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From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
Former Principal Secretary to State former’s governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Dr. Hilary Ibegbulem, has taken a swipe at former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, over a purported diatribe against Okowa.
Reacting to a controversial interview credited to Ochei, Ibegbulem dismissed allegations of political impunity, nepotism, and alienation leveled against the former governor, describing them as misleading narratives designed to advance personal ambition.
Ochei had fired a salvo against Okowa over his APC Delta North senatorial candidacy, describing his opposition as a fight against political impunity. He alleged that the current Delta State Governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, had previously tried to persuade him not to run against Okowa.
But Ibegbulem sharply countered the narrative, stating that Governor Oborevwori’s intervention was not an admission of Ochei’s electoral strength, but rather a reflection of a shared consensus that Okowa remains the most qualified candidate.
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Ibegbulem noted that Senator Okowa’s public service record is one that few politicians can rival, pointing to Okowa’s history as a medical doctor, local government chairman, commissioner, Secretary to the State Government, and two term governor. He specifically took a swipe at Ochei’s allegations that Okowa was attempting to monopolise Delta politics by fielding his daughter and an alleged in law for elective positions.
Setting the record straight regarding the 2027 race for the Ika Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat, Ibegbulem clarified that the APC candidate, Mr Emmanuel Osazuwa, has absolutely no family ties to Okowa. Osazuwa, he noted, is an indigene of Oza Nogogo, and his wife is from Osun State, meaning there is no blood relationship or affinity between Okowa and the candidate.
Ibegbulem maintained that in the 2014 PDP primaries, Ochei reportedly rejected a compromise deal to run for Senate and instead insisted on contesting the governorship primary against Okowa.
After losing, he defected to the Accord Party to run for Senate, where he suffered a crushing defeat, losing eight local governments by substantial margins to the late Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.
Dismissing claims that Okowa has alienated his political allies, Ibegbulem argued that the former governor’s enduring influence across Delta State is proof of his deep rooted goodwill. He stated that many of the individuals who stood with Senator Okowa throughout his political journey continue to maintain cordial relationships with him today.
He challenged Ochei to look inward regarding his own political relationships and structures, declaring that the electorate will ultimately decide based on capacity rather than rhetoric. He concluded that public discourse should be guided by facts rather than assumptions, and that political debates must be anchored on verifiable truths.
