TheCable

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) has criticised Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta governor, for accepting his nomination as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice-presidential candidate. 

Okowa was, on Thursday, announced as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar who won the PDP presidential ticket.

The southerrn and middle belt leaders said it is unfortunate that Okowa accepted the offer despite a warning to southern political stakeholders not to accept nominations as vice-presidential candidates if the presidency is not zoned to the south.

The statement was jointly signed by Edwin Clark, SMBLF leader; Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere leader; Dru Bitrus, president-general of the Middle Belt Forum; George Obiozor, president-general of the Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide.

“It is essential to underline that the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF), applauded the meeting of the governors, given its significant representation and the gravity of the outcome; we followed up and issued a similar statement after our meeting in Abuja on the 30th of May 2021, asking that the presidency should rotate to the south,” the elders wrote.

“And went further, on several other occasions, to caution political stakeholders from the South, including serving and former governors, ministers, senators, etcetera, not to, on any account, allow themselves to be appointed or nominated as running mate to any presidential candidate, if the presidency is not zoned to the south and that we will work against such person or persons.

“It is, therefore, most unfortunate that the Governor of Delta State, Senator  Ifeanyi Okowa who should know better, accepted his appointment as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”

The elders said they have nothing personal against Okowa but his acceptance of the vice-presidential slot may be bad luck for the political future of the people of southern Nigeria.

The SMBLF also alleged that Okowa spent “an extensive sum of money to lobby for the position”. 

“And that explains why he never made any statement when his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), thoughtlessly jettisoned the zoning principle, which has become established as a norm and an intrinsic part of the nation’s political trajectory,” the statement reads.

“It is difficult to fathom how a political party can claim to be on a supposed rescue mission with such false footings of unfairness, injustice, duplicity and gross insensitivity to national outlook.”

The elders said Okowa’s action is a betrayal of the trust reposed on him by his fellow southern governors.

“We, therefore, reject Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his vice presidency, and leave him to his lot, but let the world know that this is a betrayal of the highest order,” they said.

“And that this is not a matter of loyalty to one’s political party, but rather a greedy, parochial and unpatriotic action, committed against the general interest of his State, Delta state, the Niger Delta region, and Southern Nigeria. It is, certainly, also not in the interest of the nation at large.”