The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in
Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has picked Mr. Kingsley Otuaro as his
running mate. Otuaro is a commissioner in the Delta State Oil Producing Areas
Development Commission, DESOPADEC.
Otuaro, an Ijaw, was said to have been picked ahead of other
contenders and nominees of other influence peddlers in the state. The major
blocs in contention for the position had been the Ijaw and the Isoko ethnic
groups in the state given the fact that Okowa is from Delta North Senatorial
district.
The decision to back Otuaro was largely believed to be based on
the support Okowa received from prominent Ijaw politicians including Senator
James Manager and former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as
Tompolo in the run-up to the primaries.
The support of the Ijaw politicians was believed to have played
a key role in the decisive victory of Okowa in the governorship primaries. The
camps of Okowa’s rivals, Great Ogboru of Labour Party and Otega Emerhor of the
All Progressives Congress, APC, were not forthcoming with their running mates
last night.
It was learnt that the APC may have filled in a dummy running
mate and that a substantive running mate would emerge from either the Ndokwa or
Isoko speaking regions of the State.
Ogboru, it was gathered, also filled in a dummy for the position
of deputy who an authoritative source said would be substituted within the one
month latitude for substitution of candidates. The substantive running mate, it
was gathered, would likely come from the Isoko or Ijaw ethnic group.
In Enugu State, the PDP candidate, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi picked Mrs.
Cecilla Ezeillo, a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly representing
Ezeagu consistency. The APC’s candidate, Okey Ezea, is yet to formally make his
running mate public. In Rivers State, the APC candidate, Rep. Dakuku Peterside,
picked Hon. Asita Asita, a member of the House of Assembly, as his running
mate.
The PDP’s candidate, Nyesom Wike, said yesterday that he would formally unveil his running mate tomorrow. He, however, disclosed that the running mate would be a woman.
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