From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Former governors James Ibori and Emmanuel Uduaghan were on Thursday conspicuously absent as the Delta State of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) inaugurated it’s campaign council ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Senator James Manager who represents Delta south and former Commissioner of Finance, David Edevbie were among the notable absentees at the ceremony which held in Asaba.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who is the vice presidential candidate of the PDP is the chairman of the council with the 2023 governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori as vice chairman while the notable absentees at the inauguration are members.
This is even as the council which was inaugurated by the state chairman of the party, Kingsley Esiso, is yet to have a Director General (DG).
Our correspondent learnt that the position of DG was reserved for a nominee from the former governor, Ibori, who is yet to come to terms how his preferred candidate, Edevbie, was unsuccessful in his bid to be the governorship candidate.
As at the Monday when the list of member of the council was published, the DG was left blank, and as at the inauguration, no name was announced as DG, fuelling speculations that the wounds resulting from primaries were to be healed.
Regardless, however, the state party chairman, Kingsley Esiso, charged members of the council to take the campaigns to the unit, ward and local government levels.
“We want your services most at the units, wards and LGAs. This state campaign is for the grassroots.
“For state and national assembly elections, please stay in your constituencies to the lead the campaigns there, and stop coming to Asaba or going to Abuja,” Esiso said.
The party chairman said the inauguration of the council was the beginning of the campaigns to reset Nigeria and rescue the country from maladministration by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
He boasted that most members of the opposition party in the state would be retired politically after the 2023 general elections.