruled his eight (8) years and handed over to Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi A. Okowa from Delta North who is now on his second tenure and will relinquish power to another senatorial district in the state come 2023.

“The argument of the Ijaws in Delta state is that now that all the zones have produced governor of the state after Okowa’s tenure comes to an end on May 29th 2023, the rightful people to produce the next governor of the state should be the Ijaws. That true whatever arrangements, Urhobos have to first produced the Governor of the state does not mean that it will start from them again under PDP ” Forcados stated. 

Meanwhile, Engr. Kingsley Forcados had told all those saying Ijaws should waite for 2031, stressing that such will be an exercise in futility, adding that there is no arrangement anywhere that during that time an Ijaw man should be the Governor, explaining that well meaning Ijaws and critical stakeholders should put in their bests for an Ijaw Governor come 2023. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *