Delta 2023: The Factors Around Major Gladiators

One of the States to watch out for in the governorship election in 2023 is Delta State, which is expected to be keenly contested unlike previous elections in the State.

As consultations swing into motion for the race ahead of 2023, political forces within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) have begun a re-alignment that would either retain or massively alter the political structure laid by renowned former Governor James Ibori.

Political analysts believe the governorship election will be a battle between torch bearers loyal to the ‘Old Order’ and radicals of a ‘New Order’ determined to upturn the existing political system in the State not minding the cost or consequence of doing so.

On the side of both divides are aspirants whose disposition and political ideology to State affairs reflect the thinking and motivation behind the collective will of both camps.

 Kenneth Gbagi

A former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, is a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State and foremost contender for the governorship seat in the 2023 general elections.

Known for his conservative views, analysts say he is in fact the best bet for the ‘Old Order’ and is believed to be in the loop with Ibori’s power rotation strategy among the major ethnic groups in Delta State.

Given Ibori’s rotational strategy, the 2023 Governorship election is expected to produce a Governor from the majority ethnic group, the Urhobo.

Gbagi, an Urhobo who hails from Oginibu in Ughelli South Local Government is a philanthropist with several major business interests in Delta State.

Unarguably considered an aspirant who possesses the grit and fits the bill to slug it out on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Gbagi, many say, wields the respect and political experience to sustain peace, unity and stability in the State, all of which are outcomes of Ibori’s power rotation strategy.

Most political stalwarts and stakeholders in the state, who are bent of having the legacies of Ibori preserved, are alleged to have thrown their weights behind Gbagi as the next Governor in 2023.

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

Also alleged to be interested in running for the governorship position is the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, who presently represents Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

Political analysts, however, say that his aspiration for the position of governor of Delta State is also being weighed against the aspiration of returning as Deputy President of the Senate or possibly President of the Senate in 20123.

According to observers, should Omo-Agege decide to contest the Governorship election in 2023, the chances of winning are challenged by factors weighing down his party in Delta State and the renewed unity in the ruling PDP in Delta Central.

It is alleged that some political gladiators within the PDP in the State played anti-party in ensuring Omo-Agege’s victory as Senator representing Delta Central during the 2019 National Assembly elections.

A source within the Peoples’ Democratic Party revealed that a prominent political figure instrumental to Omo-Agege’s victory worked against the Party’s candidate, Evelyn Oboro, to deliver the Deputy Senate President against all odds.

With Omo-Agege’s eventual decision to contest the governorship seat, analysts believe that the support he enjoyed from across party divides in the last National Assembly election will be absent from the contest leading to the election, reason being that the ruling party (PDP) in the state would be preoccupied with channeling all energies towards delivering its candidate.

Also, indications are rife that the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State will be confronted with the most severe intra-party crisis should Omo-Agege decide to run for the 2023 governorship election.

As it stands, tension within the political party seems to be escalating with the battle for supremacy between the Governorship candidate in the 2019 election in the state, Ovedje Ogboru and Omo-Agege, which has led to the emergence of two factions.

Great Ovedje Ogboru

Chief Ovedje Ogboru goes down in record as the only visible opposition candidate in Delta State to have contested against all serving Governors since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Ogboru, according to feelers, is still very much interested in contesting the Governorship position in the state as the APC candidate, despite having taken a shot at it on the platform of the Alliance of Democracy (AD), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and Labour Party (LP) in the 2003, 2007 and 2015 governorship elections in the State.

It is on record that he contested against James Ibori in 2003; then again slugged it out with Ibori’s successor, Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007 and 2011 respectively; and then with the present Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, in 2015 and 2019.

Ogboru’s penchant for contesting the Governorship election may be threatened by the ambition of the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.

Analysts posit that should Omo-Agege run on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, a looming intra-party crisis may likely erupt and polarise the party and members, and therefore affect both chances of winning the party’s guber ticket.

David Edevbie

Another aspirant to join the race to contest the 2023 gubernatorial election in Delta State is David Edevbie, a former Commissioner of Finance in the State (1999 – 2007).

Edevbie is currently Chief of Staff to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Known to have to the backing of some political stalwarts within the circle of Ibori’s ‘Old Order’, Edevbie, political analysts say, is one whose emergence and supposed candour as the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) may give spark to a looming rebellion by the younger political generation that would lead to the final ouster of the older clique from Delta politics.

Being from the younger political generation in Delta State, Edevbie’s candidacy and emergence as Governor, analysts predict, will embolden radical political elements in the state to seek an end to the reign of the ‘Old Order’ led by the Godfather of Delta State politics, James Ibori.

The rather “passive rebellion” by political opportunists lurking in the background, a source warned, would be unlatched by an Edevbie candidacy.

The hijack of the power structure by the ‘New Order’ under Edevbie would bid the end to all political stopgaps put in place by James Ibori to address the state’s diversity problems.

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