By Gabriel Elozino, Asaba
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Ighoyota Amori, has stated that the party must maintain its existing zoning arrangement to emerge victorious in the 2023 governorship poll in Delta State.
Amori, who is also the National Chairman of the Delta Central 2023 (DC-23) lobby group said this on Saturday when he led members of the group to a consultative visit to Leaders and Stakeholders of Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state in Asaba, insisted that it was the turn of Delta Central to produce the next governor of the state.
He held that the ‘osusu’ claim by some persons canvassing for the position from other senatorial district was not right.
According to Amori “those who want to contest against the aspirants of Delta Central Senatorial district have their argument for the governorship seat, likewise us, but we can’t talk of zoning on ethnic lines because the state is made up of various ethnic groups like Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Ika, Ndokwa, Oshimili, Aniocha and few others; hence, the appeal from us to maintain the zoning arrangement on the basis of senatorial districts in the state.
“The claim by some persons that the governorship seat, since it had gone round the three senatorial districts, that it should be done as ‘osusu’ that can start from any district, and that they are canvassing for senatorial district and not ethnic is not right. My question is, if not an ethnic agenda, why is it that the Itsekiris and Isokos of Delta South Senatorial District are not in their lobby team, like ours that you have leaders of the eight local government areas in the team?
“It is only zoning on senatorial district order that the PDP can continue with its winning streak in the state. So, what we are pushing for is how a sustainable system can be established where when it gets to the turn of your senatorial district, no one from other senatorial districts will contest against the benefitting district. So, the argument that Urhobo or other ethnic groups contested during the turn of other senatorial districts will no longer be there.”
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Speaking further, he noted that the DC-23 was not different from the G-3 of the Delta South Senatorial District that was formed to drive the process of election of immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and the Anioma Agenda that was formed in 2014 to propel the process of election of the current governor of the state, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa.
He pointed out that the DC-23 was not lobbying or campaigning for any particular aspirant, but to ensure that the governorship seat moved to the Delta Central Senatorial District in 2023 on the platform of the existing zoning for the seat in the state.
He appealed to the leaders and stakeholders of Ndokwa West Local Government Area to support the DC-23 push for zoning arrangement on senatorial districts to enhance the chances of the PDP continuing in the governance of the state beyond 2023.
Responding on behalf of the Leaders and Stakeholders of Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, Senator Patrick Osakwe, stated that they would not oppose the consensus candidate of the DC-23, but advised the lobby group to do a thorough job in their choice of who to be elected the governor of the state in 2023.
He said that the governorship battle was within the Delta Central, advising them not to deceive themselves, but should tell each other the truth, and when they do that, victory will be sure.
He noted that DC-23 was doing very well, saying that “you are coordinating properly by bringing your people together. Even some of the people who want to be the governor are here going round and at the end of the day, you people should come up with the name you want us to work for. We are not going to work against your choice.
“Ndokwa West are very discipline people, we will go with your choice, that is why you should do a very thorough job in making your choice. We want a state that is stable, we are looking forward to what will come out from DC-23. Ndokwa West is not going to oppose your choice”, he added.
