By Fred ODU
A support group working for the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the February and March elections in Delta state, the Midwesterners, has taken a strong exception to the derogatory comments against the State Governor and Vice Presidential candidate of the party, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, by foremost Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark.
The former Minister of Information had, in an open letter, which he also presented to the press, berated Okowa over a phantom N250bn loan and demanded for his resignation as Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 Presidential Elections.
He accused Okowa of mismanaging the state’s resources, especially the 13% derivation fund allegedly amounting to over N200bn, with nothing to show for it in the oil producing areas of Delta state.
Chief Clark also took a swipe on the State Governor for allegedly betraying Southern Nigeria as it concerned the Presidential slot of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by accepting to be running mate to a Northerner, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
At a press conference in Asaba on Wednesday, the Convener/Executive Chairman of the Mid-westerners, Hon Iwemdi Nwaham, said it was doubtful that at close to 100 years of age E. K. Clark would engage himself mentally and physically as to unsettle his state by stirring the calm, peace and progress therein in a manner he just did, when it was absolutely uncalled for.
Hon Nwaham said it was surprising that the Ijaw leader, who was a Commissioner for Education and later Finance in the old Midwestern region could rise to destroy someone from the same region seeking the second highest political office in Nigeria just because some people had developed hatred for the Governor’s guts and had successfully made the elder statesman to inherit such hatred.
He maintained that the old Midwestern region had suffered far more than those in the South Eastern part of Nigeria and urged all sons and daughters of the defunct region to rise up as one in supporting the political aspiration of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and his quest to become the first man from the old Midwestern region to be elected Vice President of this country.
On asking Okowa to account for N250bn of Delta state money, the Midwesterners helmsman wondered when Chief Clark became the Chief Accounting Officer of the state that the Governor must come to him to explain how he spent the state’s money, and regretted that a highly respected body as the PANDEF could descend so low to support their leader on such a call on the pages of newspapers.
Hon Nwaham stated that for the elder statesman to have kept silent in the past seven years, which was uncharacteristic of him, meant that Governor Okowa had been good to him in every sense of it, and questioned the rationale behind the sudden attack, especially now that the Governor had a higher calling.
He reminded Chief Clark that the Delta State House of Assembly was equal to the task of carrying out its oversight functions over the affairs of Delta state, declaring that subjecting Governor Okowa to trial in the public space was unacceptable to the group, as it was a gimmick of the nonagenarian to ridicule the political integrity of the Governor.
Hon Nwaham recalled that the State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije and his Information counterpart, Mr Charles Aniagwu, had intellectually and realistically given credible responses on the issue of the phantom N250bn loan.
He said the duo made it abundantly clear that only N100bn out of the expected N250b of Delta state’s share of the yet to be paid arrears of 13% Derivation Fund was at stake, pointing out that the The Federal Government had not released any money out of the N250b being owed Delta state.
“We had expected members of PANDEF to be more critical in their analysis of issues considering the caliber of people in that group. We can excuse Pa Edwin Clark for his outbursts. We still believe he is being used to fight a proxy war.
“Pa Edwin Clark has turned himself into the political oracle of Nigeria who can now decide who becomes President and Vice President of Nigeria. It is in that capacity that he has ordered Okowa to resign from his position as the Vice Presidential candidate of PDP in the 2023 general elections. We all know that “Atiku is too dumb” to know who he wants as running mate. So the oracle Pa. Edwin Clark will have to choose for him. The Pope has spoken!
“Pa Clark accused Okowa of betraying his Governor colleagues from Southern Nigeria. Okowa should apologize for being a democrat. 17 Governors (made up of APC and PDP Governors) met and resolved that their parties should Zone the Presidential ticket to the South. The APC Governors went to their NEC meeting and had their way in getting their party to zone the Presidential ticket to the South. But the Southern PDP Governors could not achieve a similar feat in the PDP NEC because at the meeting they all mandated Okowa to speak for them. Since Okowa couldn’t speak for them, and since they didn’t have the boldness to speak for themselves, Okowa should be blamed for the NEC of PDP decision to throw their Presidential ticket open to all comers. It is as simple as ABC.
“This matter has been over flogged to the extent that everyone, except those who pick and choose what to believe, now knows the truth that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Nyesom Wike’s man, threw the battle for the Presidential ticket of their party open to the entire country. When Atiku clinched the ticket, three names were submitted to him to pick his Vice from. Wike, who came second in the Presidential primary was top on that list. He did not say, “No, remove my name, we have said that the Presidential candidate must be a Southerner. As party men, THEY ALL stayed loyal to the party.
“Furthermore, no caution was heard from Chief Clark reminding all and sundry of the Asaba, Lagos and Enugu proclamations. But as soon as Atiku exercised his constitutional right to pick his Vice from the shortlist he was given, all hell was let lose. So why is Okowa being singled out for vilification and labelled with the unsalutary tag of betrayer all the time. It is now commonly known who actually betrayed the Southern cause. There is no doubt that Pa Edwin Clark wanted Wike to be the next President after the reign of Jonathan”, Nwaham averred.
The Midwesterners Chairman said Nigeria needed a unifier in the person of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to bring it back to the path of development and progress, insisting that he was the only candidate of the pack of 18 with the cognate experience for the job.
He further stated that the choice of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the next Vice President of Nigeria was irrevocable and ordained by God, adding that the Atiku/Okowa partnership had been signed and sealed by the angels for a better Nigeria.
“We equally regret to announce to Pa Clark that the days when he thought he could dictate who becomes Governor in both Edo and Delta states are gone forever. The Ekwueme and the PDP family in Delta state have thrown their weight behind Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to become the next Governor of Delta state. On March 11, 2023 the people of Delta state will affirm their support for the Sheriff/Onyeme ticket”, Nwaham said.
Present at the press conference were the Executive Vice Chairman of the group, Prof David Ejenobo; Executive Secretary, Deacon Fidelis Chimokwu and Rotarian Kenneth Okwuenu, among others.