Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) has criticized the Governor of Delta State, who is also the PDP vice-presidential candidate, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for accepting his nomination as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed on Friday, June 17, by Chief (Dr.) Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Leader SMBLF/PANDEF: Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader, Afenifere; Dr. Dru Bitrus, President-General, Middle Belt Forum, and Ambassador (Prof.) George Obiozor
President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The coalition noted that;
It is unspeakable and quite disappointing that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who is currently Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, and a native of Owa-Alero in Ika North-East Local Government Area (one of the Igbo-speaking areas) of Delta State, would exhibit such barefaced unreliability.
The forum further stated that Okowa’s act of accepting the nomination is treacherous and tantamount to a despicable pawning of the political future of the people of Southern Nigeria.
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The statement read in part:
“It bears recalling that the 17 Governors of the Southern States of Nigeria, both of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the Chairmanship of the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, met in Asaba, the capital of Delta State on May 11, 2021, and took far-reaching decisions, including that, based on the principles of fairness, equity and justice, the presidency should rotate to the south, at the end of the statutory eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
“And this very Governor Okowa was the host of that historic meeting. The Southern Governors later met again in Lagos, on July 5, where they reaffirmed their decision, and again in Enugu, on September 16, to restate the call that the presidency should rotate to the south in 2023.
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. We do not have anything personal against Ifeanyi Okowo but his action is treacherous and tantamount to a despicable pawning of the political future of the people of Southern Nigeria.
The forum also claimed that it is now common knowledge that Okowa spent extensive sum of money to lobby for the position, adding that it 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 read;
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.
Consequently, the forum, therefore declared that Governor Okowa has been rejected and left to his lot; stressing that his act is parochial and unpatriotic.
Governor Okowa has, by his action, betrayed the trust reposed on him by his colleagues; the southern governors, the entire good people of southern Nigeria and all well-meaning Nigerians. He has made himself persona non grata, not only, with SMBLF but all citizens who treasure our oneness and yearn for a more united and peaceful Nigeria.
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.
