Politics

DELTA 2023: Ijaw Group Challenges Delta Central, Says No Guber Zoning Since 1998

Published

4 years ago

January 30, 2022

…Urges Okowa To Call Party Chairman, Amori To Order

The Delta- Ijaw 2023 Governorship Advocacy Group, DIGAG, in Delta State, Sunday, challenged leaders of Delta Central Senatorial District in the state canvassing zoning of governorship by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying since 1998, the party had never zoned governorship in the state.

The group in a statement by the director general, Augustine Okporu, picked on the state PDP chairman, Barr. Kingsley Esiso and Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Chief Ighoyota Amori, who they accused of “constituting themselves as aspirants to the Delta state governorship primary election.”

Expressing lack of confidence in the two leaders, DIGAG urged the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to “urgently call Esiso and Amori to order before they destroy the party,” adding.

“The two of them are occupying executive positions in the party which requires them to be neutral in all processes of elections within the PDP.

“However, the Delta state PDP chairman and the deputy national organizing secretary have chosen to throw their caps in the rings by openly canvassing for the interest of a particular senatorial district, the Delta Central senatorial district.

“Before Chief Amori was elected as the deputy national organizing secretary, he was the chairman of the 2023 governorship lobby group by name, DC-23. Having being elected into the national office of this our great party, we thought that he would resign from his lobby group since they are canvassing for support for his Delta Central senatorial district.

“To our utter dismay, Chief Amori is still seen leading his Urhobo people to negotiate for the unconstitutional zoning of the governorship office to his Delta Central senatorial district. He is now an unapologetic crusader of Urhobo people’s governorship ambition in a race that other senatorial districts/tribes are also scheming to contest.

“In a similar vein, Esiso who is the state chairman of the party has become the advocate of zoning of the governorship office to the Delta Central senatorial district. Esiso took such despotic adventure in flagrant violation of the known conventional practices in the state PDP.

“The party has been in power since 1999 till date. There was no time a state party chairman has openly canvassed for the zoning of the party’s office to a particular senatorial district. That is a sacrilegious act of impudence in breach of the oath of office and the ethical code of conduct in the party office.

“On the 21st of January, 2022, Kingsley Esiso, while at the Delta state PDP caucus meeting moved a motion to zone the governorship office to the Delta Central senatorial district as if he was an ordinary party faithful.

“His misguided motion would have torn the party in Delta state into shred if not the quick intervention of the governor of Delta state, Sen. Okowa.

“Considering the partisan interest of Esiso and Amori in the Delta state PDP governorship primary, we fear the fortune of our party in 2023. To save the party in the state from the likely precipice, we call on the National Working Committee to immediately suspend Chief Ighoyota Amori from performing the functions of his office. His dual offices within the party amount to conflict of interest.

“Similarly, we also call on Governor Okowa to prevail on the State Working Committee of the party to immediately suspend Esiso as he has veered from his neutral position to become an interested governorship aspirants.

“We have no problem whatsoever, if Esiso and Amori solicit for support for their Urhobo aspirants, but doing same with the toga of their offices is a serious violation of the party Constitution.

“If PDP must survive in Delta state in the next elections, then Esiso and Amori should be relieved of their offices. It is on record that the Delta state PDP has never zoned the governorship office to any senatorial districts since the inception of this democratic dispensation.

“The office is always thrown open for the interested aspirants to contest. If there had been senatorial district zoning arrangements in the party, why then has the Delta Central people always participated in all the party governorship primaries from 1998 to date?

“Chief Amori should tell the world why he canvassed for the support of Delta Central people in 2014 against the ambition of Delta North people if there had been senatorial district zoning in the state?

“Records in the archives have clearly shown that Chief Amori was one of the strongest anti-zoning crusaders of the governorship office in 2014. He clearly displayed his opposition to the zoning by canvassing for vote for his Urhobo brother, Olorogun David Edevbie who is from Central. Why that same man is now making a vault face?”, the group said.

(VANGUARD)

Politics

Dino Melaye Reacts To Malami’s Arraignment For Money Laundering

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Ex-Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has reacted to the arraignment of a former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, before an Abuja Federal High Court.

Melaye wished Malami well as he began his trial for corruption.

Posting on X, the former lawmaker recalled how he was prosecuted by Malami over what he described as frivolous cases while he was the AGF.

He wrote: “Reminded me of how I was appearing in different courts when Malami as AGF was prosecuting me over frivolous cases including taking over one of the police cases against me. Wish him.well.”

Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and another individual are facing a 16-count charge of money laundering.

They were arraigned on allegations of unlawful acquisition and concealment of funds.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Politics

What PDP Said About Wike’s Media Parley

Published

3 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, of being a constant agent of provocation in the political space, alleging that he creates trouble to mask selfish intentions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in response to Wike’s media parley with selected journalists in Port Harcourt, also held on Monday.

According to the PDP, remarks made by the minister on several occasions are proof that he falls short of being a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.

The party said Wike’s conduct was not new, stressing that he has consistently acted as an agent provocateur in the political arena, stirring controversy to advance personal interests.

The PDP further stated that since Wike assumed office as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, he has remained a recurrent source of trouble within the party’s leadership.

“From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarized the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.

“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle.

“By his end-of-year media chat, Minister Nyesom Wike has reiterated his support for, and in fact declared that he is the ‘number one supporter’ of the presumptive candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 Presidential election, while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirming the basis of his expulsion from the PDP, for anti-party activities,” the statement said.

Politics

JUST IN: INEC Excludes PDP From Ekiti Governorship Election

Published

3 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his deputy were conspicuously absent as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the provisional list of party candidates ahead of the election.

INEC on Monday posted the list of candidates from 12 political parties vying for the state’s top job at its office on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The list shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is fielding the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with Monisade Afuye as his running mate.

Other candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, with Omoyemi Olaleye as deputy; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress, paired with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe; and Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party, with Itunu Ibitoye as running mate.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress is presenting Oluwadare Bejide and Paul Olowoyeye, while the Action Peoples Party has Bidemi Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi on its ticket.

The PDP’s absence may not be unconnected with the leadership crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.