An ex-agitator, and Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanekpe Israel has described the PDP presidential ticket of Atiku Abubakar and running mate Ifeanyi Okowa as a betrayal of the South.
WHAT WE KNOW
The National Coordinator of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A and Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro, has criticised the Atiku/Okowa People’s Democratic Party presidential and vice presidential ticket over what he termed betrayal by them against southern governors and notable interest groups and individuals, who genuinely believed that the PDP presidential slot should come to the southern part of the country based on the then existing rotational presidency.
The ex-militant leader stated this at a well-attended meeting of stakeholders in Asaba, the Delta State capital, South-South Nigeria, where participants called on the governor to immediately step down as the running mate to Alhaji Abubakar, maintaining that with the mandate to represent the party at the general elections by the Adamawa State-born politician stolen from the people of the southern Nigeria, urged him to immediately in the spirit of equity and honesty handover the mandate to a southerner.
The former agitator, also said, that if southerners are to choose who to vote for at the national level that Governor Okowa doesn’t come to anyone’s mind, saying he lacks honesty and sincerity, he noted trust should be the hallmark of leadership, adding that “Okowa’s political rigmarole has exposed him to the world as lacking in the national interest that Nigerians need at this critical time in the nation’s history, when Nigeria needs selfless statesmen and leaders.”
Akpodoro praised Rivers State Governor Nwike, as one of those genuinely fighting for interest of the region.
Akpodoro said, he had once worked closely with Governor Okowa during his struggle for second tenure stating that none of the agreements reached with the state executive was fulfilled after he got his mandate for a second term in office, noting that, “he has no respect for loyalty and solidarity neither does he fulfill promises.”
The former agitator insisted that the PDP presidential candidate and his running mate are not marketable and will have no respect for the South.
NOTABLE QUOTES
Eshanekpe Israel while speaking at the event in Asaba stated:
“Should the Turakin Adawawa refuse to relinquish the ticket to a southerner, 2023 will be the worst outing for the PDP at the polls,”
“Okowa’s political rigmarole has exposed him to the world as lacking in the national interest that Nigerians need at this critical time in the nation’s history, when Nigeria needs selfless statesmen and leaders.”
“The corporate existence and viability of the Nigerian State don’t appeal to Atiku,”
“why Delta State Governor decided to arm-twist his colleagues in the sharks infested murky and sharks infested political waters of PDP.”
“Governor Nyesom Wike and others like him, are the ones genuinely championing the regional course on behalf of the people of southern Nigeria,”
“whoever trusts Atiku/Okowa does so at his peril.”
“The presidential candidate and running mate of the PDP are not marketable anywhere in the South,” because, “they’re blight to the PDP ticket,”
“no true southerner will cast votes for betrayals, who deliberately sabotaged the process of returning the presidency to the South after eight years of northern rule.
“It means the Atiku-led PDP has no respect for the South and therefore, the party will fail woefully at the poll!”
CATCH UP
Recall that the Southern Governors forum which Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State is a member, had long before the party primaries held series of meetings, one of which held in Asaba, hosted by Okowa.
At the meetings, the governors had agreed that the presidency must return to the South after eight years in the North.
The PDP in particular has since 1999, rotated it’s positions between North and South. Hence the feelings that Okowa, Atiku and the PDP betrayed the South.
Recall also that Atiku Abubakar had in 2015, left the PDP for the APC to support a Northern candidate Mohammed Buhari because he believed the presidency should rotate to the North after president Jonathan who had just done one term of four years plus completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
COMMENTARY
What goes around comes around. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had in the past betrayed or put more kindly failed to support candidates from his party, the moment he fails to pick the main ticket.
In 2003, he reluctantly supported his former boss Olusegun Obasanjo, even though he at the time was his Vice President and running mate. In 2007, he had nothing to do with Yar’Adua campaign, only to come back to the party hoping to pick the 2015 ticket of the party.
No wonder, kama seems determined to ensure that the PDP crisis keeps growing stronger even as the election draws closer.
For Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the likes of Orji Uzor Kalu, power coming to the South or even their state, is not a matter of conviction on the need for equity and justice, but for personal gain as it has turned out to be.
You can imagine that these men supported presidency coming to the South, only to jettison the call when carrot is waved at them.
These are the men who would vote for colonialism today, if promised the position of a warrant officer.
