By John Gabriel The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF), on Friday, condemned the governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi O...
By John Gabriel
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF), on
Friday, condemned the governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for accepting
his nomination as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming 2023 general
elections.
This was contained in a statement signed by leaders of four
groups which include Chief Edwin Clark, for the Southern and Middle Belt
Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF); Chief Ayo
Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, Dr. Dru Bitrus, the President-General, Middle
Belt Forum and Prof. George Obiozor, the President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo
Worldwide.
The elder statesmen described as 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 to accept the position of vice president.
They recalled that 17 Southern governors of both the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the
Chairmanship of the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, met in
Asaba, 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.
They said Governor Okowa was the host of that historic
meeting, adding that 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 Okowa but his action is treacherous and tantamount to
a despicable pawning of the political future of the people of Southern
Nigeria.” The statement said
The group said 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 adding that 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
The group said it rejected Okowa, his vice president slot,
describing the governor’s action as “a betrayal of the highest order.”
It added 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.
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