Last month, Ifeanyi Okowa, the University of Ibadan trained physician was nominated by Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as his running-mate. It was like fate having a continuous ball with Ika, Okowa’s homeland.
Let’s briefly suspend the inner ethnographic divisions within Ikaland, particularly between Owa and Agbor. Infact, the old Agbor Road is the dividing line between Owa and Agbor such that Ika North East (Owa) Local Government is on Southern divide while Ika South (Agbor) lies on the northern side. Outsiders may mistake them all as Agbor, Agbor being the old colonial divisional headquarters from which other neighbouring settlements derive some heritage. But they are separate kingdoms with their respective ultimate kings.
Keagbokuzi is the title of the current Obi (King) of Agbor. For those who don’t understand Ika, Keagbokuzi means ‘what will Agbor say now?’ The title is a pejorative reference to the small talks that followed the circumstances surrounding the death of the immediate past king of Agbor, who was the father of the present Obi. So when the new king was coronated, he took on that title. Emmanuel Ifeizomor II is the King of the Owa, and one of the longest reigning monarchs in Africa. Okowa happens to be Owa.
Today, something spectacular is happening to Ikaland. Okowa has emerged as the vice-presidential candidate of PDP and therefore has a 50/50 chance of becoming Nigeria’s vice-president after next year’s election.
Eight years ago, Okowa emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP in Delta State against many odds. He eventually became governor after another Ika son, Godwin Emefiele had become Nigeria’s governor of money as the Central Bank of Nigeria governor. It was widely believed that Emefiele’s emergence was facilitated by another Ika son Jim Ovia, whose bank Zenith, Emefiele was the MD then.
Last year, when Nigerians had lamented enough of the lopsided appointments to defence commands, President Muhammadu Buhari took a second look and appointed another Ika son, Lucky Irabor as the Chief of Defence Staff. All of them are still holding on to their positions and Okowa gliding in a manner that could bring the presidency to Ikaland. Ke agbo kuzi?
Before Okowa became governor, Agbor the headquarters of the old Ika division had become a rustic town, with rusty rooftops that could be seen from the two hills straddling the valley on the Benin – Asaba expressway. There was really nothing left of the old town. A ride along the old road that ran through the heart of the town was an adventure on an erosion ridden road. So, it was always avoided.
Seven years after Okowa became the governor of Delta State, Agbor has been transformed to the most modern city in the state. It now has at least one university, a modern railway station (Owa section), the old road has been dualised and modernised, the signature red earth of the town is disappearing, and can stand clearly today as a destination, no longer a stopover, city.
Today, Ika may become the homeland of the Vice-President, the governor of the central bank, the chief of defence staff, the governor of Delta State and many more.
The choice of Okowa as Atiku’s running-mate is strategic as well as it is controversial. People still argue if Ika people are Benin, Igbo or just Ika. Whichever way it is read, the choice is appealing. The only arguments against it have been that Delta is not Southeast and that Okowa is not loud and aggressive enough to drive political traffic to the ticket. But it doesn’t take away what Okowa has done for Agbor. What will Agbor say again? A land whose time has come.