By OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE On Aug 21, 2022
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The crisis in the Delta State chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) over who will fly the party’s governorship flag in next year’s general elections has refused to go away. Unless the issues are resolved, writes Correspondent OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE, the party may lose the governorship election to any of the opposition parties, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC)
AS preparation for next year’s governorship election in Delta State gathers momentum, a pall of uncertainty hangs over the fate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, after an Abuja High Court disqualified its flag bearer, Sheriff Oborevwori, from contesting the election.
The emergence of the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Oborevwori at the party’s shadow polls in May had sparked outrage among some aggrieved members who headed to the court to seek legal redress.
Oborevwori was adjudged winner of the primary held on May 25, 2022, in Asaba, after garnering 590 votes. Former Finance Commissioner, Olorogun David Edevbie, was placed a distant second with 113 votes, while James Manager came third with 83 votes. But the legal action by Edevbie against the outcome of the primary, has not robbed the party of the chance to contest next year’s governorship election. In the eye of the law, Edevbie, who came second, is the flag bearer of the party.
Justice Taiwo, in his judgment, agreed with the plaintiff (Edevbie) that Oborevwori was not qualified to contest the governorship election because he supplied false and forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He also held that the PDP violated its constitution in the process of its congress, which produced Oborevwori.
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In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/795/2022, the plaintiff prayed the court to restrain the PDP from forwarding Oborevwori’s name to INEC and to also restrain the electoral umpire from receiving or recognising Oborevwori as the party’s duly nominated candidate. The plaintiff further sought a restraining order barring Oborevwori from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the party for the forthcoming election.
Taiwo held that the suit was meritorious and accordingly granted the six reliefs of the plaintiff against Oborevwori. Edevbie, while justifying his action in a statement, said his decision to go to court was to prevent the opposition APC from capitalising on a “blindingly obvious situation” regarding the party’s flag-bearer.
The former commissioner said most Deltans were bewildered by the outcome of the PDP shadow poll. He described it as a “wanton disregard of the interests of our party and mood of our nation”. His words: “Undeniably, most Deltans received the outcome of the PDP governorship primary with bewilderment and exasperation. To many, it appeared to be a wanton disregard of the interests of our party and the mood of our nation.
“Propelled by the inevitable pall of gloom that hung over Delta State and faced with the real possibility that opposition parties would capitalise on the blindingly obvious situation, I was left with no alternative but to challenge the outcome in the law courts, albeit reluctantly.”
But the Delta PDP in suit FHC/ABJ/CS795/2022 filed at the appellate court is appealing on the following grounds. It argued that the judge erred when he assumed jurisdiction. It also insists that the judge erred when he shifted the burden of proof to the second respondent (Oborevwori), adding that the second respondent should have called the issuing authorities to authenticate the certificates submitted. The PDP also argued that the lower court erred when it held that the suit was properly commenced via originating summons.
But, despite both camps claiming victory, the electoral umpire did not publish the particulars of either contestant. It is waiting for the outcome of the appeal to determine who will fly the party’s flag in the election scheduled to hold on March 11 next year.
Delta Resident Electoral Commissioner, Monday Tom-Edet, defended his decision to uphold the stay of execution order secured by Oborevwori; adding that a name would be published at the end of the litigation. He has also filed an appeal against the judgment of the lower court.
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But how did the PDP come to this impasse? Undoubtedly, the standoff between former Governor James Ibori and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and other party bigwigs over the party’s governorship ticket has contributed to the sorry state of affairs. While Chief Ibori rooted for Edevbie, a finance expert who has been in the corridors of power since 1999, Dr Okowa backed Oborevwori.
However, Okowa and the Delta PDP leadership are trying to downplay the effect of the crisis on the party’s fortune in next year’s polls. Nevertheless, the absence of prominent leaders at a recent political rally has continued to raise eyebrows. The rally was meant to drum up support for the party, but it ended up fuelling fears that all might not be well with the governing party.
Amongst those who stayed away from the rally were Ibori, his predecessor in office, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Deputy Governor Kingsley Utuaro and Senator James Manager who represents Delta South at the upper chamber of the National Assembly. Senator Manager was the pioneer Delta PDP chairman. Also, absent at the event were the Director-General of the Warri/Uwvie and Environs Development Agency, Ovuozourie Macaulay and Edevbie.
Regardless, Governor Okowa was upbeat that his party will make a clean sweep of the 25 local governments in next year’s general elections. He described the crisis in the party as “democracy in action”, assuring the PDP faithful that there is no cause for alarm. He said: “Whatever is going on in the party today is a normal democratic process; so, there is nothing to worry about, no cause for alarm and no cause to fear.
“I heard some people saying that the PDP is dying in Delta State and I wonder why they are deceiving themselves. We are not boasting but on the day of the election, our people will come out and vote and in the next election we are going to win all available seats – from the assembly to the presidential. In 2019, they got two local government areas but in 2023 we will win the entire 25 local government areas.”
Chairman, Kingsley Esiso urged the party faithful to remain calm. He said INEC has tasked stakeholders to maintain calm until the entire court process was exhausted. He said: “As the chairman of this great party, it is my responsibility to educate our people on developments in the party. Some weeks ago, our party conducted one of the freest and fairest governorship primaries in Delta State and a candidate emerged and our party has dutifully submitted the name of that candidate.
“It is our responsibility to stand and defend the outcome of that primary. The issue before the court has nothing to do with the integrity and credibility of that primary. By the action of INEC yesterday (Friday), we have been told in the PDP to wait patiently for the outcome of the court judgment.”
Underneath the veneer of unity, the PDP has become polarised with many aggrieved members dumping the party for the All Progressive Congress (APC). In recent months, the PDP has lost Senator Peter Nwaoboshi to the APC. The ruling party at the centre now represents two out of the three senatorial districts in the state; namely Delta Central and North Senatorial Districts. It is only Delta South that is still controlled by the PDP.
Others that have dumped the Delta PDP for the APC include ex-Speaker Victor Ochei; ex-deputy Speaker Friday Osanebi; wife of ex-PDP National Chairman, Dr Ahmadu Alli, Mariam Alli; and Dr Cairo Ojuogboh.
Senator Manager recently put a lie to the claims of amity within the party, when he opened up on his verified Facebook page. His words: “As the pioneer state chairman of the party and by extension the father of PDP in Delta State, I would not do anything to further exacerbate the problems for the party and the future of Deltans because Delta is PDP and PDP is Delta.
“I am greatly disturbed by happenings at the party today. I would not feign ignorance as the party is drowning and dying gradually. If nobody is seeing it, I am seeing it and I am also feeling it greatly. I would have initiated certain preliminary actions pro bono but because I am directly involved as a contender, I am constrained. I want to be cautious with suggestions and interventions.”
A party source who spoke on condition of anonymity blamed Governor Okowa for the disaffection within the party. He accused him of stifling competition and marginalising some party leaders. He said: “It is during his (Okowa) tenure that keen competition for party positions was at its lowest and cronyism at its peak. At the last council elections, only the anointed aspirants selected by Okowa were allowed to buy forms, excluding every other genuine aspirant. Even in the race for the party’s chairmanship position, only the incumbent chairman, Esiso, was allowed to purchase the form. He has been trying his best to humiliate Ibori and Uduaghan, his predecessors in office. Sadly, no effort is being made to reconcile with aggrieved members of the party.”
How will the battle end? Will the parties find an amicable solution or fight to the finish and risk contesting the Delta governorship election badly divided? Only time will tell.
