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Some prominent elders from Delta Central Senatorial District under the aegis of Delta Central Political Elders and Leaders of Thought (DCPELT) have asked the State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to disregard the outcome of the screening exercise carried out by the lobby group known as DC-23.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the elders asked Governor Okowa to disregard the outcome of the screening exercise carried out by a DC-23 committee in a leaked confidential letter DCPELT wrote to the Governor.
Recall that DC-23 had picked Olorogun David Edevbie, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi and Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori as their preferred aspirants to bid for the 2023 governorship ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
However, DCPELT in the leaked confidential letter signed by Dr. Adogbeji Ideh, Chief P. O. Akaighe and Chief Eddie Ono-Sorhue told Governor Okowa that the outcome of the screening exercise does not reflect the yearnings of Deltans.
The elders in the letter accused the DC-23 screening committee of manipulating the screening exercise to deliberately exclude the “best of the lot” and foist persons of questionable character on the PDP in what they described as a political ambush to serve selfish interests.
The elders asked Okowa to disregard the final shortlist by DC-23, especially on the basis that the screening committee members were financially induced heavily by the beneficiaries of the DC-23 screening.
They strongly canvassed for further assessment of intending governorship aspirants, including Chief James Augoye, Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo and Omizu Ejaife Odebala on the basis of competence, experience, loyalty and vision of purpose, using recognised organs of the PDP.
The leaked confidential letter reads: “We write to you under confidential cover as DELTA CENTRAL POLITICAL ELDERS AND LEADERS OF THOUGHT mutually desirous of a smooth transition that will usher in your successor of Urhobo extraction, in line with what is commonly referred to as the Zoning Formula of the Ruling PDP in Delta State.
“We firmly believe that it is quite expedient that such a person should possess remarkable integrity, reasonable competence, requisite experience and general acceptance of the electorate that can consolidate on your laudable achievements of the SMART Agenda and unite the State.
“We wish to therefore dissociate ourselves from the subject, which has expectedly generated needless controversy, capable of creating further disaffection within the Party due to the manipulative selection process eventually deployed by the Screening Committee of the lobby group DC-23, deliberately designed to exclude the “best of the lot” and foist persons of questionable character on the Party in a political ambush to serve selfish interests.
“We have indeed received several reports of mouthwatering monetary inducements of the Screening Committee members by the beneficiaries of this charade and wish to crave your indulgence to carry out an independent investigation to substantiate the veracity of this weighty allegations, in order to properly guide your anticipated action on this issue.
“We are strongly canvassing for further assessment of intending governorship aspirants on the basis of competence, experience, loyalty and vision of purpose, using recognised organs of the Party, which we also believe that the Final List would not ordinarily exclude the likes of Sen. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Chief James Augoye and OmizuEjaifeOdebala, going by their known antecedents, expressed intentions and ongoing consultation efforts.
“We are therefore soliciting your kind cooperation to disregard the outcome of the exercise conducted by the DC-23 lobby group in the true spirit of fairness by deploying available instruments of your office as the State Party Leader, towards ensuring the emergence of a flagbearer that meets the yearnings and aspirations of most political stakeholders in the current dispensation, all in a bid to guarantee victory for the Party at the general elections next year.
“We remain committed to your patriotic quest of finishing strong and bequeathing a lasting legacy to all Deltans”.