TheCable

There is tension in the Delta state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the choice of the running mate of Ifeanyi Okowa, the gubernatorial candidate of the party.

Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, is backing Kingsley Otuaro, the commissioner representing the Ijaw ethnic group at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), for the position.

According to a highly-placed member of the party, a formidable opposition against the candidate of Tompolo, who is in charge of the party structure in the state, is already building.

While other ethnic groups in Delta south senatorial district, where the deputy governorship slot has been zoned to, are opposing the choice of an Ijaw as the running mate of Okowa, the Ijaws themselves are divided over the only nominee from the tribe.

Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko and Ijaw are the ethnic groups that make up the Delta south senatorial district.

“Our position is very clear. Someone else apart from Tompolo’s man, Otuaro, should be picked,” an Ijaw member of the party, who did not want to be named, said.

“Pius Tinebe, who was chairman of the party during the time of James Ibori, is also an Ijaw man. So it can be him or anyone else apart from Otuaro.”

It is not clear whether Tompolo would heed the call of the people or go ahead to impose his candidate just like he did when he literally single-handedly installed his younger brother as chairman of Warri south west local government area.

However, the other ethnic groups are also not pleased with the present situation.

While the Urhobos feel that the next governor ought to be from their tribe, the Isokos are of the view that they must produce the deputy governor.

Itsekiri is not in the current calculation because Emmanuel Uduaghan, the incumbent governor, is from the tribe.

“We would vote against PDP if we are not allowed to produce the deputy governor,” an Isoko man said.

“This Delta belongs to all of us. James Manager, who is Ijaw, has been senator since 2007 and would be returning to the senate. Uduaghan is Iteskiri and has been governor for eight years.  What is bad in giving us just deputy governor? We will not accept anything than to produce the next second-in-command of this state.”

The party has seven days left to submit the name of its deputy governorship candidate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

On Thursday, INEC announced December 26 as the deadline for political parties to present the list of governorship and state house of assembly candidates.

The situation is all the more critical because Uduaghan, who is also deeply involved in the process, is currently out of the country on vacation.

Tompolo, a former commander of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) was declared “the most wanted man in Nigeria” during the administration of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua but is known to be a staunch ally of President Goodluck Jonathan.

A high-ranking member of PDP in Delta earlier told TheCable that Tompolo currently uses his influence to decide crucial political decisions in the state.

“Everyone is afraid of him. He is fully in control and dictates what happens here in Delta,” he said.

“He is fond of intimidating those who are not in his good books. Recently, the names of some people who won the primary election for the state and national assembly were replaced on his orders.

“Some people who won the party’s ticket would not return. I can confirm to you that the current deputy speaker of the Delta state house of assembly, in the person of Basil Ganagana would not return to the house even though he won the primaries.”