As the April 11 governorship polls to
decide who governs Delta State sets in, there is need to give insight into how
the elections will play out. From all indices and projections by pundits, Senator
Ifeanyi Okowa, candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party is projected to
become the winner of the polls.
First, Delta State is a stronghold of the
PDP and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Since the return of
democracy in May 1999, Delta has given over 75% of its votes at every election
to the PDP. In the March 28, Presidential poll, the same feat was replicated as
the PDP scored over 1.2million votes.
PDP is so entrenched across all the wards
and local governments across the State making it difficult to be uprooted easily.
The so called bandwagon effect that seems to momentarily put APC in speculative
advantage will ultimately prove to be a mere wishful thinking.
Another reason Senator Okowa will win is
the strong sentiment for zoning in the State. The popular clamour for power
shift to Delta North Senatorial District is an idea whose time has come and the
opposition cannot overcome the movement. Besides, APC and Labour party have no
foothold either in Delta North or South.
Delta Central Senatorial District, which should
ordinarily be for the two opposition parties, is a battleground for the three
major political parties. The odds against the opposition are formidable in some
of the local government areas in Delta Central, which will make it firmly split
between PDP and LP.
The recent voting pattern reflected it, as
the PDP won on all elections in the State. The simple projection is that this
is Senator Ifeanyi Okowa’s election to win.
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