Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State have told his Igbo kinsmen of Anioma (Delta North), Delta State not to allow votes from Delta South and Delta Central senatorial districts surpasses theirs, otherwise it could weaken his chances of re-election.
Mr. Okowa was speaking Tuesday 15 January during his campaign tour to Issele-Uku, the administrative headquarter of Aniocha North local government area.
The PDP governor is standing for re-election on 2 March against a Chief Great Ogboru, an Uhrobo of Delta Central – a formidable veteran gubernatorial candidate contesting under the federal ruling party, APC.
Okowa lamented that Aniocha North gave him just 8,000 votes in the 2015 governorship election saying, “If Delta South votes exceeds your own this time, my voice will not be loud. I thought it was a joke but when I checked it, I discovered that it was real”.
He tasked leaders in the council to carry their followers along so that the council could turn in more votes in the 2019 governorship election, saying that Delta North went through the eyes of the needle to win the gubernatorial race as the other two districts contested against it.
“Leaders of Aniocha North, carry the youths along so that Aniocha North can turn in more votes. The last one was 8,000. Do not sell your birthright. We entered through struggle. Tell every Anioma sons and daughters knows that it is our turn”.
“We are going into the elections as a united people, we should cooperate, because through cooperation, we will get maximum number of votes; let no one be involved in anti-party activity, let us get votes that all of us will be proud of,” Governor Okowa said at Issele-Uku.
He added, “the leaders and the youths should work together, everybody should be recognized; this is the turn of Delta North to complete two terms because, it will not be good that after working for other Senatorial Districts to do two terms respectively, the people of Delta North will fail to support their own for two terms; we have worked, our success stories abound in all parts of Delta, we will do more in our second tenure because, we are experienced and we have peace”.
Also at Akwukwu-Igbo, the governor said it would be shameful if he wins the election with the votes of Delta South and Central senatorial districts, implying that his kinsmen may not get much government attention if that happens. “Please ensure that we mobilize our people to come out amass, it will be a thing of shame if I win with other districts. If I do, my voice will be small”, he pleaded.
While mocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, for never converting his ambition to victory, Okowa said he (Ogboru) is contesting elections but never winning.
“Some people run for election not to win but just for their names to be on INEC list. The person that wants to contest with me in the election cannot stand, governance in Delta State is not a joke, it is for a serious person and I know that I am a serious person. All they are saying is that they will use the security agencies, they will rig. He lacks focus. Does he really have the capacity?”, he asked.
“There will be no room for rigging, there should be close monitoring of the elections because our votes must count. Collect your Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), encourage others to get theirs; we should get all the votes that we can”.